Acidic Fingertips :(

[Westpit]

Hey guys,

I recently bought a new set of super slinkys. I know I've always had quite acidic fingertips but my 9 & 11 gauge strings have turned dark after 2 days! Does anyone else have the same problem a me? I don’t want to be buying new strings on a weekly basis.

Can anyone recommend a different type of string that might last a little longer?

Cheers,

Joe.

 

[tommyindelaware]

Hey guys,

I recently bought a new set of super slinkys. I know I've always had quite acidic fingertips but my 9 & 11 gauge strings have turned dark after 2 days! Does anyone else have the same problem a me? I don’t want to be buying new strings on a weekly basis.

Can anyone recommend a different type of string that might last a little longer?

Cheers,

Joe.

iv'e had a # of students w/ that prob. in the past.
i tell them to use lava bar soap everytime before they play on their hands. also....if you take a piece of 0000 steel wool and clean the string only w/it.....it takes the darkness off really well....like new. cleans them ...& slightly lubes them. works on wound strings also.
iv'e never seen any plain string that resist acid corrosion. iv'e saved many a good set of strings at the repair counter using this method.
hope this helps.

 

[Westpit]

Great! Thanks a lot Tommy.

Joe

 

[peterd79]

PRS 9.5's i've had them on my guitars for a while and i'm a very acidic player. They sound great. I just put a new set on last week and they look brand spankin new! it's worth a shot!

 

[SteveB]

Now I haven't tried this myself yet, but:

I have a DVD where this guitar tech uses a 50-50 mixture of alcohol and WD-40 to clean guitar strings. He claims the alcohol removes the dirt, and the WD-40 helps prevent future buildup of dirt on the strings.

It sounds like it might be worth trying in your case. Just don't spill that mixture on your guitar, be careful applying it to the strings and then wipe them down with a soft cloth (not one that will be used on any other part of the guitar).

 

[Beth]

Or you could try our Stainless Steel Slinkys....

 

[tommyindelaware]

Or you could try our Stainless Steel Slinkys....

cool......i thought stainless steel only applied to the windings on the wound strings.......not the string core ..or the plain strings.......
same w/ pure nickel strings......
so the plain strings are stainless steel ?

 

[Beth]

Oops, sorry! I misread your initial post and now realize that it was the 9 and 11's that got discolored. The stainless Slinks are made from stainless steel wire wrapped around tin plated hex shaped steel core wire -- so the singles are the same as what you would find in a Super Slinky pack.

I would suggest washing your hands both before and after you play and then wiping the strings down both before and after you play with a soft cloth. The steel wool idea doesn't sound like a bad idea either.

 

[jongitarz]

Don't let the steel wool get near the pickups!!!!

 

[Westpit]

Excellent, thanks for all of your help guys! I'll try all of your recommendations.

I started playing when I was 12 and played constantly for about 5-6 years and never had this problem. Now I am 22 and have started playing regularly again, but my fingers just seem to melt metal now!

Thanks again for your help.

Joe

 

[MikeVt]

Don't let the steel wool get near the pickups!!!!

Jon, can you elaborate on this concern? Are you worried about shorts due to floating steel bits? magnetic issues? Steel dust you can't get rid of because of the magnetic poles?

I'm just wondering because I use 0000 steel wool on my JP neck and I never thought to be careful about letting the steel wool near the pickups.

MikeVt

 

[jongitarz]

The p/ups are magnetic...They will attract the steel wool dust, or whatever you would like to call it....Not good, but if you don't see any on your p/ups, you're ok.

 

[MikeVt]

Ah....Ok. Thanks - that's what I suspected. I'm ok then. However, if I did manage to get some on the surface, I would probably try some duct tape to pick it up - might be stronger than the magnetic field holding it there.

MikeVt