Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

[ElUnoAstuto]

Hey guys, just thought I'd share this real quick. I grabbed my Jackson and went downstairs to play since my older brother's asleep:27: , and my strings are soooo rusted man! Like, when you do a bend, it squeaks! :smack: So I'm sitting around thinking "Man, I don't want to restring this sucker, I go through a pack of strings a week!" I'm cheap so I try to restring just once a month. At any rate, I looked around, and my parents are refinishing some cabinets, and there's 0000 steel wool laying around. I remembered reading somewhere that's the same grade steel wool you use to polish frets, so I figured, hey, might as well scrub my strings with it and see if it works, and it did!:banana: My rusty strings feel almost new again, it's awesome! :dance:

 

[theodie]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

How much of the steel wool fragments are stuck to the pickups?

You know the only way to get the fragments out is to pull the magnets out of the pickups!

 

[Davey]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

How much of the steel wool fragments are stuck to the pickups?

:laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[Curly]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

theoodie has a point

try finding a good string cleaning solution, and use a string cleaner cloth to wipe the strings each time you play

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

Well dude...cleaning your strings with steel wool?
Thats some thing even I wouldnt do...i know its a pain but get a solution for cleaning strings or just use alcohol and with a little, wipe each string after playing, or when ever you feel like it really.


also theres no better protection for strings, (and your guitar) than a good hardshell case.

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

Man, strings are $7 a pack. Buy a bunch and be done with it.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

+1

but dude, when it comes down to it, a guitarist can blow a lot of money on strings, not to mention other "essential" (leather straps, custom picks) gear. ha-ha.

but seriously, buy at least two sets next time you do, and take care of them man.

they can last a LONG time if you do.

by the way try not to replace them too much.

dude, DO WHAT YOU WANT. but i at least dont change them until their very bad. or broken.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

A pack a week? Where are you leaving your guitar? I haven't done a full restring on any of mine in close to 2 months, and they're just somewhat grimey. Clean your strings after you play EVERY time. Don't just wipe 'em down but grab each one between your fingers in a rag and go up and down the string. Get all the sweat, dead skin and dirt off. Keep the guitar in the case when not playing. They'll last a lot longer.

And +1 on the steel wool shavings. How much ended up on/in the pickups? Unless you covered them and taped it off so nothing gets to them, I don't recommend the steel wool method.

 

[jdier]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

A few things I have done to clean strings in the past that might be helpful...

buy a squirt bottle of a grease cutting windex or 401 and spray the fretboard and strings with it when you are done and then wipe down. This cleans up the fretboard and the grease cutters help to breakdown the oils left on your strings which lead to rust.

In a complete pinch I used to take strings off and boil them for 20 minutes to get all of the grime off of them. This did not make them sound 'like new' but it definately cleaned them up and made them sound better.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

woah, boiling strings?

i had heard of that before...but thats a little extreme man.

 

[B2D]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

Congratulations. You've just run upon the guitar equivalent of wiping your ass with sandpaper only once a week.

Get some blue-label Dunlop string cleaner and an old (but clean) sock or soft rag, get some fluid on the sock, and clean the strings every time after you play, and your strings will last MUCH longer.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

Congratulations. You've just run upon the guitar equivalent of wiping your ass with sandpaper only once a week.

:chairfall :chairfall

Your daily blunt brought to you by B2D.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

also theres no better protection for strings, (and your guitar) than a good hardshell case.

A hardshell case isn't going to do anything for strings if he puts the guitar in it after it's been all gunked over.

Wipe the strings down after you play. Keep a few cloths around and every time you go to put the guitar down wipe the strings down and remove all the gunk you put on there.

 

[theodie]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

Congratulations. You've just run upon the guitar equivalent of wiping your ass with sandpaper only once a week.

Signature material!!!!!:chairfall :chairfall :chairfall :chairfall :chairfall

 

[Davey]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

this thread keeps getting better and better.

 

[Diego]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

Back when I was a much poorer guy, I boiled the strings. And boy it did work.

Eddie Van Halen did it back then too. Take them out of the guitar (before someone attempts to throw the guitar into hot water...:smack: ) boil them for like 20 minutes, then wipe them as soon as possible (so the gunk is warm and can be removed easily) and put them back on the guitar. New strings for a few days! :fingersx:

Now I just use the Fender String Cleaner.

 

[davedvdy]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

Back when I was a much poorer guy, I boiled the strings. And boy it did work.

Eddie Van Halen did it back then too. Take them out of the guitar (before someone attempts to throw the guitar into hot water...:smack: ) boil them for like 20 minutes, then wipe them as soon as possible (so the gunk is warm and can be removed easily) and put them back on the guitar. New strings for a few days! :fingersx:

Now I just use the Fender String Cleaner.

Boiling the strings does work. It does not bring back the original tone of the strings, it actually makes the strings sound different, which is why I believe Van Halen used to do this.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

I feel back for the topic poster. He must feel really terrible now.

But this thread is darn funny. Wouldn't steel wool also scratch up your fretboard if you press down too hard? Seems like a bad idea all around.

 

[Davey]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

we all did stupid **** at first...

live and learn. sometimes people laugh at you. it builds character

 

[theodie]

Re: Cleaning rusty strings, it worked for me!

I feel back for the topic poster. He must feel really terrible now.

But this thread is darn funny. Wouldn't steel wool also scratch up your fretboard if you press down too hard? Seems like a bad idea all around.

No, becasue steel wool is what it used to buff the fretboard.