Steel Wool to clean bass strings?

[sirmuppet]

Has any one tried using steel wool to clean their bass strings? Just wondering as it's been suggested to me to do this and it doesn't sound like a good idea to me. 

[KiOgon]

You must be joking!

[Reggaebass]

Definitely not, you would never get rid of the tiny metal fibres , I wouldn’t put wire wool anywhere near any of my basses 

[EssentialTension]

Very bad idea.

[sirmuppet]

35 minutes ago, KiOgon said:

You must be joking!

 

31 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Definitely not, you would never get rid of the tiny metal fibres , I wouldn’t put wire wool anywhere near any of my basses 

Thanks guys. Didn't want to add it until I had a couple of replies but this was Ernie Ball themselves advising I do this with a set of Cobalts. They went on my bass which was stored in it's case. It came out 2 weeks later with black spots on the strings. Now no other basses have this, and it's stored inside in a dry condition. After less than 3 hours play the G turned very dark and the spots got worse. This is the thread email:

[KiOgon]

I only use flats, but have done this on rounds also - before fitting new strings soak a cotton wool pad in IPA or Surgical Spirit or Methylated spirit and scrub the new strings down until clean. It's amazing how much black shyte comes off them - machining oil mostly.

I would never use steel wool of any grade, especially not while on a bass, imagine bits of steel wool all over your pick-up magnets 😃

 

[sirmuppet]

Just now, KiOgon said:

I only use flats, but have done this on rounds also - before fitting new strings soak a cotton wool pad in IPA or Surgical Spirit or Methylated spirit and scrub the new strings down until clean. It's amazing how much black shyte comes off them - machining oil mostly.

I would never use steel wool of any grade, especially not while on a bass, imagine bits of steel wool all over your pick-up magnets 😃

 

Thanks. These strings have had only about 3 hours use in total. The black spots appeared even before I really used them. It was the same bass that had cobalts on for about 2 years prior and the ones I took off looked newer than the ones that had just been put on. After 3 hours use they look even worse!

Yeah, I rub my strings down after use to. Not going at far as to use what you do. I mean Cobalts aren't cheap or as easy to find so I want them to last as long as they can.

I've replied to Ernie Ball. Will see what they say.

[KiOgon]

I have used Fast Fret a few times on used strings over the years, (not always on the same strings 🙄), that does clean them off, apparently KFC fingers is good too!

[sirmuppet]

5 minutes ago, KiOgon said:

I have used Fast Fret a few times on used strings over the years, (not always on the same strings 🙄), that does clean them off, apparently KFC fingers is good too!

Ha ha. I'll need to use that as and excuse to go to KFC!

[Reggaebass]

29 minutes ago, sirmuppet said:

Ha ha. I'll need to use that as and excuse to go to KFC!

Any excuse to go to KFC 👍

[Bigguy2017]

If you must scour them use a Scotchbrite pad and some isopropyl alcohol.. 

Wire wool will leave sharp bits of metal everywhere.

[itu]

To remove wire wool and other metallic debris, use tape! Simple & effective. But I still wouldn't use steel wool anywhere near my basses.

It is also possible to remove the metallic dirt by demagnetizing pickups, but...

Edited June 22, 2021 by itu

[chris_b]

If you really have to use wire wool on your strings off, please take them off the bass first.

Sounds to me like that would damage the strings as well as shine them up!

[Geek99]

All the swarf would stick to the pickups 

[sirmuppet]

Well this was Ernie Ball UK sayign this to me. I would never do it but it seems the consensus is that it's not a good idea which is what I thought. 

Eventually Ernie Ball relented and offered me a set of strings to which I said just regualr ones rather than Cobalts. 

Thanks for the opinions. It was exactly what I thought 🙂

[Geek99]

Quite the most stupid idea ever - actually maybe not since it’s not been put forward by a particular colleague of mine, but it’s, y’know, up there in the “top five ever” since the end of the dinosaur era 

[Reggaebass]

Here’s a magnified flatwound string, which has tight winds, a roundwound is a lot more open, can you imagine all those metal fibres going into those grooves , you won’t ever get them out 

[ezbass]

Ernie Ball proving once again that they won't admit when they've made a duff product and coming up with fanciful 'fixes'. For the record, my first 4 sets of cobalts were fault free. However, my 5th set (which were provided free of charge, fortunately) had this spotting issue.

