Guitar question: Is removing all the strings at once a problem?

It depends on who's asking!

So far as the guitar is concerned then no, it's not a problem. All the strings need to be removed at once to clean the fretboard, for a refret, to replace or adjust the nut and for lots of other jobs. As guitars are being built, they have no strings fitted anyway, and replacement necks are obviously sold without strings!

There can be two problems with removing all thrings at once. The most common one is when a beginner, for some reason, decides to do it and then can't refit the new strings. They can't look to see how the original strings were fitted and instead of having problems with one string, they have problems with all six. Even if they manage to fit the strings, they have problems tuning them. It is far easier to make slight adjustments to keep a guitar in tune than to get completely loose strings in tune. There have even been questions posted here by beginners who have lost parts of the guitar after removing all the strings. I would always advise a beginner to change one string at a time.

The other problem is with a guitar with a vibrato bridge. Something like a Stratocaster is a nightmare to tune if all the strings have been removed. It is FAR easier to change and tune one string at a time. It is also quite possible that, if all the strings have been removed, then the bridge will not be seated correctly, the guitar will feel different and it won't stay in tune.

Like Ben, normally, I change strings one at a time - it's just easier.

Please ignore any suggestions that the truss rod needs to be "adjusted" before, during or after removing all the strings. It most certainly does not. Leave it alone!

While removing all the strings seldom causes a problem, the guitar can take a considerable time recovering to normal neck relief.  That's one reason to remove one string at a time.

If an immediate string change is the only task, there's no real need to adjust the truss rod before removing all the strings.  If the string removal is to facilitate maintenance that will take more that a half-hour, it's best to loosen the truss rod 1/2 turn (less for very light strings, up to 1 turn for heavy gauge).

For long-term storage, retune the strings about 1/2 octave lower or remove them, then loosen the truss rod completely, grease the threads, and retighten it 1/4th to 1/3rd turn.

That's not a problem at all. When they repair guitars it's common to remove the strings the guitars are just fine when re-strung. That said, I always replace strings one at a time.

In general, it is not a problem. A good guitar is able to take the tension of all the strings and also the release of all strings.

However, if you choose to remove all strings, the neck will be completely reset backwards since there is no string to pull on it. When you re-string the guitar, you may take a slightly longer time for the neck to settle back to a stable level as you are subjecting the neck to the two extremes of full tension to zero tension.

If you change one string at a time, you are operating within say, "5 string tension" to "6 string tension" position, if that makes sense to you.

So, it may be a good practice to change one string at a time. But if you must take out all strings, that fine too. Just take a longer time to get stable again.

no