String Changing – All off or one at a time?
Do you take all your strings off, then put on the new set. Or do you swap out strings one at time when putting on a new set?
I wonder if you have noticed this? When I take off all the strings, perhaps to clean the fretboard or work on the bridge, the new set takes a while to “break in”, gain bass and resonance and for the guitar to come back to life. Whereas, if I change the strings one at a time the new set is “broken in” almost immediately. Perhaps this has something to do with the tension coming off the neck/truss rod and it taking a while to “engage” the neck again? Many have posted here how they have experienced a small tweak to engage the truss rod making a big difference to resonance. So, if you don’t have a particular reason to take all the strings off then just maybe changing the set one at a time may be a better option? |
I always take them all off. Next time I'll try one at a time and get back to you!
|
I'm an all off guy. Let's me get in and give everything a good wipe down. I've never noticed an issue with taking time to break in. I usually find it takes a couple of days to settle down!
|
Hi all
I still take the old ones off, and wipe down the fingerboard, etc. I've done both (and still change the slot head one at a time). I see no difference in the outcome since I pre-stretch strings (I KNOW I KNOW…strings don't really stretch). Perhaps I should say I pre-seat all the strings by adding more tension (stretching the slack out of them). |
I take them all off, reverse order of how I put them on. Then I will dust down the headstock and wipe clean the fretboard with a damp cloth and install the new strings.
|
Anything with a floating bridge, I'll generally take the middle 4 strings off, leaving the outer two to hold the bridge in place. Once the new middle ones are in place, swap out the two outer strings.
It's just a matter of convenience really, less time (sometimes none at all) spent readjusting the intonation. Other than that, I'll do it either way. Depends on how much time I have to clean and polish things. I've never really bought into that theory that's bad to take all the strings off. It's a guitar. It can take it. |
I take 'em all off. It's the ONLY time I ever wipe down or clean or polish anything other than the strings. And I don't change 'em all that often, so the guitar is usually ready for a bit of cleaning by the time I do.
-Ray |
I change one string at a time. I start with the plain strings. I take off the 1st string and replace it, etc, all the way through the wound strings; always finishing with the 6th string. Always in that order. That has just become my habit.
|
String Changing – All off or one at a time?
6 string mostly one at a time, bass to treble, except for occasional cleaning. 12 string also one at a time, main strings first, bass to treble, and then octave strings bass to treble; except octave 'g' string tuned up last. One 12 string to D# standard intervals and the other to C# Keltic (DADGAD intervals tuned down 1 semitone from D#). Don . |
I take 'em all off. I detune to relieve tension and then just cut them all. Makes it quicker/easier.
|
One at a time for the most part, if the fretboard is looking a bit grungy then I'll take the strings all off and give it a cleaning.
|
One at a time, starting with the low E string.
|
One at a time, low E first. I don't know if it matters but my instinct tells me that it's better to keep tension on the neck.
|
Except for my archtops with floating bridges, I take them all off and restring from the outside in. Archtops I do one at a time, although I may try Highroller's idea of taking off the middle four and replacing them, then the two 'e' strings.
|
Quote:
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:07 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum