Removing all strings at once - why not?

[AndyK]

I read the EBMM FAQ saying never to remove all the strings. I've been changing strings on Floyd guitars for 30 years, and ALWAYS remove all the strings so I can wipe down the fretboard, the headstock, and in between the pickups, etc. I've never ruined a neck or guitar doing this.

Further, when you dive your Floyd, it has the same effect as removing all the strings. This doesn't harm the neck.

How do you all change strings on your EBMM gutars?

 

[beej]

I always remove them, for the same reasons. Give you a good opportunity to inspect everything and perform any necessary maintenance.

When I've had floating trems, I've always blocked the trem to keep roughly the same position, to make tuning easier. But I get that doing it one string at a time makes that part easy.

 

[tonelover]

Taking them all off is not going to damage a neck. I have found however that if I do that on most of my Axises, the bridge will pop off of the posts and springs may/will come off. Kind of annoying actually. My Ibanez trems have a spring lock bar which keeps the springs from coming out of the block, something I wish the Gotohs had because that would help keep them in place better..

 

[AndyK]

I agree, on the Axis/EVH/Wolfgang guitars, the trems fly off the posts in a scary way when all the tension is removed. I usually remove 2 out of the 3 trem springs before removing all the strings. This reduces the spring tension and usually keeps the bridge from flying up. If not, I remove ALL springs, and pull the bridge out, with the strings still attatched. Then I remove the strings away from the guitar body - no Floyd wrench "oops" moments this way.

 

[Tollywood]

I take off strings in pairs. I'll do the E and the A, then the D and the G, then the B and the E. I clean 1/3 of the fretboard at a time.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

 

[AndyK]

I take off strings in pairs. I'll do the E and the A, then the D and the G, then the B and the E. I clean 1/3 of the fretboard at a time.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

Thanks.

Doing 2 strings at a time would drive me insane. That's like doing 3 times the work, I think.

 

[ozzyrules]

I always remove them, for the same reasons. Give you a good opportunity to inspect everything and perform any necessary maintenance.

When I've had floating trems, I've always blocked the trem to keep roughly the same position, to make tuning easier. But I get that doing it one string at a time makes that part easy.

Just did this exact thing. I love "neck care". The only way to accomplish a thorough cleaning is by removing all strings. Refer to Drew Montel's video on EBMM neck care.

 

[TNT]

I read the EBMM FAQ saying never to remove all the strings. I've been changing strings on Floyd guitars for 30 years, and ALWAYS remove all the strings so I can wipe down the fretboard, the headstock, and in between the pickups, etc. I've never ruined a neck or guitar doing this. Further, when you dive your Floyd, it has the same effect as removing all the strings. This doesn't harm the neck. How do you all change strings on your EBMM gutars?

First off welcome to EBMM forum, great place to be (sometimes, lol,lol,lol). Now, concerning what you assume to be true - I don't agree.

1. You're removal of "all" the strings is only so you can "clean, etc....." has nothing to do with changing strings (unless you want to change them at that time).

2. A neck doesn't necessarily have to be "ruined or destroyed" to be doing some thing wrong. It can also be "little" harm and deferred damage as well down the road.

3. Yes, you are correct, a dive bomb is tantamount to removing strings, however, there is still a big difference between the two. A dive bomb typically is micro/milla seconds, whereas a string change and cleaning maybe a half hour or longer. The neck at that point will certainley begin to adjust, regress and set up (in substance) to the "new" location. Now, you're then going to readjust it, etc..... once again when you put strings on. Over time this will take a toll.

The correct way is one string at a time.

 

[BrickGlass]

3. Yes, you are correct, a dive bomb is tantamount to removing strings, however, there is still a big difference between the two. A dive bomb typically is micro/milla seconds, whereas a string change and cleaning maybe a half hour or longer. The neck at that point will certainley begin to adjust, regress and set up (in substance) to the "new" location. Now, you're then going to readjust it, etc..... once again when you put strings on. Over time this will take a toll.

