How to re-string correctly

[ZacAttack]

I caught this thread on another forum and had to put my 2 cents in. After I did I thought we might want to kick it around a little, so here it is.


Quote:
Originally Posted by hambucker
"Don't take those strings all the way off! - When changing the strings always leave one string with tension. Ernie Ball says you can very easily ruin the neck and your guitar by releasing the string tension without loosening the truss rod. It is a very bad idea to ship the guitar with loose strings or without strings unless you had adjusted the truss rod. The tech I spoke with this about at EB says he has seen guitars where the neck and/or body are badly damaged because of this."

Is this true? I doesn't sound right. I've worked in music shops, shipped them and we always shipped them detuned, enough to support the neck but not tuned to pitch. I have also never heard of taking strings off haming the neck. Maybe if you cut them all at once, but I have changed many a guitar string and never hurt one by removing strings. This guy sounds really biased and misinformed. END QUOTE


Then I wrote...............
About the string thing. I have been told that when re-stringing a bolt on neck guitar, not to re-string it from the big E down, because it can put more tension on one side of the neck than is desired, and could over time do harm. I have a 74 Gibson S-1 Marauder and an Epiphone LP Special II with a bolt on necks. When I re-string them I start with the small e and the go to the big E and work my way in. I used to go from big E down before I heard this and never noticed an problems, but just to be safe I changed the way I re-string all my guitars bolt on or set necks. I have also been told that stringing from the big E down can damage the nut, mess up the intonation and may over time cause you to need a truss rod collar adjustment. Even though I respect the information given to me (by several guitar techs over the 22 years I have been playing) I never put much stock in them being the gosphel. I just thought it made a little since so why not be on the safe side. Feel free to say I have been misinformed or de-bunk this info. Thats why I posted it, I want to hear your opinions and expertese about re-stringing from big E down.


Thanks
Zac

[CAFeathers]

I have always restrung from the big E down, and always removed all the strings. I have not had a problem as of yet.
My Brother worked for Wayne Charvel back in the early days. You should see how he restrings a guitar. He cuts them off one at a time starting with the Big E.

[Steelpriest]

Okay: I´ve been playing guitar for over 20 years now, and I always followed some of my own rules that seem quite reasonable, at least to me. When I restring a guitar I go from big E to small E, but I take of one string only and replace it and tune it, then I go on with the next string. When I take of all the strings in order to clean the fretboard properly I make sure that I don´t leave the neck without string tension too long. I thought about the danger of twisting the neck as well, so I start with big E, then small E, B, A, G, and finally D, lol... when I take of all the strings I work vice versa. Loosening each string a little and then cut it off. ;D Aren´t we all a bit neurotic when it comes to our guitars?

[ZacAttack]

Steelpriest said:

Okay: ;D Aren´t we all a bit neurotic when it comes to our guitars?

Yes, it seems that we are. If they were as fragile as some of us treat them, they would not be worth owning. That being said, I would rather be over cautious than neglegent. I guess if I had a guitar tech, I would want one that was neurotic about every last detail. Until then I will try to keep a grip on it. ;D


Zac

[noeljob]

this is what i do. starting from the big e i take one string off at a time and replace it, then i go on down and so on. this to me does not change the tension on the neck. think about it youve only got one string off at a time. not much room for change there.

[mandough]

I've always only taken one off at a time, and retune between, except if I want to clean the fretboard all at once.
It's a bit more challenging, but it's possible to clean the part that is exposed by the missing string, and keep to the one string at a time thing. It just sems to me to help with the tuning of a new set.