eventually 'destabilize' the neck of a guitar?
Make it rubbery.
Give you all kinds of probs in the future?
Ever heard of this?
And if you did, would it 'restabilize' after a while?
K
Truth or legend... Can taking off all of the strings at once...
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- Rated: 22 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 3:14 p.m. Konrad:
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- Rated: 31 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 3:30 p.m. Danman:
I don't see a problem. How do you think a luthier gives a guitar a refret? Ok, sometimes it might take a few days for a neck to really settle again but I can't imagine ruining it by taking strings off. When I sent a guitar along in an airplane I just loosened the strings slightly but I don't know what is best, there are different opinions about that.
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- Rated: 22 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 3:50 p.m. Konrad:
Once I read something by the head of Rickenbacker on this. Anyway, say if you switch string sizes over the course of a few days to see how she plays out... any risk?
K
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- Rated: 77 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 3:51 p.m. sassy:
I have left all of the strings off of many guitars while cleaning fretbords etc. Never had a problem....Been doing it for 40 years
The most stable necks I ever had were on my Old Gretsches..Once adjusted never had to do a thing from winter thru summer.
My maple neck Strats and Teles don't even hold as well as the Gretsches did...Just my opinion 
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- Rated: 58 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 3:59 p.m. yettoblaster:
I could see a dove-tail neck joint working loose on a cheap guitar with a wimpy joint, but I think the WORSE thing you could do to a dove-tail neck joint is let it get heated up in the trunk of a car until the glue got soft and the joint moved under string tension.
My next door neighbor makes decent Martin pattern guitars and routinely takes the strings off and on while adjusting his new guitars for action. I don't think he worries much about that, but warns every customer about not letting a good guitar get too hot.
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- Rated: 49 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 4:41 p.m. Ric12string:
I don't believe that there is anything inherently dangerous about removing all of the strings at the same time for a limited period of time. As Danman states, that is how luthiers repair frets and make other repairs all the time.
The greater danger is, I believe, if you leave the strings off the guitar for a prolonged period of time...say six months or so, particularly if you are in an area which has changing levels of relative humidity. In theory, at least, this could cause some movement in the neck which, if left unrestrained by the tension created by strings, it could move in a non-uniform manner. In other words, it could actually torque slightly.
As for loosening the strings while sending the guitar along in flight, that is to avoid exacerbating or worsening a newly-formed crack that could occur in transit.
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- Rated: 20 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 4:49 p.m. TwangOmatic:
I think the legend involves storing a guitar with the strings off. At least that what ive heared.
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- Rated: 6 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 5:06 p.m. Lee Erickson (aka rvwinkle):
"eventually 'destabilize' the neck of a guitar?"
Any load change will destabilize the neck in the short term.
"Make it rubbery."
No, it's wood.
"Give you all kinds of probs in the future?"
It will mean that you will need to keep retuning for a while after you replace the strings.
"Ever heard of this?"
It's pretty common knowledge that changing one string at a time is a better procedure.
"And if you did, would it 'restabilize' after a while? "
Yes.
The neck is constructed of wood with a steel reinforcing bar. When you relax the load on steel it will relax immediately. However, wood is quite different. Wood mostly relaxes immediately, but moves a little bit later as internal stresses resolve themselves.
Here's my list of practical advice:
1) If you keep guitars in tune, they will tend to stay in tune.
2) When changing strings, do it one string at a time.
3) If you must remove all the strings, start with the outside strings first and work to the inside strings.
4) When replacing strings, start in the middle and work out.
5) After replacing strings play and retune daily for three or four days.
Wood finds it home slowly. The less you move it the better. The more you tune the less you need to.
I know this all sounds crazy, but such is the way of our universe.
Lee
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- Rated: 31 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 5:26 p.m. Danman:
I take them off one by one too. But I have seen several good luthiers who just cut them all off at once. I never noticed any difference on a guitar, I just am a bit more carefull.
