reusing strings?

[60's Bluesman]

i took some rounds off one of my basses and put flats on it just to see what it was like and now i wanna put the rounds i took off back on, is this a good idea? my guitar friend says is a bad idea and that the strings wont ever be right agian

 

[RickenBoogie]

It's fine.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

Your guitarist also only pays $5-$10 per set.

It'll be fine. If you want to brighten up the rounds again, you can soak them in denatured alcohol for 24 hours, wipe them down, let them dry for a while, and throw them back on. It cleans them up to like-new status.

 

[jelwood]

Or, if you don't have access to denatured alcohol/don't wanna mess with it, you can try boiling the strings as well. Works for me. Makes them rust out quicker, though.

 

[BZadlo]

I think you're looking for trouble any time that you take strings off and put them back on. Bending the strings back and forth definitely weakens the metal cores and can lead to breaks.
That said, I do it all the time because I like to save $. Plus, I always bring a backup bass.

Another thing: Don't give up on flats after one experience. The sound of different brands varies just as much as roundwounds. It took me awhile to find one that I like.

 

[PJSShearer]

Or, if you don't have access to denatured alcohol/don't wanna mess with it, you can try boiling the strings as well. Works for me. Makes them rust out quicker, though.

.... and add some vinegar to the water, helps cut through the grease/crud ....

 

[Pilgrim]

It's not a problem at all - just be gentle with them.

I have a 10-year-old set of rounds on my MIM J, and a 30+ year-old set of flats on my old P.

As long as strings will hold their tune, you can use them.

 

[Chasarms]

Alcohol soaking is a fine idea if you use the denatured variety. Rubbing alcohol is half water.

DO NOT boil the strings. There is a short term gain, but overall it shortens the life of the strings.

In general, there are no issues with removing and re-installing the strings. I just wouldn't make a habit of doing it all the time. The more times a string is de-tuned and re-tuned, the greater the negative impact on it. But if you just took them off once and now want to reinstall them, it is fine. They'll soiund just like they did when you took them off.

 

[JimmyM]

.... and add some vinegar to the water, helps cut through the grease/crud ....

i've done vinegar and it kills the strings but good. if you have to boil, dawn dishwashing liquid is the thing to use. but denatured alcohol works better, although it takes a lot longer. i usually have to soak a set a good week, but they come out a lot brighter than with boiling.

 

[Number27]

Your guitarist also only pays $5-$10 per set.

not to mention that guitar strings are much thinner and weedier than our burly man strings.

i say throw em back on. whats the worst thing that can happen? you'll have to buy new strings? you were going to do that anyway.

 

[PJSShearer]

i've done vinegar and it kills the strings but good. if you have to boil, dawn dishwashing liquid is the thing to use. but denatured alcohol works better, although it takes a lot longer. i usually have to soak a set a good week, but they come out a lot brighter than with boiling.

Jimmy, I'm inclined to agree with you ...

... I was told to "boil them in vinegar" by my Bass playing idol - Colin Hodgkinson of a band called "Back Door" - back in 1974. In those days a set of Rotosdound RS66's cost around GBP15.00 - around 1.5 times what I got paid for a gig (a set of Fender Flats were GBP21.00!!!), so prolonging the life of the set you had on, was defintiely worth the effort.

These days they still cost about GBP15.00 mail order (and less if you buy in bulk) so a new set is not the major financial "ouch" it once was - the price of only 2 packs of Marboros rather than 2 Cartons!!.

Quite frankly I found that boiling worked for a week or two, but they soon died again and after you'd boiled them twice they were completely dead. I found out later that Colin H had a sponsor deal with Rotosound so he didn't have to bother anyway.

Check out 32-20 Blues on the album 8th Street Nites ...

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Gord_oh]

Your guitarist also only pays $5-$10 per set.

It'll be fine. If you want to brighten up the rounds again, you can soak them in denatured alcohol for 24 hours, wipe them down, let them dry for a while, and throw them back on. It cleans them up to like-new status.

yep.
+1

 

[251]

i took some rounds off one of my basses and put flats on it just to see what it was like and now i wanna put the rounds i took off back on, is this a good idea? my guitar friend says is a bad idea and that the strings wont ever be right agian

I agree with your guitar playing friend. You only get to stretch the strings once. The second time they sound old & go out of tune quickly, just like old strings.

 

[Scottgun]

I've pulled strings off, put them back on, off again, on again, off again, boiled them, on again. I've been playing since the 80's and in that time I've had one, count 'em, ONE string break. And this includes some very aggressive pick playing. Don't worry about the breaking. The sound on the other hand is a different matter, but unless you've just got to have that ultra-new and pingy bright sound, don't sweat it.

 

[Arvin]

Another denatured alcohol fan here.

I've got a set of Roto 66's that I've refurbished 5x now. They still sound great.

 

[Crazyeelboy]

I have to admit that it never occurred to me to cook my strings back to life! Live and learn...

 

[lunarpollen]

I've never experienced any problems with swapping strings out and back...

As for boiling/soaking strings, it doesn't make them like new, it only gets the gunk out of them, it doesn't reverse the process of string wear. You will get some recovered brightness, but they won't sound like new, and depending on your method, you might actually weaken the string or make them age faster.

 

[PJSShearer]

BTW:

For all the Brits in the Audience Denatured Alcohol is Methylated Spirit (Meths).