How long does it take you to change all 6 strings?

[gardo]

 

I don't wish to cast doubt - really I don't, trust me, maybe I've missed something really important - but I've been playing guitar for more years than most people on here have lived and I've never once touched a truss rod. I've heard of 'em. Do many people really feel they need to adjust them regularly?

I generally only tweak the truss rod if going to a different string gauge..

The exceptin being an Xavier guitar that I never could get exactly right until my tech went over it .

[DeepEnd]

I frankly don't know. I've never timed it. I guess half an hour or so. I'm reminded of an old joke where someone asked a farmer how long cows should be milked and he said "The same as short cows." I'm not a working musician (I don't consider praise band as qualifying) so I can take my time. I do make sure there are at least two wraps around each tuning post, more for plain strings. I also detest untrimmed strings but I understand there are mitigating circumstances sometimes. Break angle (at the nut end) is achieved by headstock angle or string trees so I don't worry about it. As for the truss rod, I adjust it (if needed) when I do a setup and otherwise I leave it alone.

[gardo]

I can not change strings without doing some amount of cleaning as well and also check action and intonation so it takes me a bit longer than some would require.

[WRGKMC]

 

I don't wish to cast doubt - really I don't, trust me, maybe I've missed something really important - but I've been playing guitar for more years than most people on here have lived and I've never once touched a truss rod. I've heard of 'em. Do many people really feel they need to adjust them regularly?

 

I'd have to guess you've been lucky to have owned quality instruments that aren't temperamental. With all the inexpensive guitars being imported and cheaper woods being used I've come across allot of poor quality necks doing repairs. Even in my own collection of 30 instruments I have several that seem to vary on a regular basis.

 

Some like my Rickenbacker, Les Paul and necks with a rosewood fretboard never need to have the truss adjusted. I have some others with thinner necks which are very sensitive. Several of those are all maple necks and the quality of the rod inside the neck is questionable.

 

When you remove all the strings you're taking between 100 to 200lbs pressure off the neck and it usually flattens out. If you've ever checked a fret board with a straight edge before and after removing strings you'd know a neck flattens out and can even back bow when you remove the strings.

 

When you put strings back on that relief may or may not come back quickly and it can be the cause of spending allot of additional time tuning the first few days till it settles. This is why a many Luther's will recommend the single string method. How long it takes a neck to settle can vary all over the place. I have some thicker necked guitars that don't vary at all.

 

Others can more take up to a week to settle in. If you haven't had the issue before then consider yourself fortunate you own a quality guitar that doesn't have that issue. Just realize there are allot of bum necks being made now and it can be one of the causes of tuning issues.

 

As an added note, they do make a special Luthier tool that measures the change between having the strings on (in the upright playing position) and strings off laying flat which is used for doing quality fret work on an instrument. These rigs aren't cheap but they are a step above just using straight edges to get the work done properly. http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools...rkstation.html

 

Not sure how many here do their own fret replacement or fret leveling but I've done more then I can count. The biggest issue you run into is getting the fret board flat before you level the frets. Having a jig like that would be a god send but I don't run a full time business where I can justify the cost of a $700 rig like that.

 

A thin neck with softer cheap wood can be a bastard to keep level because it flexes so easily when you loosen the truss nut. Thin necks rely on the truss rod for its stiffness. Just a small amount of flex applying pressure filing the frets flat can cause low spots by removing more material then needed. It only takes a few 1000ths of an inch in the wrong places to wind up with strings that fret out or buzz badly.

[soundcreation]

I always do all 6 strings at a time and have never noticed any problems with neck relief. I've also very very rarely had to adjust a truss rod. Maybe twice on 2 guitars of about 7 over the past 7 years or so. It's just not an issue.

 

 

[Steve2112]

Because it takes me 23 minutes and I feel so slow its annoying

 

Rob I never look at it as a timed event. I really enjoy taking care of my guitars, so it's like a ritual. I clean all the nooks and crannies, the fretboard, I inspect everything- wiring, fit and finish.

 

The new strings go on a beautifully cleaned up guitar- and I take Pride & Joy in it. It takes as long as it takes.

[Steve2112]

 

I like to do that to when I can but not if I'm in the middle of a show.

 

I've realized that dealing with broken strings is a regular part of my life so I'm prepared. I'll have spare strings tucked under the handle of my amp along with the cut off end of a low E string so I can quickly push end of the broken string through the body of a strat or tele - I've also remove the back plate from my strats.

 

I prefer consistency in feel and tone from string to string so I'll change the broken string when it breaks and replace the others during the next break.

