teen t-shirt Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 i've only a month ago put a new set of rotosounds swing bass 66... 45-105 strings on my bass, but was reading in another string related thread that some one boils there strings i was intrigued as to what this would do to the strings, being only a year in to my bass playing, i feel i've acheived quite a bit, but have only gone through one change of strings, and was wondering what would boiling them do... i only ask as i was beginning to suffer from the coarseness of my strings, would boiling them soften them up a bit... or would it be jus easier to get some nickel, strings, as i mostly play fingerstyle... thankyou for any replies TT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 (edited) boiling removes all the dirt and grime n grease from the strings, and stretches/shrinks them with the heat, making the strings fresh n zingy again. i usually follow up with a quick bake in the oven for 10 mins at 200 degrees to dry them off n finish the effect obviously wont last as long as new strings, but you can do it several times before it loses its effect, saves alot of money boiling will not soften the strings at all, if your not getttin on with steel get nickle although warning, do not boil nickle strings in the same pan as you cook food in, itl leave a nasty residue and your food will taste funny! Edited July 20, 2008 by BassManKev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Boiling brings a bit of brightness back to old strings. I don't know how anyone else does it but i always boil them in water and vineger forabout 5 mins then swing them round and round till they are dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilmour Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 (edited) Boiling your strings basically cleans them, it makes them sound a little newer and brighter, which is or isn't desirable depending on the sort of sound you like. In other words it makes them sound more like new strings when you first put them on, however after you've boiled them they do tend to go 'dead' more quickly than a set of new strings. As for 'softening them up' I'm afraid not, if you're really sruggling try some lighter guage nickel strings, but again this will affect the tone. Finding the right strings is a constant search for most players, you won't have it after a year so don't worry. In fact I've been playing over 15 ears and i'm still looking! Edited July 20, 2008 by gilmour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar South Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Boiling strings makes them sound like new again for a short time, they never last as long as a new set though and they get more brittle. When I'm at uni and change my strings once a week I usually boil every set one or two times, saves a little money. Oh yea you aren't supposed to use the pan you boil them in for cooking for some reason, but I did for quite a while before I heard that and didn't notice any ill effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Just rinse the pan afterwards,you can be shocked at the amount of crud that comes off a set. some people bake them dry,I use a teatowel,and then rub them in a swab,it freshens them up and gets a little extra gunk off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I used to boil strings when I was a student, but first heard of the oven method recently from TerryK who I bought my latest Status S2 from. I played his modded Geddy Lee Jazz which had baked strings on. They really did seem like new. I'm going to try it as an experiment this week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teen t-shirt Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 cheers guys will definately give it a try tommorow, and will look into the purchase of some nickles when i purchase my new bass very soon... if anybody's wants a cheapy fender copy, i will soon be selling mine, to make room fo my new peavey, if anybody wishes to purchase it then please pm me and i will let you know when it's going up for sale... will only be pick up, however as there is no bag or case... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar South Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 [quote name='ARGH' post='244105' date='Jul 20 2008, 10:31 PM']Just rinse the pan afterwards,you can be shocked at the amount of crud that comes off a set. some people bake them dry,I use a teatowel,and then rub them in a swab,it freshens them up and gets a little extra gunk off.[/quote] Its supposed to me to do with some chemical reaction between the metal of the strings and the metal of the pan or something, but I doubt theres any serious health risk to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 [quote name='Oscar South' post='244112' date='Jul 20 2008, 10:40 PM']Its supposed to me to do with some chemical reaction between the metal of the strings and the metal of the pan or something, but I doubt theres any serious health risk to it.[/quote] You might suffer a Nickel allergy...Considering a cheap pan...you ARE using a cheap pan..not mum/wifes/partners best Teflon job,coz she WILL go mental...as in really SPAZZ,like the time your dad used a Metal 'spatch' on the new frying pan...God..it was as if he'd started WWIII....you remember...stainless steel isnt going to harm you. Coz last I heard Stainless steel and Stainless steel didnt have a high reaction rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 as i said, its nickle that causes the reaction to happen with some pans, and as i said makes food n that taste very odd afterwards, which cant be healthy dude if your gunna go for the boilin idea, put em on boil for 20 minutes at least, and then either dry them by doin the oven thing, maybe blowdryin them or just leave them to dry overnight or something. obviously dont try dryin them with a towel or something as youl just rub sh*t back into them again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 What happens if you lightly saute them with a little butter and shallots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 [quote name='Clarky' post='244124' date='Jul 20 2008, 11:03 PM']What happens if you lightly saute them with a little butter and shallots?[/quote] All together, sod off Clarky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar South Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 [quote name='ARGH' post='244117' date='Jul 20 2008, 10:54 PM']You might suffer a Nickel allergy...Considering a cheap pan...you ARE using a cheap pan..not mum/wifes/partners best Teflon job,coz she WILL go mental...as in really SPAZZ,like the time your dad used a Metal 'spatch' on the new frying pan...God..it was as if he'd started WWIII....you remember...stainless steel isnt going to harm you. Coz last I heard Stainless steel and Stainless steel didnt have a high reaction rate.[/quote] I don't really know the specifics, I'm just repeating the tiny bit I remember of what whoever told me said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 add salt to taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I have an old steamer in the garage, then I may dry them off in the microwave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 [quote name='Clarky' post='244124' date='Jul 20 2008, 11:03 PM']What happens if you lightly saute them with a little butter and shallots?[/quote] Not as crazy as you think,the Philly guys used to marinate theirs in butter to deaden them even further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee650 Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Nickel is great, with a little garlic and some red wine , boiling is great have done it for years, have a special old pan, never dried them in the oven though, great idea, always used a clean!!! towel, if your going to boil a lot, its best to get strings which dont have silk windings, such as d,addarios, or DR'S, as silk gets a bit funky after a few boils. keep boiling guys- lee What happens if you lightly saute them with a little butter and shallots? [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 tried it once- never agian, made them feel wrong. keep the dirt, it keeps the funk in or summit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 [quote name='finnbass' post='244148' date='Jul 20 2008, 11:32 PM']But what about the strings?[/quote] LMAO Does anyone else use vinegar? I was told it breaks down the grease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 [quote name='Mr Fudge' post='244130' date='Jul 20 2008, 11:05 PM']I have an old steamer in the garage...[/quote] Me too, but she comes in to cook & clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I boil mine in water with a tiny bit of washing up liquid as a de-greaser (only a tiny bit mind, cos it goes mental when it's boiled), pat them dry with a tea towel and then a quick wipe down with some surgical spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Somebody recomended using the dishwasher in a similar thread a while back - haven't tried it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 [quote name='Rich' post='244210' date='Jul 21 2008, 07:42 AM']I boil mine in water with a tiny bit of washing up liquid as a de-greaser (only a tiny bit mind, cos it goes mental when it's boiled), pat them dry with a tea towel and then a quick wipe down with some surgical spirit.[/quote] Same here, a drop of Fairy Liquid™ with it's degreasing action ! I boil each string for about 5 mins and let them dry off and cool naturally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 (edited) I boiled a couple of sets of strings a few years ago. I did notice that it removed a lot of crud from the strings and when they went back on they were fresh and zingy again. The zing only lasted a couple of days at most though and then they were back to their old, dead, flat, selves. I find that preventative measures, such as wiping your strings over with a dry towel after a practice or performance, will greatly extend the life of your strings. I currently change my strings just 3 or 4 times a year. I can't imagine how much it must cost you guys that change them every week! Edited July 21, 2008 by peted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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