HELP!! I'm going broke buying strings.

R

R_tikul8

New member
Can anybody help me out? As soon as I touch strings they are shot, dull and lifeless literally after an hour or two of recording.
My hands give off some kind of alien funk that ruins strings in a heartbeat. Friends will let me nowhere near their guitars. It doesn't matter if I scrub my hands right before playing, wipe the strings down frequently or whatever. I've tried a few slide on, roll on spray on products to no avail. I've heard rumors of some new space age polymer product that is supposed to work, but can't find it, don't know the name of it. Does anybody know of this stuff and where I can get it or have any other tips, secrets that will help me out. Thanks for any help.
Sweaty guy
 
nothing worse than strings that are all gunked-up...oil and dirt combined with oxidation is the problem...go to the jewelry counter or the army/navy surplus store and buy some Blitz--the stuff for polishing metal...just rub the polishing cloth onto your strings before you play...when you're through playing, wipe them down again...it has a small amount of tongue-oil in it which will be good for your fret-board if any should get onto it...I'm absolutely hooked on this stuff...strings stay shiny and smooth--so they'll play easier and last longer.
 
after you string them up you could always just leave them curled up at the headstock. once they get grimy and brittle try taking them off and boiling them in hot water for maybe 10 minutes or so then let them air dry. this should work in theory, however, i usually boil them before i put them on my guitar.
 
toyL- thanks for the tip, haven't tried that one yet.

Krystof- usually use Martin sp's or marquis anything from extra light to medium, depending on what I'm trying to record, but have tried several other kinds with the same results.

Still nobody heard of this new polymer stuff, what it's called

Thanks for replies.
 
Sorry scriabin, didn't mean to leave you out. Boiling might work, but doesn't seem practical when they go bad so fast on me.
Record a track, strip off strings, boil, track 2, rinse and repeat. etc.
Hey, but appreciate all the tips, thanks. R_tik
 
Since no one wants to answer your question, the strings you speak of are coated with Lycra. They last longer, but ar a tad more expensive. Learn to use heavier strings and they will last longer and sound better to boot.
The strings are called Elixirs. I like em.
 
Thanks Tubedude. I know the strings you speak of but haven't tried them yet as I'm a cheapskate, but I guess if they'd last 2-3x longer it would be worth it.What I'm trying to find out is this new liquid polymer stuff you apply to any strings that keep them from getting gunked up for a long time. Maybe it was just a wet dream I had cuz you think somebody in this forum would have heard of it.
 
I had the same problem a while ago but then I heard that wiping the strings with a cloth every time after you have stopped playing helps. It really helps. It wipes away the oil and stuff from the strings and they last a little longer with bright sound.
 
Also run the cloth under the 3 wound strings and drag it back and forth, clean both sides. It does help, I'm a tad lazy. I change them 2 to 3 times a month regardless.
 
Though it's not answering your question about that other stuff I'd suggest going up a guage or two. I use either Dean Markley blue steel strings (which are treated to stay in tune and last longer) and DR (handmade strings-the best).
 
Put me down in the Elixir camp.

In nearly 25 years of playing guitar, I haven't found a more durable, longlasting string. I keep them on my electrics and my acoustic, and all I do is wipe them down with a good string cleaner/lubricant before and after I play. They stay bright for weeks.
 
If your have a darker fretboard like ebony or rosewood, it could be hiding a ton of cruddy fingercheese and gunk. Get some cleaner like lemon oil or something and scrub the heck out of it,especially up against both sides of the frets. You might be shocked at all the gunk that comes off lol.
 
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