Strat string question

[Jersey Jack]

I picked up a mexi strat for my son, and recently I tried to put on fresh strings. But () I ran into a problem: I can't push the string through the back of the guitar. On my tele the string-ends are visible in the the back of the guitar and they push right out. In the strat the string-ends sit further up inside what looks like a tiny tube--I don't have anything small enough to stick up there and grab the string end. I removed the back-plate, but that didn't do any good.

 

What to do??? I feel like a real noob, but I've never owned a strat before and I'm stuck. Is there a trick? How does one remove the string from the guitar?

[jumpwin]

stick a wound string in through the saddle side of the hole (or tube) and push it through to the rear of the guitar. This usually pulls the ball end out easy. It may need to be pushed back and forth a few times, but the groove in the wound string will eventually grab the ball and push it out the rear. I usually just cut a length off the old strings and use that.

[jelloman]

I use the bridge allen key myself...

[Auslander]

My Strat book recommends using a cake tester- it should poke the string right out from the front.

[Orange Jackson]

 

I use the bridge allen key myself...

 

 

That's what I do too.

Also, next time just leave enough string on the ball and you can just push it out.