Removing all the strings?

[NJL]

How bad is it to remove all the strings at once from a bass when changing them?

 

[Mon Rominee]

It's not too terrible at all. Just don't leave the neck like that for extened periods of time.

 

[gottawalk]

It's not too terrible at all. Just don't leave the neck like that for extened periods of time.

...although, other than wanting to do a cleaning on the neck, why bother? I take the first one off; use it for a length template for the new one, clip the new one and wind it up to tone, in tune with the rest of the bass and then move on. No difference in time, that I can see and it keeps the neck consistant.

 

[Mon Rominee]

gottawalk, that's primarily what I do.

clean the neck?!? what's that about?

 

[Dan1099]

I took them off when shielding my control cavities, replacing the pickups, and rewiring the cavity. Techs do this all the time, otherwise they could never get any work done.

 

[Magneto]

I took them off when shielding my control cavities, replacing the pickups, and rewiring the cavity. Techs do this all the time, otherwise they could never get any work done.

Yeah, alot of us take them all off at one time to give the bass a good cleaning and for maintenance, but it does make a difference with the action when restringing, especially if you have a small amount of relief with strings in tune.

I don't think it hurts the neck for short periods of time, but if you ever do take all the tension off the neck, take a peek at it and you'll see how it bows backward without string tension on it. When you do get your new strings on and tuned up, you'll notice that the bass usually feels like it has no relief and takes awhile to settle back in with the tension.

If all you're doing is changing strings, I would recommend ONE AT A TIME. You'll notice less change in the neck when you get them all back to tune.

Mag...

 

[Freaky Fender]

in addition to the one at a time thing, do it for every other one completely, that means old string discarded and new string cut and tuned (approx, just so there's tension)

First the E,
Then the G
Then the A
Then the D

 

[JimmyM]

It depends how stable your neck is. Most basses I own can do it without a problem. But I have one that the relief gets all messed up when I take off more than one string at a time.

 

[gottawalk]

I took them off when shielding my control cavities, replacing the pickups, and rewiring the cavity. Techs do this all the time, otherwise they could never get any work done.

Yeah, but that's a once or twice time for the life of the bass, I would hope... Not every couple of months if you're gigging a lot.

Mon Rominee: gottawalk, that's primarily what I do.

clean the neck?!? what's that about?

Sorry, man. Lost my head there for a second! Didn't mean to scare ya!

 

[Chasarms]

It's no big deal at all. I have done it for years.

If you want to store a bass without strings on it, just loosen the truss rod.