Konrad, I have tried different sets of strings more often, no problem, sometimes a little tweak of the trussrod or some bridge adjustment is necessary but there really isn't a big problem. Don't worry about it.
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- Rated: 51 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 5:49 p.m. The Norm:
one at a time is nice but not necessary. I do them three at a time and as pointed out, I've seen (and done) cut them all off at once.
'retune daily for three or four days' You prob'ly have to retune each time you pick it up but it should pretty much be stable right after you put them on if you do it right...
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- Rated: 11 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 9:52 p.m. reddog:
Never had any problems
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- Rated: 22 ↑
Oct 29, 2008 9:53 p.m. Konrad:
Thanks guys. Interesting stuff...
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- Rated: 29 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 12:38 a.m. jetbunny:
Welcome to the world of hollowbodies Konrad. I know how it feels to be paranoid especially if I have a RHH model like yours.
Anyways, I'll echo everything they said PLUS if you're comfortable, the guitar is comfortable.
Now imagine yourself inside a car's trunk in the middle of summer.
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- Rated: 52 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 1:14 a.m. bigalthethird:
According to a world-famous builder (who's working on one of my guitars as I speak), it has absolutely no effect on the neck. You can leave the strings off for decades and that won't adversely affect it at all.
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- Rated: 38 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 3:54 a.m. bobbyrivera:
TwangOmatic said: I think the legend involves storing a guitar with the strings off. At least that what i've heard.
I have to coincide with TwangOmatic. I've heard most of these myths with "stored" guitars as well.
Every guitar is different (which is one of the cool things about them). Wood, fingerboard material, joint styles etc. all have a huge affect on how you should maintain your pride and joy.
DERAILMENT WARNING...
That being said, I have been told that if one plans on NOT using an archtop or any neck-through/ jointed neck guitar (such as a Gibson SG or Les- regardless of neck joint) for about a year of so, it should be put in the case with strings on, but loosened SLIGHTLY: IE roughly tune to a couple steps flat to keep the back-pressure on the neck a bit and humidify (case or room) depending on the location you intend on keeping the instrument.
With regards to the vintage basement or closet finds, neck pressure (+ or _) can be either detrimental or positive depending on the climate where said guitar was stored.
The type of wood and construction on the neck, body, fingerboard and the type of joints used also affect this greatly. Obviously a bolt-on neck guitar won't have as many adverse affects from bad storage as a neck through solid-body or archtop will.
And don't forget the regular maintainable stuff that the previous owner may or may not have done (such as oiling the fretboard properly, etc.) since it was sitting "under the bed" or "in the closet"...
I really don't think there is any blanket statement that can be made to accurately give either case positive or negative merit. It really depends on the instrument you're looking at. There are however, some nice "rules of thumb" that can be given to any prospective owner of any NOS or vintage or new archtop. There are great resources on this site from folks who have a great deal more experience than I, and are happy to answer questions.
I have possibly derailed this thread a bit, but getting back to the original question in the post:
No, taking of all of the strings will not de-stabilize the neck on a new guitar, but it will make it much more annoying to intonate and set up (especially on archtops).
I really recommend going string by string on an archtop.
I personally don't change strings by unwinding them all at once (unless I'm playing with adding different bridges and/or tailpieces or other mods, and even then, I try to leave both E's 2 steps flat to keep the bridge inline (and with enough pressure- 40-60 Lbs (I think) on those strings as opposed to roughly 120ish Lbs on a full 10 set or med, 11 on a full set.
This also helps to make sure the string spacing (and pickup polepiece spacing works between the 1st and 6th strings from the 12th to the 1st)-
This is just how I do it (and what works for me), and every player and guitar is different. I think the FAQ section has some great suggestions.
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- Rated: 50 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 7:05 a.m. Richard Hudson:
Seems to me like any changes, if any, are most likely going to be so subtle that if a change did occur, how would you know what caused it?
