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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 7:07 pm
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How do your strings go dead after 1 gig. What kind of strings do you use? And I don't think boiling your strings will do anything.


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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 7:46 pm
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Well some people go through strings faster than others due to the high acid in their sweat.
boiling the strings would be like boiling a car fender to remove the rust, not going to happen.
it would be best to treat the strings with something, i use Tri-flow,
it's a spray Teflon, just spray a rag and wipe the strings and fretboard,
makes for supper easy clean up after playing for a few hours, and my strings last a lot longer now.

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 7:56 pm
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The Cobalt's seem to last a pretty long time. They cost more but they might end up saving money. I've only used two sets, but one was on my Strat for about four months which is a really long time for me. But I don't have sweat problems. You could try coated strings and see if it helps.

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:04 pm
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All boiling does is clean them. They may sound a little better for a couple days but that's it. I use diaddiaros and wipe them down after a gig or practice. I do sweat a bit and they still last a good while.


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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:25 pm
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Well that takes me back, I haven't heard of boiling strings in over 30 years!

The only thing I've found that really brings strings back to life is isopropyl alcohol injection swabs. Those things will take finger grease off anything.

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:37 pm
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tbazzone wrote:
All boiling does is clean them.

+1
The boiling water will liquify and float out the human oils that your hands leave behind. Plus any dirt or dead skin that may get in the windings and stick to the oil. It's not a particularly useful excercise for electric guitar strings but it can have a little more significant impact on bass strings, whose windings go deeper which allows more crud to build up. This crud acts like something akin to a damper on the string's vibration and can sometimes get bad enough to confuse a string's harmonics which can make it sound slightly out of tune even if the tuner tells you the fundamental is bang on. Back when I was a young pup and starving for cash I used to boil my bass strings. It gave them a slightly "newer" sound but it was only temporary. Boiling has no effect whatsoever on the other aspects of wear that can alter a string's sound. Things like the little kinks that the frets wear into the string or the slight metalurgical changes the string can experience from repeated vibrating and bending and stretching. (known as work hardening) To boil strings wrap them up into coils that will fit into the pot you plan to use and boil them in clean water in a clean pot (with no cleaning agents or detergents added) for about 5 to 10 minutes at a high rolling boil. Drain the water and unwrap the strings and hang the strings to dry. Use a clothes pin or some other clip to allow them to hang in one straight length. Don't drape them over something or lay the flat to dry. I've heard of guys laying them flat on a cookie sheet and drying them in a 300 degree oven for 15 or 20 minutes. The more thoroughly and quickly they dry the less chance there is of inducing rust on the core wires, particularly at the ball ends.

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:54 pm
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+1 for wiping your strings with a cleaning formula...(there are so many available...)
Far easier than boiling them....
However....

Guitar techs out there will know this was something alot of bass players did back in the day...
But what can I say.... times have changed....

Its not expensive....try something from your local store.. It will make a huge difference... ;-)

P.


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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:12 pm
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Reminds me of a classified ad someone placed in Guitarist magazine way back in the 1980s asking people to send all their used guitar strings. It was a joke, he put his friend's address on the ad and the guy was inundated with rusty old guitar strings for a few weeks.

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 11:22 pm
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I had a friend who used to boil his strings and then wipe them with WD-40.
He'd then wipe them clean and put them on--he did that with new strings.

Don't know what it actually did for him though.

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:22 am
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People have been boiling strings for years as a cost cutting measure rather than having to buy them more often.Boiling the strings gets all the accumulated gunk from perspiration,body oils etc. off the strings and gets them back to sounding almost as good as new,but you can't do it too many times because the metal in the strings becomes weakened and fatigued anyway from being stretched for so long.I always wipe the strings thoroughly after playing and I also use a handy string cleaning kit from Planet Waves that comes with 2 plastic string cleaners with replacement cleaning pads and a bottle of string cleaning solution.That can save you the bother of taking them off and boiling them.

If you want a cheap source for strings go to the Strings and Beyond website,they sell strings at a very reduced rate.I bought 12 sets of Rev. Willy's Texas Lottery strings for less than $50. http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 4:14 am
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Ever tried the string cleaner? I have had one for a while, when I remember to use it I can tell a difference in how long strings will last. give it a try! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StringCleanG/

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 4:38 am
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I heard tell a tale concerning Steve Cropper using petrolatum on his guitar strings to some purpose I've forgotten. Can anyone out there corroborate that?

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 6:02 am
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lameandcliche wrote:
Ever tried the string cleaner? I have had one for a while, when I remember to use it I can tell a difference in how long strings will last. give it a try! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StringCleanG/


+1 This works great and on any kind of strings.

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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:41 am
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I only boil my strings when I want to make string soup. :mrgreen:


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Post subject: Re: boiling strings
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 10:07 am
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This may sounds obvious, but there's a lot to be said for washing your hands before playing.

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