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Has anyone tried this before?
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06-15-2017 03:30 PM
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I see no point in trying this. If the strings are dull, they should have been replaced. No use in save a penny loose a dime.
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the best & easiset way to clean your strings is with isopropyl alcohol pads...that removes the grime..but there's no way to repair the kinks, notches and gaps that physically affect the wraps....
keep'em clean but change'm often
cheers
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^
this.
I keep a small bottle of iso in the gig bag and wipe them down w/that.
removes some of the grime and corrosion.
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wm-
try the pads...cheap..available..super convenient... and you can keep a few in your case w/o the danger of spilling..they last years unopened..and you really only need one to clean up your strings nicely..so a box (cheap) will last a long time...even if you have 10 guitars!! haha
cheers
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I use the isopropyl wipes or a little on a paper towel. Works great, especially on flats.
Also a great way to get some extra life out of your windshield wipers.
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do the pads squeak loudly when wiping down the strings?
Originally Posted by neatomic
a problem w/a rag and alcohol.
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yep..the squeakier, the cleaner..haha
cheers
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Sorry I can't stream that video at work, but I agree with the isopropyl. I had some TI strings with mild oxidation/tarnish after just a couple of weeks and cleaned them with alcohol wipes, then applied mineral oil (Fast Fret). That seemed to do the trick, and now they've been fine for a couple of months.
I *rarely* change strings, but if the strings have bad tarnish (i.e., rust) or sound flat, nothing will fix them.
I have read here and there about people who take the strings off and boil them, but that's more trouble than it's worth. Once strings get kinked at the post it's a royal pain to take them off and put them back on, and kinda dangerous with the sharp ends flicking around.
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Couldn't stand the video more than 30 seconds ! Poor guy !
On the same kind of question, does anybody here has a trick to keep my car's tyres alive after 50 000 km ?
Seriously, when you think about it, what's the cost of a string set when you've played it for some (weeks, months, years) ?
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detour...keep your tires at the recommended air pressure spec..anytime you travel too high or low of that psi spec..you are diminishing tread life
of course that doesn't factor in a well placed nail!!! haha
cheers
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I must be in the minority. I change strings about every 2-3 weeks. Because of the ever escalating price of TI strings, I now change the treble strings every 2-3 weeks and the bass string on the second treble change. This is on a guitar I play every day for 2-3 hours. I don't have a tarnish problem I have a denting (less so), losing intonation problem before I ever have a tarnish problem.
And unfortunately, I clicked on that Youtube video so now that Grove character shows up in my recommended videos. Yes I have seen him before. If one had to argue the downside of YouTube and the WWW, one could use him as an example.
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Those pads are a great idea!!! I usually use windex and a folded paper towel (which also works great).
But I don't do it often- only when strings are "old" due to "time"- not PLAY time, just time hanging on the wall. On the guitars I play the most, the strings stay clean because I play them. When the strings won't stay in tune anymore, I change them.
But I'll put a new set of strings on a guitar I might not touch for weeks. In that case, depending on the season, the strings will corrode a bit without even being touched, probably due to humidity. I won't change those strings, I'll clean them- because they have little or no "miles" on them.
It's weird, way back in my early days (16-25 yrs old), I would corrode strings at an alarming rate, must have been my chemistry.... which must have changed, because I haven't had that problem in a long while.
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When I'm living in the bass world I will use the OLD school method of boiling the strings. Take em off coil them up and drop into some boiling water for a few minutes. Remove wipe down and let cool down. Cleans them and the heat brings some life back to them.
I would say in general helps to wipe your strings down after the gig to get the finger oil off that is causing the problem.
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Ugh, why would I want perfectly good strings to sound "new" again?
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Oh man, couldn't agree more with this!!!! Brand new strings S-U-C-K !!!! Have to be broken in. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
I only do the windex trick when they are rough enough that you notice it when sliding, but not old enough to change lol. But broken-in strings are WHERE IT'S AT!
New strings before every gig??? NO WAY!!
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"broken in" is different than grimey!!...
keep'em clean...
just the tension and oxidation breaks in a string..leftover grime is not needed...and will make the "broken in" tone you like, disappear that much quicker
cheers
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I thought I was the only one! (or I was nuts) Originally Posted by ruger9
When I was younger I'd play strings for an hour and they'd turn grey. Doesn't seem to happen like that anymore.
I'm sure it means my youth is gone...
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I hate new strings..... I don't like how they sound. I replace strings only when they don't properly intonate anymore. So that means replacing the high e and b every 3-4 months or so. The rest of my strings have been on there forever.......
So I guess this is waisted on me, LOL
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There seems to be some confusion. Clean strings do not equal new strings. Cleaning doesn't unstretch strings. I keep my broken-in strings clean because I don't like new strings. That's the whole point. If they get too grimey and crusty, then you have to replace them...that's what we're trying to avoid.
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I got partially through the video and it reminded me that I had a couple of zits to pop and clean with alcohol before bed so I didn't get to see the whole thing. What did I miss?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
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I have a guitar that I haven't changed the strings on since Jan 2015. I wipe down regularly with a string cleaner spray. Still sound absolutely fine and the tuning and intonation is stable. I want them to sound worse so I can justify changing them. A lot of my other guitars have strings that are 2+ years old as well -- no problems. I found since I ditched the pick and play fingerstyle I tend not to break strings either.
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