Double Bass Why clean your strings?

[bejoyous]

I found this illuminating Invalid Link Removedover on the slab side of town.

We are always going on on how to best clean your strings when we should really be doing the opposite for that fast passages!

 

[Jones_Stuff]

I'm never gonna wash my hand before playing again!

Nice lefty neck too

 

[jaibot]

she ruined that piece of chicken!

 

[pasta4lnch]

yikes!

 

[Chrix]

That reminds me of this video:



A great solo by Jimmy, and he looks like he's trying to eat his face, but I remember seeing it for the first time and being amazed by the amount of gunk on his fingerboard (in all fairness, I tend to be a little OCD when playing - I wash my hands on every set break and wipe down my strings often). Am I incorrect in remembering that he once claimed that he preferred his strings and fingerboard to have gunk on them?

 

[bejoyous]

I recall that somewhere on the Standing in the Shadows of Motown DVD, Jamie Jamerson's son says something about his father never cleaned the strings of his DB ( which JJ Jr plays and hasn't changed the strings since the '60's!) because it would "take the funk out of the strings."

 

[JtheJazzMan]

"take the funk out of the strings."

Err yeah, minerals, dead skin, fats and bacteria.

Im quite happy if that funk goes somewhere else.

 

[Gearhead43]

The food always tastes better, if you never clean the pot.

 

[DaZombieWoof]

I remember a music store in Boulder where Steve Stills would come and ask for the old used dead strings. If he was forced to deal with "fresh" he would use BBQ sauce to get his strings to have the desired tone.

 

[bassist1962]

she ruined that piece of chicken!

And put it back on the plate!

I read somewhere that Jaco kept a chicken bone in his case to lube his hands before playing.