Your shopping cart is currently empty.
Saturday
Sept 20, 3-6p
Where
The Magic Flute, 182 Northgate One | Terra Linda
BIG Savings on a Restring
For just a $15 donation, get your 6-string acoustic, electric guitar, or ukulele restrung — with FREE strings generously donated by D’Addario. Plus, our professional techs will clean and oil your fretboard!
Get 20% off all guitar and uke accessories when you donate for a restring.
In-store only, during the event.
We're Raising Funds for Musicians!
100% of all donations will go to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, an amazing organization providing much needed financial support to working musicians. Learn more
Get Here Early!!
Free string supplies are limited so get here early and don’t forget to tell ALL your guitar and uke-playing friends.
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
Helping Musicians and Music Industry Workers in Need Since 1994
They're doing amazing work, learn more about it here: sweetrelief.org
In Her Own Words
Sweet Relief beneficiary, Kristi Jacques, shares her story.
5 Signs It's Time to Change Your Strings!
- Strings wear out from use and the passing of time. The rule of thumb is to change strings every 100 hours or 3 months—whichever comes first.
- Old strings sound dull, are difficult to get into tune, and can break unexpectedly. Intonation also suffers. Fresh strings give you a clean, crisp and bright sound.
- Old strings feel gross to the touch. Moisture in the air rusts them over time, accelerated by frequent contact with the moisture and oil from your fingers, causing the strings to corrode and kill their tone. Tarnished strings means dirty build up.
- Often small kinks begin to form along the length of the strings. These dents are caused by contact with the fret wire, which itself is made of metal. They affect the tone and feel of the strings, and also increase the likelihood that the strings will break suddenly. Especially true for ukes with nylon strings.
- The guitar’s treble strings are made from a single piece of wire. Acoustic guitars have four wound and two plain strings, while electric guitars—using lighter strings—typically have three wound and three plain. Over time, the windings can loosen, causing unpredictability. Steel strings may break when this happens, while nylon strings might just lose their windings without breaking the core. Either way, not fun.
Basic Upkeep Makes a Big Difference
Save 20% on All Accessories with Donation (in-store only Sep 20, 2025)
It’s not just about strings, maintaining your instrument is easy to do and shows you take your musicianship seriously.
- Wiping down your strings (top and bottom) with a clean, soft cloth can remove the corrosion-causing substances left on them after playing. This can therefore prolong the life of the strings. A handy tool to use for this is the Music Nomad Premium String Care Kit and Planet Waves Polish Cloth
- Cleaning your hands before playing will help keep your strings free of dirt and oil (soap and water!)
- Periodically cleaning and oiling the fret board will remove dust and oil. We love this product Dunlop Formula 65 Lemon Oil
- Polishing your instrument does not affect the sound, but it sure makes it look and feel nice to play! Dunlop Formula 65 Cleaner Guitar Polish
Restring-A-Thon FAQs
How it Works
- Meet us at The Magic Flute, Northgate One | Terra Linda
- Make a $15 donation (or more!) and get a set of new strings
- Hand your instrument and strings to a tech (you may need to stand in line)
What if donated strings run out?
Supplies are limited. First come, first served. If we’ve run out of donated string sets, you are welcome to purchase a set and get the restring for a $15 donation.
PLEASE NOTE: 6-string acoustic and electric guitars, and 4-string ukuleles are welcome. Our goal is to do as many restrings as possible in 3 hours so please no 12-string guitars, bass guitars, or locking tremolos/Floyd Rose.
What if time runs out?
We may decide to keep going or offer an extension to those in line. With an extension, customers would have to bring their guitars back by the designated due date in order to take advantage of the offer.
Can I bring more than one guitar?
Yes, each guitar restring is $15. Because we want to serve as many customers as possible during the event, we may ask you to bring your additional guitars in the following week to receive the same offer.
Can I purchase an alternate set of strings?
Sure. But the service will still require a $15 donation.
Are basses and mandolins eligible?
This particular event is for 6-string electric and acoustic guitars and 4-string ukuleles only.
Can I donate more to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund?
Absolutely! You can offer more than $15 for your restring or you can donate directly at sweetrelief.org
Don't miss this opportunity to get new strings!
The Magic Flute is proud to be your complete community music store, where you can get inspiration, education, entertainment, and a variety of musical products and services.
Music is good for the soul and our goal is to keep our music community alive and thriving.
See you September 20!