Maintenance of Cobalt Flatwound strings (2816)

[Low Freq]

I have a set of Cobalt Flats that are about 5 months old and they have started to have a corrosion type kind of thing going on.
I can wipe them down with a lint free rag and they're fine for a couple of days.
I was just wondering if there is something that will prevent the corrosion (or whatever it is) from happening.
Doesn't seem like it would bode well for the long-term life of the strings.
They are starting to get a bit 'thuddier' on fretted notes, especially on the 'B' & 'E' strings.
Maybe they are just about done for as far as their tone / lifespan.
I don't like real zingy strings nor do I like dead strings.
When these were about 6 weeks old, they were perfect tone-wise for me.

Thanks in advance for your input!

JD-LowFreq

 

[tbonesullivan]

Are they changing in color? What does the corrosion look like?

FYI, I wipe down my strings after every time I play them.

 

[Low Freq]

Are they changing in color? What does the corrosion look like?

FYI, I wipe down my strings after every time I play them.

Thanks!

They just feel dry-grungy.
I'm going to wipe them down daily.

Is it ok to use Finger Ease on them before I wipe them down?

 

[Golem]

Thanks!

They just feel dry-grungy.
I'm going to wipe them down daily.

Is it ok to use Finger Ease on them before I wipe them down?

Flats of almost any variety are nearly maintenance free. I have many different flats on various basses. I just wipe them with any old rag.

You dont mention a chronic corrosion problem with your other strings, so I dont suspect its your body chemistry. Im left wondering if its just this set (batch if you bought spares at the time) that has an unusual vulnerability.

I would clean and remove them to keep as spares and then observe whether a fresh set from a different batch still has the same issue. While they are off of the bass maybe I might boil them.

 

[Low Freq]

Flats of almost any variety are nearly maintenance free. I have many different flats on various basses. I just wipe them with any old rag.

You dont mention a chronic corrosion problem with your other strings, so I dont suspect its your body chemistry. Im left wondering if its just this set (batch if you bought spares at the time) that has an unusual vulnerability.

I would clean and remove them to keep as spares and then observe whether a fresh set from a different batch still has the same issue. While they are off of the bass maybe I might boil them.

Thanks!