OT: Guitar Neck Damage?

rclangelan · Post by **rclangelan** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:24 am

The story:

One of my PRS (CU24) bridge pickup screws came unthreaded and popped out of its hole today. Seems like the only way to get in there and put it back together (it's spring loaded) is to take all of the strings off and pull the pickup out.

The question:

I've heard that taking all of the strings off at once is not good for the guitar's neck (mine is neck-thru). Is this true? If so, why? Doesn't seem like another way around this task.

Thanks,

Ryan

timme_v · Post by **timme_v** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 6:38 am

You will lose some tension in the neck, but its not bad for it.

You have to take off all the strings when doing things with the electronics, you shouldn't be worried about it. If it plays differently, you may need to readjust the neck a little.

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:46 am

It's probably not a good idea to leave it unstrung long-term (ie. weeks and weeks) as the guitar is generally designed to have some tension on the neck. However, your guitar neck also has a truss rod in it to help counteract that.

Shouldn't be a problem in the meantime.

kittenface · Post by **kittenface** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:55 am

it'll be fine

go for it

Bink · Post by **Bink** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:01 pm

kittenface wrote:it'll be fine

go for it

+1

I do it 2 or 3 times a year to my CU22 to clean the neck properly and have had no issues doing so. I tend to string all strings on loose and then slowly bring them all up to tension rather than trying to tune up a string before putting another on.

It's easier to do the pickup wth the strings off, but it can be done with the strings on. I too have popped the spring out of my pickups whilst fiddling with the height!

blackcloud45 · Post by **blackcloud45** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:22 pm

Detune them and remove one at a time. Don't just start clipping them all at once and you should be fine.

Post by **bclaire** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:39 pm

There's no problem in removing all the strings on the guitar. It was MADE without strings after all. It will be fine for a while with no strings... if it sets for a couple days, it might have to drift back into the same tension bend but it will be fine.

Drdos · Post by **Drdos** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 1:01 pm

bclaire wrote:There's no problem in removing all the strings on the guitar. It was MADE without strings after all. It will be fine for a while with no strings... if it sets for a couple days, it might have to drift back into the same tension bend but it will be fine.

Yep Yep... Also there is a reason why the guitar has a Truss Rod in the neck. It helps to keep the neck straight strings or no strings. A guitar neck without a truss rod like a classical guitar is where the problem lies with no tension on the neck. Your guitar will be fine.

rclangelan · Post by **rclangelan** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:35 pm

Thanks guys. I didn't really see a way around it either way. I'm glad to have the piece of mind that I won't be causing any possible damage.

Rock on!

Ryan

Knuckle Bones · Post by **Knuckle Bones** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:56 pm

bclaire wrote:It was MADE without strings after all.

Ah, Billy brings it down to earth by stating the cold hard facts.

blackcloud45 · Post by **blackcloud45** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:04 pm

bclaire wrote:There's no problem in removing all the strings on the guitar. It was MADE without strings after all. It will be fine for a while with no strings... if it sets for a couple days, it might have to drift back into the same tension bend but it will be fine.

Couldn't have said it better.

OT: Guitar Neck Damage?

OT: Guitar Neck Damage?

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