Cleaning Bass Strings

[Jim King]

String Cleaning-

If you must remove the strings from your bass, you're really going to be better off just buying a new set i.e. you'll never get them back on your bass precisely, as they were before so the overtones will, get....skewed.... That said, (I would)clean them on the bass, using a good clean cotton cloth i.e. T-shirt, "wet" with denatured alcohol. I'm not suggesting you do this, as I don't answer calls from your lawyer, but it is, the smart way to get this done.

 

[sadworld]

the tube

for those that are recomending the d. alcohol and tube do you fish the strings out of the tube every time? i seen a "how to" that involved the hook and cork but i am wondering if you have any problems getting the strings in? my string are all crinkly and bent up at the small end when i take them off ... i have not tried it yet, just wondering cause i want to make one of these tubes. thanks. matt.

 

[tbass]

Wipe down hands prior to and after playing the bass.
Use EB "slip and slide" spray
If you are too cheap to buy new strings (as I once was) heat them in warm milk, for around
10-15 minutes then wash them off and place in the oven until dry.

 

[sadworld]

can you use the denatured alcohol directly on the strings while still on your bass? like you would with eb string cleaner? thanks. matt.

 

[danny-79]

fast frett isnt bad, but theres nothing like a new set to spank !

 

[LaneB]

When I was skint I used to put them in the oven, it was on for dinner anyway and that always managed to squeeze more life out of the strings ( bass ).
Each to their own.

 

[Slingy]

All of this stuff sounds wierd to me. If I have to take them off they are going in the trash. I wipe down with EB string cleaner, sometimes I use finger ease too if they feel sticky.

 

[Coinsmuggler]

Boiling I get, Washer Machine - what ever floats your boat.....but warm milk followed by toasting in the oven? lol I don't know about that. Do you polish your bass with a stick of butter after?

 

[WildBill]

I've had my strings for a year and a half and just wipe then down occasionally. After a while the strings were sounding dead. I cant afford to buy strings every few weeks or months so instead I spent $2.50 to make a cleaning tube from PVC pipe.
I put the strings in there with some denatured alcohol and let em sit for a day. That pulled all the grime out of the strings and brought them back to life.

 

[Stflbn]

for those that are recomending the d. alcohol and tube do you fish the strings out of the tube every time? i seen a "how to" that involved the hook and cork but i am wondering if you have any problems getting the strings in? my string are all crinkly and bent up at the small end when i take them off ... i have not tried it yet, just wondering cause i want to make one of these tubes. thanks. matt.

Old thread but thought I'd reply.

I drilled a hole in the top cap of my tube rig and put a small hook in that hole. Then I took a chunk of wire and fashioned a larger Loop connected to the Hook.

Feed the 5 bass strings through that loop, tighten it up a bit around the twisted string ends so they don't flop out, then put the cap on the tube, which lowers the strings into the alcohol.

I've never been able to understand anything dealing with water or heat regarding string cleaning. Strings are metal. Metal rusts, and it is effected negatively by heat. Alcohol dries quickly (water does not).

 

[Frobie]

Hi. I used to boil my 5 string bass sets as they are fairly costly here to buy, so I like to stretch out the max usage if possible. Once they get too bad and lose intonation after 1 conditioning I toss them. I gave up boiling at least 10 years ago due to rusting and have used the string cleaner tube since to great effect. They come up like new after a day or so soaking in Metho Spirits (denatured alcohol) and I usually give them a good dry using my wife's hair dryer before restringing. No rusting issues and intonation is fine. I paid $100 for my last 5 string set so the Tube Cleaning method is a viable way for me at least of extending my strings a bit longer.

Just out of interest if you havent seen it, do a google search for this Youtube video on this guy who cleans his bass strings without removing them from the guitar and without using any cleaning liquids. Its a novel approach and seems to work...unless its an April Fools joke..but have a look anyway. The Youtube clip is 5.29 mins long and titled "How to get NEW bass strings in 2 minutes! Super bass tip" do a search on that title.

 

[jahnie13]

hello im new. and never thot about taking off to clean. i clean with a chamois cloth after each play. BUT never posted here and have a question. never used a string winder. always did pull n put on my own. any tips as to coiling n using the winder thingy. thanx muchly.(sorry looked at MM website found no tips)