Double Bass Dirty fingers common?

[gabehizer]

I recently installed a brand-new set of Pirastros and after practicing for 15 minutes my right hand and left-hand fingers are completely smudged! Will this stop or is there some way of cleaning new strings to stop this? Thanks!

 

[CFIrwin]

I wipe my new strings down with isopropyl alcohol before I put em on. They get dirty at the factory and such.

 

[gabehizer]

Hmmm....I just tried wiping down the strings with ethyl alcohol (all I have at home) and then noticed that the fingerboard itself was yielding a lot of black onto my alcohol-soaked tissue! I'm thinking Eastman must have slathered some black stuff on the ebony fingerboard to make it look darker than it was naturally.

 

[gabehizer]

Just found this related thread: Fingerboard Staining Hand Black?

 

[gabehizer]

Will rubbing down the fingerboard with alcohol damage it or is there some other recommended way to seal the finish?

 

[Francois Blais]

Maybe you should move your thread in Setup & Repair.

 

[gabehizer]

Maybe you should move your thread in Setup & Repair.

Good idea, but how? I can't find the link to do that.

 

[Francois Blais]

Click on Report at the bottom of the first post on the thread.
Then in the 'reason to report' popup, tell the moderator to please move your thread there.

That said, maybe you could use alcohol to remove the gunk, and then apply some oil to rehydrate the wood.
I'm not sure of which oil to use though, so it doesn't leave a oily film either.

 

[robobass]

I've never experienced, nor heard reports of, new strings needing to be cleaned before installation. If the fingerboard has been painted with something which is soluble with alcohol, then that is pretty disappointing, but it seems like that must be what is happening here. It is pretty common practice to clean the strings and fingerboard with alcohol, and then sometimes rub the fingerboard with mineral or linseed oil with 0000 steel wool.

 

[Earl]

Some luthiers put black dye on the fingerboard after a dressing and that always makes my fingers black for a while. I usually ask them not to do this.

 

[gabehizer]

I used alcohol and paper towels for a few days, but the black kept coming off (though eventually lighter). So last night I put on a coat of Watco finishing oil, then wiped it off. It's a penetrating sealer; hopefully it will do the trick!

 

[robobass]

Some luthiers put black dye on the fingerboard after a dressing and that always makes my fingers black for a while. I usually ask them not to do this.

That is sad to hear. There are ways to chemically blacken ebony without leaving any residue. I use hair dye

 

[60's Bluesman]

I always had that exact issue with new Earnie Ball round wound strings on my EBs, don’t own a DB (yet) so I can’t attest to if it’s normal. Mine improved after a through alcohol wipe down but time and playing I think did the most good for it.

 

[gabehizer]

I used alcohol and paper towels for a few days, but the black kept coming off (though eventually lighter). So last night I put on a coat of Watco finishing oil, then wiped it off. It's a penetrating sealer; hopefully it will do the trick!

Well, I was still getting black on fingers of both hands, so I went back to the alcohol wipe for two days in a row, and now, finally, I can play without black fingers! So I guess the answer is to repeat the cleaning process over several days until the alcohol-soaked cloth comes clean.