Flatwound lubricant???...

[Luckydog]

My theory is that the metal tape on flatwound strings has a slightly rough edge, far too small to see, and that's what catches our skin when the strings are new. Would also explain why it's more noticeable with some brands than others.

The cure is play time on the strings. You play them, the rough edges wear down. No longer grabby.

There is no way that simply playing your bass with your bare hands will wear down rough metal edges. You might ultimately fill in some of the gaps in the rough edges with skin, oil and dirt, which will give you the perception that the strings themselves are smoother, but there is no conceivable way that the skin on your hands will work as a substitute for sandpaper or steel wool.

 

[Element Zero]

Chromes aren't grabby for you? Man, that first week or two with Chromes is like hell week for grabbiness for me until whatever leftover gunk from the manufacturing process wears off!

As soon as I unwrapped one string and discovered the finishing oil or whatever they’re coated with, I wiped em off with a few paper towels before installing them. Oddly, the 5 string set I bought first was soaked in the stuff. The 4 string set I bought for my wife’s bass had considerably less.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

Almost all flats feel grabbier to me than almost all rounds. I don't play flats exclusively, or even predominantly (I keep Slinky cobalt flats on one of my US Music Man Sterlings and will on my fretted Tacoma Thunderchief when I get around to buying one, Rotosound TruBass tapes on my fretless Thunderchief, and GHS Pressurewounds on everything else), but I use GHS FastFret to clean and lube all of my strings, fingerboards, and necks before and after every time I play. Seems to work pretty well, though it's really just white mineral oil in a case-friendly package.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

Try wiping down the strings with a piece of cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol (or denatured alcohol if you have some) to remove some of the residue from the manufacturing process.

I've used Brakleen, naptha, acetone, and xylene for this, too.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

View attachment 3737664

Eat before every rehearsal or show, and remember - don't wash your hands until after you've played.

KFC skin works unnervingly well as a hand cleaner if you're working on cars or in a steel mill or some other filthy, greasy place.

 

[fhm555]

I used to play with a guitar player who rubbed his fingers on the sides of his nose before he’d start playing.

 

[Altitude]

There is no way that simply playing your bass with your bare hands will wear down rough metal edges. You might ultimately fill in some of the gaps in the rough edges with skin, oil and dirt, which will give you the perception that the strings themselves are smoother, but there is no conceivable way that the skin on your hands will work as a substitute for sandpaper or steel wool.

How do you figure mine have lost their grab, then? I've used no sandpaper or steel wool. Just my hands and gigs.

 

[4StringDave]

I have exactly the same problem as the OP. Rounds with the sound of flats would be the ultimate, but doesn't exist....

 

[Fat Nermil]

How do you figure mine have lost their grab, then? I've used no sandpaper or steel wool. Just my hands and gigs.

Like he said, your flesh and gunk fills in the gaps. The amount of time required to wear down metal using flesh would probably be similar to the amount of time required for water to wear down stone. Check with the Grand Canyon for further details

 

[bluesblaster]

gotta play the crap outta them, tis the only way to happiness.

sorry, no instant gradification there

 

[JimmyM]

Go for a jog whilst eating fried chicken, work up a good sweat, do not clean greasy hands, wipe forehead, wipe strings from bridge towards the nut. make sure to get a good amount on there. repeat until desired results occur.

@JimmyM don't you use some hand cream or something to treat your strings...

I do, but not to make them feel smoother. I do it to make them go dead quickly.

 

[J-Mags]

I literally eat gross crap and then play bass without washing my hands. Now we're supposed to wash our hands all the time, though.

 

[eddododo]

My pref is hand lotion, but if you dont like the feel, then try liquid baby powder. Look it up if you dont know what it is. It is very effective, unless you are real sweaty. Just enough friction reduction for flats. Reapply to your hands each set. Dont need much.

i’ve been meaning to share this for a very long time like, like 13 years or so.

when I worked in a hotel, there was some sort of medical product convention, at which I got a couple of samples of a… Balm? Salve? Ointment? Some sort of topical lotion that was intended to alleviate the discomfort of prosthetics.

It was Teflon-based, it dried very quickly and once it did your skin would be EXTREMELY slick and smooth. I found out/confirmed very quickly that this kind of feel was not something I desired, so I didn’t keep track of the samples… They may be in one of those eternally-packed boxes from a dozen moves ago, but I wonder if this is something findable in the market.

 

[jnewmark]

Just a side note- GHS Precision Flats are not grabby right out of the package.

 

[drumvsbass]

I do, but not to make them feel smoother. I do it to make them go dead quickly.

Right.. wouldn't this do the same though?

 

[JimmyM]

Right.. wouldn't this do the same though?

Not really. Eucerin cream is really thick and dries in a way where I need to wipe it off, otherwise it slows me down a tad. Maybe the Aquaphor would work as a lube, but not the regular white Eucerin cream.

 

[Atshen]

I'll never play other people's instruments ever again. Yuck.

 

[Phil508]

baby powder , get the travel size. wipe down after use.

 

[pbass2]

I wonder if it's different body chemistry or something. I've never experienced this with flats that I can recall - have tried quite a few different sets.

 

[Fender_Bender]

Try dipping your fingertips into rubbing alcohol and letting them dry first. I do this in humid weather. The higher the alcohol %, the better. I try to get the 99% when possible.