 

Something is likely wrong with your guitar if you have more than the rare string break at the gig. Even a worn out string will show signs of fatigue- like hard to keep in tune.

 

I typically don't break strings- and I like them on for a long time. Had one guitar I was breaking strings- so I carefully trimmed the bridge saddles- until eventually they stopped breaking. It was a Wilky trem so the strings took some abuse.

 

If I were you I'd check that or get different strings.

[knotty]

 

I'd have to guess you've been lucky to have owned quality instruments that aren't temperamental. With all the inexpensive guitars being imported and cheaper woods being used I've come across allot of poor quality necks doing repairs. Even in my own collection of 30 instruments I have several that seem to vary on a regular basis.

 

Some like my Rickenbacker, Les Paul and necks with a rosewood fretboard never need to have the truss adjusted. I have some others with thinner necks which are very sensitive. Several of those are all maple necks and the quality of the rod inside the neck is questionable.

 

When you remove all the strings you're taking between 100 to 200lbs pressure off the neck and it usually flattens out. If you've ever checked a fret board with a straight edge before and after removing strings you'd know a neck flattens out and can even back bow when you remove the strings.

 

When you put strings back on that relief may or may not come back quickly and it can be the cause of spending allot of additional time tuning the first few days till it settles. This is why a many Luther's will recommend the single string method. How long it takes a neck to settle can vary all over the place. I have some thicker necked guitars that don't vary at all.

 

Others can more take up to a week to settle in. If you haven't had the issue before then consider yourself fortunate you own a quality guitar that doesn't have that issue. Just realize there are allot of bum necks being made now and it can be one of the causes of tuning issues.

 

As an added note, they do make a special Luthier tool that measures the change between having the strings on (in the upright playing position) and strings off laying flat which is used for doing quality fret work on an instrument. These rigs aren't cheap but they are a step above just using straight edges to get the work done properly. http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools...rkstation.html

 

Not sure how many here do their own fret replacement or fret leveling but I've done more then I can count. The biggest issue you run into is getting the fret board flat before you level the frets. Having a jig like that would be a god send but I don't run a full time business where I can justify the cost of a $700 rig like that.

 

A thin neck with softer cheap wood can be a bastard to keep level because it flexes so easily when you loosen the truss nut. Thin necks rely on the truss rod for its stiffness. Just a small amount of flex applying pressure filing the frets flat can cause low spots by removing more material then needed. It only takes a few 1000ths of an inch in the wrong places to wind up with strings that fret out or buzz badly.

 

I have checked a few vids on you tube,

 

​So far Taylor , Rickenbacker, esp, elixir and a half dozen guitar techs all disagree. Maybe you should let them know.

[DeepEnd]

Sorry to throw fuel on the fire but I'm also a one-string-at-a-time guy. I've always heard that it's not good for a guitar to remove all the strings. Mind you, I do it sometimes--for example when I need to polish the frets--but generally no. If I need to wipe down the fingerboard, I can get a clean, soft cloth under the strings.

BTW, I looked at my Strat last night and all the strings have pretty much the same break angle at the nut except the 6th which has a more pronounced break angle. Then again, all six strings have different break angles at the bridge so I don't really see that it makes a huge difference.

[knotty]

Sorry to throw fuel on the fire but I'm also a one-string-at-a-time guy. I've always heard that it's not good for a guitar to remove all the strings. Mind you, I do it sometimes--for example when I need to polish the frets--but generally no. If I need to wipe down the fingerboard, I can get a clean, soft cloth under the strings.

BTW, I looked at my Strat last night and all the strings have pretty much the same break angle at the nut except the 6th which has a more pronounced break angle. Then again, all six strings have different break angles at the bridge so I don't really see that it makes a huge difference.

 

 

Do it however you feel comfortable but taking them all off is not going to make your neck imitate a banana. All the strings (in tune) have a different tension anyway so I dont see the break angle point either.

​But again, if it makes you happy.

Some guys make this all sound like rocket science. Its basically a few bits of wood and some metal. None of the measurements are critical or universal, set it and play it. Its rock n roll not watch repair.

[garywilson456]

Hi,

I also take approximate 20 minutes to change the Guitar string when it was broken.

 

 

 

 

[WRGKMC]

 

 

Do it however you feel comfortable but taking them all off is not going to make your neck imitate a banana. All the strings (in tune) have a different tension anyway so I dont see the break angle point either.

​But again, if it makes you happy.

