Does anyone even use string cleaner? 0.o

[Ingratil]

Hey, so I live on a tropical city and I just bought some new Dean Merkley Strings and i love the bright and ''new'' sound of them and i would like to keep it that way as long as possible . My brother (who convinced me i should play bass) is a guitarist and he told me i should always use string cleaner and conditioner after playing or else the strings would get rusty and bad really fast, but im wondering if that also applies for bass strings? Every time i stop playing, he says, i should clean the strings with a piece of cloth and use ''dunlop string cleaner''.

But my (not that good) logic tells me, if i put that liquid on strings then they will get rusty very fast right?

 

[arsie]

String cleaner is liquid but not water. Water, and worse still, perspiration, will rust strings. Cleaning strings is to get rid of the gunk from your fingers and your sweat.

There is as much, if not more, reason to clean your bass strings compared to the guitar strings because they are meant to last longer. Well taken care of strings can last for months (if not years), whereas guitarists tend to change their strings within weeks.

 

[TinIndian]

I don't have any experience using a string cleaner but my hands sweat like crazy so I always wipe down my strings after I play. I have cloths in each of my cases for just such a purpose. Not just the strings though, I wipe down the entire bass. I have used Fret Ease in the past but I don't anymore.

 

[JimmyM]

Link Removed .

 

[Darylw425]

Link Removed .

Thanks Jimmy.

Yes, BassBrites are intended for this exact purpose. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Double Agent]

I don't, but I get so much mileage out of my DRs that I haven't felt the need.

I probably should wipe them down anyways, though. Just lazy I guess.

 

[raykramer]

The String Cleaner™ - cleans with no solutions

 

[Spyral]

I have a similar question. I received some string cleaner as a gift and I`ve never used it before, it`s the Gibson Luthier`s Choice String Cleaner.

Is it safe to just wipe this stuff over the strings to clean them, and get it all over the fretboard in the process? or should I take care to not get any on there?

 

[Floyd Eye]

Fast Fret. It cleans your strings. No liquid. Strings last a lot longer.

 

[John Wentzien]

I use a few drops of "ZIPPO" lighter fluid on the corner of a cloth...wrap it around the string and run it up and down a few times.....Gets the grease off, and evaporates quickly.

 

[Sifl]

BassBrites pretty much rule.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I recently tried some BassBrites. Label says it has DeOxit in them. Makes sense, but they still can't bring back RotoSound Swing Bass 66's. But on other strings, they seem to help.

As with everything, YMMV.

 

[icecycle66]

I'm going to get some hate for this...whatever.

On the rare occasion I get the urge to actually clean my strings, I just wipe them down with a soft cloth covered in WD-40.

 

[E-At]

I clean my strings with WD-40 and it makes them sound like new for a few days

 

[tdub0199]

I never clean my strings.....

 

[makkE]

It's not only humidity that can kill a string, but even more it's the acid from your hand's sweat that speeds up corrosion.
Wipe them down after play, any of these products will help.

I personally clean my strings and neck with pure alcohol on a paper tissue, then wipe down with a dry tissue. I use FastFret too, but rather for the nice slinkyness than the cleansing, though it leaves a protective layer on the strings.

 

[Josh Pelican]

I don't clean my strings that often, but that's only because I'm not a gigging musician right now. Once in a while I will wipe them down with a microfiber cloth, but that depends on how long I play.

 

[DennyOnBass]

Just wanted to reiterate that I use BassBrites and they work well for me (Stingray 5, Ernie Ball strings).

 

[Darylw425]

It's not only humidity that can kill a string, but even more it's the acid from your hand's sweat that speeds up corrosion.

Yep. BassBrites are designed exactly for this reason. They seal and protect strings from the acid in your hand's sweat.