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Does boiling your bass strings work?
- Thread starter clepri2000
- Start date
I've read about that. http://www.tunemybass.com/strings/how_to_clean_bass_strings.html This seems to be a better approach though. Of course, take my advice with a pinch of salt. I've never even changed strings on my bass yet, never mind boiled them...
Yes it does work but I have moved on to denatured alcohol (soaking, not drinking) I did a google search for the string tube and made one from plastic tubing you can get at home depot. Hang the strings in there for a few days and they are like new again. I have 3 sets that I rotate in and out of the bath and it works like a charm, and IMO, wont eventually break down the string like boiling can (with the expansion and contraction)
You're going to get split answers here on that one: some boil - some use alcohol. I coil my strings back up to a little bigger than the size they came, and put them in a pot with a little dishsoap (ooh they smell so good when they're done too!) - boil on MED for about 15 min - rinse - let dry. Works great, and I've NEVER seen rust.
They only rust if you don't dry them after you boil them. You don't have to completely dry them, just enough to get the drops out.
I prefer denatured alcohol, it works like a champ. Heard people say otherwise, in my own experience I have viewed no drawbacks, and actually I lose track of how many times I have reused strings. It's gotten to the point where trying different strings has caused more confusion because after a good overnight soak, a used set goes back into the good set pile.
Regardless, a bottle of denatured alcohol and a little paint can to soak them in caosts about 10 bucks at lowes, and it will save a buttload of money if you need it to.
I prefer denatured alcohol, it works like a champ. Heard people say otherwise, in my own experience I have viewed no drawbacks, and actually I lose track of how many times I have reused strings. It's gotten to the point where trying different strings has caused more confusion because after a good overnight soak, a used set goes back into the good set pile.
Regardless, a bottle of denatured alcohol and a little paint can to soak them in caosts about 10 bucks at lowes, and it will save a buttload of money if you need it to.
We used to do it in the 70's on the road when we could find a pot big enough in a motel kitchenette. Trick was to dry them out and pretty much a day in the sun would do that.
We all used flatwounds then and the liveliest sound were new or recently boiled strings.
Think Jamerson.
We all used flatwounds then and the liveliest sound were new or recently boiled strings.
Think Jamerson.
First I've used boiling and after I've changed to denatuer alcohol. Nowadays I'm using the GHS Fast Fret everyday and it helps to keep clear my string. In that case when the strings are very old I rub the string with a sponge and scouring powder in hot water. It really works and not smelly, but pay attention to wash out the string correctly!
mikeboth
The last thing you'll ever see
Sure it works. The only tip I can give is use some rubber bands or something to keep the strings together as one if you put them in a pan when you boil them - stops them from going all over the place.
After doing this once or twice I cut the strings off my bass and replace them. I haven't noticed it yet, but I'd be concerned that putting strings back on not quite the same way as they were wound or sitting over the bridge originally might mess with sustain or how they sound, at least if you do it too often.
Yeah it works, but I personally don't like it. IMO it doesn't bring that much life back into the strings. It also makes the pot/pan a nasty mess. The denatured alcohol works much better.
I'd much rather take the strings off when they begin to lose their tone and get a new set and just break the old ones out should I NEED to.
Boiled or denatured alcohol won't repair the side of your strings that becomes worn from wearing against your frets.
So why bother.
So why bother.
Because for me the zing that I like from fresh strings starts to fade to the point where I would ideally change strings after about a month. At my rate of usage - personal practise of around an hour a day plus one or two 4 hour gigs a week - to make the maths easy, let's round it up to 100 hours and when I was giging and recording more regularly, this could come down to once a week - starts getting mighty expensive.
100 hours - long enough to lose the zing, not long enough to wear the strings significantly, so one or two cycles through a cleaning cycle helps a lot. In fact, I don't like absolutely brand new strings, they take around 10 hours to get broken in, so in fact the cleaned strings are sometimes better.
+1
The only downside to me with denatured alcohol is the smell on your hands. No matter how much I wipe them down after coming out of the bath, they still stink.
I remember back in the 80s, I took my Steinberger to a local Luthier for a setup.
As we sat at his kitchen table, he suggested he boil the strings in white spirit. "Cool" I said.
He had a very old gas stove with a mantle over the top. On the mantle were rice and spaghetti cannisters.
Hence, we forgot about the strings.
Whooosh, up went a flame that melted the cannisters.
You should have seen him prancing around the kitchen as I got a book to cover the pot.
Moral of the story...........
As we sat at his kitchen table, he suggested he boil the strings in white spirit. "Cool" I said.
He had a very old gas stove with a mantle over the top. On the mantle were rice and spaghetti cannisters.
Hence, we forgot about the strings.
Whooosh, up went a flame that melted the cannisters.
You should have seen him prancing around the kitchen as I got a book to cover the pot.
Moral of the story...........
