Try this for refreshing your strings

C

constant mesh

New member
Just found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8OYeN9mAL4

Anyone has a bass to try? I have relatively fresh strings on and still retaining the zing and brilliance. I am really curious if this actually works. I have a hunch it would only work on really old and dried up strings, not a pack that was only gigged five times. I think the crud inside has to dry up a little so that it can be slapped out this way. A fresher pack would still have oils and lubricants present in the core and makes the crud very sticky.

Another thing that confused me is that why would it be necessary to slacken the string? Well I know it makes it easier to slap, but keeping the string tuned to pitch makes the winding to open up more than when it is slacked.

I bet all bassists will be interested into trying this one. Give feedback, please. :)
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

For the sound I like to have, bass strings never get worse with age and use -- only better. I think that "refreshing" the strings is the very last thing I'd want to do on any of my basses. To me, new bass strings sound like dog **** for several months after being installed, and only really start sounding good after maybe a year. As they get more and more use, they sound better and better to me. My main bass is a '76 Musicmaster Bass that is on its third set of strings ever; I only changed the set last time (in 2009) because I busted a low E during a gig. Before that, '94 was the last time I put strings on it, and the time before that was in the Fender factory. The bass I learned on last had its strings changed when I started learning to play...in 1988. I have studio recordings from the early '90's that I played on that bass, and it sounds just as good when I play it today, if not better. In 2008, I switched my P-Bass to heavy-gauge flats instead of light-gauge flats. Those strings now sound better than ever. I feel they've finally broken in. I dunno. I think something like this would have much more use for guitar strings.
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

It does work; the whole concept is akin to taking a rug outside and beating the dust/dirt off of it.

What I'd really be curious is to have someone do this after playing a set of rounds for MONTHS, not just a weekend like was mentioned.
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

Boiling the strings in water with a little spoonfull of windex works too.
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

Falloffthebonetone said:
DANG IT I just switched to flats. Apparently it totally works though!
Click to expand...

It'll work with flats as well. The basic premise is that you're just getting the grime out of the spaces between the winds of the strings, and while those spaces are much smaller with flats, they're still there.
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

JOLLY said:
I've been boiling bass strings for 25 years or more. I've never tried it with Windex.
Click to expand...

It just dissolves a little more crud...dont need to add much....and there is other stuff that would also work.
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

Ben Shepard of Soundgarden did two years of heavy touring using one set of strings. I think he has his tech try and find old strings to replace ones he breaks instead of pulling out of a package.
Ben's main is a POS Squier too. So is his backup.
I like Ben Shepard.
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

While this might get some of the crud from between the windings, I use the boiling technique for a deeper cleaning.

I've boiled with rubbing alcohol, and window cleaner as well. I even used vinegar in a pinch.
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

ItsaBass said:
For the sound I like to have, bass strings never get worse with age and use -- only better. I think that "refreshing" the strings is the very last thing I'd want to do on any of my basses. To me, new bass strings sound like dog **** for several months after being installed, and only really start sounding good after maybe a year. As they get more and more use, they sound better and better to me. My main bass is a '76 Musicmaster Bass that is on its third set of strings ever; I only changed the set last time (in 2009) because I busted a low E during a gig. Before that, '94 was the last time I put strings on it, and the time before that was in the Fender factory. The bass I learned on last had its strings changed when I started learning to play...in 1988. I have studio recordings from the early '90's that I played on that bass, and it sounds just as good when I play it today, if not better. In 2008, I switched my P-Bass to heavy-gauge flats instead of light-gauge flats. Those strings now sound better than ever. I feel they've finally broken in. I dunno. I think something like this would have much more use for guitar strings.
Click to expand...

This^^^^ I like newish strings on my guitars but love old strings on my bass... I like the warmer thicker sound, if I want some rattle I just turn the treble up on my amp and lower the mids
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

SongsForTheDeaf said:
what's wrong with Squier ? my main guitar is a 300 dollar Vintage Modified Tele Deluxe... I love it!
Click to expand...
I misrepresented myself there; I think Squiers are huge bang for the buck, well above Epi in comparison to Gibson. The thing is he's got a couple old Squiers for main and backup, and he's got a Rickenbacker and some other "neato" basses hanging around waiting for the Squiers to die...which apparently won't be happening, since his main is what he recorded Badmotorfinger with, and is still playing.

God dat thickness.
 
Re: Try this for refreshing your strings

One Bad Monkey said:
It'll work with flats as well. The basic premise is that you're just getting the grime out of the spaces between the winds of the strings, and while those spaces are much smaller with flats, they're still there.
Click to expand...

You're totally right! Gave it try on my flats that were about 2 months old. Puts a good amount of zing back actually. Not as much as the video demonstrates, which I expected with the flats. I like the sound of fresh flats actually though I know a lot of people prefer them older.

Also for the people boiling their strings, I heard alcohol works much better and is much easier and more efficient because it is meant for cleaning metal and evaporates faster, plus water corrodes strings more and gives them a patina, which won't boil off and will keep your tone dull. Plus you don't have to wait for the water to boil or anything.

What I'm more concerned about it how hard slapping it like that is on your frets. I put a thin piece of t-shirt between my frets when I did it because I'm paranoid, but it still works.
 
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