Removing All Strings from Gibsons?

Bellycaster

I want to clean/oil the fingerboards of my Gibsons. I recall reading somewhere that some part of the bridge falls off if you remove all the strings. I have never removed all the strings from a Gibson before, done it on plenty other Guitars. What do I need to know to prevent a mare? Les Paul and SG!

Thanks.

Fortheloveofguitar

Just put some electrical or masking tape across to hold it in place 

Bellycaster

Fortheloveofguitar said:

Just put some electrical or masking tape across to hold it in place 

Without sounding too dim @Fortheloveofguitar I need to know which bits stay put and which become loose. I've looked for vids, can't find.

Ta!

John_P

It’s all held in place by the tension of the strings but if you lay the guitar flat all that should happen is the tail piece might fall away from the posts but no problem it just slot back on.  
Watch you don’t let any of the saddled fall out but again if you do then they just slot back in.  

ICBM

Don't worry about it. Do the job with the guitar lying flat on a bench - as long as you don't turn it over the bridge will stay in place, and if the tailpiece falls off you just put it back on again before you restring it.

mort

Yes, the bridge will come off it’s posts and the tailpiece will fall off. I always leave one wound string attached until last (this holds the bridge/tailpiece in place) and just be careful removing the final string. A duster under the tailpiece will help.

steamabacus

Both the tunomatic bridge and stop tail will fall off when not under string tension. As said above, a couple of strips of masking tape (or some people use elastic bands) will stop them dropping off. It can be preferable to keep them in place to maintain current setup adjustments if you're just changing strings.

Or just be careful and lift them off.

dindude

ICBM said:

Don't worry about it. Do the job with the guitar lying flat on a bench - as long as you don't turn it over the bridge will stay in place, and if the tailpiece falls off you just put it back on again before you restring it.

Apart from you can’t because it’ll be leaning on it’s headstock edge at an angle.

Also when the bridge falls off, the tailpiece insert screws seem to turn all by themselves so the height is automatically adjusted to a different position. 

Then when you restring it it won’t stay in tune anyway.

And the headstock will fall of by Morning.

My advise is to stick to a Fender.

sev112

It’s all very well saying “if it falls off just put them back on”. When it falls on the floor and then you don’t know which way round it was on . 
Take a photo with your camera before you take the strings off
also helpful when the saddle comes out of your acoustic and don’t know which way round it goes back

FelineGuitars

I read the title to this and thought it was the answer to : how to get thrown out of a big guitar store?

ICBM

dindude said:

Apart from you can’t because it’ll be leaning on it’s headstock edge at an angle.

Only if you don't support the neck - an old towel rolled up is fine if you don't have a purpose-designed neck support - or simply put it so the headstock is over the end of the bench...

dindude said:

Also when the bridge falls off, the tailpiece insert screws seem to turn all by themselves so the height is automatically adjusted to a different position. 

Then when you restring it it won’t stay in tune anyway.

And the headstock will fall of by Morning.

My advise is to stick to a Fender.

Hmmmm... you may have a few good points there .

sev112 said:

It’s all very well saying “if it falls off just put them back on”. When it falls on the floor and then you don’t know which way round it was on .

If you can't work out which way round a Gibson tailpiece goes...

Bellycaster

Thanks everybody. I've seen a vid that shows the system being dismantled. A few more questions though:

1) The four posts that are threaded into the body, are these post's threads pretty rigid? I mean you can't accidentally turn the screw and alter the height of stopbar or bridge/saddles?

2) The Saddle Pieces: If they do fall out or even if they don't, I assume once strung up, the Guitar intonation will be correct, ie: they go back to same place under tension?

3) Why are the screws for altering intonation on the stopbar side on an SG and on the Pick Up side on a Les Paul? I only just noticed this.

I'm Ok with what you've all written up there, I should be fine with it. You know how it is though with something new to you.

p90fool

The height adjusters will turn very easily by accident while cleaning the guitar, you may want to put some elastic bands around them before disturbing them. 

