Dirty nasty strings on a very humid day

Hutzbordello · #1 04-28-2011, 03:31 PM

So Im in the northeast, and its been raining the past couple of days. Ive kept my windows open. As far as I know humidity only had effects on the wood making it shrink or get bigger.

So when I went to play my roundwounds today they felt really gross, smelled coppery like the smell of pennies, and were just nasty.

Ive never cleaned this fretboard (i think two years ive had it since last august) so its pretty gross. I was gonna wait until i restring it for that.

So Im just wondering if since its so humid out if you think it brought out the nasty in these strings.

i cant slide down the neck at all due to it, and i get black marks on my pointer finger, the one im using to slide down the neck. this has never happened before.

it was fine two days ago.

note: my flats are perfectly fine

Mikhail1 · #2 04-28-2011, 03:59 PM

That my friend is corrosion! You could probably clean them in a pinch but it's might be easier to replace them. Try wiping them off with a cotton cloth or a string chammy. DON'T use rubbing alcohol, use either deanatured alcohol or lighter fluid if you decide to go that route.

Hutzbordello · #3 04-28-2011, 04:34 PM

i already used rubbing alchohol.........why is that bad? i assume the wood

ramones365 · #4 05-01-2011, 12:23 PM

I think rubbing alcohol speeds up corrosion. There are string cleaning supplies you can get for very little money

**BLDavis** · #5 05-01-2011, 03:41 PM

Years ago I played in Florida, Mississippi and Alabama quite a bit and had to wipe my strings down between every song. Sometimes during a song if I got a chance. Went through a lot of Holiday Inn towels back then.
Wipe your string down regularly. Use naptha (Zippo fluid) or denatured alcohol. Be carefull with the denatured though, keep it off your guitars finish and fingerboard. AND NO SMOKING !!!.
Isopropol has water in it so it may not help much.
B.

PS, I used to boil my strings too, but lets not confuse the issue.

Bob Rock · #6 05-01-2011, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLDavis

PS, I used to boil my strings too, but lets not confuse the issue.

I still boil my strings. Works for me, I boil for 15 mins then pat down with a towel and then I brake 200 degrees in the oven.