Does boiling strings actually make them sound fresh again?

[FBS1996]

I heard somewhere that it does

[lkngro]

I've heard that also, though I don't have any evidence to support it. I'm thinking of doing it to my strings just for the hell of it.

[knumbskull]

yes, for a very short amount of time, it gives them some zing. i have tried this. the amount of time that you get the benefit is variable.

and afterwards, when they go dead, they go REALLY dead.

in short, it works, but don't make plans around it

[metalstorm]

Yes, I do it all the time. It't not as good as new strings, but you can extend the life of your strings significantly by boiling them once a week. I have several sets that I alternate.

[knumbskull]

oh and FTR i like the sound of dead rounds, too!

[AmadeusXeno]

I've tried it. They do sound a bit newer after bioling, but after a very short time they are dead again. The time it dakes to boil and then dry them wasn't worth it to me.

[ricca]

Originally Posted by AmadeusXeno

I've tried it. They do sound a bit newer after bioling, but after a very short time they are dead again. The time it dakes to boil and then dry them wasn't worth it to me.

+1!

[pureamericanmet]

If you boil your strings it does take all the grime out of them and make them "new" again but you can only do this once and it doesn't last for very long at all. Buying new strings is your best bet.

[carlos840]

Not worth it, just buy new strings!

[joe vegas]

i boiled 'em all through the 70s, with a few drops of vinegar which acted as an astringent and helped add a bit of sparkle. they'd always sound nearly new for approximately 5 days of hard playing. this is all useful if you've got an important upcoming gig/recording but not enough cash on hand for a new set. my sets were usually d'addarios or ghs at the time.

[4001]

I tried that once. A long time ago. The most interesting thing was the finger oils and dirt that I had to skim off the top of the (smelly) water that I boiled them in.

It did ABSOLUTLY NOTHING to give the strings any improved sound and life.

It was worth it to find out but it really dosen't work, unless you just want to clean your old used strings real good. They will still sound crappy though.

You cant remove fret dents in strings either.

[Flabass]

James Jamerson had the same set on his P for 15 years.

[scolba]

Originally Posted by knumbskull

oh and FTR i like the sound of dead rounds, too!

*WHEW*

I thought I might have been the only one.

[gforce9]

Originally Posted by metalstorm

Yes, I do it all the time. It't not as good as new strings, but you can extend the life of your strings significantly by boiling them once a week. I have several sets that I alternate.

+1. I do it all the time.........for 15 years or more. While it's not like a new set, I've always found it valuable. I've boiled a set as much as 5x with diminishing returns each time, but still useful. So far, never had a string break, rust out, or go completely dead from boiling. I want to try the soaking in Mineral Spirits or pure alcohol method some day; I heard that is even better, but I don't know first hand. The big deal for me is cost. With a family, mortgage, insurance, groceries, a slowdown in work in the last 2 1/2 years,............there is a new reality. I would be interested to know how much I've saved in the time I've been doing this.....

[odin70]

Yes, bot they wont last long

[fourstringburn]

It would seem to me taking the same strings on and off would negate any benefit from boiling since the strings are being stretched when new, loosened, then re-stretched again after boiling. This should shorten the life of the strings snappy tone. There are string cleaning fluids that are wiped on strings that could provide similar cleaning results. Just a thought...

[Bozendoka]

I've boiled several times, but I found that soaking in denatured alcohol works a lot better. Still not as good as new, but a lot more effective and a lot easier. I bought a length of PVC pipe, glued a cap on one end and a screw on cap on the other, then glued a dowel on the screw in cap with a hook on the end. You string the ball ends through the hook and let 'em soak overnight. Then you can just leave it filled with the alcohol when you're done. I'd get at least a 2" pipe, though - mine's smaller and it's a pain to deal with the big snarl from the tuner end of the strings.

[Otso]

Or you could soak them in denaturated alcohol.

[gforce9]

Originally Posted by fourstringburn

It would seem to me taking the same strings on and off would negate any benefit from boiling since the strings are being stretched when new, loosened, then re-stretched again after boiling. This should shorten the life of the strings snappy tone. There are string cleaning fluids that are wiped on strings that could provide similar cleaning results. Just a thought...

I'm sure this is a negative factor. Boiling doesn't make string sound brand new. Nevertheless, I can't complain about the results. I've tried a few of the cleaners (Gibson, Fast Fret) and they make the strings slicker, but don't really help in cleaning and dying. I do wipe down with alcohol pads regularly (70% alcohol) and I can't tell if that helps, hurts, or doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by Bozendoka

I've boiled several times, but I found that soaking in denatured alcohol works a lot better. Still not as good as new, but a lot more effective and a lot easier. I bought a length of PVC pipe, glued a cap on one end and a screw on cap on the other, then glued a dowel on the screw in cap with a hook on the end. You string the ball ends through the hook and let 'em soak overnight. Then you can just leave it filled with the alcohol when you're done. I'd get at least a 2" pipe, though - mine's smaller and it's a pain to deal with the big snarl from the tuner end of the strings.

I want to try this sometime.................

[BROKEN OHMS]

This definitely works. Maybe the people who don't think so didn't boil them long enough. I did it for years (before converting to flats recently). I'd usually get another 2 or 3 sweaty gigs before they'd go dead again. To me they sounded almost as good(bright) as new and already worked. And yes...the water is disgusting.