Boiling Strings ?

[joethebaddog]

Hey Folks !
Okay, I've heard boiling strings can bring them back to life ( I've also wondered if they make good soup !) but does anybody know if it really works ?

 

[MadAudio]

Yes, it works. My bass player (before he switched to guitar) used to boil his strings in water and a little sudsy ammonia. He'd then lay them out on a towel and dry them with a hair dryer. It'll bring a little life back to the strings, but the process only works a couple of times.

 

[metalhead28]

I've heard of this too, but why wouldn't you just spend a whole 4 or 5 bucks on some new strings? I suppose if you were extremely frugal.....

 

[DC-XPL]

My brother used to do that in college. He was/is a bass player and bass strings are expensive - especially for a college student. He used to boil them in our hot pot! It didn't make them sound 'brand' new, but it did restore a little brightness. MadAudio is also correct in that it only works once - maybe twice.

 

[ocnor]

That whole boiling thing is a myth. The reason that strings wear out is because they have nickel plating on them. Once the plating has worn off the strings are prone to corrosion and have already lost their tone. Another reason strings go bad is because as you bend them they become "Work Hardened". This means that they lose their flexibilty and eventually break. So as you can see boiling neither restores the plating or the flexibility of the strings.
I learned all about the properties of metal back in the early 80's when I worked as an aircraft structural repair specialist.

 

[Dogbreath]

I've boiled my bass strings (50 bucks a set) quite a few times and it DOES bring them bacl to life, at least the first 1 or 2 times ya do it. You won't get as much mileage outta them as when they were new but..........
Never boiled any guitar strings tho. At less than 10 bucks, why bother?

fwiw...........

 

[Zed10R]

That whole boiling thing is a myth. The reason that strings wear out is because they have nickel plating on them. Once the plating has worn off the strings are prone to corrosion and have already lost their tone. Another reason strings go bad is because as you bend them they become "Work Hardened". This means that they lose their flexibilty and eventually break. So as you can see boiling neither restores the plating or the flexibility of the strings.
I learned all about the properties of metal back in the early 80's when I worked as an aircraft structural repair specialist.

Hmm.....I think it is more likely that the reason strings wear out, AND the reason boiling them works once or twice, is that your dead skin and skin oils get caked into the strings, damping their vibrations and deadedning the sound. Boiling them would remove the oil and skin, restoring (for the most part) the strings original sound. Of course the nickel plating will wear off, but in the case where the strings just loose brightness (which is when mosrt people consider their strings worn out), I don't think that is the case.

 

[mu5ik16]

try rubbing alcohol on a cotton rag, give'em a god rub down, just dont touch the neck. same concept as boiling, but you dont have to remove them, just loosen them. at least it works for guitar strings. and you can doi it multiple times.

 

[Toki987]

overnight in a white vinegar bath, or buttermilk. The acid breaks down the oils and dissolves the trash in the windings.

 

[dragonworks]

it probably cost more to boil them than to buy them when you figure in your time etc.

 

[Purge]

EVH always boiled his strings before slapping them onto the guitar. Not really sure what difference this makes. I tried it once, and I thought, "hey, this is great! Now I get to wait longer to use new strings!"

 

[gtrman_66]

That whole boiling thing is a myth. The reason that strings wear out is because they have nickel plating on them. Once the plating has worn off the strings are prone to corrosion and have already lost their tone. Another reason strings go bad is because as you bend them they become "Work Hardened". This means that they lose their flexibilty and eventually break. So as you can see boiling neither restores the plating or the flexibility of the strings.
I learned all about the properties of metal back in the early 80's when I worked as an aircraft structural repair specialist.

I agree. I'm an A&P, not current though, haven't worked in the field for about 15 years now.

I think if any slight "rejuvenation" takes place, it may be from an annealing effect from the heat while they are in the pan. I don't think it would really be worth all the trouble given the cost of new strings though.

 

[Zaphod B]

I think if any slight "rejuvenation" takes place, it may be from an annealing effect from the heat while they are in the pan.

From the little that I know about metallurgy, I don't think that any annealing would be taking place at 212 degrees F. Correct me if I'm wrong.

IMHO, the boiling only works on wound strings - probably just helps get the dirt out from between the windings - but the exposure to water and the resulting oxidization seem to cause more breakage afterwards.

I'd betcha that a good spritz with WD-40, followed by some aerosol rubbing alcohol (such as automotive brake cleaner) to clean off the WD-40 would work as well. But either would only be worth the trouble on bass strings.

 

[gtrman_66]

From the little that I know about metallurgy, I don't think that any annealing would be taking place at 212 degrees F. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You are correct there. I wasn't thinking of the temp. of the water, but what the temp migh be if the strings are laying in contact with the bottom of the pan over the flame, it might indeed be much higher. Probably not enough to do much, but maybe a little. More than likely, I think the whole thing is more a "placebo effect" than anything else.

 

[Light]

On the whole, boiling strings strikes me as a bad idea. Sure, you get rid of the dirt and crud, which makes them brighter, but you do not get rid of the wear spots caused by the frets, which means your intonation can suffer. Besides, strings are cheap.

Now, on a bass, it makes more sense, but I still don't like the idea.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[gibson_eb2d]

Now, on a bass, it makes more sense, but I still don't like the idea.

I used to boil bass strings as a quick fix, and it work out totally OK, but the boiled result seemed to "wear out" quicker than a new set would.

I never thought too much about boiling guitar strings - as everyone says, they're a dime a dozen (I have a 12 string) and it might prove to be a hassle figuring out which string goes where. Easier to buy new ones!

 

[minofifa]

IMHO, the boiling only works on wound strings - probably just helps get the dirt out from between the windings - but the exposure to water and the resulting oxidization seem to cause more breakage afterwards.

ya i was thinking the oxidization of of the metal as well.

 

[Dave_M]

Didn't Eddie VH boil his new strings so that they stretched completely the first go-around? As for a quick cleaning mechanism, I'd doubt it seriously for guitar strings but maybe it would work for bass strings. In either case, I'd just as soon get a new set of strings. YMMV

 

[Dani Pace]

At best, boiling strings will remove the crud from the windings and make them sound better untill your hand gets sweaty. Boiling does not fill the tiny pits caused by corrosion, which get refilled quickly and sound dull again. At worst, the heat can weaken the core of the string, tensil strength of the inner core is what makes strings stay in tune. During the restringing phase you can also break a string, if there is a weak place you will discover it at this time. Should you decide to boil your strings, allow them to cool in the pan, dry them quickly after removal, a hair dryer should work well for this, then apply a very light coat of oil (to prevent rapid oxidation) before restringing. Remember this revitalizing wont last long so wait untill you are ready to play before tuning to pitch.

 

[timmerman]

Hey guys get real..................

Just get new strings each time you feel the need to restring.

The rewards are fabulous and faaaaaaaaaaaaar better than the "boiled-string" scenario.

Used to do it too, but really, new strings are much better. You just have to accept that strings wear out, but be happy that you can buy new ones.

Oh well some of you may want to take up the craft of stringmaking me myself I perfer to keep myself occupied what you do with those strings once they have been attached to your guitar

Eddie