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wd-40 for cleaning strings? probably dumb question i know

F

frankz

Sep 29, 2009
32
0
#1
just thinking the whole water displacement thing might be good... anyhow soaking a cloth in wd40 and running up and down strings good practice or early rusty death of tone?

also anyone ever take really light grade sandpaper and smooth out the winds of the strings over the pickup area ( bought some of the 7$ MF strings and main complaint is they tear up right hand) seem to be much rougher than typical strings
 
#2
WD-40 is amazing stuff when you need a quick fix. Not so much for long term use because it tends to gum up and attract grime. I suspect it will be like that on strings: Big short-term gain (feels clean, smooth), but they might gunk up relatively fast. I'd say clean as much of the residue off the strings as you possibly can, then see what happens.

Disclosure: I've never tried it on strings. I could be wrong about the gumming up but I doubt it.
 
#3
frankz said:
just thinking the whole water displacement thing might be good... anyhow soaking a cloth in wd40 and running up and down strings good practice or early rusty death of tone?

also anyone ever take really light grade sandpaper and smooth out the winds of the strings over the pickup area ( bought some of the 7$ MF strings and main complaint is they tear up right hand) seem to be much rougher than typical strings
Click to expand...

Don't do it.

Denatured alcohol for cleaning strings.
 
#5
Although WD-40(Water Displacer, formula #40)is, IIRC, technically a degreaser, IME it leaves an oily residue that smells nice to my paint-fume addled mind but would, I'm guessing, attract dust- defeating the greater purpose. I've bolied very old strings in straight tap water and got some new life out of them.
 
#8
TeeAre said:
Another TBer posted this a while back. You might find it interesting/helpful. Haven't tested it out for myself yet, though.

The Bass String Cleaning Tube
Click to expand...

This. I made one of these a couple years ago, and it works great. A 24 hour soak in the tube with denatured alcohol, and presto, your strings look and sound brand new! I do one thing a little differently than the directions on that link. Instead of hanging the strings directly on the cap hook, I use a twisty tie (like a bread tie) strung through the string ends, that I then hang onto the hook. It makes removing the strings from the pipe a little easier.
 
#9
cool thanks.. the pads are def what i was looking for after playing wipedown (something i can keep in case)

cleaning tube is good idea also.. main reason i never tried boiling strings was i didnt like the idea of coiling them into a pan of hot water... tube seems a bit more user friendly

**also on a side note those 7$ MF strings are not at all horrible def worth have a set for emergency use if you cant affoard 2 or 3 sets of your fav brand** lasted me 2-3 months before going dead
 
#12
gregdennis said:
WD will de-rust Metal,
I'm just trying to totally understand about it so if someone have any useful then please let me know.
Click to expand...

Something to think about: WD-40 will remove rust, but it's also a lubricant. This means it will leave a petroleum based residue on your strings. Is that something you want on your fingers? (the fingers that will be touching the rest of your bass, among other things) Also, unless you have a phenolic fingerboard, I'm not sure you want that oily residue on your fingerboard.

I suppose if you were to use WD-40 to remove rust from your strings, then give them a soak overnight in the above mentioned denatured alcohol bath, you could solve the residue problem.
 
#16
younggun said:
This. I made one of these a couple years ago, and it works great. A 24 hour soak in the tube with denatured alcohol, and presto, your strings look and sound brand new! I do one thing a little differently than the directions on that link. Instead of hanging the strings directly on the cap hook, I use a twisty tie (like a bread tie) strung through the string ends, that I then hang onto the hook. It makes removing the strings from the pipe a little easier.
Click to expand...
The tube isn't even necessary, IMO - it's just a handy way of immersing the strings without coiling them up. You can also pour a tupperware container full of denatured alcohol, col the strings up, and set them in there. It works great.
 
#18
staindbass said:
boiling water is better than alcohol, alcohol leaves a residue.
Click to expand...

Do NOT use isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. It has a large percentage of water in it. Use denatured alcohol (you'll need to get it at a hardware store). Most denatured alcohols are denatured with a small amount of acetone. Both the acetone and alcohol are extremely volatile and completely evaporate from the strings quickly.
If you boil your strings in water, you have to remember that water will rust steel strings. Stainless strings, no problem of course.

The tube isn't even necessary, IMO - it's just a handy way of immersing the strings without coiling them up. You can also pour a tupperware container full of denatured alcohol, col the strings up, and set them in there. It works great.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Some of us are just gear geeks about everything. :D
 
#19
I read that WD40's lube component is mostly fish oil. I think it was on Wiki, so there's that. But I don't think there's a lot of petro in it. If you have rusting, maybe soak them in it or other penetrating oil and clean them with a soak in alcohol after?
 

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