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Double Bass college student looking for cheap way to clean strings???

Codyandsoul

Codyandsoul

Mar 15, 2005
294
79
36
Brooklyn, NY
www.instagram.com
#1
I was wondering if I could clean my strings somehow? Any recommendations for anything would be appreciated. There is some rosin on them, and just some gunk. I was considering taking the strings off and boiling them. I've done it to electric strings, to clean them primarily, not really for an extended string life. I'm a college student, and I don't have any money to spare, so anything I can do that doesn't involve me having to take out a loan would be sweet. Any takers?
 
#3
thesaddpenguin said:
I was wondering if I could clean my strings somehow? Any recommendations for anything would be appreciated. There is some rosin on them, and just some gunk. I was considering taking the strings off and boiling them. I've done it to electric strings, to clean them primarily, not really for an extended string life. I'm a college student, and I don't have any money to spare, so anything I can do that doesn't involve me having to take out a loan would be sweet. Any takers?
Click to expand...

I keep several packaged alcohol wipes (for cleaning eyeglasses) in my gig bag so I can wipe my strings down without carrying a bottle of alcohol to gigs - very handy, especially when playing outdoors.

When I'm at home, I just wipe down the strings with cottonballs dampened with alcohol - being careful not to allow alcohol to drip onto my bass :eek: and soften the finish.
 
#10
Michael Case said:
What ever happened to a simple rag? I use an old washcloth to wipe my strings down, that takes the rosin and any finger gunk off the strings. When the strings REALLY need it (once a month), a little rubbing alcohol and a paper towel works great.
Click to expand...

I agree. I wipe my strings down with a soft cloth after playing. I may wipe them down several times during a gig. By doing this religiously, I have avoided the need for alcohol or other solvents.
 
#11
I keep a small piece of Scotch-Brite pad (the green one) in my bow case and use that on my strings between gigs/rehersals/practice sessions. I'll also use a little rubbing alcohol on a rag now and then, particularly if I've been using more rosin than normal for whatever reason. When I do this, I clean the whole string length, not just the "bow zone". :D I'm not very good about washing my hands before playing, and I often snack while practicing, so I figure I might as well get all that Cheetos gunk, peanut butter and hot sauce off as well as the rosin! :rollno: As long as I'm at it, I use the same rag/alcohole to get the rosin off my bridge; I hate when that gets all built up and funky.
 
#15
You have to make sure whatever you use contains no water. This is why denatured alcohol is so nice. In fact, I see you are from Tampa, and I happen to have some laying around (my profile says Miami, but I'm home in New Tampa for the summer). PM me if you're interested in taking it. I've used it on only one set of strings, and I'd hate to waste it.
 
#16
I use the green scotch pad to get most of it off and then follow with the alcohol on an old t-shirt.

A side comment-when i was playing primarily BG i spent far more on strings than i do on DB even now when i'm playing easy 4+hrs daily [i change my DB strings about once a year]. When i played BG i was going through about a set a month or so. I never thought that Spirocores would seem cheap to Ernie Ball Slinkys.
 
#18
Bassists and alcohol - hmm -- am I hearing a theme here? :eyebrow: But seriously, folks . . . I usually wipe down my strings with an old gym sock (washed, of course -- good way to get more life out of those old gym sox too). Every once in a while, I'll use a sock with some alcohol and run it down the entire length of the string. (I'll have to try that gin variation ;)) Wiping after playing is a good practice and will lengthen the life of your strings; I keep an old sock in my gig bag.
 

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