I'm lookin' for a good string cleaner that really prolongs the string life. I use stainless bass strings, but even those fall victim to getting "gunked up" and lose their sound when you don't clean them. I need a good cleaner that'll keep my strings in good shape and keep their tone. Recommend some that you've had good luck with?
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Best bass string cleaner?
- Thread starter BenWhoPlaysBass
- Start date
I'm interested too. Don't like having to replace strings once a month or more right now, and don't like coated strings.
denatured alcohol. take the strings off, soak them in denatured alcohol for a few hours and they're good to go again. i was a boiler for years but denatured is far superior and easier. I use strings without windings (D'Addarios) so I don't have to worry about the windings getting frayed from taking the strings on and off as well as from the soaking process.
GHS Treated string cleaning cloth. They're only around $3.00 US and it's reusable! You'll be amazed at the black gunk that comes off of your strings!
I'd be interested in the old ones. I break mine (no finesse), as I tend to practice without amplification due to housing considerations. And I got no finesse.
So, if anyone has any crappy old strings and you're too lazy to do the alcohol or boiling trick or just don't care... Well, I'd take them off your hands. Of course, it would have to be significantly cheaper than Amazon's crappiest strings.
Really, I'm looking for someone with a stash of nasty old strings. That would be easiest.
So, if anyone has any crappy old strings and you're too lazy to do the alcohol or boiling trick or just don't care... Well, I'd take them off your hands. Of course, it would have to be significantly cheaper than Amazon's crappiest strings.
Really, I'm looking for someone with a stash of nasty old strings. That would be easiest.
Ive boiled yesterday the strings of my 6, 5 and 4 string bass, they really feel and sound like new. were all eballs and rotosound. still a bit rusty but sounding really new!!!
My big problem with boiling is that the effect seems very short-lived.
Bass brites are ok. Not sure if they are somewhat nullified by fast fret.
I think washing hands before playing and wiping down with a dry cloth afterwards is a good baseline.
Bass brites are ok. Not sure if they are somewhat nullified by fast fret.
I think washing hands before playing and wiping down with a dry cloth afterwards is a good baseline.
if you use fast fret by ghs regularly as well as regular wiping the strings will retain their zing and cleanliness for a pretty long time
I'm with Art, denatured alcohol, watch out for boiling, rusting issues and that new sound goes away pretty quick.
I got the Bass Brites and they didn't seem to do much for me. Denatured alcohol as been great though. Each of my basses has two sets of strings which I rotate. Once one set gets a little dull, it goes in the alcohol for a day and the other set goes on. Since the Spectors have top loading bridges and skinny tuner pegs it's extremely easy to reinstall the strings.
i would like to test all of those products. but im at venezuela. so, thats impossible. we still have water and electricity!! 
Bass Brites are great if you like that broken-in but still have some life sound. Will bring back a goodly amount of zing but not new string zing. But denatured alcohol is the best at getting that new string zing back, although I have to soak them for a few days for it to work, and after a few times of doing it you start to get diminishing returns.
This works amazingly well for me.
I've got round wound strings that are 5 yrs old & have been soaked in metho (denatured alcohol) - for 24 hrs each time- 5 or 6 times and they still work well & sound 99% as good as new each time I do em.
I just put a set of S.I.T. Power Wounds from 2009 onto my Jazz 5'er. Did a gig last night & they sounded terrific. The set I took off the bass went into the tub yesterday, I'll get em out a li'l later today, hang em up to dry & they'll be goods to go again too.
This Method has saved me hundreds of $$ I would imagine.
:thumbup:
I got a canister of bass brites a couple weeks ago. I have to say, I think they work pretty good. It's like jimmy said, it won't bring back that new new out of the package zing 
but it does a very decent job at giving them some life again. So they're worth it to me.
On a side note, to all who are using bass brites, are you using one square per setting or are you using one square for all 4? And how are you wiping them? Wrapping the string up with the square and running it up and down the whole length of the string or just running a square across the tops of the strings?
but it does a very decent job at giving them some life again. So they're worth it to me. On a side note, to all who are using bass brites, are you using one square per setting or are you using one square for all 4? And how are you wiping them? Wrapping the string up with the square and running it up and down the whole length of the string or just running a square across the tops of the strings?
