How to make sticky flats slippery?

[Fleebag]

Strings are made of metal. Use a metal polish/cleaner like brasso. Simple.

 

[Luckydog]

Sweating while playing flats can be a problem. Once they are smoothed with scotchbrite or fine steel wool, you should keep a lube handy like lotion or mineral oil for when sweat makes your fingers drag on the strings.

 

[heavyfunkmachin]

Just writing to confirm: if you get sticky or grabby flatwounds all you need is to “shine” them with Scotch brite pad a few times up and down, then clean them with a rag with alcohol before mounting them in you Bass!

works like a charm, a pass of fast fret or white mineral oil after for extra slickness

just did it with a set of cobalts that were unbearably grabby and they are smooooooooooth!!

I bow only need to figure out what to do when I sweat and my finger pads get moist and soft... divided between more fast fret or talc!

 

[eagle67]

Put baby powder on your hands. Talc, Not cornstarch

 

[Root 5]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. Tried the denatured alchahol with no change. Played the cobalts tonight and couldn't take the feel. Then did some string swapping tonight and put the TIs back on the fretless. I'll try the steel wool on the Cobalts. If that works I'll put them on my fretted P. Thanks again.

I use isopropyl alcohol and it makes string slippery - flats & half rounds. On a clean rag works great

 

[michael_t]

I use isopropyl alcohol and it makes string slippery - flats & half rounds. On a clean rag works great

I installed a set of GHS Brite Flats (Alloy 52 half-rounds) on my P bass four days ago. Half-rounds/groundwound are notorious for being sticky when new, so I made sure to give them a thorough wipe-down with an alcohol wipe before installation.

After a good 2-hr workout on the second day, they were already as smooth as any flats I've tried.

 

[JRT64]

The only time I've ever had stickiness on flats was playing outside in hot, humid conditions, and my sticky hands were the issue, not the strings. I keep a towel handy, and try to keep my hands as dry as possible. They can be sticky when new, but for me that usually wears off after playing a bit, and wiping them down.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Maybe I'm a weirdo or just lucky, but I've never had sticky or grabby flatwounds (Labellas or Rotosounds). Sometimes I scratch my head wondering how I've never experienced seemingly common problems.

 

[cxc]

Never had stickiness problem with Cobalt flats. Found them to be slick enough from the start. D’Addario Half Rounds on the other hand...two months in and still sticky. Alcohol or Fast Fret didn’t help a bit.

 

[morebass!]

Fast fret, Axe wax, mineral oil, olive oil all work with the humid/sweat issues for me. Oil is the key.

 

[honeydorick]

Take your plucking fingers and rub them on your forhead and nose to get a nice coating of slick face grease. Works like a charm.

*only semi kidding, this actually works.

I had the same issue and this worked like a charm.