Boiling Dem Bass Strangs

Post by **Doog** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:39 pm

Here's a handy tip for those of you bassists trying to save money at Christmas, It comes from Andrew P who is 7 and three quarters, and lives in Bognor Regis.

Anyone who doubts the power of a 15 minute boil in water and a bit of vinegar- BEHOLD!

► Show Spoiler

Mmmm, metally.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:47 pm

i quite like the 'worn in' sound actually! a useful tip though, top work.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:51 pm

Does this actually work? Jim tried it once, but I'm not sure if he used vinegar or not.

Hmmm. I wonder if degreaser or something will make it easier or more effective.

The P-Bass type thing I have has three freshish strings, but the A string is horrible.

Post by **Doog** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:13 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:Does this actually work? Jim tried it once, but I'm not sure if he used vinegar or not.

Hmmm. I wonder if degreaser or something will make it easier or more effective.

The P-Bass type thing I have has three freshish strings, but the A string is horrible.

I've done it in the past without vinegar, works fine. Doesn't quite make them feel BRAND new, but it certainly puts some zing back into the string. If that's your bag, like.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:23 pm

It's worth pointing out that Jim's sweat is somewhere between tar and paint stripper. I can tell if he's been at one of my guitars, even for a few minutes: there'll be black crud on the strings and frets, and bits of it flaking off onto the finger board. Nasty. Might be something to do with that.

Post by **Doog** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:30 pm

Maybe try boiling Jim rather than his strings, that might resolve the issues.

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:50 pm

Intresting shizzle. How old are them strings then?

Post by **Doog** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:21 pm

Hmmm, they may have been bought for the European tour in August, but I cannae remember. They certainly took a beating, sweat-wise, on tour.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:16 pm

i have done this before or guitar and bass.
there was more of a diff in bass strings, but they died pretty fast again. like half life or something.
i think for guitar its easier just to wipe off the strings every so often. good tip tho, never used vinegar.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:54 pm

Are you real man? Drink water then.

Post by **Doog** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:12 pm

robert(original) wrote:i have done this before or guitar and bass.
there was more of a diff in bass strings, but they died pretty fast again. like half life or something.
i think for guitar its easier just to wipe off the strings every so often. good tip tho, never used vinegar.

I wouldn't recommend it with guitar strings. Maybe wound guitar strings, but it's pointless doing it on plain ones- the SWEAT ACID just eats through that shit, and boiling it probably just makes the string even weaker.

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:15 pm

I doubt even this would save the strings on my bass. I can never be bothered to change bass strings because I find it so much more difficult than changing guitar strings, to such an extent that at the moment my E and G are about five and a half years old and my A and D are three and a half years old.

I feel so dirty...

Post by **Doog** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:18 pm

COAL IN YOUR STOCKING, DIRTY BOY

Weird that you find it so tricky, I've always found bass strings to be easier to change since they're so much bigger.

kim · Post by **kim** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:28 pm

i tried it once, because i always want my bass to sound a bit metallic like in shellac (without the alu neck lol) but anyway, yeah they sound clear, but they break easily after boiling, makes sense i guess, first rehearsal after i tried this i broke both the a and d strings at once so i had to get new strings anyway. also i was lik 17 then so i was stupid enough to give this a shot. if you like clear strings just buy the cheap fender bass strings and gibson bottle of string cleaner, that's what i did. don't boil your strings.

the blue one

Aeon · Post by **Aeon** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:38 pm

If you want your strings to last longer, don't eat such a shitty diet so your skin and oils won't be so acidic.

kim · Post by **kim** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:51 pm

sweating alcohol is a natural string cleaner

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:35 pm

Doog wrote:COAL IN YOUR STOCKING, DIRTY BOY

Weird that you find it so tricky, I've always found bass strings to be easier to change since they're so much bigger.

It's because I have sissy girl hands (I use Ernie Ball Super Slinkies on my guitar) so changing bass strings is actually painful, lol. You'd think playing bass since I was 11 would have got rid of that, but apparently not

analogsystem · Post by **analogsystem** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 6:47 pm

Soaking bass strings in denatured alcohol works. You can use them 3 or 4 times and they feel almost new. My bass player suffers from corrosive sweaty hand syndrome and does this to avoid spending a fortune on strings.

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 7:25 pm

my friend has a boiling-baking-freezing process for his bass strings. or maybe it's boiling-freezing-baking. i can never remember. he's been doing it for years and has it down to a science.
there's really no point in doing it on guitar strings. d'addario XLs cost $5. when they go bad, throw 'em out and buy a new set.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 9:01 pm

I hate dealing with strings.
My sweat just fucking rips through them like a mother fucker. I just put on a new set and I've been dicking around for maybe 30min-1hr and they already feel janky. i haet it. i try to use elixers when i can, but i don't have any right now. it makes playing hard to do, but i feel like using lubricant and all that shit is 'cheating'. fuck all that noise.