Arco... Dirty business?

[NickD]

And so the questions begin! 🤣

So, I have this beast now, and I can't stop playing the damn thing, seems like my Helix handles it well, and given the absence of neighbours this morning I stuck it straight through my Markbass 121H combo expecting something awful from the low output piezo pickup, but was very pleasantly surprised as it turned out.

Now.... Arco?

Not something I can imagine having a serious use for beyond looped, effected drones and weird ambient swells (I guess you never know though), but a number of YT videos have suggested that using a bow can be useful for honing intonation given a bowed note's less forgiving nature. I plan on going fairly inexpensive to start with as it's only a practice tool for now (unless that's a terrible idea?), but reading around I'm getting mixed messages.... Is it a messy business?

95% on the time I'll be playing pizz, will the rosin make my strings sticky, my bass sticky, my case sticky, my carpet sticky.... does it fly around and build up on the curtains (ok, a step too far, but you get the gist). Is it something you have to live with, do I need to put a towel down, or are are those complaining of such things lashing a ton of sticky stuff on there unnecessarily? Is it manageable, can I spend 10 mins cleaning stuff down when I'm done playing and get everything back to square one... If so is there a string/bass/bow cleaner that you'd recommend?

Thanks in advance

[Downunderwonder]

I used to play violin. The rosin dust got on the violin and strings and had to be wiped off before putting it back in the case. The rosin dust that got on the carpet stayed there until the next vacuuming so I guess 99% of it is still stuck to the carpet? Pro players tend to live long lives so it can't be very toxic.

My teacher had a little bottle of some expensive cleaning cream that would take off built up rosin without harming the finish. We only used it once to clean up my vintage inherited instrument that Grandad hadn't cleaned.

[NickA]

I bow and pluck.  Should be bowing between the end of the finger board and the bridge but plucking over the fingerboard so the bit you pluck doesn't get sticky.

BUT I have a bad habit of tensing up during difficult bowed passages so the bow rides up over the fingerboard.  Just wipe the strings down with a rag with some alcohol on it .. easily cleaned ( have a bottle of undrinkable cheap Sainsbury's gin in my bass playing room for the purpose )

[alyctes]

On 05/03/2021 at 03:04, NickA said:

 undrinkable cheap Sainsbury's gin

Weird...

 

[alyctes]

When I was a tiny wee cello student, I was taught that you never touch the bow's hairs with your fingers because the grease makes the bow slip on the strings.  For the same reason, you bow on the bit between the bridge and the fingerboard, and pluck above that.

I never worried about rosin dust, except to clean it off the cello before lessons

 

[philparker]

At one of the DB Workshop's I attended, we had a presentation from a D'Addario Rep, who gave a good lecture with video and stills on string production, care & maintenance etc. which was more interesting and informative than I was expecting. Anyway, to get to the point, the company had dissected and examined various old strings that had been cleaned with alcohol related fluids/compounds (as well as other methods) and they were able to depict the deterioration by using fluids to clean the strings, which was quite considerable. Their recommendation was to wipe with a dry, lint-free cloth (which I have always carried out on all my string instruments for the last 40+ years!

From my own experience, it takes less than 30 seconds to wipe and clean my DB after a good practise session: strings, fretboard and body. No fluids required.

[NickA]

My spiros are 30 yrs old ... reckon they really like cheap gin :-). The d'Addario helicores were never much good when new so it would be hard to determine deterioration anyway.

Tbh though I rarely clean the strings, just dust the bass down with a dry cloth after orchestra. Segregation of bowing and plucking zones mostly does the job.

Ps

18 hours ago, alyctes said:

 undrinkable cheap Sainsbury's gin

well you CAN drink it, but their "taste the difference" gin is SO much better.

[NickD]

It seems like a lot of fuss over nothing then.... I'd better get on with it!

[Gareth Hughes]

I could be not the most observant person, but in 20 something years of playing with a bow, 10 of them teaching daily, I’ve never noticed rosin on the carpet or clothes, unless you bang up against the string. 
Arco is definitely worth doing, if for no other reason than to build hand strength and intonation. Just playing long, 4 beat notes at 60bpm, forces your left hand to hold the string down the entire length of the note. It’s weight training for fingers.😀