ICBM

Bellycaster said:

1) The four posts that are threaded into the body, are these post's threads pretty rigid? I mean you can't accidentally turn the screw and alter the height of stopbar or bridge/saddles?

You can, but a small alteration to the stopbar will make no difference, and a small alteration to the bridge is very easy to correct. If you own a Gibson you should really know how to do this, it's not difficult and they sometimes have a tendency to creep out of adjustment anyway. No special tools or skills are needed.

Bellycaster said:

2) The Saddle Pieces: If they do fall out or even if they don't, I assume once strung up, the Guitar intonation will be correct, ie: they go back to same place under tension?

Yes. The saddles won't fall out because firstly there is a retaining wire - or the saddles are fully locked into place, on some - and secondly even if there wasn't you're not going to turn the guitar over .

Bellycaster said:

3) Why are the screws for altering intonation on the stopbar side on an SG and on the Pick Up side on a Les Paul? I only just noticed this.

It depends on the model of bridge - the traditional ABR-1 (with the retaining wire) should have the screws facing the pickup so they don't foul the strings behind the bridge. The modern Nashville bridge has recessed screws and is usually fitted with the screws facing the tailpiece.

If in any doubt, look at the saddles - the grooves should tell you which way round is correct. Genuine Gibsons also have all the saddles facing in the same direction - vertical face towards the pickup - or the low E and A reversed. Far-east bridges often have the D reversed as well, which causes problems.

Bellycaster

Thanks @p90fool and @ICBM the saddles are exactly as you say, they are right (My Low E and A are reversed on the Les Paul though, but not on the SG).

I checked the Gibson SG Standard 2018 page and the screws are on the stopbar side, this is just ridiculous, why do that?

I also checked the 2017 Les Paul Classic page and the screws are on the pick up side, so it's all as it should be on both guitars.

Corvus

I'm doing this right now -

Slack all strings. Unhook the strings from the nut, 3 to each side, and the inner ones off the saddles, gives a bit more wiggle room.
Cut a piece of A4 paper in half lengthways. Fold each piece in half lengthways.
Hook a piece of paper round one group of 3 strings, so the fold is to the middle of the board and the 3 strings are inside the paper, and do the same with the other bit for the other 3 strings. Pull each paper piece around the back of the neck, so it's pulling it's 3 strings down and away off the board. Tack the bits of paper together with 2-3 bits of sticky tape.

Now the strings are clear of the board and held there, leaving it free for cleaning & glopping - and the hardware stays put.

Takes but a jiff to do. Bonus is the strings I've got on are new and will be fine to carry on using, and the paper keeps oily fingers off 'em too.

Bellycaster

Wow, thanks @Corvus I'll try that out.

absolutpepper

I agree with others here - knowing how to adjust the mounting posts and how the bridge and tailpiece fit together should be basic knowledge for any gibson owner and really knowledge you should acquire. The best way to learn is just to do it. Ultimately even if you turn the post heads a little its very unlikely youd do any lasting damage to the instrument. My adivce is do it, just take your time, work carefully and neatly and if something gets knocked slightly just adjust back before you restring. If you have a precision ruler you can always measure heights of the posts, etc before you start and jot them down then if you go awry at some point tou have a reference of where to go back to.

Corvus

@Bellycaster here's a couple of quick pix, tis dead easy, took longer to write the worms than do the Blue Peter-y thing : )

http://alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/misc/necktape1.jpg

http://alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/misc/necktape2.jpg

Bellycaster

Nice one @Corvus ;

Did you say you leave both E strings in the notches on the saddles?

Ta!

Corvus

They are but doesn't matter cos if off the saddle or on it, the strings all keep the bridge & tail sat in place. Unhooking the others just makes them a bit easier to pull down the sides, they've got that bit further to go than the outer ones, helps avoid slacking them so far that they're in danger of getting sloppy on the tuner posts.

Not even sure its needed but just habit and a bit of insurance really.