[Dan Dare]

The other issue with steel wool is that the fragments will coat your pickup magnets in a fine metallic fur that you'll never completely shift.

I agree with suggestions to clean strings with meths or similar. I do that with new strings, which gets rid of the sticky feeling they can have (which I think is either some sort of machining oil or a coating to prevent corrosion in the packet). Do it before you put them on the instrument, by wetting something like a coarse paper towel, pinching it round the strings and drawing them through it. Works for me.

[sirmuppet]

I told Ernie Ball I post up this thread and they asked what they could do to make it right. So I told them I had it with Cobalts, I'd just rather have regular strings. Which they've now said they will send me. 

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking it was a bad idea. I would never have done it as it didn't sound right, just wondered if anyone else had tried or been told to do it. 

At least they've sorted me now. 

 

[EBS_freak]

Yeah, all those flakes of metal making their way to the pickups. Gonna look great with hairy pickups....

[Downunderwonder]

I seriously doubt those stain spots have any effect on the string. As the only person who would notice them I would play them out.

[mybass]

Maybe try micro mesh…..(hope this pastes up) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333641208471?hash=item4dae90d297:g:JBkAAOSwMmBVwRtd

These sheets can be bought separately or as a ‘set, starting at 1500 ‘grit’. Used for polishing up wood after final sand paper use and before oiling. This 1500 sheet is not sand paper as such so there shouldn’t be any residue problem, unlike steel wool that will break off and small bits will go everywhere if you aren’t careful and gather around the magnetic pickups….strange idea that but I guess the ‘techs’ meant for you to take the strings off.

I say send the strings back to them for an exchange. I did this with D’Addario, on their request, many years ago when they introduced half wounds strings and about the third set I used was ‘dead’ on arrival. I did the usual wash with surgical spirit on a cloth and tons of mini filings came off the strings. They simply hadn’t been washed off at the factory after being ground down.

[sirmuppet]

2 hours ago, mybass said:

Maybe try micro mesh…..(hope this pastes up) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333641208471?hash=item4dae90d297:g:JBkAAOSwMmBVwRtd

These sheets can be bought separately or as a ‘set, starting at 1500 ‘grit’. Used for polishing up wood after final sand paper use and before oiling. This 1500 sheet is not sand paper as such so there shouldn’t be any residue problem, unlike steel wool that will break off and small bits will go everywhere if you aren’t careful and gather around the magnetic pickups….strange idea that but I guess the ‘techs’ meant for you to take the strings off.

I say send the strings back to them for an exchange. I did this with D’Addario, on their request, many years ago when they introduced half wounds strings and about the third set I used was ‘dead’ on arrival. I did the usual wash with surgical spirit on a cloth and tons of mini filings came off the strings. They simply hadn’t been washed off at the factory after being ground down.

I was never planning to do it as I really think it's a bad idea. Just had never heard of it and wanted to know what others thought. It seems the vast majoirty think it's a very bad idea. 

Ernie Ball relented and sent me a set of strings. I didn't want cobalts again even though they sound so good. I've used them in the past without any issue, just this set. I may try them again down the road. Have to say though Ernie Ball UK, once they said they'd send a set, had them here the very next day. 

[mybass]

21 hours ago, sirmuppet said:

I was never planning to do it as I really think it's a bad idea. Just had never heard of it and wanted to know what others thought. It seems the vast majoirty think it's a very bad idea. 

Ernie Ball relented and sent me a set of strings. I didn't want cobalts again even though they sound so good. I've used them in the past without any issue, just this set. I may try them again down the road. Have to say though Ernie Ball UK, once they said they'd send a set, had them here the very next day. 

Good news for the new set and service from Ernie Ball..