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Question: Can I take out all guitar strings when changing strings, or should I go one by one!?
I don't remember this and I know it may sound stupid, but I forgot about this because I was at a immigration jail!. Now I retook guitar as I always did and I have a new pair of strings and planing on putting the new ones on, but I can't remember if I should go take one string out and then put the new one there or can I just take all out and then put all the new ones there!. Please really help me, I am not sure about this, but I don't want to wind up ruining my neck by too much pressure!. What's the global way to do it, one by one or all out and new ones then!? Thanks!Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I think the reason they tell amateurs to change just one string at a time is, they don't have tuners and if they only change one string it's easier to get it back into tune!.
Personally I have been stripping all the strings off to start!.!.!. give the guitar a good cleaning under the strings and then restring it!.!. and I've been doing that for 50 YEARS and have never damaged a guitar!.
The trick is!.!. you losen ALL the strings before removing the first one and when you re-string you tighten just a little at a time!.!. you don't bring a single string into tune then move on to the next string!.!.!. you GRADUALLY bring the strings into tune!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I find it's better to do it one string at a time so the neck doesnt relax
but plenty of people do it all at once with no ill effects it's really a preference thing
if you're really worried about the neck then go one at a time
and if you do mess it up just take it to the local music store and get it adjusted
also, i know one guitarist who goes as long as possible without changing strings because he likes the sound of old stringsWww@QuestionHome@Com
I've have people tell me to do it both ways!. But those who said to do it one by one were all professional musicians, while those who said it's ok to remove them all at the same time, while good musicians, weren't professionals!. So I always remove one, then replace it before removing the next one!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I was told in guitar lessons that you should do it one by one!. If you take all the strings off together it releases the pressure on the neck and could damage the neck of the guitar!.
I don't know if this is true - just what I was told!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
The one at a time is never going to do any damage, while there are those who claim that loosening all the strings at once could!. Be on the safe side and do them one at a time!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
take them all out and then re string it!. there's really no point in going one by one!. either way you have to put all new ones on and tune it up!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
You would only do that if you were going to perform live real soon!.!.!.
I don't know about you, but!.!.!.if you're not going to be performing or recording!.!.!.
Save yourself the money, and just replace them one by one!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Might as well take them all off and give the fret board and difficult to reach areas a clean!. It's not going to cause any damage to your neck if you go one by one though!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
The advice given by Retiredroadie is best!. Loosen the strings, snip them away from the headstock, wrap and throw away the strings!.
Clean the fretboard thoroughly in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications!. I use OOOO steelwool and quality fretboard oil on my rosewood fretboards!.
Install the strings beginning with the first string!. Tune up to take out the slack!. Don't bring to tuning pitch until all the strings are installed!. Stretch them at the soundhole by lifting them up by using three fingers underneath them!. Then tune to pitch!.
Several tuning checks are required even after string stretching!.
Damaging a fretboard by removing all the strings simultaneously is a myth!.
Added note: That's odd !. !. !. I played professional lead guitarist and singer for many years and still changed all my strings simultaneously--unless I broke a single string near performance time!.Www@QuestionHome@Com