Not necessarily. When I do my own set-ups or other adjustments/alterations to my guitars, I do them with the existing strings on so that I can easily detect any resulting tonal changes and, if there are any, I know it’s due to the work I’ve done and not the new strings.

And he is inclined to have the occasional ‘leg-pull’ when you’re talking to him - personally I wouldn’t be disturbed by it. ;-)