The correct way is one string at a time.

You say "over time this will take a toll". What toll? Do you have some kind of proof or documentation of this because I'm curious about that statement?

Here is what the FAQ says about it:

"The best way to restring your guitar is one at a time to keep tension on the neck. It is not recommended to take all of the strings off at once. If you need to remove them for cleaning or to do some repair work, you will probably need to readjust the neck and re-intonate the guitar."

I've never had a problem readjusting the neck of my guitar (I do it all the time with the crazy weather we get here in Utah) and I check my intonation every single time I change the strings no matter what. I personally clean the necks of my guitars every time I change the strings, so I take all of the strings off together to put new ones on. Almost every single time I do this I have to adjust the neck a bit, but no biggie, at least for me. So according to MM I don't restring the "best way" and according to TNT I don't restring the "correct way".

 

[beej]

There is nothing wrong with taking the strings off without touching the truss rod.

For long periods of time (if you're going to let it sit for days), take the tension off, but else, there's no reason to worry about it.

 

[AndyK]

On my Charvel, I have to take the neck off to adjust the truss rod. I do this by sticking a paper towel under the Floyd to remove string tension. I then remove the neck, adjust the rod, then put the guitar back together.

I do this one or two times a year, with no harm done.
The neck always goes back to where it's supposed to be.

 

[Spudmurphy]

I can see TNT's point. but a short while is ok. To be honest when I took my neck off the JP6 during it's refurb, I slackened the truss rod. But it will be fine to leave it as it is is when you clean the neck.

 

[AndyK]

I would think messing with the truss rod is way worse for the neck than the occasional string removal.

 

[luv]

I used the same method that beej mentioned. Block the trem so it doesn't move. I never had any issues, but I never had all strings removed for more than a half hour at most.

 

[DrKev]

My previous guitar did over 1000 gigs over ten years and I frequently took all the strings off to clean the fingerboard. We're talking over a hundred of times. No adverse effects what so ever. For Floyd owners, some find that it's a pain in the ass, true, for everyone else nothing to worry about, IMO.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I always take all my strings off at once when I re-string. The necks on my guitars are all over 10 years old and seem to be super stable these days. I still have to adjust them for seasonal changes, but for string changes its never a problem.

One of the many benefits of playing hardtail's is none of that Floyd nonsense! Hardtail's rule!

 

[LawDaddy]

I love it when the internet tells me I've been doing something wrong for 30 years.

 

[ozzyrules]

One of the many benefits of playing hardtail's is none of that Floyd nonsense! Hardtail's rule!

Ha, I kinda thought the same about Floyds until a year or so ago. I bought my first Tribute. I love them almost equally well as my hard tails.

 

[TNT]

Sometimes common sense will give a "clear" illustration of a specific situation.

How much pressure do strings put on the neck when tuned up, that it actually "bows/bends" a solid strong maple piece of wood?? Would you say quite a bit? Well, it takes an additional "steel" rod inserted in the neck to compensate and straighten out the strong piece of maple wood (so yes, a lot of pressure).

Now, take the strings off your guitar (without adjusting the truss rod) and the truss rod will act like a set of tuned strings going the other direction!!

Now you tell me, do you really need someone to tell you that this situation is not healthy for your guitar??!!

 

[killerburst]

This doesn't harm the wood at all unless you are talking weeks or more. String changes and minor maintenance are perfectly fine. Your assertion of "common sense" flies in the face of decades of professional luthiers' standard practices.

Sometimes common sense will give a "clear" illustration of a specific situation.

How much pressure do strings put on the neck when tuned up, that it actually "bows/bends" a solid strong maple piece of wood?? Would you say quite a bit? Well, it takes an additional "steel" rod inserted in the neck to compensate and straighten out the strong piece of maple wood (so yes, a lot of pressure).

Now, take the strings off your guitar (without adjusting the truss rod) and the truss rod will act like a set of tuned strings going the other direction!!

Now you tell me, do you really need someone to tell you that this situation is not healthy for your guitar??!!