Changing Strings - What do you do and why?

[chadhargis]

I've seen two schools of thought on this. Some say do one at a time, yet I've see countless videos of luthiers removing all the strings, cleaning the neck, and restringing. I've seen people say, "use 0000 steel wool to clean the fretboard" which would be damn hard with strings on.

What do you guys do?

[UncleFluffy]

I normally do one at a time. Wiping the bass (including the fretboard) down with a microfiber cloth every time I put it away keeps the ick from building up to the point where steel wool is needed.

[snyderz]

If I'm changing strings on one of my own basses, that has had a well cared for board, I change one at a time. If I have bought a bass, and it needs a good cleaning, I take them all off.

[Kenner]

All at once.....my newest of 5 basses is a 93. Always done it that way. Never an issue........

[strappa]

take em all off at once
clean the body
clean the fretboard with murphy's wood soap and a toothbrush

[chadhargis]

So, again, two schools of thought.

Is there any harm in removing all the strings versus changing one at a time?

I understand that doing one at a time maintains tension on the neck, but removing them all gives you unfettered access to the fretboard to give it a good cleaning and wipe down.

I just want to make sure I don't foul something up that will require a trip to a luthier and money out of my wallet.

[snyderz]

You've just had several people say they take all the strings off. Do you want some kind of guarantee?

[UncleFluffy]

No, it's not going to hurt unless there was something seriously wrong to begin with. However, I wouldn't recommend you leave it unstrung for days at a time without adjusting the truss rod.

[gareth dunster]

Steel wool near any kind of electrical equipment is asking for trouble, and so is gold leaf, but that's another story.

[Chasarms]

I always take them all off and then replace them all. Having them all off gives you the chance to wipe down the fb and also wipe any funk off that is on the body under the strings or around the pickups.

One tip:

Make note of the number of windings on the pegs of your strings before you remove them. The string should wind top to bottom down to the bottom of the peg -- but not overlap.

Like this ("borrowed" pic from Vic) :



So when looking at the old strings, if they are correct you can use them as a guide for your new strings by lining up the ball ends and then clipping them to the same length. If the old install was short or overlapped, adjust accordingly by clipping a little longer or a little shorter.

After a couple of re-strings, you will always have a perfect template to make sure your strings wind perfectly on the pegs.

[zenrad]

I don't change strings often on my basses, so when I do I usually remove all of the strings and wipe down the neck and headstock as well as the area under the strings. I do the 0000 steel wool thing once a year at most.

If I'm trying different sets of strings and they're coming on and off the bass fairly frequently I'll do one at a time as I change them all and skip the wiping down part.

[J. Crawford]

This is why I love my flat wounds. They just get better with age.

[Chasarms]

I have no idea where the myth of never removing all the strings came from, but it is hooey. It is simply not an issue.

On double bass, as it is with all violin/viol family instruments, you remove and re-string one at a time, but this is only to keep the tension on the bridge and top. Otherwise you may alter your bridge placement or the sound post can fall, which put simply, sucks if that happens.

[chadhargis]

Do you want some kind of guarantee?

There are no guarantees in life, but being a rank newbie, I am wanting to make an informed decision about what I do.

I have one bass, and that's really all I can afford now. If I hose it up, then I have nothing to practice on. I believe knowing your instrument and experimenting with it will make you a better player. That's why I want to set it up myself.

I've read how to adjust the truss rod, how to set the string height, and how to intonate. I have the right tools to do it.

I just want to be sure that I don't do something that is going to seriously damage my bass and cause me to either have to pay money to have it fixed or buy a new bass.

Mine is a neck through design, so if I ruin the neck, there is no bolting on a new one. I'm pretty well screwed.

As for removing all the strings, if I do so, it will only be long enough to clean the bass and put new strings on. I'm going to have to adjust everything anyway, so if the relief gets a little futzed up, I'm armed with a micrometer and a hex wrench...I'll make it tip top again.

I'm simply a VERY rank newbie at all of this and want to gain as much knowledge as I can. This site has taught me lots of things so far. I appreciate all the input.

Thanks everyone!!

[Chasarms]

Originally Posted by chadhargis

. . . if the relief gets a little futzed up . . .

Unless you are replacing the strings with the exact same brand and size, you are almost certainly doing to have to reset the relief.

[chadhargis]

Yep...so another feather in the cap of remove them all.

As a newbie, I'll be trying different strings so I can find the set that I really, really like. I don't imagine I'll put on the same type strings over the next several sets.

[Pilgrim]

I normally don't change bass strings - ever. Neither do I clean fretboards, because mine don't seem to get dirty.

When I do change them, I take off all the old strings and install new ones as a set. So far, no problems since 1967.

[202dy]

Originally Posted by chadhargis

There are no guarantees in life, but being a rank newbie, I am wanting to make an informed decision about what I do.

I have one bass, and that's really all I can afford now. If I hose it up, then I have nothing to practice on. I believe knowing your instrument and experimenting with it will make you a better player. That's why I want to set it up myself.

I've read how to adjust the truss rod, how to set the string height, and how to intonate. I have the right tools to do it.

I just want to be sure that I don't do something that is going to seriously damage my bass and cause me to either have to pay money to have it fixed or buy a new bass.

Mine is a neck through design, so if I ruin the neck, there is no bolting on a new one. I'm pretty well screwed.

As for removing all the strings, if I do so, it will only be long enough to clean the bass and put new strings on. I'm going to have to adjust everything anyway, so if the relief gets a little futzed up, I'm armed with a micrometer and a hex wrench...I'll make it tip top again.

I'm simply a VERY rank newbie at all of this and want to gain as much knowledge as I can. This site has taught me lots of things so far. I appreciate all the input.

Thanks everyone!!

Pull the strings or not. If you are new to this, do both and figure out what you like. Or when to do which.

As far as doing harm to your guitar, there is no reason to obsess. Guitar necks are pretty bullet proof when it comes to setups. The only thing that will seriously harm a neck is breaking the truss rod. Many truss rod nuts are made brass so that eliminates the problem for some of the ham-fisted. The rest will have to listen.

There is only one caveat: When turning a truss rod nut, if it squeaks, stop.*

Everything else can be adjusted up, down, over, out, left, right, inside, and outside ad infinitum, til the cows come home, or the sun ceases to shine, whichever occurs last, without any harm being done to the neck.

*If you do not know the sound of metal squeaking against metal when it has had too much torque applied, go play with the lug nuts on your car for a few minutes. Failing that, take your guitar to a pro.

[JTE]

Depends on how often I'm changing them. When (if) I ever change strings on the Precision, which has had the same set of flats for a good three years or more, I'll take them all off an clean the fingerboard and the body really well. When I'm gigging regularly and changing strings every two months or so, I only change one at a time.

That's only because keeping the neck tension pretty stable allows the string to settle in and the whole instrument to stay in adjustment more easily. Lately once a year when I restring I'll take all the strings off for a thorough cleaning, but not for routine string changes.

If you're going to have the strings off for a few days, I'd adjust the truss rod, but for the time it takes to clean and restring, the wood will be OK.

John

[chadhargis]

Great stuff everyone!

Thank you again for your advice.

I'm really looking forward to tinkering with my setup and finding my "feel".