Do You Clean and Reuse Your Strings?

[Dubs]

After a recent topic on how to clean strings, I thought it would be interesting to find out how many people clean and reuse their strings instead of buying new each time.

Personally, I boil the strings on my main bass once every 2 weeks or so when I’m using it a lot and then replace them for new ones after I’ve boiled them 4 or 5 times.

What do you guys do?

[crez5150]

I did when I was a Pikey student......

Now I play on such a regular basis that i can't risk using boiled strings.... I get about three gigs out of a set (2-3 hour per gig) then a new set on.

[BigBeefChief]

I've never changed or cleaned a bass string!

[Adrenochrome]

My strings get wiped down and cleaned in situ on a very regular basis. I don't change them unless they break and I absolutely couldn't afford to change them every few gigs so I have no choice in the matter.

[bigjohn]

I clean em with a duster even now and again. Flatwounds stay clean really.

Even when I used roundwounds I hardly ever cleaned or changed em though. I don't like zingy new strings.

[Delberthot]

I'm very hard on my strings and am convinced that when I take them off, they have already been stretched to their limits. If I were to put them back on, they would break very quickly.

Could be true, could be rubbish. I do keep a couple of sets of old strings in my bag in case of breakages.

[crez5150]

One thing you do notice with old strings is the amount of volume you lose..... stick a new set on and you'll notice a big difference

[Dubs]

Next time I take my strings off for a clean I'm gonna try using meths in a sandwich box and see how the results differ to boiling.

[Currrls]

with the boiling method, i presume you just stick them in a pan of boiling water, but how long for?

[BigBeefChief]

[quote name='Currrls' post='408530' date='Feb 13 2009, 01:14 PM']with the boiling method, i presume you just stick them in a pan of boiling water, but how long for?[/quote]


I prefer al dente.

[ahpook]

i'd never reuse strings...they sound awful imho.

[Dubs]

[quote name='Currrls' post='408530' date='Feb 13 2009, 01:14 PM']with the boiling method, i presume you just stick them in a pan of boiling water, but how long for?[/quote]

5 mins with a tiny drop of fairly liquid (I can't emphasise how important it is to literally only use a single tiny drop, cos otherwise you'll have soapy water everywhere...)

[Currrls]

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='408543' date='Feb 13 2009, 01:21 PM']I prefer al dente.[/quote]
and add a dash of salt?

[Dubs]

[quote name='ahpook' post='408545' date='Feb 13 2009, 01:21 PM']i'd never reuse strings...they sound awful imho.[/quote]

Really? You must be doing it wrong cos mine always come out sounding brand spanking new as if they’ve just come out of the packet. What strings do you use? I generally use Ernie Ball and I’m quite a heavy player but they usually stand up to at least 3 or 4 boils and occasionally I boil them 5 or 6 times before replacing them with a new set.

[Low Down Dave]

[quote name='Currrls' post='408555' date='Feb 13 2009, 01:25 PM']and add a dash of salt?[/quote]

only if you want them to relic them...

[Currrls]

hehe, i'm going to go boil my strings now, theyre in need of a new set but i'm well and truly credit crunched. i'll let you know how it goes!

[peted]

I don't re-use my strings after they've gone dead. I give them a wipe over with a cloth after a gig to keep the surface muck off and get good use out of them. I'm not one of these people who don't change their strings at all to keep the funk, or one of these people that change their strings every couple of weeks. I probably change them a few times a year. I buy my string packs 3-at-a-time to get the cheapest deal online.

I boiled a set of strings once. They came up zingy again, but died very shortly after (days).

If I find myself unable to afford new strings then I like the sound of soaking them in alcohol. I wouldn't try the boiling thing again.

[Clockworkwar]

I let them die on me, until I have to do a gig or something and then I throw them in a bath of meths for 24 hours and slap them back on, they sound great!

[BigRedX]

BTW your poll doesn't work properly. If I pick "no" for cleaning strings then the second question is irrelevant but it's not possible to leave it blank and still vote in the first part.

What you should have done is just had the second part of the poll with a 4th option for "I buy new strings rather than cleaning and re-using"

[Hamster]

"I buy new strings rather than cleaning and re-using" - because nowadays, I can afford it.

[johnnylager]

[quote name='Hamster' post='416609' date='Feb 22 2009, 01:35 PM']"I buy new strings rather than cleaning and re-using" - because nowadays, I can afford it.[/quote]
+1. Just.

[Dubs]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='416572' date='Feb 22 2009, 12:22 PM']BTW your poll doesn't work properly. If I pick "no" for cleaning strings then the second question is irrelevant but it's not possible to leave it blank and still vote in the first part.

What you should have done is just had the second part of the poll with a 4th option for "I buy new strings rather than cleaning and re-using"[/quote]

Ah, I didn't realise that you had to leave an answer for both parts. Oh well, too late now...

[KERMITNT]

so far i change my strings and clean them with a cloath when are getting dirty..

[Andyalfa]

I've read about people using WD40 to clean their strings, but I was wondering, would Servisol contact cleaner do the same? Anyone tried it?

[Rich]

I boil my strings in water with a bit of washing up liquid in, as a degreaser and crap-remover -- like Ben said, watch out when it comes to the boil though, the suds go mental! After about 5 mins on a boil, I remove them and let them dry, before a quick wipe down with a rag with surgical spirit on it. Cleans them up like new and puts at least a couple of gig's worth of life back in them. I don't play all that hard, which helps.

OK, so the strings I use (Warwick Reds) are pretty cheap anyway, but needs must in these turbulent times and all that.