Best way for cleaning strings..

luisnovelo · #1 10-01-2001, 10:38 AM

I changed the strings on my bass just 2 weeks ago, and eventhough I´ve detuned it everytime I stop playing it, the strings sound already as mellow as if I had played them for months..

I just read that boiling them is not the best way to make them sound brighter because the brightness doesn´t last too long... and I´ve noticed that myself, but then, what´s the best way for cleaning them and making them sound bright as new?

JMX · #2 10-01-2001, 12:45 PM

Don't detune the strings every time you stop playing, that probably accelerated the string decay.

Submerge the strings in a jar of denatured alcohol or sth. similar over night.

wildbillking · #3 10-01-2001, 01:23 PM

try nanowebs.

gweimer · #4 10-01-2001, 02:27 PM

I usually just wipe them down every night with some 90% rubbing alchohol.

Bassstud1 · #5 10-03-2001, 07:35 AM

Everytime you detune your stings you are moving (unstreching) the stings in a much more violent way than punkers do playing them. You are losing a lot of string life by following this practice. I'm not saying it was right but I stored my Musicman for 1-1/2 years without detuning and did no damage to the neck. I wasn't planning on storing it.
Good luck to you.

luisnovelo · #6 10-03-2001, 10:29 AM

thanks for the advice of not detuning when im not using it..

Quote:

Originally posted by Bassstud1
Everytime you detune your stings you are moving (unstreching) the stings in a much more violent way than punkers do playing them.

hahaha!

luisnovelo · #7 10-03-2001, 10:32 AM

By the way.. is it better to use denaturalizated alchohol or not denaturalizated?
I used to clean the strings with the 2nd kind of alchohol cause I thougt it did better than the other..

Funkster · #8 10-03-2001, 12:41 PM

I just make sure that after everytime playing I wipe down my strings with Jim Dunlop string cleaner (works Great) I believe it is just some kinda alcohol.
This adds a ton af string life. I went from changing strings once a mothe to about every other month.

jmpfretless · #9 10-08-2001, 06:50 PM

hey there, I have been using Ken Smith's strings for the last 3 years and I cannot belive how long they stay bright for......I clean them once in a while and that is about it.....

my 2 cents

Oysterman · #10 10-08-2001, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by luisnovelo
By the way.. is it better to use denaturalizated alchohol or not denaturalizated?
I used to clean the strings with the 2nd kind of alchohol cause I thougt it did better than the other..

You'll be fine with either. The difference between pure ethanol and denaturalized ethanol is that the latter has a small part of *other alcohols* in it, such as 2-propanol (just enough to make you vomit if you drink it... well, I usually vomit of too much of the pure kind anyway

).

I do not know if alcoholic beverages such as tequila or vodka would suffice (they probably would, more or less)... but it would indeed surprise me if anyone would want to waste those on cleaning bass strings!

ihixulu · #11 10-08-2001, 09:37 PM

-I do not know if alcoholic beverages such as tequila or vodka would suffice-

I can tell you from experience they don't work as well, there are too many other things in there that leave a film.

Plus you'll vomit all over your strings if they smell like tequila in the morning after a rough night and then you'll have really dirty strings.

Luis Fabara · #12 10-12-2001, 09:51 AM

GHS Fast Fret works marvelous for me.