greentext Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 I've seen a fair few players reference deadening there new flat-wound strings by using moisturiser or other creams. I know Sean Hurley mentioned he uses Vaseline to achieve the same thing. Has anyone actually ever tried this and is it worth trying? Im totally happy to dead my string by playing as I always have but think this is an interesting approach. Part of me feels weird taking my new strings and slather them in anything. Here is a link to Danny Sapko Youtube Short on the matter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munurmunuh Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 This is the post you want: Eucerin skin cream 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paolo85 Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 I have tried Eucerine cream. It works. I have no way of saying whether the resulting sound is worse/better than it would have been with natural aging though 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Arn't all those creams meant to be Anti-Ageing... to make an old set sound like new... 3 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Just play them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 or don’t buy bright sounding flats, I asked Sean Hurley about his strings once and he does use Vaseline to dull down new flats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 String mutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfretrock Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 32 minutes ago, Reggaebass said: or don’t buy bright sounding flats, I asked Sean Hurley about his strings once and he does use Vaseline to dull down new flats Someone should market string gunk, as James Jameson said "The Gunk keeps the Funk". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Panzer Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Interesting, I had no idea that was even a thing. Personally I'd go with the sponge mute while they aged through playing but mine have been on over a year now so I doubt I'd see much change from trying this. Guy Pratt was on SBL chatting away recently and mentioned Lee Sklar telling him about slapping some gaffer tape over the bridge to deaden harmonics...wonder if that'd have the same effect as moisturiser or a sponge, one I'll try when I get some new strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Nada Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 I've used lip balm (vaseline brand) to achieve this when trying to 'age' a single string to match the rest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greentext Posted February 12, 2023 Author Share Posted February 12, 2023 5 hours ago, chris_b said: Just play them. yh as per my original post, I do, I was just curious on the science if it worked or not 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greentext Posted February 12, 2023 Author Share Posted February 12, 2023 3 hours ago, Saul Panzer said: Personally I'd go with the sponge mute while they aged through playing but mine have been on over a year now so I doubt I'd see much change from trying this. yh same for me, id love to try the aging method but considering the Thomastik strings are like £40-50 a pop I'd feel very reluctant, my strings have been on my bass for about 2 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Take them up to tension, slacken, up to tension again, slacken, rinse and repeat. Should speed up the fatiguing of the metal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 I wouldn't want to smear anything oily/greasy over my strings but if you must then surely eating chips while playing is the best way. Two birds with one stone, dead strings full chippy belly. 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 4 or 5 hours playing time usually does the trick for me. That's 2 or 3 days of home practicing. It takes that long for them to take up the stretch and settle down anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 I expect tuning them up a couple of steps overnight would pretty well do for any zing. Could equally make them dead as doornails so no warranty expressed or implied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 Seems pointless changing the strings 🥴 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paolo85 Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 20 hours ago, pfretrock said: Someone should market string gunk, as James Jameson said "The Gunk keeps the Funk". I would buy it. Seriously. It would probably be hand cream under a different name and at double the price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 3 hours ago, Paolo85 said: I would buy it. Seriously. I'll sell you some of my dead skin and bogies if you like. That seems to be what strings end up covered with 🤢 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 3 minutes ago, Dan Dare said: I'll sell you some of my dead skin and bogies if you like. That seems to be what strings end up covered with 🤢 Reported. Should be in the 'Marketplace' section. Mods, please move..? 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 I had Chromes on my P for a couple of years, started bright, died off nicely as you'd expect. I replaced them with La Bella flats and they instantly sounded like the worn in Chromes, straight out the pack. Lesson? Buy La Bella flats for Precisions Si 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paolo85 Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 30 minutes ago, Dan Dare said: I'll sell you some of my dead skin and bogies if you like. That seems to be what strings end up covered with 🤢 Thanks for the kind offer! Though I was thinking more of the sort of stuff made by people in white lab coats, wearing gloves and not putting them in their nose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 Give them a good rub with a cotton t-shirt to tone down a lot of the initial clank. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 Even within the population of flats there is a world of difference in the degree of zing (or lack of) among those on the market. Personally, I prefer GHS Precision flats on my P bass. I haven’t used vaseline or creams on flats, preferring to wear them in naturally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 1 hour ago, BlueMoon said: Even within the population of flats there is a world of difference in the degree of zing (or lack of) among those on the market. Personally, I prefer GHS Precision flats on my P bass. ^^^^ These are also my preference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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