Guitar Query

[Mojooo]

I need to clean my guitar

Am I OK to take off all the strings at once? Or does the guitar neck need the tension? I am getting conflicting reports

[-Pete-]

Take them all off, no problem. Wood is a flexible material, it's properties won't change in a matter of hours, days or weeks. Just don't try to re-fit the old strings afterwards

[JBM78]

Hmmmm, I've heard differently....

I wouldn't risk it personally.

[TonyRPH]

AFAIK you risk twisting the neck if you have unbalanced tension (i.e. half the lower strings or vice versa) in place.

I've dabbled with guitars for several years (and my son plays them) and we've never had a problem removing all strings at once.

It's the easiest way to clean / restring them..

Damage (i.e. bowing) to the neck is mainly caused by leaning the guitar against something, at the top of the neck.

[audidoody]

Take 'em all off. If it's an electric with light gauge strings no problem.

[Sir Snaz]

is it a trem or stoptail?.....trem may need re-intonating if you stick different guage strings on

[al1991]

Just take them all off, it'll be fine.

[davepoth]

loosen all the strings a bit first before you take them off, it puts less unbalanced tension in the neck when you start removing them.

[Pothole]

JBM78 said:

Hmmmm, I've heard differently....

I wouldn't risk it personally.

did a bloke down the pub tell you? Used to be a roadie for Hatfield and the North years ago, almost unintelligible now?

I always take all mine off at once and have never noticed any problems.

[Asterix]

Been restringing and cleaning gits for years - let the tension off a bit and then snip through the Strings, quick polish, new strings on.

Never once in 20+ years had a guitar go wobbly through lack of tension for about ten mins.

[audidoody]

JBM78 said:

Hmmmm, I've heard differently....

I wouldn't risk it personally.

Why not? Do you think the tension of six strings is going to bend a rod of steel embedded in the length of the neck?

Necks go out of whack because the wood expands/contracts with excess dryness/humidity or temperature extremes. Not because of string tension.

ETA: I'm assuming you haven't put steel strings on a gut-string guitar!

Edited by audidoody on Friday 19th November 14:24