Guitar players! I have a string-changing question.

[Blue-Jay]

Does it matter if you change on at a time or if you cut them all off before you change them? I've seen people do both.

A friend told me that it's better for the neck of your guitar to remove one then replace it before you remove the next one. He said that it creates less strain on the neck and that it won't affect the intonation nearly as much as cutting them all off at once.

Any truth to this?

(NSMA, I'm looking in your direction, as I know you're online right now.)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I don't cut my strings

I unwind them, and do it one at a time. It's easier, and you don't get the strings mixed up-this makes a difference when you are re-stringing a 12-string that is tuned to a special Open Tuning for the Dances of Universal Peace.

[Blue-Jay]

4. I don't really get them mixed up...

Changing one at a time is good if you're in a hurry. And, yes, you need to unwind them first.

My question was more related to the effect on the neck (and intonation) if you remove them all first, instead of doing one at a time. Bear with me, I'm a saxophone player first & foremost, but I play a lot of rhythm parts in my band on guitar as well.

I just don't want to throw off my intonation if I decide to remove them all at once in order to shine them up a little.

[LearnedHand]

2. DO NOT change them all at once!!!

Begin with one outer string, change that one, and then change the string on the OPPOSITE SIDE. Move inward, alternating sides, from the outer strings.

If you "cut them" all at once, you release an incredible amount of tension (think about it); doing so can warp the neck severely, or worse, depending on the temperatures and humidities of where you are.

[Blue-Jay]

6. I've never just snipped them all at once.

I always unwind first.

[juajen]

3. My son says

Change the strings one at a time. It maintains tension on the neck and can assist you in tuning the new strings. If you take all off at once, and don't replace them right away, you take a bigger chance of your neck warping, and your truss rod would not be able to compensate.

[tech3149]

5. one at a time

If you cut them you could cause the truss rod to bind and induce a warp in the neck. Sometimes the channel cut for the truss rod is so close, even minor changes in tension will cause a warp. I've never owned expensive guitars and always had good results one at a time. It may be different with something like a Taylor, but why take a chance.
Don't forget to get at least 3 wraps around the tuning peg to help maintain tuning.

[Blue-Jay]

7. OK. I'm convinced. One at a time. BUT....

What if I want to clean the neck and frets? Hard to do when the strings are on. I have a strobe-tuner and I figure that I can adjust the truss rod after a thorough cleaning to make sure that the entire neck is still in tune.

Maybe I should just let a professional do the dirty work, eh?

[louis-t]

8. I've been playing for 40 years

I've owned many guitars, still have some rare old ones. I have never changed strings one at a time. However, I do loosen all strings and then cut. I have never had a problem with a warped neck. I have left my guitars in sub-freezing temps overnight, was rear-ended last Christmas with a trunk full of guitars (damage to cases only), had a 1971 Les Paul Custom that went through a fire (no damage, I sold it in 1990 for $350, it's worth $1,800 now, who knew). More damage has been done to my instruments from techs opening case when not latched, falling from rack while servicing, being knocked off of guitar stands, than from string changes or weather issues. The finishes these days are pretty resilient, but older models (before 1970) had a more brittle lacquer type finish that would crack (check) if you left it outside all night and then opened the case and played it cold. Newer truss systems are better, keeping neck adjusted properly is the best way to avoid problems.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

9. Absolutely.

Take it from an old guitar roadie, who's changed more strings than anyone on this forum, Louis speaks The True Dinkum.