How do you get strings out when they're stuck?

[VREEEEVROOOOOW]

OK. So stupid question I guess but ehm…

I've got an old strat lying around that I borrowed from a friend who doesn't have the time to play it. The strings were proper terrible. I reckon the guitar's been in storage for years and years. So I decided to just change them. Piece of piss, right?

Well, not exactly. Four of the strings are well stuck in the (tremolo) bridge. So I used a tiny screwdriver to push'em out. That worked with some brute force for 3 out of them. On the fourth I actually splintered the cheapo screwdriver handle!

So—any advice on how to get the last one out? I'm itching for having a D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-d# guitar handy!

[dubkitty]

a long allen wrench close to the diameter of the string hole.

[friendship]

that or a longish awl if you have one

[dubkitty]

once you're done, do check to be sure you haven't inadvertently created scarring on the edges of the holes in the bridge plate. these can cause nasty string breakage problems, particularly if you plan on using the vibrato. if you have a problem you can file/sand to smooth the edge, or you can replace the bridge plate if you're feeling lazy. Stratocaster bridge plates are cheap.