Some guys make this all sound like rocket science. Its basically a few bits of wood and some metal. None of the measurements are critical or universal, set it and play it. Its rock n roll not watch repair.

 

Quality is like a pyramid. The things that set the best gear apart at the top of that pyramid become smaller and smaller. Some people like myself know perfection is an illusion. We know everything man made is imperfect, but we enjoy striving for perfection in our music and our gear none the less. We make the most of what we have and put it to its best use using all techniques we find useful in getting the best from our gear. There's surely nothing wrong with that and others who may be looking for those small improvements may pick up a trick here and there.

 

For others like yourself, if you think very small things cant add up to be larger issues, that's fine. I don't expect my suggestions would matter to many but to some what my sound like rocket science is kindergarten basics to others. I don't see the reason why you would need to blow those small suggestions up like they are something larger then life.

 

I can find just as many examples that blow "my own" opinions out the window as others can. I'll even give you one highly respected example. Do a search on how BB king winds his strings on the tuning posts. He winds the entire string up on the tuning posts with no trimming or measuring of any kind. It doesn't affect his tones. There again, he does play a custom instrument made by Gibson that probably has a superb neck so its doubtful he has any additional issues that may compound his string winding technique into a more complex issue.

[knotty]

 

Quality is like a pyramid. The things that set the best gear apart at the top of that pyramid become smaller and smaller. Some people like myself know perfection is an illusion. We know everything man made is imperfect, but we enjoy striving for perfection in our music and our gear none the less. We make the most of what we have and put it to its best use using all techniques we find useful in getting the best from our gear. There's surely nothing wrong with that and others who may be looking for those small improvements may pick up a trick here and there.

 

For others like yourself, if you think very small things cant add up to be larger issues, that's fine. I don't expect my suggestions would matter to many but to some what my sound like rocket science is kindergarten basics to others. I don't see the reason why you would need to blow those small suggestions up like they are something larger then life.

 

I can find just as many examples that blow "my own" opinions out the window as others can. I'll even give you one highly respected example. Do a search on how BB king winds his strings on the tuning posts. He winds the entire string up on the tuning posts with no trimming or measuring of any kind. It doesn't affect his tones. There again, he does play a custom instrument made by Gibson that probably has a superb neck so its doubtful he has any additional issues that may compound his string winding technique into a more complex issue.

 

I've read this 3 times now and still fail to see what your point is, assuming there is one.

The art of setting up a guitar is not about measuring string height from pups or getting the releif to within 1 thou of some mystical number. The vast majority Is down to personal preference and playing style.

All the measurements I have seen on manufacturers sites are rough guide starting points.

While you may enjoy fettling your guitar to the n th degree I would not like the less experienced to think those guide measurements were sacrosanct and the only way to do it. My 3 main electrics are Tele, LP &Strat. All the main areas where someone may measure are set different. They all play great - to me.

 

I take a bolt on neck guitar on holiday each year, in bits. I assemble it, set it up and play it. Never even take a ruler or guages with me.

But hey, you do it your way. Its just not the only way is all I'm saying.

[Old Fart Rocker]

I changed strings on my Strat (Bill Lawrence Parts-o-caster) the other day in 9 minutes. I timed it based on reading this thread. Normally I take more time and clean the body/neck, etc. But, I was running late for a gig and needed fresh wires.

[WRGKMC]

 

I take a bolt on neck guitar on holiday each year, in bits. I assemble it, set it up and play it. Never even take a ruler or gauges with me.

But hey, you do it your way. Its just not the only way is all I'm saying.

 

Never said it was the only way. I can do nearly as fine a job with my ears as I can specking something out in great detail. Whatever small amounts I may be off by probably wouldn't matter to anyone but me, but I just may have reasons for being as accurate as possible which you don't. I do run my own studio and deal with allot of projects involving multiple tracks. If an instrument is only off in intonation by 1/16 or a semitone, its unlikely that one instrument in a mix will be an issue. If its really bad you could even slap autotune on there and tune the notes (and deal with another set of issues involving digital artifacts).

 

When you have dozens of tracks with dozens of instruments that same small 1/16 of a semitone variation it can become a nightmare dealing with beating notes and tonal variations. The best way to fix the problem at the source with a accurate setup. Then all you have to deal with is the variations caused by tempered tuning. Its never going to be perfect of course because a guitars use tempered tuning and because the frets are straight its "impossible" to get all notes in tune, but you can minimize the differences between several instruments playing in tune with each other.

