Petezzz Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I know OK I'm nuts but - bought 4 sets of strings cos I had credit..... and would they last longer in the freezer? (seriously) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Seriously? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I suppose if you were in a Coldplay Tribute act that might work..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Or Vanilla Ice... I'm going to stop now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Sausages do so why not strings? I can see where you're coming from. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 You'll have to refer to the String image star rating on the inside freezer door.... next to the fish and chicken! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apa Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I would imagine you would have to put them in a hermetically sealed bag like D'addario's. Its quit a wet place is your freezer even if its all frozen. I see the logic but strings are not perishable to that extent. But try it and find out. It wont hurt if they are sealed. Unless of course you want to take it down to about 2deg above absolute zero to straighten those atoms out. They will sound amazing especially if you sell them for about £5k a string A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 [quote name='apa' timestamp='1358797406' post='1945273'] I would imagine you would have to put them in a hermetically sealed bag like D'addario's. Its quit a wet place is your freezer even if its all frozen. I see the logic but strings are not perishable to that extent. But try it and find out. It wont hurt if they are sealed. Unless of course you want to take it down to about 2deg above absolute zero to straighten those atoms out. They will sound amazing especially if you sell them for about £5k a string A [/quote] Don't be silly , no-one will buy sausages for £5k a string.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthevan Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 [quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1358799853' post='1945343'] Don't be silly , no-one will buy sausages for £5k a string.... [/quote] Depends how long that string is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn't April! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Moisture and acid from your sweat, along with minute particles of your skin getting between the winds, are what kills strings. Moisture is the main enemy, so the fridge is a non runner IMO. Once they are sealed, store them in a dry place and they should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Just stick them in a tupperware box or something and put them in the cupboard. Remember even "new" bass strings have probably sat on the shelf in the factory/shop for months anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.I. Joe Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 [quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358857436' post='1946029'] Just stick them in a tupperware box or something and put them in the cupboard. Remember even "new" bass strings have probably sat on the shelf in the factory/shop for months anyway. [/quote] Not just months, you can buy new old-stock Fender strings on Ebay from before the D'addario merger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 I put some 30 year old bronze strings onto my acoustic one time and they sounded like I'd purchased them that day. Abstain from freezing your strings, keep perishables in your fridge freezer instead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 If they are 'black nylon covered' or similar tapewound then the scientific answer is yes (don't ask, I spent 3 years researching such stuff). The pragmatic answer is how long do you want them to last? My Roto Tru Bass strings on my Eko acoustic bass are the originals and are still good to go. I bought the bass in 1979? so 34 yrs old or so without use of freezer. Seems fair value for money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Cold and other temperatures does some very funny things to metal and I would hazard to say, irreparable damage to precise things like a guitar string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Ah,they're all winding you up mate. I say go for it. Just remember to defrost them in the microwave before fitting. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 leave to rest for a minute after? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim "King Conga" Posted December 4, 2020 Share Posted December 4, 2020 I just searched for this topic. I'm planning to buy several sets of guitar strings but I know that the tropical climate in which I live will have destroyed them before I use them all. The tropical moisture seems to find its way into every sealed container. Someone commented that the freezer is a very wet place. It is not. All air-born moisture has turned to frost. It is the driest place available that I can think of. My enquiry was more to see if years of cold temperature could damage the strings. I don't think so, as low temperatures are going to slow down any chemical reaction also. I didn't find a clear answer to my inquiry here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted December 4, 2020 Share Posted December 4, 2020 It's not the temp, if you can live there. You want to keep them dry, put your strings to a plastic bag and seal it. Some silica gel dries the extra moisture. By the way, how many sets and what is your changing interval? Depending on the amount of playing I change strings 1 - 4 times / year / bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolo Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 On 04/12/2020 at 20:12, Tim "King Conga" said: didn't find a clear answer to my inquiry here. Just 20-odd posts saying 'no, don't'. Your reasoning seems flawed. The cold may contract the windings enough for frost to settle in between and even reach the core. Once out of the fridge the aging process will most likely be accelerated if the string hasn't gone brittle already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 I doubt the cold will affect the structure of all metal strings, even with bronze on steel the differential expansion effect will be negligible compared to coiling and uncoiling a string. If you had aluminium alloy strings, then potentially there could be an effect, especially if recently heat treated. For sensible string metals, no effects happening at those temperatures. HOWEVER... Temperature cycling does 'age' metals causing internal tensions to dissipate, which might accelerate the ageing process. So continually putting your strings in and out of the fridge might be bad. SO MAKE YOU MIND UP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) What about 'treating' them in the microwave - having removed them from the packet first, obvz? Asking for a friend Edited December 15, 2020 by Teebs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted December 16, 2020 Share Posted December 16, 2020 Dishwasher does a better job than the old boiling up with Persil to restore old strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el borracho Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 I have no idea about the science behind this but it brought to mind the Dean Markley Blue Steel strings. Their advertising blurb says they are "Cryogenically frozen with a blast of liquid nitrogen". Not sure what, if any, difference it makes. I used them for a while in the early 90s then sort of forgot about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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