boiling flat wounds.

JamesM · #1 10-02-2005, 09:20 PM

Hey i was just wondering if its all right to boil flat wound strings, i can't afford a new set, i've just made a new fretless out of my old bass and its hard to hear what it could sound like with old string.
Cheers.

PilbaraBass · #2 10-02-2005, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesM

Hey i was just wondering if its all right to boil flat wound strings, i can't afford a new set, i've just made a new fretless out of my old bass and its hard to hear what it could sound like with old string.
Cheers.

sure, why not...boil away...

for a good job, put a tiny bit of dishwashing liquid in there, too...and let them dry completely before restringing.

JamesM · #3 10-02-2005, 09:30 PM

cool, cheers bro. I'l giv it go.

canopener · #4 10-04-2005, 07:14 PM

I don't think you'd need to bother cleaning flats too much.

DannyB · #5 10-04-2005, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canopener

I don't think you'd need to bother cleaning flats too much.

play, wipe down, close case. repeat (about a year per set should be sufficient).
if they sound a little thuddier than when you bought them, it's because they should. that's the flatwound mojo. you don't want to brighten them up too much now.

JamesM · #6 10-04-2005, 08:40 PM

sweet. cheers.

tai · #7 10-05-2005, 01:59 PM

i have rotosound flats on my ibanez and i boiled them and it worked fine.
i hear that ur actually supposed to put them in some denatured alcohol and leave them in that for a day or so, cause theres no water in it to rust the srtings...i havent tried it yet.
just some "food for thought"

jacove · #8 10-05-2005, 02:03 PM

Let us know how it goes, JamesM!....

JamesM · #9 10-05-2005, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacove

Let us know how it goes, JamesM!....

Hey guys, the fretless came out great and surprisingly the tone is killer, it took me a while to get the intonation right. I gave the strings a boil and it did make a little difference, had a a few jams with the band and its brought a totally different approach to the songs and my playing.
Catchya laters.

4Mal · #10 10-06-2005, 01:06 PM

Yep. Fretless is a whole 'nother planet. Lined fretless is very cool if you're a fretless beginner (like moi). I'm comitted to frets for the vast majority of the material that I work with but there are a few tunes where the fretless really provides an interestsing dimension.

We started doing an old free jazz vamp named Tunji ('trane ?) a month ago and in my trio setting I'm doing a lot of chording in it. The fretless just works for that beautifully and the lines do help. Training wheels I know bit for the moment I need 'em.

dubblebubble · #11 10-07-2005, 08:56 AM

why?

narcopolo · #12 10-07-2005, 11:50 AM

i thought you wanted your flats to sound as old as possible. now i'm confused . . .