Cleaning Strings...

[OPBASSMAN1994]

Any ideas? I've heard of boiling them, but mine are rotos, which have fabric on both ends, so I don't think that'd be a great idea...

and I need something easy.

 

[OPBASSMAN1994]

Anyone? Anyone?

 

[Journey55]

I put them in Denatured Alcohol overnight and they came out sounding great (just don't leave them in there for a long time (like a week) cause they get rusty....be sure to do it in a well ventilated area/with a durable container you don't care about (I used an old metal pail). You might want to leave the endings out of the alcohol if you care about the fabric things.

 

[Floyd Eye]

Why are you going to waste $5 worth of DNA to rejuvenate a set of $20 strings?

 

[john_g]

I have bass brites for quick cleanings but I did build a string cleaning tube a couple of years ago and it works great. I highly recommend this. I rotate in a few pairs of strings and its cut down on how many I have to purchase:

The Bass String Cleaning Tube

 

[Journey55]

Why are you going to waste $5 worth of DNA to rejuvenate a set of $20 strings?

Well I just had it lying around and stores around here don't carry 5-string packs so...

 

[Jerry Ziarko]

I have a cleaning tube that is filled with denatured alcohol. I've been using the same quart bottle for three years. Every week I soak my strings overnight. don't worry about the nylon wraps, the alcohol does not hurt them one bit. My strings always sound fresh, and I've cut down my string expense, hundreds of dollars per year. Honestly, the best tip I've ever read here on TB.

 

[OPBASSMAN1994]

Cool. I needed a nice "new string" sound for a gig coming up next saturday, and this should do the trick.

 

[The Lemon]

I just use Fast Fret. It helps a little if the strings are already dead, but I've found the real benefit is in using it occasionally starting when the strings are new.

 

[AdamR]

I tried the bassbrite. They dont seem to do anything to me.

 

[CauliColin]

I dished out a whole 50p on Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes for strings and body. Will they do any harm?

 

[Floyd Eye]

I use Fast Fret after I play every time and they dramatically increase string life.

 

[FrenchBassQC]

here's a link where you can hear before and after the strings when soaked in the DENATURED ALCOHOL...

How to clean strings w before and after clips - YouTube

and here is how to build your cleaning tube

The Bass String Cleaning Tube

 

[bobba66]

I boiled my Rotosounds years ago. No problems. Read about it in a Geddy Lee interview.

 

[zortation]

I've tried boiling, tried alcohol, but the quickest way and the way that gets best results for me is WD-40, especially for steels. It's very simple and doesn't require removing the strings, and if you're going to try it, I highly recommend putting plastic under the strings to protect the fingerboard. After spraying on a good amount, I leave it for 10-15 minutes, then slowly and carefully wipe each individual string down with a chamois using a twisting motion in the direction of the wind, as if your tightening a screw. The idea here is to get any crud that lines the sides of the string. After this, the string will sound like new and it will be lightly lubricated.

 

[iabssplyr]

Fast Fret or the bottle of Dunlop string cleaner. My flats sound great and wear until I finally decide they've had enough, which usually a year or two.

 

[OPBASSMAN1994]

I've tried boiling, tried alcohol, but the quickest way and the way that gets best results for me is WD-40, especially for steels. It's very simple and doesn't require removing the strings, and if you're going to try it, I highly recommend putting plastic under the strings to protect the fingerboard. After spraying on a good amount, I leave it for 10-15 minutes, then slowly and carefully wipe each individual string down with a chamois using a twisting motion in the direction of the wind, as if your tightening a screw. The idea here is to get any crud that lines the sides of the string. After this, the string will sound like new and it will be lightly lubricated.

2 questions: what is a chamois, and what if you do it in your garage with not wind?

 

[zortation]

2 questions: what is a chamois, and what if you do it in your garage with not wind?

A chamois is a soft cloth used to buff cars. A guitar cloth would do fine.

Wind or wind? Wind as in the wind of the string, not the breeze.

 

[4-stringB]

I've tried boiling in water, soaking in alchohol, I've even chucked the strings in a drill, slowly turning, while I rode down the spiral winding with steel wool. Nuthin'. Now, to be fair, maybe the strings were too far gone to start with, but I've never had more than moderate success making strings sound "new"...

 

[OPBASSMAN1994]

A chamois is a soft cloth used to buff cars. A guitar cloth would do fine.

Wind or wind? Wind as in the wind of the string, not the breeze.

Ah that makes sense...LOl. my bad. I think I'll try that tomorrow.