String boiling recipe

[nilorius]

How many of You here use string boiling and is there different ways of doing that? How do You like the result?

[Barking Spiders]

Yep, I always do with roundwounds, just long enough until you seen the bits of dirt seep out, probably 10 mins or so.

 

I've been doing this for years as i don't wanna shell out for new sets every time the tone starts getting dull. In my experience, it works well, almost as good as new, not quite but 90% there

Edited May 25, 2022 by Barking Spiders

[Dad3353]

I'm far from expert in these matters (I'm a drummer, and I don't boil my sticks...), but I think that boiling strings has been largely debunked for a few decades now. Wiping the strings down after playing would be a better way of extending their life, or investing in longer-lasting strings, such as Elixir, if the initial cost can be born. If one is looking for the 'zing' of new strings, it just has to be accepted that it is really only available from new strings and that's that. The 'benefit' or extra 'zing' from boiled strings, if there is any at all, is very short indeed. I wouldn't bother, personally. 

[nilorius]

1 minute ago, Barking Spiders said:

Yep, I always do with roundwounds, just long enough until you seen the bits of dirt seep out, probably 10 mins or so

Intresting - do You put them in allready boiling water ar start from cold and boil together ?

[Barking Spiders]

1 minute ago, nilorius said:

Intresting - do You put them in allready boiling water ar start from cold and boil together ?

I coil them and then drop them in boiling water

[BigRedX]

IME it's a waste of time, and probably money if you put a value on your time as well.

 

I tried it once. It made a mess of the pan I put the stings into and never felt comfortable about using it for cooking with again. One of the stings broke when I put them back on the bass and had to be replaced, and others lost any brightness I had put back into them before a week was up.

[Barking Spiders]

I guess it depends on whether you make a living out of playing bass or not. If I were a full time pro I guess I'd buy new rather than boil. It's not a source of income for me so it doesn't matter if the tone isn't quite as good as with new strings

[Dood]

One of the key issues with boiling strings is that although you may have given them a good wash and returned some temporary brightness back, what you can not undo is metal fatigue. The strings are always being stretched. This has a number of issues including weakening them and loosening the windings. Of course, naturally, loose windings can allow contamination in as well as dulling the sound of the string, even creating wolf or odd overtones and rattles (which can sometimes appear on specific fretted notes).

 

So whereas it's a temporary fix and certainly would seem a good way of recycling the string and saving money, the nature of it can not stand in the way of inevitability. 

 

#triedandtested 

[Dood]

Just now, Dood said:

One of the key issues with boiling strings is that although you may have given them a good wash and returned some temporary brightness back, what you can not undo is metal fatigue. The strings are always being stretched. This has a number of issues including weakening them and loosening the windings. Of course, naturally, loose windings can allow contamination in as well as dulling the sound of the string, even creating wolf or odd overtones and rattles (which can sometimes appear on specific fretted notes).

 

So whereas it's a temporary fix and certainly would seem a good way of recycling the string and saving money, the nature of it can not stand in the way of inevitability. 

 

#triedandtested 

 

Fatigued strings can create tuning issues even if they have been boiled.

[thodrik]

At current and upcoming energy prices in the UK, the cost of boiling a kettle and then using the cooker to boil the strings will probably ended up being more expensive than the cost of buying new strings. So essentially, I view the process as a waste of water and electricity. 

I generally just buy long life coated strings. Yes, I prefer the initial sound of fresh non-coated strings which to me is a 10/10 sound, but usually the tone fades within 6 weeks leaving me with a 6/10 sound. A set of Elixirs or similar strings gives me an 9/10 sound for about 18 months. 

[casapete]

Can’t find the YouTube link, but a while ago a guy was on there showing how you can restore

a bit of the brightness of new strings by slackening them a off a little one by one

and ‘snapping’ them sharply, making them whack the frets.

This removes a lot of the gunk in the windings ( of roundwounds) and temporarily gives

them a bit more life. I tried it and you could hear a bit of difference, although suspect

it may give better results on really filthy strings?

