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Double Bass Cleaning Plain Gut Strings

#2
I recently picked up a set of used guts and they needed some cleaning. They also had some small hairs starting to show. After a few rounds with some oil and some light sanding they have that nice "translucent worm" look again. They are really smooth too.

Upton Bass has a YouTube video on gut string care. It is pretty recent and I found it informative. I'm at work (shh) and can't access YouTube or I would attach a link.

Gotta love gut strings!
 
#7
AFAIK - olive oil isn't the best - it doesn't really dry, and can get gummy when left on the strings, and actually go rancid eventually. I'm pretty sure I read that in a thread here, probably written by someone more knowledgeable than I...

Supposedly walnut oil dries a bit better.

My question is - would polymerized linseed oil work? I have quite a bit left over from a refinish experiment last year...
 
#8
I have no idea what is in it (and it ain't cheap), but I use Clef gut oil from Upton Bass. I like the way it smells.

I oiled them again today and at rehearsal (with sunlight shining through the window) I noticed I've got almost all the dirt out of the spiral lines that run along the strings.
 
#9
moles said:
AFAIK - olive oil isn't the best - it doesn't really dry, and can get gummy when left on the strings, and actually go rancid eventually. I'm pretty sure I read that in a thread here, probably written by someone more knowledgeable than I...

Supposedly walnut oil dries a bit better.

My question is - would polymerized linseed oil work? I have quite a bit left over from a refinish experiment last year...
Click to expand...

Almond oil lasts longer than olive oil (before turning rancid). Any non-drying vegetable/nut oil can go rancid eventually, but I have yet to experience this.

I don't oil my gut strings anymore, but for the few times I did, I used almond oil.

Walnut oil is a drying oil, so to me it's almost like varnish. I think in the Upton youtube video, Eric mentions that their gut string oil has both drying and non-drying compounds in it. That sounds cool to me. I could be wrong, so check out the video.

George
 
#17
Neatsfoot oil again. I don't mess with guts much, but my mentor swears by PURE neatsfoot oil. I guess it comes from the legs of slaughtered cows. The fat in that area has characteristics that complement the fleshy characteristics of gut (and leather). I think that because cows' legs are so skinny, the fat has to have a different quality to keep the cows legs from freezing. Probably the same thing with a horse. Nice!
 
#18
A small amount of mineral oil applied with a paper towel and then thoroughly wiped off. I only use oil when I'm cleaning the strings. If they're particularly dirty I'll use a quick swipe of rubbing alcohol first.
If you bow be very mindful of the end of the fingerboard.
-J
 

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