String Changing – All off or one at a time?

[Silly Moustache]

|Hi, me again, this reminded me of a video I made a few days ago, but now I have, so, if interested, here it is:



https://youtu.be/Msb2DO05u2A

[Italuke]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

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.

Really? Are you sure? Can't imagine the science for this.

[6L6]

Either way is fine.

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by Italuke

Really? Are you sure? Can't imagine the science for this.

It certainly not science; it is observation and curiosity. I’m not stating a case but presenting a viewpoint. I am a great believer in actually trying things out for yourself.

Here is a little experiment that I have posted before. It is worth having a go at this yourself. Take a plastic biro, like a BIC. Hold the rounded end of it gently against the 6th string between frets one and two, like you were playing the string with a bottleneck slide. Pluck the string and you get a dull thud. Now tip the biro up to about 45 deg so that the butt end touches the fretboard while the side still contacts the 6th string. Pluck the string and it will now ring out. The vibrations from the string are now going down the biro into the neck and down the neck into the body of the guitar.

This highlights just how important the transmission of the vibrations from the nut/fret end of the strings is to the resonance of the guitar. The vibrations travelling down the neck are crucial to how your guitar resonates. So, if your guitar is sounding great, why would you risk compromising that resonance chain by taking all the strings off? Why not maintain the tension (and the present resonance chain) by simple changing the strings one at a time? If you do take all the strings off then there is a significant change to the neck’s tension and it could take time to settle again to the previous resonance after a string re-install, so the strings seem to take longer to settle in.

As I said, this is just food for thought, not doctrine.

[Brucebubs]

All at once.

I did read my Rickenbacker bass owners manual comes with a note to change strings one at a time.

[Tannin]

For 49 years I changed them one at a time. Now that I've got five guitars* I need a more efficient method, so I've switched to changing all at once. While I'm at it, I take the opportunity to dust and polish a bit.

Difference in sound from the changed method? None at all. They still sound awful for the first 20 minutes, and a bit substandard for the whole of the first day, but that is nothing new. I have learned, sometime over the last few years, that hand-stretching new strings helps with this a lot. I actually learned that trick from Joe Walsh in this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7gMwE7phoM - which is worth watching all the way through even if you already know all about setting up guitars simply because Joe Walsh is a very funny guy.

* I've had about this many before, but didn't need to change strings so often: the resonator and one acoustic had heavy, last-forever strings for slide; there were two basses; so that left just a Maton 6-string and a Yamaha slot-head 12. Changing strings on a slot-head 12 was an ordeal that I used to put off for as long as possible!

[Tannin]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

Here is a little experiment that I have posted before. It is worth having a go at this yourself. Take a plastic biro, like a BIC. Hold the rounded end of it gently against the 6th string between frets one and two, like you were playing the string with a bottleneck slide. Pluck the string and you get a dull thud. Now tip the biro up to about 45 deg so that the butt end touches the fretboard while the side still contacts the 6th string. Pluck the string and it will now ring out. The vibrations from the string are now going down the biro into the neck and down the neck into the body of the guitar.

This highlights just how important the transmission of the vibrations from the nut/fret end of the strings is to the resonance of the guitar. The vibrations travelling down the neck are crucial to how your guitar resonates.

Just so! Off-topic from your point here, but this experiment illustrates a point that a lot of guitarists don't seem to be aware of: the fretboard timber is very important to the overall sound of the guitar. It isn't simply a hard-wearing wood with only cosmetic impact, it is an integral part of the builder's plan to make a great-sounding guitar. (And it's not about "best" and "second-best" fretboard timbers, it's about matching the fretboard timber to the rest of the guitar to get a balanced tone overall.)

I have never observed the effect you describe Robin, but then I essentially disregard all the noises a guitar makes for the first half hour or so after changing strings. Regardless of whether I change them one at a time or all at once, it always sounds awful!

Interesting posting from you, as usual.

[Rudy4]

It looks like Rosewood99 and I are the odd men out, doing them 3 at a time.

I like to keep some of the tension on the neck, but doing them 3 and 3 still allows cleaning of the fret board and even oiling and/or light polishing of the board and frets if I want to do that.

Three at a time is almost as fast as all at once and still keeps a fair amount of tension on the neck.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

|Hi, me again, this reminded me of a video I made a few days ago, but now I have, so, if interested, here it is:

Full points for your video demonstrations SM but you lost me with the measuring, pre-cutting and 'one over, rest under' winding.

In the hole, pull back some, wind all under, trim off excess.

[rstaight]

I have always removed all strings to make it easier to clean.

[donlyn]

String Changing – All off or one at a time?

Previously posted (#9 in this thread) as a fan of one string at a time.

Way back in the day when everything was a lot more informal, and it seems that due to the British invasion everyone was playing (or trying to play) the guitar, a few friends come in to jam while you are in middle of a string change. On a 12 string no less. When you maybe only have one guitar, or at least one handy.

With one string at a time, just stop where you are and you can still play with all your strings. And marbles.

Based on a true story. Don't get left out. The actual story involved getting into a car in a hurry and headed to someone else's place. And it wasn't me who was caught with his strings off. ;-)

Don
.

[gibpicker]

All 123456

[donlyn]

Originally Posted by gibpicker

All 123456

Hmmm? All One hundred twenty three thousand four hundred and fifty six of them? That'll take a while.

Don
.

[nuchdig]

When I began playing I was told one at a time was best. The reason, maintain neck tension. I'm not sure how true that is, and I want to wipe down the fretboard so I take 'em all off

[roylor4]

All at once. Polish frets and oil fretboard as needed.