Removing all strings (or not)

[Reverie]

I 'd like to ask a pretty simple question, you hear that when you remove all of your strings and not one-by-one when you want to change them causes intonation or other bridge/trussrod issues.

Is that fact or fiction?

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I tried to search for an answer within the forum but got no results, I apologize if I am mistaken.

[yugo]

i don't see how that would affect the bridge but ive heard that taking all the tension off the neck at once is the problem

[projectMalamute]

I take off all the strings, wipe down the fingerboard and restring it.

I've been doing this for 20 some years on a variety of different basses.

Never had a problem.

I wouldn't worry about it.

[Lon86]

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!


The space-time continuieeeum thingy will explode and all the vintage Fenders will be destroyed in the fiery aftermath.


At least that is what I have been told.

[SwamiRob]

I've always found that in the short term it's fine and just takes a while to settle back in - you need to take them all off for lots of stuff, changing pickups, resoldering on p-basses and getting all that gunk out your frets etc. Dunno how it effects the strings but the neck settles in after a short hour or so long period of fret buzz.

Dunno about in the long term though, when I got my Fender Bullet looked over after having no strings for like 4 months or something stupid I was told it was "less of a setup, more of a restoration job". Not sure if she was referring to the neck or the wiring or the new nut it needed or the threaded screw holes or one of the numerous other things that needed work...

At an educated guess, I'd imagine how much you have the truss rod engaged has to do with it, I'd have thought whatever happens to a neck it's quite hard to get it past the point of no return.

[Lorenzini]

I always restring 1 string at a time. Keeps the neck basically at tension (depending on if you're switching to a string type of other tension) so you don't have to tighten the trussrod again.

[Reverie]

Originally Posted by Lorenzini

I always restring 1 string at a time. Keeps the neck basically at tension (depending on if you're switching to a string type of other tension) so you don't have to tighten the trussrod again.

The problem is, what about neck/frets cleaning. I hate having to divide the cleaning procedure in 3-4 parts (and never as good as cleaning the neck without any strings on).

It's just that you hear people supporting that when you remove all the strings it's harmful and other people claiming the opposite, don't know what to believe.

Cheers

[mikeypbass]

My neck exploded once because I took off all the strings

[DavePlaysBass]

I usually take them all off and don't have to adjust when finished. I would not leave a neck stringless for days but for 10 minutes I have never had an issue.

Wood that is held in an extreme state for extended periods of time may develop memory you wish it did not have. One scenerio is leaving a bass with heavy strings and not adjusting for years and you may end up with a big forward bow. And the other scenerio is to unstring the bass to avoid the first scenerio but you end up leaving the neck in a back bowed situation. But neither of these apply to a string change.

[Slowgypsy]

Check out www.frets.com
It's a sight mainly for acoustic guitars, repair and such but it's run by a master repair person and is filled with accurate info. To answer the question... there's absolutely no harm in removing all the strings at the same time. If you don't restring it within same a day or so, you might want to consider loosening the truss rod a bit.

[Reverie]

Cheers guys, you've been incredibly helpful.

[HeebeeJB]

I do this once a year on my Guitars and Mandolins, just to clean the gunk off the frets! Never had a problem. Usually I can get under the Bass strings with a lemon oil soaked cloth, but I have taken off all the strings before and never had any bother.