Members zenfascist Posted October 4, 2005 Members Share Posted October 4, 2005 Well, I read something on the net about soaking strings in denatured alcohol and it removes all the gunk from them and helps restore brightness. Well, I tried it and it doesn't. So FWIW if you come across something like this, or something like "string boiling" (which is a bunch of {censored} as well) don't even bother with it. Btw, does anyone know of a string cleaning method that works? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ARES Posted October 4, 2005 Members Share Posted October 4, 2005 alcohol always worked for me back when i liked a bright sound and was too cheap to buy a new set of strings. i only ever tried on stainless steel, which i can't even fathom using anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emprov Posted October 4, 2005 Members Share Posted October 4, 2005 Wipe them down really well with a soft cotton rag, (I use an old sock or washcloth), after playing and that'll keep a lot of the gunk off them in the first place. I also keep a bit of rubbing alcohol in my case and I'll put some on the cloth every now and then, I find it really extends the life of the tone over just wiping or doing nothing. My .02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenfascist Posted October 4, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 4, 2005 Hmm, weird. It seemed to make my steels more dead than they were already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sunburstbasser Posted October 5, 2005 Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 I don't understand why it would make your strings even more dead, using denatured alcohol. I can see how the tarnish that can be caused with rubbing alcohol can be a problem, but denatured shouldn't do that. I've used rubbing alcohol (140 proof:)) to clean my strings. It always brought back some of the high end at least, I once had a set last 6 months or so using this method (cleanings monthly). I know it can work at any rate. How did you do it? Maybe the directions you found online were missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenfascist Posted October 5, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 I soaked them in a container of it for about a minute, then I dried them off with one of those microfiber towel things and swung 'em around a little bit until they were dry. I put them back on and they sounded horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sunburstbasser Posted October 5, 2005 Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 I think what happened is you didn't soak them long enough. In a minute, the alcohol will only begin to work. It probably loosened up the gunk a little, but didn't actually take it off. When I do it, I soak them for at least 45 minutes, or as long as overnight. Then I dump the alcohol back into the bottle using a coffee filter and a funnel. The funnel should turn gray, from the crap. Since alcohol evaporates at room temperature, I just lay the strings on a towel or rag for 10 minutes before throwing them back on. They should feel extremely cold due to the evaporation. I don't know why wiping them down afterwards didn't help, unless it just smeared the gunk around? I can't say. Do you still have that set of strings? Just try soaking the G string alone for at least a half hour, and try to get it completely submerged for maximum effect. If that doesn't do something positive, I don't know why. If you've got questions, let me know! I'll try to help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenfascist Posted October 5, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 Okay thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members james on bass Posted October 5, 2005 Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 Originally posted by Emprov Wipe them down really well with a soft cotton rag, (I use an old sock or washcloth), after playing and that'll keep a lot of the gunk off them in the first place. I also keep a bit of rubbing alcohol in my case and I'll put some on the cloth every now and then, I find it really extends the life of the tone over just wiping or doing nothing. My .02. I usually do this with the alcohol after every gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LoBass Posted October 5, 2005 Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 I boil them in water with cca half a spoon of sodium-bicarbonate (not shure if I translated that one all right). One string at a time. cca 3 minutes each, and they're as good as new. Done it several times on the set I'm using now (stainless steels roundwounds) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thumper Posted October 5, 2005 Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 +1 for boiling strings with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It does a better job of de-gunking the strings, with the caveat that silk windings will unravel, and you may weaken the core by removing and restringing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nicebigstrings Posted October 5, 2005 Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 Originally posted by Thumper +1 for boiling strings with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It does a better job of de-gunking the strings, with the caveat that silk windings will unravel, and you may weaken the core by removing and restringing. +2 - Been doing it for years. Gives them another half-life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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