Boiling your strings

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philbagg

philbagg

Just Killing Time
Has anyone ever done this? It's a great idea if you want that "new string" sound
but don't have the cash for new strings. Hard times and all that :(

I've heard, and experimented. I've done this with guitar strings and gotten some
results, not too sure about bass but maybe one of you bass player people can
try it out and tell the class how you got on :D

1)Take your strings off (generally easier if the ring at the end of the strings
has a different colour for each string - write down which is which. Otherwise
you're going to have to judge which is which when you're putting them back
on)
2)Put the strings into a pot of water and put them on the heat until the
water boils. The water should boil off any dirt/skin that clutter up those
lovely strings.
3)Empty the water and let the strings cool, then give them a gentle brush
with a towel to dry them. Put em back on, voila!

They might not sound brand new but they'll sound like they're
not long on the guitar itself... if you did a good job that is :cool:

By the way, it's generally best to only do this once with the same strings.
When they get old again I'd suggest just buying new strings.

Try it and let me know how you get on. Or if you have done it before, I'd
like to hear other peoples opinions.

Cheers,
Phil
 
Yo PhilDude :D

Never tried it on guitar strings. Doesn't seem worth the hassle since you can pick up new strings for 5 or 6 bucks.

I did try it a few times on some expensive freakin bass strings I bought. They were about $50 a set so when they got crappy, I boiled em and it did indeed bring new life to the strings.
But, it only lasted a few days. Might do in a pinch, like a gig ya gotta do that night but not really worth it. (imho)

I think the biggest pain in the ass was rewinding em. :rolleyes:

But yeah, in a crunch situation with no alternatives, sure. Boil em baby. :D
 
What Dogbreath said.

Guitar strings are just too cheap to make it worthwhile to fuck with anything but changing them. If memory serves, I tried it many years ago but found no noticeable improvement in tone and a couple of strings broke within a couple of days.

A bass player friend tried it once (he was a "ruster" - someone with very acidic sweat - and he could kill strings faster than anyone I have met, ever) but as Dogbreath describes, the tone improvement was short-lived.

Buying strings just goes with the territory.
 
It's been discussed here loads. All it does is remove some of the dirt thats gets in the windings. Much better to clean them down after playing and keep your hands clean before you start. All the boiling in the world isn't going to help with the problems associated with wear from frets and uneven mass and stiffness that results from that wear.

Prevention is better than cure.
 
I used to have this thing that was like a roll-on with some kind of alcohol or soemthing in it. Fast fret or something?

It would take the goop off the strings if you used it pretty often.

Try alcohol on a cotton ball before unstringing your axe.
 
I agree with you guys, it is just better off buying new strings of course, but as
dawg :D said, it can be a handy tip in a tight situation. Knowledge is power :cool:

PS: I'm a student, so €8 (the rough price they go for here in the Emerald Isle)
is like lottery winnings to me :D

cephus said:
I used to have this thing that was like a roll-on with some kind of alcohol or soemthing in it. Fast fret or something?

It would take the goop off the strings if you used it pretty often.

Try alcohol on a cotton ball before unstringing your axe.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a plan batman :) Can I eat the cotton ball afterwards? :D
 
Dogbreath said:
Yo PhilDude :D

Never tried it on guitar strings. Doesn't seem worth the hassle since you can pick up new strings for 5 or 6 bucks.

I did try it a few times on some expensive freakin bass strings I bought. They were about $50 a set so when they got crappy, I boiled em and it did indeed bring new life to the strings.
But, it only lasted a few days. Might do in a pinch, like a gig ya gotta do that night but not really worth it. (imho)

I think the biggest pain in the ass was rewinding em. :rolleyes:

But yeah, in a crunch situation with no alternatives, sure. Boil em baby. :D
Click to expand...

Bass strings are slightly more forgiving about the wear and tear from playing. There is a little more mileage in cleaning them using whatever method you chose to prolong their life. The percentage change in the strings mass and stiffness resulting from wear is smaller than on a guitar string. Prevention is still better than cure.
 
philbagg said:
PS: I'm a student, so €8 (the rough price they go for here in the Emerald Isle)
is like lottery winnings to me :D
Click to expand...
Holy shit, that's like $12 USD. :eek:

I can find electric guitar strings all day long for $6USD over here. You need a change of venue. :D

I keep my strings alive by simply wiping them down with a dry, fine cotton cloth (handerchief if you must know, my dead grandmother would be proud of me for using all the ones she gave me for something, at least :D) after each playing session. I wrap the corner of the cloth tightly around the string to make sure I'm getting all the crud off.
 