 

Experienced players do develop their own techniques and if it works that's really all they need. Just don't assume your skill or your levels of accuracy are good enough for everyone else. They may be but how would anyone know if you weren't there in person to demonstrate those skills.

 

A young player may not know or care is his instruments screwed up for a number of reasons. He may not have developed his ears yet, he may not know how to set an instrument up. He may not have even played a find instrument to compare it to, He may not play in a band yet and even then those other players may not hear or choose to tell him how sour it actually sounds. One thing he may notice is when that instrument is properly set up it' can be like day and night to him.

 

If you're good at doing your own setups you should know there's a number of adjustments which are all interdependent on one another. Height affects intonation and relief. Relief affects height and intonation etc. If all are whacked out you may need to get it close to factory specs just so you can evaluate why those settings were messed with in the first place.

 

Is every instrument unique, Absolutely. Do the specs of one instrument get another instrument sound like another? No way. There is allot of tweaking that can be done by ear and it can and should be the final tool you use to confirm the other settings are good.

 

What it takes to fix one guy may actually be as simple as teaching him to properly replace his strings or lube the contact points so the strings so it doesn't go out of tune constantly. Hell I've taught enough students in my time to know you got to start with those simple things and cover all bases. Even when I play out with other pros, I have no problem busting their balls if their dam instrument doesn't play or stay in tune for a show because he's going to be the one making the rest of the band sound bad in the process.

 

Again, If you don't have any of those issues then nothing I'm saying here applies to you, does it? Just realize some of us do make a decent buck providing the highest quality of work possible.

[onelife]

Something is likely wrong with your guitar if you have more than the rare string break at the gig. Even a worn out string will show signs of fatigue- like hard to keep in tune.

 

I don't break strings very often but I gig a lot so breaking strings is something I have to be prepared to deal with.

 

I also have to get my guitars refretted but not as often as changing strings. My old strat has ben refretted five times. It's just a part of life.

 

[knotty]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Wow. Thats a lot of refrets!

[Phil O'Keefe]

Yeah, five refrets does seem like a lot. He must have had it for quite a while, and I'll bet he plays that guitar a LOT.

[billybilly]

I just timed myself changing strings as fast as I could, 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

[Chordite]

I just timed myself changing strings as fast as I could, 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

 

Wow That's fast, so how does it play with the G and B flipped? .png.197c47f720636f02390cc2b0a33804da.png' alt='smiley-veryhappy'>

[knotty]

I just timed myself changing strings as fast as I could, 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

 

 

Your wife says you are quick ! :cool:

[billybilly]

I just timed myself changing strings as fast as I could, 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

 

 

Wait, we are talking about shoe laces aren't we?

[greennn01]

only change your gathering

[Ancient Mariner]

I guess a minor spat over this was inevitable.

 

For me it's probably 7 to 30min depending on guitar and circumstances, plus whether I want to clean the thing carefully or not and if the tailpiece (if there is one) falls off and gets lost under the settee. I've used it to have 'quality time' with my guitars, but mostly it's a case of getting the job done and move on. Never had a string unwind at the ball end since I started playing in '77, but I suppose it's a possibility.

 

As for breaking strings, some makes seem much more prone than others, and some also go through manufacturing 'bad patches'. D'Addario used to have product issues, and occasionally if you bought several sets at the same time, the same string from each set would break until a fresh lot were bought. I use DR now, and find that slacking off and re-tensioning strings can cause them to become very brittle, which can cause issues if you're working on an instrument.

 

As for truss rod adjustment, I've owned everything from the very cheapest through to handmade in the US, and find that for guitars, unless string sizes have been changed then they are stable. Having said that, I do prefer a medium action to something that barely misses the frets. Basses seem to move more, and all of mine (J type, P type and 5 string fretless) seem to need adjustment twice a year. Maybe in the US, where temperature and humidity changes are more extreme, it's necessary to make truss rod adjustments occasionally.

[badpenguin]

 

 

When you remove all the strings you're taking between 100 to 200lbs pressure off the neck and it usually flattens out. If you've ever checked a fret board with a straight edge before and after removing strings you'd know a neck flattens out and can even back bow when you remove the strings.

.

 

 

200 lbs... what are you using for a low E string, a telephone cable? 30 years of playing and teching, working at Martin and at Ibanez, and I never heard of a string tension at 200lbs. And the one string at a time theory.... I believe is bogus. NEVER had an issue with any guitar, regardless of price point. Yes, the neck will move, and when you replace the tension, it will return. Even the 87 Ibanez Sabre, with the original Wizard neck which is as thin as possible, will go right back to normal.