Worth a go and costs nowt....😀

Edited May 25, 2022 by casapete

[pbasspecial]

4 minutes ago, casapete said:

Can’t find the YouTube link, but a while ago a guy was on there showing how you can restore

a bit of the brightness of new strings by slackening them a off a little one by one

and ‘snapping’ them sharply, making them whack the frets.

This removes a lot of the gunk in the windings ( of roundwounds) and temporarily gives

them a bit more life. I tried it and you could hear a bit of difference, although suspect

it may give better results on really filthy strings?

Worth a go and costs nowt....😀

I believe it was Marlowe DK doing it

[pbasspecial]

There you go. Save you guys having to look it up. 

[Rich]

1 hour ago, Dad3353 said:

The 'benefit' or extra 'zing' from boiled strings, if there is any at all, is very short indeed. 

Yes it is very short-lived, but you can get an extra gig out of a dull set if necessary. It doesn't work a second time!  

 

I don't boil strings any more, as I'm an Elixir user, but when I did I put a few drops of washing-up liquid in the water -- careful of the suds, it goes mad -- and waited till the water was at a good rolling boil before putting the strings in and turning the heat right down. 10 or 15 minutes is all that's needed.

Do NOT, whatever you do, make the same mistake as a friend of mine did... become engrossed in a TV programme and completely forget they're on the stove, and allow them to boil dry. It scorched the bottom of the nice stainless pan and the marks have never come off, not matter how hard he scrubbed, and my errm I mean his wife will never let him forget it. 

[musicbassman]

Well, interesting topic. I've boiled strings occasionally for many years.

Yesterday, I boiled a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt flats from my P bass that had been pretty heavily used the last couple of months , and its embarrassing to see just how much crud floats to the surface of the water. And I don't suffer from sweaty hands.

I don't leave the strings in the water for long, about a minute or so, then pat them dry and replace.

Excellent! - tone restored completely. And I take the opportunity to give the fretboard a good clean while the strings are off as well.

If there's a downside to this technique, I haven't discovered it yet.  🙂👍

[nilorius]

1 hour ago, pbasspecial said:

There you go. Save you guys having to look it up. 

Mybe it works for 1 mounth old and very swetty strings not half year standart finger playing.

Edited May 25, 2022 by nilorius

[Bigwan]

Coil them, place them in a large disposable plastic tub and cover with meths. Put on the lid and agitate a little bit. I usually leave overnight. Remove, uncoil and hang to dry. 

[Old Horse Murphy]

I always add a tiny drop of olive oil to make sure they don't stick together and at the very last minute throw in a torn (not chopped) basil leaf and season to taste. 

[neepheid]

Try as I might, I can never get my strings al dente.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I usually fill a saucepan with petrol, bring it to the boil, throw the strings in and simmer for a couple of hours.

[bubinga5]

Dishwasher. Works a treat

[tegs07]

14 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

I usually fill a saucepan with petrol, bring it to the boil, throw the strings in and simmer for a couple of hours.

i hope you are joking!

[nilorius]

33 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Try as I might, I can never get my strings al dente.

What does "al dente" mean ?

[Frank Blank]

16 minutes ago, nilorius said:

What does "al dente" mean ?

Al Dente was a Jazz musician who played the double bass, although he was never involved in any particularly famous recordings he was notable for being one of the first players to boil his strings. He was also known for his intricate macramé portraits of the Jazz greats and his detailed knowledge of the baroque harpsichord.

[Dad3353]

21 minutes ago, nilorius said:

What does "al dente" mean ?

 

It's Italian, and basically refers to the 'ideal' consistence of cooked pasta. Here, it's being used as a joke, comparing the boiling of strings to cooking spaghetti. Hope this helps. 

Edit : Ignore the fatuous posting from Frank, above; he's not taken his meds again. 

Edited May 25, 2022 by Dad3353