Members cvogue Posted May 3, 2005 Members Share Posted May 3, 2005 Is it an issue removing all the strings off of a guitar... could that tweak the neck at all? I want to clean the fretboard on my Wolfgang Special and I'm wondering if I should remove 3 strings, clean half and then put them back on and remove the other 3 to keep some tension or does it really matter that much? That approach was suggested to me but I'm wondering how much it would matter... not much tension from the top 3 strings anyway in comparison to the bottom 3 ya know? Thanks for any insight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LaXu Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 It won't hurt the neck at all. Just remove strings one at a time until they're all off, clean the fretboard and put on new ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzy4dice Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 That's the way I do it. I can't put on lemon oil when there are strings on the neck. It's a pain in the ass. Just do it all at once. Don't like, take off all the strings, call your buddy, go out drinking, meet some strippers, end up in Mexico, marry an ex-nun, buy a few handguns, get involved in some terrible, terrible scheme involving human organs and end up in jail for 3-5... ...and then come back to put the strings on. Yeah, at that point, the neck may have moved like 1/4"... so, y'now...just move quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jjpistols Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 If you've got a Floyd, jam a deck of cards or something under it so it doesn't collapse into the body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 How else would you do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jjpistols Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by jerry_picker How else would you do it? right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sparky6string Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by jjpistols If you've got a Floyd, jam a deck of cards or something under it so it doesn't collapse into the body. Cool. I'll need this info for my newest acquisition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cvogue Posted May 4, 2005 Author Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by jerry_picker How else would you do it? Take off 3 at a time, do half the fretboard, put those 3 back on, take off the other 3 and do the other half. Seems like a lot more work for questionable gains... Anyway it was just one approach that someone mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Prages Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by cvogue Take off 3 at a time, do half the fretboard, put those 3 back on, take off the other 3 and do the other half.Seems like a lot more work for questionable gains... Anyway it was just one approach that someone mentioned. I prefer taking all of them off and doing it all at once, but do make sure you put something under the Floyd. The 3 at a time method was mainly to keep you from having to block off the Floyd. Anyway, with the Wolfgang's graphite reinforced neck, I don't think you have to worry too much about the neck's stability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cvogue Posted May 4, 2005 Author Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by Prages I prefer taking all of them off and doing it all at once, but do make sure you put something under the Floyd. The 3 at a time method was mainly to keep you from having to block off the Floyd. Anyway, with the Wolfgang's graphite reinforced neck, I don't think you have to worry too much about the neck's stability. Hmm... since Floyds are blocked on Wolfie's anyway, do you really need to do that? Actually I was also thinking about just loosening the strings and then disconnecting the springs from the trem and just taking the bridge out with strings attached... if the strings really don't need to be changed that would save that set of strings... Good point about the graphite reinforcement. Lol, once again Prages comes to my rescue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Prages Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by cvogue Hmm... since Floyds are blocked on Wolfie's anyway, do you really need to do that? Actually I was also thinking about just loosening the strings and then disconnecting the springs from the trem and just taking the bridge out with strings attached... if the strings really don't need to be changed that would save that set of strings... Lol, once again Prages comes to my rescue! It's still a good idea to put something between the body and the Floyd. On my Standard I've never had any trouble, but on my Flametop Special, the first time I cleaned the fretboard, I took all the strings off and didn't put anything under the Floyd. A few seconds later, the Floyd slipped up over the posts and the back of it...D Tuna and all slammed into the top of the guitar. Luckily, there was just a very small dent where the D Tuna hit the top, and that's covered up by the D Tuna itself. I don't see any reason why you could leave the strings attached, but it might make it hard to get the Floyd's springs stretched back into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cvogue Posted May 4, 2005 Author Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by Prages It's still a good idea to put something between the body and the Floyd. On my Standard I've never had any trouble, but on my Flametop Special, the first time I cleaned the fretboard, I took all the strings off and didn't put anything under the Floyd. A few seconds later, the Floyd slipped up over the posts and the back of it...D Tuna and all slammed into the top of the guitar.Luckily, there was just a very small dent where the D Tuna hit the top, and that's covered up by the D Tuna itself.I don't see any reason why you could leave the strings attached, but it might make it hard to get the Floyd's springs stretched back into place. Ouch! OK, important safety tip! Actually I've done that before on my Kramer... just removed the bridge, strings and all. It takes a bit of doing but with a set of needlenose pliers I can get the springs reattached pretty easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bmajor Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Best thing I ever found for Floyd setup and restring: unprinted circuit board. It's very thin & strong and makes positioning the trem for restringing a breeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mbratch Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by cvogue Take off 3 at a time, do half the fretboard, put those 3 back on, take off the other 3 and do the other half.Seems like a lot more work for questionable gains... Anyway it was just one approach that someone mentioned. I take them off from the outside in (1, 6, 2, 5, 3, 4), or the inside out (3, 4, 2, 5, 1, 6) just to be sure that the unbalanced tension won't be an issue. (Of course the strings are individually not equal in tension, so this approximates balance.) I do a similar process putting the strings back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by mbratch I take them off from the outside in (1, 6, 2, 5, 3, 4), or the inside out (3, 4, 2, 5, 1, 6) just to be sure that the unbalanced tension won't be an issue. (Of course the strings are individually not equal in tension, so this approximates balance.) I do a similar process putting the strings back on. wow...that's pretty anal retentive I just loosen them a bit and cut 'em all off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mbratch Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by k4df4l wow...that's pretty anal retentive I just loosen them a bit and cut 'em all off. Cutting works for me as well. As long as I follow my 615243 pattern.... mwahahahahaha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted May 4, 2005 Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by mbratch Cutting works for me as well. As long as I follow my 615243 pattern.... mwahahahahaha! You are a sick and twisted man, mr mbratch....sick and twisted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cvogue Posted May 4, 2005 Author Members Share Posted May 4, 2005 Originally posted by k4df4l You are a sick and twisted man, mr mbratch....sick and twisted! That's why he's here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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