gbarcus
Commercial User
- Jul 20, 2008
- 398
- 12
- Disclosures
- Owner of Barcus Basses barcusbasses.com
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boiling bass strings
- Thread starter brainhii
- Start date
For the millionth time, yes! Boiling is such a waste of time and fire. Use denatured alcohol, (mentholated spirits to the blokes across the pond). I haven't bought a new set of strings in almost a year. Not bad for a guy who sweats battery acid.
Boil those strings!!!
It works just fine. I boil them with a capful of white vinegar mixed in for about 5 minutes. Dump the water, rinse and dump again then put the pot back on the still warm burner (or very low if you have gas) to dry. I usually boil about 3 or 4 times i actually prefer the tone during the 1st and 2nd boiling periods to the new string tone. Between boilings i clean them with 91% Isopropyl alchohol after gigs and usually use fast fret or Dr. Ducks before gigs. while your strings are off it's a good time to give the bass a good cleaning as well.
It works just fine. I boil them with a capful of white vinegar mixed in for about 5 minutes. Dump the water, rinse and dump again then put the pot back on the still warm burner (or very low if you have gas) to dry. I usually boil about 3 or 4 times i actually prefer the tone during the 1st and 2nd boiling periods to the new string tone. Between boilings i clean them with 91% Isopropyl alchohol after gigs and usually use fast fret or Dr. Ducks before gigs. while your strings are off it's a good time to give the bass a good cleaning as well.
Boiling was the way to go for years, but the best way to bring life back into your strings is to use isopropyl denatured alcohol.
1. Get a PVC tube long enough for your strings
2. Cap the bottom
3. Fill with the alcohol
4. Dip your strings in
5. Put a cap on the top
6. Shake the tube a bit
7. Let sit for ½ hour or so
8. Remove strings
9. Hang to dry (they dry in about 2 minutes)
Try it. It works. Think about it. All youre doing is removing grease and grime. Thats all you can do really. Other methods will remove dirt too, but this is - I believe - the best, fastest and safest way to go. Do a search on this forum. After you read ALL of the advice, you will probably see that the above method is the way to go.
Best,
Topdog ~
1. Get a PVC tube long enough for your strings
2. Cap the bottom
3. Fill with the alcohol
4. Dip your strings in
5. Put a cap on the top
6. Shake the tube a bit
7. Let sit for ½ hour or so
8. Remove strings
9. Hang to dry (they dry in about 2 minutes)
Try it. It works. Think about it. All youre doing is removing grease and grime. Thats all you can do really. Other methods will remove dirt too, but this is - I believe - the best, fastest and safest way to go. Do a search on this forum. After you read ALL of the advice, you will probably see that the above method is the way to go.
Best,
Topdog ~
I believe in this method, but I usually see better results if I let them sit for a minimum of 4 hours. Also, I give the strings a good wiping as I remove them from the tube.
Rotosounds are $17+ plus shipping online, somehow I doubt it's not too expensive to exchange them 2-4 times a year, for example.
+5 for the tube and denatured alchohol, it is all I use on my DR lowriders and it brings them back to life for a quite a long time, been using the same sets for a year and a half and they sound brand new after a soak, Although I soak them for 12 hours overnight, someone said 1/2 hour, I think that may be a bit short, but I am gonna try it.
Yeah, I've been noticing that, hardly a comfort, it's the hamburgers getting expensive. I'm thinking of boiling the wrappers.
cbass1, I think you are +6, which would make me +7.
I do it all the time. Yes, it saves a few bucks. Over the years, I figure for all the times I boiled various sets of strings to bring back some zing to get me through a gig, instead of buying new ones, I figure I saved perhaps thousands of dollars. It is still valid. It still works today. I'll be boiling a set of strings before a gig tomorrow, in fact.
The tone will return, but not for as long as with brand new strings, but frankly, if you get like-new zing to get you through the gig *for free* why not do it? The strings will survive many boilings. I've never had one break on me. I replaced some sets I boiled after a couple of years, but it was a good money-saving technique. And who doesn't need to save money in this economy????
Strings will get more brittle over time, but again, never broken a string yet. Just make sure you keep the windings at the top with the cloth wraps (and also the sharpest bend around the post) out of the water, and dry them off completely before re-installing.
Good luck with it.
Yea, the 1/2 hour soak is too short (why'd I write that???). The longer soak is better (eats more grime n' dirt). A good shake while in the tube won't hurt, but not necessary with a long soak.
Although boiling or soaking the strings will clean them, it will not fix the wear and tear of the frets on the string. Clean strings that won't intonate is no bargain. After a while, the marks from the frets prevent the string from vibrating sorrectly as they are no longer in a straight plane. Once you take off the strings, how do you line them up so they lie over the frets again?
Once I start noticing wear marks on the strings I replace them, but I'm using SS strings, so it takes a while for that soft nickle to leave an impression.
BTW, I'm a DR guy too. I love to use High Beams. By any chance do you know how they stack up against the Low Riders?
+1
beat me to it! Better still would be some solvents to dissolve all the grease off them
