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I don't get it !!?!?? Fender 9050ML's are corroded..

covermego

covermego

Still here.......
Supporting Member
Sep 5, 2010
2,101
4,209
Redding, CA
#1
OK, I just bought a Squier P Bass that is in very nice condition; very clean and looked to have been well taken care of. It has this set of Fender 9050ML stainless steel flat wounds on it. Sounded great and that's coming from a guy that has never really gotten too much into flats. Welp, I decided to sell the strings and took a few pics of them...... then I really could see how corroded they were. I decided not to sell these and risk the embarrassment of them possibly breaking or not performing correctly.
Anyhoo, I just wanted to show the pics. Aren't Stainless Flats not subject to corrosion? Is the core non-stainless? Back to my title: I don't get it. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
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#5
Looks like the core has corroded and the rust is making its way through the windings. The strings must have been exposed to high humidity for a prolonged period of time. I wouldn't sell these. Even if you can wipe the rust out of the surface, the core is already compromised and can snap.
 
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#7
Thank you for all the responses. I truly was hoping it was just Cheetos !
I attempted wiping them down with alcohol but nothing came off.
Yes, it does look like the rust has "seeped" through from the core.
It now seems as if these strings had been exposed to moisture while still in the package. As stated in post #1, the bass these were on was pristine, so it definitely doesn't look like it happened after being installed.
I think it's funny that the sound of these was amazing. Maybe it was the strings' "Swan Song", lol.
Thanks again to all !
 
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#8
mmbongo said:
Any steel string not properly taken care of is subject to corrosion. What you're seeing is lots of sweat, snot, beer, etc. that was never cleaned off.

This is why I'll never buy used strings!
Click to expand...

Agreed! I wouldn't even THINK of buying used strings. Who knows what the strings may have been exposed to. I'm not paying for someone else's bodily fluids or unknown dirt, chemicals or even drug residue. And then there's the general condition of the strings. Even the slightest kink will make them useless, like for example if the bass they were previously installed on had the saddles and witness points farther away from the ball ends (or through-body!). With round core strings it's even worse. There are no guarantees they will be ok after the tension has been loosened completely. I've had TI Jazz Flats go bad after just loosening the tension for cleaning, setup or replacing electronics and I still see people buying these strings used all the time. There's also a chance the stings may have been cut in a way that won't fit the bass you want to install them on.

I guess buying used strings can make sense with insanely expensive double bass strings but electric bass strings aren't THAT expensive.
 
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#9
covermego said:
Thank you for all the responses. I truly was hoping it was just Cheetos !
I attempted wiping them down with alcohol but nothing came off.
Yes, it does look like the rust has "seeped" through from the core.
It now seems as if these strings had been exposed to moisture while still in the package. As stated in post #1, the bass these were on was pristine, so it definitely doesn't look like it happened after being installed.
I think it's funny that the sound of these was amazing. Maybe it was the strings' "Swan Song", lol.
Thanks again to all !
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t seller either, but I’d you want to keep the, for future use, instead of wiping the strings down with alcohol, WD-40 would work a lot better. And better yet, send them off to a land fill to finish the job of decomposition..LOL!
 
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#15
mmbongo said:
Any steel string not properly taken care of is subject to corrosion. What you're seeing is lots of sweat, snot, beer, etc. that was never cleaned off.

This is why I'll never buy used strings!
Click to expand...
MasterG said:
Who buys used strings? Sheesh!
Click to expand...
I've bought and sold many sets of used strings. Flats, rounds, and tapes. The ones I sold were clean and the ones I bought were clean. Never had a bad experience and I got to try every string on the market without paying full price.
 
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#19
covermego said:
OK, I just bought a Squier P Bass that is in very nice condition; very clean and looked to have been well taken care of. It has this set of Fender 9050ML stainless steel flat wounds on it. Sounded great and that's coming from a guy that has never really gotten too much into flats. Welp, I decided to sell the strings and took a few pics of them...... then I really could see how corroded they were. I decided not to sell these and risk the embarrassment of them possibly breaking or not performing correctly.
Anyhoo, I just wanted to show the pics. Aren't Stainless Flats not subject to corrosion? Is the core non-stainless? Back to my title: I don't get it. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
View attachment 5385756View attachment 5385757View attachment 5385758
Click to expand...
I have used these strings over 25 years and never wipe them off after playing and have never experienced anything like this. I often save sets after changing as spares in case i break a string. I have some really old used sets and they have not shown any signs of corrosion.
 
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