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Boiling bass strings

#21
A TB'r recommended soaking strings overnight in denatured alcohol, which can be found at hardware stores (search TB for all the recommended steps). That has worked much better for me than boiling them. The strings get new life and I have never detected any damage to the strings as a result. But eventually, you must change them.

Note - I haven't tried this method on coated strings (e.g., Elixirs) and don't know if that would or would not damage the coating or the strings.
 
#24
.
I've boiled a hell of a lot of strings over the years.
It works a treat IMO!

Recently I have been adding a little Sugar Soap to the water and simmering the strings in that. (Step 1)

Step 2 is to boil the strings in clean water.

Step 3 is to let them dry thoroughly.

Step 4 is to give them a light spray with Tone Finger Ease spray.

Yes, eventually they lose their "zing" and break, but I maintain that this has nothing to do with the boiling. It's the removal (loosening) and replacement (re-tensioning) that does them in eventually.
 
#25
Ive tried it just a few months ago after reading these threads and YES it gave my dead Ernie Ball Slinkys and D'Addarios new life- Almost sounded brand new--Got through 2 more gigs.. dead again.. I wouldn't keep boiling over and over but Im telling you it worked superbly several times now..Im rotating strings and boiling 2x max...Saving money and it takes all of about 20 min or so..
Bring water to a boil-drop strings in 20 min..dump the grime water, rinse the strings with warm water--and dry with clean cloth...
WASH YOUR POT..Doesn't stain mine at all...BOOM..Seriously at 18-25$ a set its worth a little effort..
Try it yourself and see..
 
#27
runmikeyrun said:
I've boiled strings, I boiled them in 70% isopropyl alcohol. It was a very stupid thing to do. I did it because I had one more day of tracking to do in the studio, and I was so broke I could not afford to go buy a new pack of strings. I filled a small pot with the alcohol, put the strings in, and boiled for 15-20 mins. They sounded like brand new... for about an hour. Then they died again. It was just enough for me to get the last few takes on that one track.

It's basically a waste of time doing something that could potentially burn down your house. Just get a new pack and take good care of them.
Click to expand...

DON'T BOIL ANYTHING IN ALCOHOL!!!
Unless you want your head in flames.


Joe Nerve said it. The only time I have broke a string has been after boiling them.
I now use alcohol soaking, but not boiling. 6 strings sets are not that cheap.
 
#28
Projectile said:
I've done it many times with success. It's a good idea to scrub them with dish soap and a tooth brush first to loosen up all of the grime. I can't see any reason why it would ruin a pot. After a good cleaning and boiling the strings come back to life. I wouldn't say they sound exactly new, but definitely a lot better than before boiling. Unfortunately they also tend to go dead faster. And you get diminishing returns each time you boil, so I never boil the same set of strings more than twice. I think it's worth the effort, though. It's quick and easy to do, extends the usable life of the strings, and saves some money. Go for it.
Click to expand...

I picked this post because he said pretty muck everything I would about boiling strings. Yes it works. I don't do it anymore.

Cleaning your strings with alcohol is better for all the reasons other have stated above. Get a Tupperware container and let them soak in there for a few hours to a few days. Clean your hands before playing your bass and wipe your strings down with a lint free rag when you are done.

Good luck!
 
#29
when I boiled my strings I would bring the water to a boil, then drop the strings in for about five minutes. after taking them out I would immediately dry them with a cloth then wipe them with an alcohol-soaked rag. let them dry over night and then place them on the bass with the "flat spots" facing up and away from the frets. this will give you a few days to a week of fresher strings. I thing the key is to make sure the worn spots aren't in contact with the frets or you will get the same dead sounding strings as before. I only use rotosound 66's and can only testify for this procedure working on these strings. no, they aren't as good sounding as new strings but it will get you another week or so out of a set of strings.
 
#30
It might be worth mentioning that there is a difference between "dead" strings and "old" strings. My strings don't have time to get old (unless I want them to sound dead) - I "kill" them after two or three gigs. But at that point they're not particularly worn or exhausted in the way that an old set of strings would be.
 
#31
bass12 said:
It might be worth mentioning that there is a difference between "dead" strings and "old" strings. My strings don't have time to get old (unless I want them to sound dead) - I "kill" them after two or three gigs. But at that point they're not particularly worn or exhausted in the way that an old set of strings would be.
Click to expand...

Wow! 2 or 3 gigs... do you have corrosive sweat perhaps? Maybe a coated string like D'Addario EXP's would buy you more time? That is definitely atypical!
 
#32
bass12 said:
$12? Please let us in on your string source! :p
Click to expand...

$12.07 a set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

$11 a set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

$7 a set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

$11 a set
Invalid Link Removed

$8 set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

$7.50 set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

So again, boiling strings = waste of time. Constantly removing them and re-installing them does more damage to them than the boiling helps. Plus no matter what, you're going to have fret divots all over them.
 
#34
scotch said:
Wow! 2 or 3 gigs... do you have corrosive sweat perhaps? Maybe a coated string like D'Addario EXP's would buy you more time? That is definitely atypical!
Click to expand...

It's actually quite common (much to the delight of many a string manufacturer!). But yes, no doubt something to do with my pH. I've tried coated strings but, unfortunately, haven't found any I've liked as much as non-coated strings. One day I'll get that elusive string sponsorship I've always dreamed of!!! :D
 
#35
mmbongo said:
$12.07 a set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

$11 a set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

$7 a set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

$11 a set
Invalid Link Removed

$8 set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

$7.50 set
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

So again, boiling strings = waste of time. Constantly removing them and re-installing them does more damage to them than the boiling helps. Plus no matter what, you're going to have fret divots all over them.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links. Very impressive! I still disagree, however, that boiling is a waste of time. It's worked very well for me and I see no reason to stop. And, again, because they're not that old the metal is still in pretty good shape.
 
#36
Tupac said:
Bass strings are expensive and I am poor. Some questions about it:

1. Is it true that it ruins the pot they are boiled in?
2. Are they really EXACTLY like they were before the grim got piled on?
3. Do the strings warp or expand?
Click to expand...

1. No
2. Pretty close but they will go dead sooner the second time around
3. I never had any problems with warping or expanding.

I would try to keep track of how many times you have boiled the strings. I never boiled any sets more than 2x. After the second cleaning I would toss them.
 
#40
Boiling strings reminds me of the "time is money" phrase. After reading some posts, I have to wonder if its really worth the effort involved. I'd argue that one is actually doing more harm than good just by continually taking the strings off and rewinding them again. I can't imagine introducing that much moisture to the strings can be a good thing either. No amount of drying is going to get the moisture from out of the inner core and windings, therefore compromising the strings structural integrity via corrosion. There are all types of minerals in water that do a very good job chewing up stainless steel and nickel.

The one time I tried boiling with a set of stainless Rotosounds, it completely killed them. They came out much worse for the wear and had to be tossed. It just seems to defy logic that submitting the strings to such extremes could possibly make them any better than before. As far as the denatured alcohol treatment goes, I'd think it would be much more productive and time efficient to simply wipe the strings down, rather than soak them for an extended period in a PVC pipe. The $15 bargain strings from MF or even Webstrings will sound better new than a $35 set of DR's or a $50 set of TI's that have been played to death then subjected to such treatment, IMO.
 

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