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Keeping roundwounds clean and fresh.
- Thread starter McMoore
- Start date
Ok great advice. So as a new player what does roll the tone knob off? My ESP has an active EQ so I am adjusting the tone knobs constantly to achieve the sound of the musician I am mimicking at the time. Not all the time, mind you but I do like the D tuning low end amp distorted sound Geezer uses when I go off freestyle. Factory strings and setup seem fine to me so far.
WD-40 is a fantastic cleaner--I use it in my shop all the time. I don't know the chemistry, but it acts like a really strong solvent except that it does not seem to harm surfaces--even painted surfaces. It can remove all kinds of nasty stuff, even things like gasket sealant and tree sap. Never though about using it for strings, but I may have to try it.
It is a solvent for the most part, but also a lubricant that leaves a residue.
I've taken them off and given them a good shot of engine starter fluid. That stuff will bust the crud out of about anything.
And i think i have to join a band with kids from xavier school because of my hand so corrosive
Swap out every few weeks when they go off.
Clean in meths for 48hrs.
Rotate and I'll get 5 or 6 swaps on them.
Careful with the winds and my bridges are slotted.
Can't remember the last time I threw away a set.
I've had one or two cleansed sets not work, so I just go to the next batch. I'll try and clean them again.
I've got loads of sets to rotate and I've got 4 or 5 brand new sets to go on.
All my strings are same gauge from the same maker.
I am trying some Dadarrios because the new bass came with them but normally they come straight off. Will see.
Clean in meths for 48hrs.
Rotate and I'll get 5 or 6 swaps on them.
Careful with the winds and my bridges are slotted.
Can't remember the last time I threw away a set.
I've had one or two cleansed sets not work, so I just go to the next batch. I'll try and clean them again.
I've got loads of sets to rotate and I've got 4 or 5 brand new sets to go on.
All my strings are same gauge from the same maker.
I am trying some Dadarrios because the new bass came with them but normally they come straight off. Will see.
reposted from here: I finally found the fountain of youth (for strings)..
------------------
Ok, after literally decades of trying to find ways to keep that "new strings" tone and not spend a small fortune on new strings every time they begin to go dead, sometimes in as little as 1 or two weeks, and about 10 hours of play.. I finally found what works the best..
I have literally tried it all....
1. Dunlop string cleaner
2. boil strings
3. wipe off after each play with a clean rag
4. alcohol wipes or alcohol soaked towel
5. wash hands frequently before and while playing to keep off acids
6. I'm forgetting many more..
The solution? Well it's quite simple and somewhat related to 3 above.. I grab two clean, high quality micro fiber towels.. I soak one in clean, warm tap water and then wring it out completely.. so it's just very damp.. I play for however long, then I aggressively wipe the strings with an up / down motion from bridge to nut with the damp micro fiber, then IMMEDIATELY follow up with a completely dry microfiber cloth in a similar aggressive up and down motion..
I do this not just at the end of my playing, but every few minutes or so (10-15 min).. sometimes as I'll do it several times in a 1 hour session if my hands are extra sweaty that day..
As a final step, the last wipe down I do before I retire the bass, I re-wet the damp cloth and ring it out several times under running hot water to insure any oils are gone, I then use as hot a water as I can tolerate and ring it out.. so it's a steaming hot, damp towel, and I give the strings one last wipe down, followed by a dry wipe down.. and put it up.
Results? All 4 of my basses are still on a set of strings I installed over a month ago and not even remotely beginning to sound dead..
Thank me later.
Side note.. I live in an area with very good water... if you have very hard water (Phoenix AZ comes to mind).. this might not work.. as it might cause a building up calcium and other minerals on your strings.. the key is clean, pure and warm/hot water!
------------------
Ok, after literally decades of trying to find ways to keep that "new strings" tone and not spend a small fortune on new strings every time they begin to go dead, sometimes in as little as 1 or two weeks, and about 10 hours of play.. I finally found what works the best..
I have literally tried it all....
1. Dunlop string cleaner
2. boil strings
3. wipe off after each play with a clean rag
4. alcohol wipes or alcohol soaked towel
5. wash hands frequently before and while playing to keep off acids
6. I'm forgetting many more..
The solution? Well it's quite simple and somewhat related to 3 above.. I grab two clean, high quality micro fiber towels.. I soak one in clean, warm tap water and then wring it out completely.. so it's just very damp.. I play for however long, then I aggressively wipe the strings with an up / down motion from bridge to nut with the damp micro fiber, then IMMEDIATELY follow up with a completely dry microfiber cloth in a similar aggressive up and down motion..
I do this not just at the end of my playing, but every few minutes or so (10-15 min).. sometimes as I'll do it several times in a 1 hour session if my hands are extra sweaty that day..
As a final step, the last wipe down I do before I retire the bass, I re-wet the damp cloth and ring it out several times under running hot water to insure any oils are gone, I then use as hot a water as I can tolerate and ring it out.. so it's a steaming hot, damp towel, and I give the strings one last wipe down, followed by a dry wipe down.. and put it up.
Results? All 4 of my basses are still on a set of strings I installed over a month ago and not even remotely beginning to sound dead..
Thank me later.
Side note.. I live in an area with very good water... if you have very hard water (Phoenix AZ comes to mind).. this might not work.. as it might cause a building up calcium and other minerals on your strings.. the key is clean, pure and warm/hot water!
So .... 3 hours of playing = 12 or more washes?
Don't yer fingers get all wrinkly?
nope, but my stings sound like new... make a joke out of it, or use it... your choice, makes no difference to me.
See, I'm one that don't even change strings, only replace 'em.
I feel virtuous when I use a tuner to tune up.
I feel virtuous when I use a tuner to tune up.
Changing strings after 100-150 hours of playing. Should I just try to renew them? I don't wash the strings before/after or even my hands, I just try to get as many notes played as I can. Economy wise it ain't costly per hour played, and new strings with the zing makes me wanna play more.
Can I renew Rotosounds steel roundwound over and over, or is there a limit?
Can I renew Rotosounds steel roundwound over and over, or is there a limit?
The other way to save strings is to have many bases and always swap which bass you play. Down side is one day you will be buying a lot of strings!
Seems like a lot of good ideas for cleaning dirt / debris from between the wound coils of the string.
But what about work hardening which is the term used for what happens when you bend a piece of metal over and over? Does this affect tone or brightness?
I found these opinions but nothing scientific to back it up:
What physical effects cause ageing/worn guitar strings to change their tone?
But what about work hardening which is the term used for what happens when you bend a piece of metal over and over? Does this affect tone or brightness?
I found these opinions but nothing scientific to back it up:
What physical effects cause ageing/worn guitar strings to change their tone?
