boiling strings

Scalawag · Newbie Alert Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 3

Some poeple have said that you can boil all 4 at the same time, but won't taking all the strings off change the tension on the neck?

wannabeSheehan · Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:07 pm Post subject: Its good for on the road

When I tour sometimes well end up in the middleville, Nowhere and the town doesnt have a music store. However its easy to boil water anywhere, so to freshen up strings for the nights gig I boil em sometimes. They break faster but hey, sometimes you need that tone that doesn't yell "I have dead skin cells coating my strings!"
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wannabeSheehan · Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:09 pm Post subject: also

About the tension, your neck can handle it, if you wanna be on the safe side take em off two at a time. But it shouldnt really matter on most basses
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Low E Louie · Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 11:05 pm Post subject:

No, take them all off, and clean your fretboard before you put them back on.
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Kardes · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:58 am Post subject:

I buy used new stings every 6 months but now that I have converted my Ibanez 885 to fretless I'm using Diaderrio (Sp) ribon wound strings. Those things retail at $90.00 (Musicians Freind has them for $40.00 though). Probably won't be changing as often though.
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sharpnut · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 4:02 pm Post subject:

Yeah, boiling is widely used, it is just like a band aid, it helps for a bit but after a few hours decent playing the strings return to the original mush sound.

Ankhanu · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:10 am Post subject:

I boiled my strings for the first 7 years of playing. Until very recently (and soon to be again) I never had the $40 for a new set of stings. I'd only be able to treat myself to new strings once a year or so. In the meantime, I'd boil.

Boiling definately will bring some life back to your strings, but, won't bring them back to what they were. Their tonal life also isn't as long as it was when the strings were new, making you boil sooner than the first boil. But, for the inconvenience that it presents, it is a real life saver for the struggling player.

My method was to boil them at a moderate boil for about 30 or 40 minutes; all four strings at once, then dry them thoroughly and restring.

Previously there was a question about lower the action on a P-Bass in this thread and it was mentioned that doing so may affect intonation... I would suggest not trying to intonate with old and/or boiled strings. If you're going to intonate the bass, do it with new strings.

Ankhanu · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:12 am Post subject:

roddes · Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 5:03 pm Post subject:

how badly does it weaken the strings then?cos 20 dollars is only half of 20 pounds

Shane · Newbie Alert Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 2

So uh how long do I wait to put my strings back on after boiling them? I've always just bought new strings, I like doing that, cause i put them and I go like "YES!" and it's really cool, so anyways, uh they're boiling right now how long do i wait?

Ankhanu · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:12 pm Post subject:

I usually dry them overnight.

mrdak · Newbie Alert Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Location: GA

Hi, I'm using my first post to clear something up. First, you should not boil flats. They end up falling apart between the windings. Second, Boiling your roundwounds is such a waste of time and energy because if you just keep the strings clean to begin with, they will sound great for a much longer period of time.
Try this little system. I promise you, it works better than getting your strings all wet.

Denatured alcohol. That's the ticket. It strips away any and all excess gunk, sweat, and dead skin from your strings. After you have a set on for a few weeks, and the regular wipe down with a CLEAN cloth doesn't do the job, take them off, and soak them in a pot or something large enough to lay the strings in with the denatured alcohol. Just enough to cover the strings. After about an hour, take the strings out, let the alcohol evaporate, or go ahead and clean the strings with a little bit more alchohol on a clean cloth, and then after they feel good and clean and dry, use a fresh clean cloth to finish the cleaning. Rub them down real good and hard that last time. When you hear that brand new sounding string, after you do this, you will never boil them again. I promise you.

That works better than any other method of cleaning\renewing roundwound bass strings.

TYVM

Wink

Ankhanu · Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:21 pm Post subject:

What's denatured alcohol? I understand the use of "denatured" as it applies to protein structure and such, but I'm not seeing how that would apply to an alcohol... Does it have another name?

mrdak · Newbie Alert Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Location: GA

Ankhanu · Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 7:14 am Post subject:

Thanks, I'll look into it. My strings on my Jazz bass are getting near the boil/replace stage, so I'll give this a go.