Double Bass Does Anyone Give Strings A Brisk Rubdown?

[MT Spaces]

OK ... silly question for the day. I just installed new Dominant A & E strings that I bought from another TB person who bought them from another TB person who bought them .......

Awhile back I watched my luthier install new strings on a different bass and she took a clean cloth and rubbed the strings rapidly up and down their length while squeezing tightly. OK everyone .... here's your chance for lewd comments ! The strings got pretty hot in the process. She said that it settles the strings in much quicker than just playing them over time. Is this an approved string conditioning method that anyone else uses ? I'm thinking of trying to speed up the "settle-in" time since the A sounds pretty weird right now.

P.S. The E-string silk-to-string junction ended up right on the peg. I don't see how I can change the situation. Oh well, maybe breakage is pre-ordained . Does Thomastik make shorter Dominants? I think I have a fairly normal 3/4 sized Kay bass.

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[Michael Eisenman]

After every playing session I wrap a corner of terrycloth towel tightly around the string and run up and down the entire length just to wipe off finger oils. Polishes the fingerboard at the same time.

I hadn't thought about doing it for any other purpose.

Michael

 

[kontrabass]

Giving metal core strings a rub-down is pretty common practice. It removes the oils and gets the strings warmed up.

I don't want to be the one to severely shorten the lifespan of your synthetic core strings, so I wouldn't recommend rubbing them down too much (I have wiped Obligatos and Dominants down, but only slightly to remove the oils, etc) unless someone with a better knowledge of strings says otherwise.

 

[Francois Blais]

P.S. The E-string silk-to-string junction ended up right on the peg. I don't see how I can change the situation. Oh well, maybe breakage is pre-ordained .

Hmm. Good luck!
You could put two or three felt rings (like those who come with Pirastro or Helicore strings) at the ball-end to "shorten the string" a bit.

Does Thomastik make shorter Dominants?

No!

As for your question, I don't think it'll shorten the break in time significantly with DB strings.
However you may pull on them when you first install the strings in order to stretch them faster.

Also wipe them very thoroughly at the first installation to remove oil and grease.
I wipe them after each playing thereafter.