I change strings pretty often and I always take them all off at once. It is faster, gives me an opportunity to shine up my baby in the way she deserves; and I do that every time. I'm not a physicist, a luthier or even a guitar tech, but I have never experienced any problems. I think the biggest problems encountered to damage guitars is sudden temperature changes. That is one thing I am very careful about. Changing the strings all at once with a floating bridge means you have to re-intonate; but - big deal.
I try to take good care of my guitars but I look at them as tools of my trade. I'm not a collector. They all get played. Most of my guitars show a little ding here or there; but they are shiny, loving dings.
Maybe it makes a difference if you use them all the time. Oh well...
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- Rated: 34 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 8:54 a.m. Bernw:
The general consensus is that taking all the strings off causes no perceivable difference.
If you want to lemon oil the neck but don't want to take all strings off due to the hassle of re-intonating because of the floating bridge being removed - just leave two stings on. This is usually enough tension to keep the bridge in situ. If not you can always tighten them a bit. You will still have ample room to apply the lemon oil across the fretboard and get the cloth under the two strings (the two middle or two outside strings) to wipe of any residue.
When you are ready to restring your guitar put the four new strings on and then replace the two existing strings with the final two new ones. Hey presto!
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- Rated: 16 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 9:32 a.m. Gigatron:
So I guess the Mythbusters are off the hook on this one.
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- Rated: 10 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 10:42 a.m. Zol:
This is a little off topic too - but related. I've found when I go to gigs that my hollow body guitars have to adjust to the environment for 15 - 30 minutes and then be played for 5 - 10 minutes, then 'fine tuned' before it will be 100% in tune and stay there.
I've been stuck playing beneath AC/Heating vents and you have to 'fine tune' constantly because of it.
Even though the tree is dead - the wood is still living and breathing!!
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- Rated: 212 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 10:47 a.m. Proteus:
I used to cut strings all off at once with side-cutters, but it was hard to get them bunched together and my hand was too weak.
Then I tried long pruning shears, which worked pretty well because I could get one the blades under all the strings at once, but then the shears went dull.
Next I went with a rotary power saw, had to be careful about blades or the strings would hang up in the teeth with truly spectacular results.
Now I use a chain saw and whack them puppies off in a flash. But I keep nicking the guitar bodies, so I'm thinking of going back to slacking one string at a time, half a turn a day, while tightening its opposing string half a turn to maintain constant pressure, till the string I'm removing is loose, then bringing the new string up half a turn a day while LOOSENING the opposing string half a turn, again always to maintain constant tension. When that string's changed, time to start another one.
Takes about 3 months to get the whole set changed, but I'll sleep better knowing I've been so gentle to my guitar neck.
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- Rated: 21 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 10:51 a.m. GentlBen:
I don't take all of mine off because I have a Bigsby on one and a Frequencinator tailpiece on another. Both are a royal pain if you remove all the strings.
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- Rated: 49 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 11:16 a.m. Ric12string:
Funny man, Proteus!
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- Rated: 47 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 11:35 a.m. dignan:
You guys know you're killing the resale value when you change out the original factory strings, right?
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- Rated: 212 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 12:13 p.m. Proteus:
dig, I've kept the factory strings for all my guitars. I remove them immediately (after taking detailed pics of exactly how they're wrapped on the pegs), then seal them in plastic and suck the air out with my Popeil Vac-u-matic (I've also been shrink-wrapping Big Macs in preparation for the Greatest Depression and the following Even Darker Ages), put them in UV-resistant pouches, and put them in cryogenic canisters.
When I'm ready to sell, they go back on.
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- Rated: 47 ↑
Oct 30, 2008 12:47 p.m. dignan:
I do something like that too, but it's the whole guitar that gets dipped in Cosmoline and I buy an exact copy for daily use.
So far I'm $20,000.00 in the hole but I'm pretty sure this economy thing will blow over in a few weeks and I'll be raking it in once more people find out about this "ebay."
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