Zaphod B said:
Holy shit, that's like $12 USD. :eek:

I can find electric guitar strings all day long for $6USD over here. You need a change of venue. :D

I keep my strings alive by simply wiping them down with a dry, fine cotton cloth (handerchief if you must know, my dead grandmother would be proud of me for using all the ones she gave me for something, at least :D) after each playing session. I wrap the corner of the cloth tightly around the string to make sure I'm getting all the crud off.
Click to expand...

Do not get me started on the prices in this country :mad:

I guess I too should be wiping my strings afterwards too... *insert dirty joke* :D

Does anyone know how the temperature of the room affects strings? Whether
it be at the time of playing or when it's "resting"
 
philbagg said:
Does anyone know how the temperature of the room affects strings? Whether it be at the time of playing or when it's "resting"
Click to expand...
I think the consensus is that, between the strings and the timber in the guitar, when it's colder the strings will tend to run sharp and vice versa. Friction from playing will warm the strings a little and they'll go a bit flat as they warm.

Not that it matters - just pick it up and play it and tune as necessary.
 
Zaphod B said:
I think the consensus is that, between the strings and the timber in the guitar, when it's colder the strings will tend to run sharp and vice versa. Friction from playing will warm the strings a little and they'll go a bit flat as they warm.

Not that it matters - just pick it up and play it and tune as necessary.
Click to expand...

As always :D Was curious :)

Cheers dude
 
Last edited:
Zaphod B said:
I think the consensus is that, between the strings and the timber in the guitar, when it's colder the strings will tend to run sharp and vice versa. Friction from playing will warm the strings a little and they'll go a bit flat as they warm.

Not that it matters - just pick it up and play it and tune as necessary.
Click to expand...

Gotta disagree there. Its the timber that move waaayyyy more than the strings stretching due to changes in humidity and temperature. Just how much of a temperature differential would you expect from playing and being at rest. From there we can work out the rate of expansion..;)
 
I have boiled bass and guitar strings. It will make the strings sound brighter for a while. When the strings get to that point there are usually groves worn into them from fret wear ... they will be nearly impossible to tune and will still sound like crap.
Boiling is ok in a pinch but really not worth the hassle for the most part,
 
muttley600 said:
Gotta disagree there. Its the timber that move waaayyyy more than the strings stretching due to changes in humidity and temperature. Just how much of a temperature differential would you expect from playing and being at rest. From there we can work out the rate of expansion..;)
Click to expand...
I've seen my unwound strings flat significantly (audibly) from being played vigorously on a cold-ish guitar, but I'd rather buy musical gear than the equipment necessary to quantify what I'm witnessing. So until I publish a white paper, you're off the hook. :p :D
 
philbagg said:
Has anyone ever done this? It's a great idea if you want that "new string" sound
but don't have the cash for new strings. Hard times and all that :(

I've heard, and experimented. I've done this with guitar strings and gotten some
results, not too sure about bass but maybe one of you bass player people can
try it out and tell the class how you got on :D

1)Take your strings off (generally easier if the ring at the end of the strings
has a different colour for each string - write down which is which. Otherwise
you're going to have to judge which is which when you're putting them back
on)
2)Put the strings into a pot of water and put them on the heat until the
water boils. The water should boil off any dirt/skin that clutter up those
lovely strings.
3)Empty the water and let the strings cool, then give them a gentle brush
with a towel to dry them. Put em back on, voila!

They might not sound brand new but they'll sound like they're
not long on the guitar itself... if you did a good job that is :cool:

By the way, it's generally best to only do this once with the same strings.
When they get old again I'd suggest just buying new strings.

Try it and let me know how you get on. Or if you have done it before, I'd
like to hear other peoples opinions.

Cheers,
Phil
Click to expand...

I new somebody who used to boil his strings. He was very frugal. It seem to work though. I used to loosen all my strings one at a time and then slowly bring them back to pitch. It seemed to bring the brightness back, but only for a few days. I while back I decided that nothing put on the strings did any good unless your strings are so far gone anyway. I used to wipe my strings with a cloth damp with warm water, big mistake, water gets in the windings and oxidizes. The only thing I do now is wipe my strings with a cotton cloth and talcum powder. The powder absorbs all the grime, oils and funk. I have strings that are on my 2 Martins that are 13 months old that still sound new. I am amazed, usually I change strings with the seasons.
ViP
 
muttley600 said:
Gotta disagree there. Its the timber that move waaayyyy more than the strings stretching due to changes in humidity and temperature. Just how much of a temperature differential would you expect from playing and being at rest. From there we can work out the rate of expansion..;)
Click to expand...
I do agree with you, Mutt - I'm referring more to a short term effect of picking up a chilly guitar, and how the strings would be affected within a few minutes by playing, ratrher than the longer-term effect of the wood's movement due to it coming to temp and humidity throughout after moving from one environment to another.
 
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that guitars sound a bit thinner when
they're in a cold room?
 
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