How clean are your strings?

# I almost never change the strings on my electrics until one of
# them breaks, and then I'll put a whole new set on.

Eric Clapton said the identical thing in an interview on his technique about twenty-five years ago.
 
Dead strings are a thought. New strings, tweak the board & record. 2 weeks later, tweak again.

Now, if I had a twelve string.....uhh! Nevermind.
 
You guys are FREAKS!!!

...but since we're all "confessing" -

I wash my hands before playing...

I use Finger-Ease spray before a rehearsal or gig...

I wipe down my guitar, including strings after playing...

I get about 6-8 weeks out of strings if I play the guitar regularly, double that if I don't - but I never use time as a measure of when to replace them, it's always "by feel and/or by tone" - more often, I hear when the tone starts to really dull, or they "feel old"...

I almost never replace single strings except the odd time one snaps at a show or rehearsal...

I *HATE* the sound of absolutely fresh strings - WAY too much buzziness - they settle in after about 4 hours playing time, then the real tone starts to come out...

Bruce
 
RE:bass strings and cleaning,

I have found a good trick with bass strings short of boiling them and I modified this from an interview with Stanley Clark. He said he used Mennen Skin Bracer (mostly alchohol) to clean the strings and it made the bass "smell alright". For my method I use a 2-3" by 1/2" strip of elastic (walmart sewing section) soak the middle section in your choice of scented or non-scented alchohol and completely wrap it around the bass string for one tight loop and slide it up and down the length of the string. It will make the most terrible shrieking noise on your round wounds but it cleans them better than anything else I have tried.

And regaurding Blue Bear teenage years; do you have the wife and kids? I had at least ten times more spending money when I was a teen ager than I do now at 37 and I made $2.90 an hour back then, and make $25.00 an hour now. I have not bought new string in two years.
 
Scooter B said:
RE:bass strings and cleaning,
And regaurding Blue Bear teenage years; do you have the wife and kids? I had at least ten times more spending money when I was a teen ager than I do now at 37 and I made $2.90 an hour back then, and make $25.00 an hour now. I have not bought new string in two years.
Click to expand...
heh-heh... I didn't have a wife and kids back then, any more than I do now... although I'm marrying a VERY supportive wife come this September!

Bruce
 
I wash my hands before playing.. but that's got more to do with the fact that 1) I wash with warm water to get a little blood flow to the fingers 2) not so much to keep the strings clean but to remove any resistance.. Cheeto stains make me feel like I'm playing with mittens on and 3) I suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder.. and 3) I suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder.. and 3)...

I don't like the sound of new strings on electric guitars.. so I try to change strings a couple days before I do any serious recording.. but I love the clarity of brand new bass strings.. so I wait to the last minute to change before recording bass tracks..

Oh and the only time I remove grime from the neck is in between each string replacement (we all know the potential damage to removing all strings off the neck before putting on new ones, right?)... I admit I don't polish much either: just set it and forget it..

BTW... congrats on the engagement Bruce..

Cy
 
as a doornail, baby

I can't stand fresh strings on my guitar--too damn jangley. I love the sound of dead strings... they're nice and mellow, and they've got a nice warm sound to them. I like that tone better.

I wish they'd sell dead strings. Hey, if you guys are replacing your strings before they break, can you send them to me instead? I won't even ask you to boil them first...

Pete
 
Dead wouldn't be good word. I'd say mellow, aged, full-flavored, mature, perfected, ripe, sweetend, pleasing, refined, relaxed...

Does anyone remember that Monty Python sketch?

Just as long as the crud dosen't hang .
 
Hey Blue Bear,

Congrats and blessings on finding one of the few musician friendly wifes. Perhaps woud could start a bulletin board for wifes and or husbands of musicians to educate and mediate. Perhaps you bride to be would like to moderate. Of course only pro musical views would be displayed.

Now how did we get from dead string (cleaning or not to clean) all the way to a behavior modification courses for the less than enthusiastic spouse?
 
Scooter B said:
Hey Blue Bear,

Congrats and blessings on finding one of the few musician friendly wifes. Perhaps woud could start a bulletin board for wifes and or husbands of musicians to educate and mediate. Perhaps you bride to be would like to moderate. Of course only pro musical views would be displayed.

Now how did we get from dead string (cleaning or not to clean) all the way to a behavior modification courses for the less than enthusiastic spouse?
Click to expand...

I dunno, but when you guys find me the next Mrs. Bongo, please let me know so I can get the place cleaned up a little before she shows up.
 
O.K Bongolation,

If we should find her DO NOT use my bass string cleaning method on her.

The only thing that could possibly shriek worse than stainless steel round wound bass strings being cleaned up with tight wrapped Mennin Skin Bracer soaked strips of elastic as you rub them up and down the length of the string would be the unfortunate high strung Mrs musician that you accidentally (or intentionally for that matter) tightly wrapped in Mennen Skin Bracer soaked strips of elastic as you rubbed them from her head to toe.

Severe hearing damage could result. You have been warned:p
 
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