Can you boil acoustic bass strings?

[chrispizzy]

My acoustic bass strings are dead for my IbanezAEB10, I was wondering if boiling them would work the same as they would for electrics.... probably a dumb question but i was curious

[Snipper!]

Yeah I would imagine so, they only sound cleanish for a couple of weeks though, back in the day I used to eat quite a lot of string soup

[JimmyM]

soaking in denatured alcohol for a few days works better and isn't as hard on the strings.

[BassLife77]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

soaking in denatured alcohol for a few days works better and isn't as hard on the strings.

+1 the alcohol method is a lot better. last time I boiled some strings was in the 80's. I use 91% isopropyl alcohol, $2.39 for 32 oz. at walmart

[chrispizzy]

do you boil the alcohol or just pour it on the strings as is and wipe the strings off?

[poorbassist15]

Originally Posted by chrispizzy

do you boil the alcohol or just pour it on the strings as is and wipe the strings off?

Something tells me boiling alcohol is a bad idea.

[Slowgypsy]

Originally Posted by chrispizzy

do you boil the alcohol or just pour it on the strings as is and wipe the strings off?

DO NOT boil alcohol under any circumstances... very dangerous thing to do!

The "cleaning strings by alcohol method" is nothing more than coiling your strings like they were when you first bought them, and putting them in an appropriate container (think Tupperware) that is then filled with alcohol. The level of alcohol should be sufficient to completely immerse the strings. Some folks let the strings soak this way for anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days.

[chrispizzy]

hahhaha i now realize boiling alcohol is ridiculous, but none the less thanks for the advice! I'll try it out for sure

[FunkMetalBass]

I always use denatured alcohol as I've heard it's less harsh on the metal but still cleans away the dirt and grime. I didn't have much luck with isopropyl cleaning the strings.

[interstatejoe]

I too soak my strings in alcohol in a contraption I built after seeing a similar one somewhere: 4 ft of 1" pvc pipe, 1 slip cap, 1 threaded cap, a male adapter and a hook...slip cap glued to 1 end of the pvc, male adapter on the other, hook on the inside of the threaded cap. Fill with alcohol, hang ball end of strings from the hook, stuff strings in the tube, stick the contraption in the closet for a few days and you're all set.

[chadds]

I find the actual physical trauma of hitting the frets deadens strings which is why the boil or alcohol soak method only lasts a short time.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by chadds

I find the actual physical trauma of hitting the frets deadens strings which is why the boil or alcohol soak method only lasts a short time.

How do you "find" that?

[FunkMetalBass]

You can, over time, see the indentations of the frets in the strings. If you compared the lifespan of new strings vs. alcohol cleaned strings, the lifespan of the alcohol-cleaned strings is shorter.

[blr2]

DO NOT HEAT-UP OR BOIL ALCOHOL!

Other than that alcohol method works better than boiling in water and does not cause corrosion.
I sometimes still do it in order to prolong strings life for a week or two. In my experience just leaving them in alcohol overnight is enough