I've used fastfret since forever and it lives up to it;s name but does it REALLY extend string life..???

I also use Fastfret. I've never noticed that it extends string life. Maybe it does, I don't know.

I use it mainly for it's lube properties.
For string cleaning I use alcohol.

Now, I also play guitar occasionally and it does seem to have an effect on the G, B and high E strings. But this may be because they are plain and not wound, thus more prone to corrosion.

------------------
Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Onyx,

Do you remove the strings or leave them strung-up when you clean them with ETOH?

I leave the strings on if I clean them with alcohol. The only thing I need to do to protect the fingerboard and the finish is to slide a towel under the strings. Any hand towel will work if it is long enough to reach from the nut to the bridge.

I find that trying to remove strings for cleaning and then re-installing them is a hassle, especially with string-thru-body designs.

------------------
Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Im a caveman, so i nothing about this fastfret of with which you speak! What is this "fastfret"?

My impression is that it's something **guitarists** (boo hiss!)use. I've never come across any bass players who recommend it.

I used fast fret for a few years and found that it did improve string life by about 25 per cent providing it was used immediately after the gig, however when my last one ran out (about a year ago) I refilled it with WD-40, which to my surprise seemed just as good and about a hundred times cheaper. :)

Fast Frett???? You guys should try finger ease. You can sprey it on the back of your neck too.Silky smooth.

yes it extends the string life like crazy i had some dead as hell ernie ball strings put some fast fret on it let it sit over night and they sounded better than new

Bruce,
I didn't see an acoustic in your profile but I'll bet you play one some! Fastfret is especially helpful on the "phospher bronze burn" I get after 2 or 3 acoustic sets.

No - I don't and never have played acoustic anything! I often joke that I wouldn't be able to create music without electricity.

I have never had any need for "artificial aids" to playing and can play long sets quite happily. I must say that I like my basses clean and tidy - no messy stuff. ;)

I have met quite a few guitarists who use this kind of thing, but never any bassists - out of the hundreds I must have talked to in the past.

Bruce,
OhkeeDoke!
Spike,
Thanks for the tip.

I think I had a can of Finger Ease back in the 40's, it was slick but there was a residue so I stopped using it. The main reason I stopped was because I saw (through others) that it was quite possible to play without it (just train your hands not to sweat). It's the same reason I don't use a Beaver Felton bass glove or other "aids". I have no problem with anyone else using any of these things (as if it matters what I think;)). Go for it.

SlapDaddy, I never understood the "phospher bronze" thing, they just never appealed to me.

Brad, (and everybody)
What strings do you use on your acoustic instruments?

Years ago, I bought a cheap ABG with phosphor bronze strings. The strings sounded way too "guitary" for me, so I put flatwounds on it and it warmed it right up.
I'm curious about Spike's use of WD40. Anyone else tried it? I wonder if it would damage the fingerboard at all. I could use a little lubricant on my flatwounds on hot days. (sounds kinky....)

Monkey,
I just use WD-40 on the pad from the fastfret dispenser, directly and sparingly onto the strings. (Run the pad from bridge to neck and back once)
I don’t and wouldn’t advise anybody to use it on the fretboard or neck.
Sorry if my first post was confusing.

Spike.

Originally posted by SlapDaddy
Brad, (and everybody)
What strings do you use on your acoustic instruments?

Nickel roundwounds, Ken Smith Burners on my last one, an El Capitan fretless 5. Also Thomastik/Infeld Nickel rounds. No wear, great sound, big body. I'm guessing you mean acoustic bass "guitar":D

Brad,
You guessed right. I'll try the TINR's. Tx
SD

I have used Fastfrett since the 80,s only as a cleaner after gigs and practice to take the sweat and grime off left by my hands it somewhat keeps the strings alive, I find that if I we are being rushed off stage or there's multible bands playing and I dont do this right after playing my strings are totally dead next time I play. Im one of those clean guy's and I take very good care of my equipment I love FF..
Just a simple mans opinion!!:D

BTW the easiest and cheapest way to extend string life is to wipe them off. I wipe mine off at the end of a set and the end of the gig and typically get over a month or more of real use out of my Nickel rounds. I'd guess even for "sweaters" the more you clean them off the less buildup there will be.

Cost: a clean towel or rag.

Fast fret isn't messy at all - no residue. When I have new strings, or especially when the flats on my fretless are sticky and I can't slide smoothly, Fast Fret works great. Much better than wiping with a cloth (which I also do though). And the thing lasts forever too.

I haven't noticed that it extends string life, but I guess just by virtue of keeping them clean it might.

No idea why they don't market the stuff better. It's hard to find. Maybe they don't make much profit off it because one little ... whatever it is - a stick? - lasts me a couple of years. I only use it maybe one per week, but it sure comes in handy when wiping with a cloth doesn't do the trick.

Ooooh, flatwounds! Now I get it. I don't use them. If my hands moved any more freely on my roundwounds I'd probably smack myself in the head.

No residue? Where does it go?

When I wipe my strings off I wipe in the direction of the windings.

Originally posted by Brad Johnson
Ooooh, flatwounds! Now I get it. I don't use them. If my hands moved any more freely on my roundwounds I'd probably smack myself in the head.

No residue? Where does it go?

When I wipe my strings off I wipe in the direction of the windings.

Good question! I've never seen or felt it on the board. I do,however, feel it on my fingertips after I quit. I,too, wipe the strings after the set and Fastfret recommends that the strings be wiped down after each use.

It's quite magical in its way. It has a pleasant faint smell and feel almost like a baby powder, but you cannot see anything on your strings or fretboard.

There are times with new strings, or as I said above especially with flats, where I literally skip or stick at a point on the string. Rubbing with a cloth sometimes won't help. I don't sweat much, if at all from the hands, so I presume it's a common problem to encounter. For me, Fastfret takes care of it.

I can certainly say that it in no way harms the strings or instrument. Rather, it could well be that their claims of preserving the strings and fretboard are true. A friend has gu!t@rs on which Fastfret was used daily for years and the fretboards are flawless, without lemon-oil maintenance or anything like that. And as someone else said, on phosphor strings, like on an acoustic gu!t@r or bass, man this stuff make a huge difference.

Apologies if I seem to be raving but I wanted to set the record straight at least per my experience, and as I am really disappointed with at least 90% of the products/gizmos I ever try I have to gush when something actually works!

It's not raving. You've found something you like. Cool.

I have used Fast Fret from time to time. I don't believe for an instant that it makes your strings last longer. Furthermore, I've noticed that after it's on my strings for about 20 minutes, it makes the strings feel gummy and coarse. Oh well.

Woof Man Out