Some people boil their strings. I freeze mine.

[Ekulati]

Ok, this oughtta at least qualify for the weirdest question of the month, but after a cross-country move, I just found out in my shed, in a spare gig bag that was out there all winter, a new set of DR Blues I forgot I bought. So...I know we got down into single digits a couple times, and for my taste (being a SW native) too freaking many mornings in the teens this gawdawful past winter...

So, any metallurgists out there care to chime in as to whether these DRs are now toast? I guess working in my favor is that it was a gradual cool off and gradual warm up!

I'll put them on anyway and see what happens.

 

[5StringBlues]

Chilling.

 

[tallboybass]

Let us know...my guess is they'll be ok.

 

[michael_t]

So, any metallurgists out there care to chime in as to whether these DRs are now toast?

I'm no expert, but I've read posts by some TBers who keep unused strings in the freezer to keep them "fresh". So, it can't be all that bad.

 

[gln1955]

Strings travel all over the world before they are sold. Temps probably ranging from sub zero to >120F at times.

 

[petrus61]

They’ll be fine. The bigger concern is moisture. As long as they were kept dry, they’ll probably be good as new.

 

[MattZilla]

Nope. Them, the brakes and bearings on your car, the door handles on your house, all toast. Throw them all away.

 

[micguy]

Dean Markley does a lot worse to their cryogenic strings, and I liked those (at least at one time).

 

[bigtone23]

Moisture kills strings more than the naturally occurring temperature extremes of our planet.

 

[lz4005]

Ok, this oughtta at least qualify for the weirdest question of the month, but after a cross-country move, I just found out in my shed, in a spare gig bag that was out there all winter, a new set of DR Blues I forgot I bought. So...I know we got down into single digits a couple times, and for my taste (being a SW native) too freaking many mornings in the teens this gawdawful past winter...

So, any metallurgists out there care to chime in as to whether these DRs are now toast? I guess working in my favor is that it was a gradual cool off and gradual warm up!

I'll put them on anyway and see what happens.

As long as they're sealed in the plastic bags strings usually come in, they'll be fine. As others have said, it's moisture that kills them, not cold.

I once had an order of 5 sets of various guitar and bass strings get put in the wrong outdoor mailbox at my office by a letter carrier. They sat in temps from -10 to +100F for almost 3 years before anyone found them. They were fine.

 

[soulman969]

Stick 'em on and play 'em. Any bassist could tell you that. You don't need a metallurgist.