Do i have to take all the strings off to do work to a strat?

[Young Angus]

I want to change the pickup covers and put in a new 5 way selector switch on my warmoth strat, so do i need to take the strings off for that or not?

Ive never done work on a strat before :blackeye:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Do i have to take all the strings off to do work to a strat?

I want to change the pickup covers and put in a new 5 way selector switch on my warmoth strat, so do i need to take the strings off for that or not?

Ive never done work on a strat before :blackeye:

I would take them off and put new ones on when I was all done.

 

[xerxes]

Re: Do i have to take all the strings off to do work to a strat?

i couldnt imagine how you would be able to do it with strings on considering you have to take the pickguard off....

 

[orbiter]

Re: Do i have to take all the strings off to do work to a strat?

if you've got a std strat style w/ everything mounted to the guard ..yes ..I'd take em off the tuners .... at least.

you'll need to unscrew and remove entire pickguard to get to the switch and p'ups .. which is pert'near impossible to do w/ strings on.

 

[Young Angus]

Re: Do i have to take all the strings off to do work to a strat?

Thought as much...thanks guys

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Do i have to take all the strings off to do work to a strat?

It is possible but will depend on how much wire you have on your pups but more than likely not enough to give you the room that would be required and you will probably curse and swear because you were too lazy!!.

Take off the strings, and do all the work that you want to do and put on a new set of strings. You will be glad you did, if you have only just recently put on a new set of strings then play it for a few days and then take them off. Of course you will have to intonate and do all the stretching of the strings when the new set go on but that is not that difficult to do.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Do i have to take all the strings off to do work to a strat?

Where there is a will there's a way... haha. I just took wood out of my guitar, put in a humbucker where the single coil was and redid my wiring all with the strings on. I loostened them just about all the way and moved them out of the way while I worked on the guitar.

I'm in the process of picking up some more strings and I only have one set left, so I've been making it a habit of keeping my strings going as long as possible