It doesn't always happen but the possibility is there. It's easy enough to fix. If your trem floats, be sure to put a dowel or small smooth block of wood between the bridge and the body to keep it stable. It will help tuning too. I usually go one at a time on my Strat just so it's easier to tune.

If that was the case, the necks wouldn't be removable would they? The only way it can hurt the guitar is innotation.

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The necks are removable for easier and cheaper installation. They just don't bolt the neck on string it up and ship it out. The relief is only a few thousandth's of on inch. The strings create a lot of tension on the neck. That's why it has a truss rod in there to begin with. And yeah it is possible for the neck to bow a couple thousandths of an inch. That's why they give you allen wrenches. Neck bow hurts intonation too.

Any way you look at it, removing all your strings will not permanently hurt your neck or guitar.

Just curious... if the neck bows out a little when removing all the strings, doesn't it go back once the new strings are all tuned? Isn't the same tension applied once again, assuming that the same string gauge was used? As for intonation, logic would be the same, allowing for maybe small differences in the manufacture of the strings.

Most likely that will be true. Unless the neck wasn't perfectly straight or has slighty warped over time, the neck should be straight. In some cases you may have to remove the neck to adjust the truss rod.

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Hopefully this answers sums it up.

Changing one string at a time puts the neck through the least amount of change. Since you want to avoid doing a full setup it makes sense to do this.

Can you change them all at one time? Yes however it is more risky the older the instrument is. Vintage instruments from the 1960s and older I would be hesitant to take the strings off suddenly.

It poses virtually no risk on a modern instrument and the neck will normally return back to its original position once the strings are back on. Consider though if you are a changing strings frequently the impact this has on the instrument.

If you have to take the strings off for a full fret job or big clean. On guitars with a non fixed bridge taking the strings off without preparation will mean you need to setup the intonation. So beforehand measure or tape (dependent on finish) the bridge position prior to removing the strings.

For floating tremolos its faster to change one at a time. Tune up and stretch in the string retune etc.

JPD you are right

If you have a tremolo : One string at time

If you don't have tremolo : Remember , you never know how your neck react

If we have to replace pickups, we block tremolo and we have choice to slack the trust rod or not