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String cleaning


Paul Cooke
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My fast fret stick appears to be drying out... would it be OK to put a few drops of 3-in-1 oil on it and let it soak in?

Would 3-in-1 be safe for the fretboard (rosewood)? It's a bit difficult to use a Fast-Fret stick without getting some on the fretboard...

I normally do my fretboards once a month with Dr. Stringfellow Lem-oil

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I've tried all the tricks over the years... I use fast fret to keep strings zingy & clean sounding... Strangely, if you wipe the strings with a cloth afterwards, the strings deaden. Just give the strings a wipe down with the applicator & they're fine. Make sure you don't get any on exposed screw heads or pickup poles, though. It's very corrosive!

Many years ago tried the old boiling strings routine & wiping them with a solution of meths with a few drops of washing up liquid. Neither gets you very far, so I'd say either pay £15-20 on a set of strings each month, or buy some more fast fret at £5.

Cutting corners never seems to work!

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[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' date='Sep 15 2007, 11:29 AM' post='60781']
I've tried all the tricks over the years... I use fast fret to keep strings zingy & clean sounding... Strangely, if you wipe the strings with a cloth afterwards, the strings deaden. Just give the strings a wipe down with the applicator & they're fine. Make sure you don't get any on exposed screw heads or pickup poles, though. It's very corrosive!

Many years ago tried the old boiling strings routine & wiping them with a solution of meths with a few drops of washing up liquid. Neither gets you very far, so I'd say either pay £15-20 on a set of strings each month, or buy some more fast fret at £5.

Cutting corners never seems to work!

MB1. :)
+1..
In the words of Paul McCartney ......"Why dont you listen to what the man said!".

Edited by MB1
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I'm trying to do my bit for the "Planet"...

the Three R's... Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Why buy a new Fast Fret stick... which most likely has been shipped right round the planet... China to America then onwards... when it could be possible to recharge it.

I'm going to try recharging the fast fret stick by applying some 3-in-1 oil on it and also spritzing some Lem-oil on it as well to help it soak in.

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At work and googling it will be unsly (I type this in notepad and rapidly paste in) But soaking them in a tube of alcohol based solvent is supposed to work. Sounds right, will soak out the grease and not corrode like boiling, oull the out, wipe off the swollen out the coils gunk and hang them to dry outside.

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[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='61756' date='Sep 17 2007, 04:35 PM']At work and googling it will be unsly (I type this in notepad and rapidly paste in) But soaking them in a tube of alcohol based solvent is supposed to work. Sounds right, will soak out the grease and not corrode like boiling, oull the out, wipe off the swollen out the coils gunk and hang them to dry outside.[/quote]

Hi Oli,
How's it going mate?
I soak mine in Isopropyl about once every six months, in cut to length metal tubes. It does get most of the crap out, & doesn't stress the string in the same way as boiling.

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Im pretty sure its not an oil based additive in teh fast fret sticks.... I use them too.

My guess is that is an alcohol based product with a very small percentage of very light oil in it. Let us know how you gte on with 3in1.... My guess is that it wont be as good and stinks (the ladies wont love you at the end of a gig if you stink like a dip stick!).

I'm going to try cleaning on one of my old ones on methanol and leavin some in it.

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I think I put too much 3-in-1 and not enough Lem-oil on the stick... mind you, I'm not sure it's fully soaked down yet...

I'm picking up a new Fast Fret stick this weekend and I'll see what the old one is like after a couple of weeks soak and usage on my old practice bass...


note to self, must get a length of 1" Plastic tube and end caps etc. to make this thingy:

[url="http://www.tunemybass.com/strings/bass_string_cleaning_tube.html"]http://www.tunemybass.com/strings/bass_str...aning_tube.html[/url]

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