I love meths!

[Bigwan]

My new string brand of choice - every set of strings I've ever kept! Bar breakages I can't see me needing to buy new strings for a LONG time!

I recently got a precision from stinson of this parish and it came with some pretty old/worn/well played Elite's on it (not a bad thing - well used strings on a precision is the way to go for most of the stuff I'd play!). I was heading to Sweden last weekend in March to record bass for my band's album (ex-band now, exited on a high!) and wanted to use the precision (my wedding present from her indoors!). Being a bit strapped after settling my CC bill, I could only afford one replacement set of strings... ended up I didn't need them at all!

Having forked out some major cash for strings in the last few years I started to contemplate boiling them again - hasn't everyone tried it in the past? Well after a quick search on google, here and 'on the other side' I found a lot of references to using methelated spirits (or denatured alcohol if you like) and building a string cleaning tube. I'm just about the most lazy person when it comes to things like that so thought a 2 litre harribo box (other brands of tooth decay are available) with a lid would be perfect for the job. Add a litre of meths, coil up the strings, drop them in the meths, put the lid on, quick swirl about and leave them submerged for 12 hours. Quick pat dry with one of those disposable blue cloths and hang them up on a wire coat hanger to dry for an hour - hey presto - fresh strings! I couldn't believe how well they came out! They sounded like new, but with the advantage of being pre-stretched and with the feeling under your fingers of played strings - I find SS strings feel a bit weird straight out of the packet.

I'm well chuffed!

Edited April 6, 2010 by Bigwan

[Kiwi]

FWIW isopropyl alcohol does a similar job. However no amount of meths is going to prevent the wearing of flatspots on roundwounds or the stretching of the core. All strings go flat eventually.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

The meths doesn't taste as good after soaking the strings though

No soaking for me - I like dead TI flats. My oldest set is probably about 7 or 8 years old & they still sound great.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[Bigwan]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='797311' date='Apr 6 2010, 11:00 AM']FWIW isopropyl alcohol does a similar job. However no amount of meths is going to prevent the wearing of flatspots on roundwounds or the stretching of the core. All strings go flat eventually. [/quote]

Totally, but they'll sound new right up to the end! I'm a bit of a hoarder so have lots of old string sets lying around to try this with. They'll keep me going for YEARS!

[Bigwan]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='797347' date='Apr 6 2010, 11:23 AM']The meths doesn't taste as good after soaking the stings though[/quote]

You really would have to be beyond desperate to drink that stuff!

[SS73]

What is needed is removal of oils and grease etc from the string, Iso alc'l will do that but it's not cheap, Meths is cheap but won't do the job as well.
What you need is Carbon Tetrachloride and a cheap way to buy it is in the form of Brake Cleaner.
Clean fast and strong, oh and it will also remove all the oils from your skin too, but you will have clean strings in seconds.

[MoonBassAlpha]

[quote name='SS73' post='802436' date='Apr 11 2010, 11:12 AM']What is needed is removal of oils and grease etc from the string, Iso alc'l will do that but it's not cheap, Meths is cheap but won't do the job as well.
What you need is Carbon Tetrachloride and a cheap way to buy it is in the form of Brake Cleaner.
Clean fast and strong, oh and it will also remove all the oils from your skin too, but you will have clean strings in seconds. [/quote]
Carbon tetrachloride is a banned substance since 2002, mainly due to it's ozone-depleting powers, and that it's carcinogenic and can cause liver and kidney damage.
Apart from that, it's fine.

[Grand Wazoo]

Well you can boil and pickle your strings with alchool, meth and even vinegar to kingdom come but: [b]a[/b] they'll only sound brighter for 10 minutes and [b]b[/b] you cannot stop the ovalizing effect of the stretched core and the damage caused by the frets indentations.

An ovalized string will not produce a correct sin wave and as a result the electromagnetic spectrum that your pickup is meant to translate in audible sounds, will not reproduce a perfectly tuned note, it'll always be flat, and your bass will gradually sound more and more out of tune as the strings get older. Think of your strings as your car tyres, once they are worn there's f/all you can do about it! (well you could have lorries tyres recoverd with new thread because the price justify it but with car tyres you're better off buying new ones)

Buy your strings in bulk they are cheaper that way and buy them from this chap on ebay he is the cheaper in UK, I have searched high and low and I am yet to find someone that can beat his prices.

[url="http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Aire-Guitars-Unplugged__W0QQ_armrsZ1"]http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Aire-Guitars...d__W0QQ_armrsZ1[/url]

Edited April 11, 2010 by Grand Wazoo

[SS73]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' post='802478' date='Apr 11 2010, 11:58 AM']Carbon tetrachloride is a banned substance since 2002, mainly due to it's ozone-depleting powers, and that it's carcinogenic and can cause liver and kidney damage.
Apart from that, it's fine.[/quote]

Well, whatever Brake Cleaner has in it then, it must be some different compound now.

[discreet]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='797347' date='Apr 6 2010, 11:23 AM']The meths doesn't taste as good after soaking the strings though.[/quote]

Try Brasso! Ya fugginn baasssssahhhhh ye!! Aggghhhhh!

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' post='802478' date='Apr 11 2010, 11:58 AM']Carbon tetrachloride is a banned substance since 2002, mainly due to it's ozone-depleting powers, and that it's carcinogenic and can cause liver and kidney damage.
Apart from that, it's fine.[/quote]
Also it's totally unpalatable without plenty of tonic water and lots of ice

[SS73]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='802523' date='Apr 11 2010, 12:37 PM']Also it's totally unpalatable without plenty of tonic water and lots of ice[/quote]

Plus if the glass has been washed with Fairy Liquid it will have traces of Formaldehyde making it quite a cocktail.

[Pentode]

+1 Re' the Brake Cleaner.

'Kin evil stuff but it's [b]really[/b] effective at stripping grease (I use it in my business for cleaning stuff prior to TIG welding).

Gotta be really careful about inhaling the vapour... :wacko:

[JTUK]

Meths is cheap enough and will evaporate somewhat if you soak strings for 24hrs or so..
You need this period to soak them through and then they'll last you a good few weeks, IME and
I don't use them if they are dull so this is about right as far as I can see.

It helps if you use a brand without the fabric windings as this is just a faff.. like DR.

You do have to watch out for flat spots though and you do have to wind them on gently.

You could..potentially ..get many cleans out of the strings then.

[discreet]

Has anyone tried the 'boiling in water' technique?

For strings, that is