My strings hurt

ngoma · #1 06-14-2007, 11:07 AM

Hi, I`m at a point where I don`t know what to do.
I have Spirocores Orch-red winding, they are 5 months old, and they are dead. I must clean my strings with alcohol on cloth after every playing, or on the other day, I have small crystals of something (probably salt) all over my upper parts of strings (most on D and G

) After a time, small dots became visible out of the surface of the string, beeing no longer smooth, and corrosion starts to get visible. I think the core starts corroding, and then the flat wound starts to get off. I keep my bass in a place with humidity about 40-50%, and always clean. But this still happens, only at a slower rate. With time, they are hard to play as hell, arco or pizz...I`ve tried Jazzers, Spiros, and Flat-chromes - I like the Spiros for their larger diameter, optimal for my fingers, and they sound good.

Please, what strings you would suggest for a string killer like me? My parameters - play mainly jazz, arco less, darker sound, like to play singing lines, don`t want to buy strings every three months...

THANK YOU...THANK YOU AGAIN...THANK YOU

TroyK · #2 06-14-2007, 11:54 AM

Just so I understand, this has happened with multiple sets of strings? Not just your Spirocores?

**Francois Blais** · #3 06-14-2007, 07:00 PM

It seems there's something weird with your skin's chemistry.
Can you see a dermatologist to analyse your perspiration?

jallenbass · #4 06-14-2007, 07:32 PM

Where do you live? I was talking to a guitar player today who at one time lived in Hawaii. He said that he had to change strings every couple of weeks or so because they became corroded and died.

**Matthew Tucker** · #5 06-15-2007, 01:16 AM

The alcohol will clean any residual oil off the metal and may make it even more reactive,

maybe you could try lightly wiping the strings with a corrosion inhibiting oil like WD40, or even plain olive oil, instead of alcohol?

ngoma · #6 06-15-2007, 03:32 AM

- yes this has happened with the sets of strings I`ve written, some more, some less

- I live in Slovakia, I don`t think, climate is the problem, my friends doesn`t have this problem

- yes, I was thinking about it, that alcohol will clean off the metal in a way, it can make it even more reactive, but I think wiping them with oil is not a good idea - it`s posible, that oil, when it gets to the core of the string, then acts like a magnet for dirt, which I couldn`t clean up too, killing the string sound as well...I was advised not to do this, but maybe I should try it....don`t know

Maybe I should use strings that don`t corrode, but I fear I`ll lose the sound...would you suggest any?

Uncletoad · #7 06-15-2007, 08:01 AM

Corroding a Spirocore to that point that rapidly would suggest a serious personal acidic sweat condition or some unusual environmental issue. I'll bet you kill jewelry quickly too, or turn your skin green if you wear it. It usually takes years to wear out those Spirocores. Unfortunately any steel string you try will have those problems. Perhaps a synthetic outer wrap string like the Labella black nylon wound 7710 may insulate the metal from premature corrosion for a bit longer. Or you could try the Eurosonic strings that are covered with plastic.

Good luck.

Marc Piane · #8 06-15-2007, 08:24 AM

Man, I have corrosive sweat too. Maybe not as bad as you are talking about but the steering wheel on my car has a mark where my hand usually is and I have caused steel strings to corrode. I hardly ever use alcohol on my strings. I wipe 'em down with a handtowel at the end of a gig and that's about it. Maybe every couple weeks I wipe the fingerboard and the strings down with mineral oil. I like mineral oil because it is odorless and doesn't collect dirt like lemon oil or olive oil.

TroyK · #9 06-15-2007, 09:46 AM

Well, if you try oils instead of alcohol and it doesn't work then I think the next thing to try would be non-metal strings. You're using very high quality strings now, so I doubt that different metal strings will give a different result. MAYBE, some of the Velvet strings, since they use different metals, but maybe it's time for you to try unwrapped gut strings.

Just a thought.

-tk

Dave Speranza · #10 06-15-2007, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyK

but maybe it's time for you to try unwrapped gut strings.

-tk

With sweat that can kill spirocores (!) some plain gut strings will be frayed to all hell in about a week. Maybe varnished though? I don't know.

I thought the eurosonic suggestion was good.

Or perhaps weedwhackers? j/k

TroyK · #11 06-15-2007, 11:47 AM

Hey Dave, not to hijack, but you were going to try gut and I never heard if you did or how it went.

I was thrilled to see you on the bill with Ingrid Jensen for the PTJF in July. I'll look forward to seeing you play.

Troy

Dave Speranza · #12 06-15-2007, 05:28 PM

I am using plain gut(DD) on the G & D and that's why I recommended against them - I don't sweat much when I play but my strings have frayed up a fair amount in the 6 months I've had them. They sound great though - can't imagine going back to steel or hybrids on top. I have been using my old obligato E and an unknown used A string on bottom. They sound fine and they match well enough pizz - but I have become fed up with the uneven tension and feel and uneven arco sound and have finally ordered wrapped gut E & A(gamut). I may chime in on the monster thread when they settle in.

I'm thrilled for this summer as well. See you up there!

TroyK · #13 06-15-2007, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Speranza

See you up there!

"over" there. The world doesn't revolve around Portland, man. :-)

I'll look forward to hearing you play.

Marcus Johnson · #14 06-16-2007, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Speranza

but I have become fed up with the uneven tension and feel and uneven arco sound and have finally ordered wrapped gut E & A(gamut). I may chime in on the monster thread when they settle in.

Please do... I wanna hear about that. (no surprise there..)

Jason Hollar · #15 06-16-2007, 07:54 AM

Man -- it takes me AT LEAST 5 months to even break in a set of Spirocires!

When I was having some finger skin problems (from way too much playing) a few years ago, I switched to the Labella Ron Carter models and it was a huge help. Those strings are thick, bright, and loud.

I've been having good luck with the Obligatos as well...as I've been playing with those for the last two years or so. They are coated with metal, but it might be a different alloy that might not corrode like the Spiros?

To that -- and the gut/steel issue -- I'm thinking about adding a Sprio Orchestra E to my next set of Obligatos to get a more solid foundation.

Good luck!

bonaventura · #16 06-16-2007, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ngoma

I`ve tried Jazzers, Spiros, and Flat-chromes

Like Uncle Toad chirped, the Eurosonics and LaBellas are non-metal coated strings... another one is Innovation, which makes gut-like sounding series, low tension, not metal spun on the outside... Best of luck.

**Francois Blais** · #17 06-16-2007, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonaventura

... another one is Innovation, which makes gut-like sounding series, low tension, not metal spun on the outside... Best of luck.

You're talking about the Rockabilly set I guess?
They have a Super Silver set too; I'm wondering about the outer coating, is it metal or synthetic?

Upton Bass sells the "UB Blacks" which are made by Innovation from Upton's specs.

bonaventura · #18 06-16-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois

You're talking about the Rockabilly set I guess?
They have a Super Silver set too; I'm wondering about the outer coating, is it metal or synthetic?

Upton Bass sells the "UB Blacks" which are made by Innovation from Upton's specs.

Hi Francois

I was thinking of the Innovation Super Silvers. But I think they make many strings without metal spun on the outside. The UP Blacks would be another one....