Do dirty strings cause drag? What's the solution outside of new strings?

#43
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#44
I advise against wiping strings with alcohol when they are on the bass. The vast majority of basses are okay with this, but some finishes may not be. In days gone by I did that quite a bit, but then learned the hard way that alcohol made the finish on my maple-fretboard Reverend Rumblefish turn white and weird! The bass had to go back to Reverend for a fretboard re-finish. Buy new strings instead.
 
#47
BusyFingers said:
The string contingent is pretty aggressive around here. I will report back my findings as I continue to use this set of strings.
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You don't need to, as most of us here have already been down this path before, and we're trying to recommend other options. When I was younger and trying to stretch my dollar, I would boil my rotosounds strings, rub them down with rubbing alcohol after pulling them out of the boiling water, and even meticulously turn the strings in an attempt to get the worn part of the string not touching the fret. The zing would come back for a few days, then die again. They would become harder to tune then eventually break at the windings. Could I get a couple more weeks out of the strings? Yeah, but the sound wasn't really any better. In your case they did need a good cleaning, we were simply trying to give you options that might make the strings last longer.

Being young and broke, I'd walk five miles to save ten bucks, as my time was not worth what it is today, and will get there someday as well. There are some commercial string cleaners I've used when I was touring, and they work pretty good at preserving strings, but not much will bring them back from rusty or caked on goo.

Good luck, have fun, and learn as you go. Most of us blazed our own trails when young, and had to learn on our own, we get that. Just remember that when asking questions, you are getting years of experience often, and we are simply trying to help you avoid the same pitfalls that we learned when trying things for the first time.
 
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#50
BusyFingers said:
You would do well to read the title of the thread, which hasn't changed since I created it.
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There are bandaids and true solution to strings that have run their useful life. once they've gone dead only temporary solutions with diminishing returns for the effort ; make it all a wash.
;)
 
#51
BusyFingers said:
After freezing and boiling my strings, I put them into a big ziplock and ran my hairdryer on high into it for about 5 minutes to dry off any moisture still on the strings.

I have to say, freezing then boiling these strings was a smashing success. No more drag.

These strings sound more lively, too. I will eventually buy a fresh set of strings, but until I absolutely have to these will do.

Do not hesitate to boil your strings, just make sure to freeze them first.
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That liveliness will last a week if u r lucky and the strings will sound more dead than they were originally. Now you'll have no choice but to get new strings. Just buy some $15 Daddarios and stop being dense.

In the future wipe down your strings, use a smarter cleaning method or just keep playing them. If you have time to do what you did and are this worried about saving your strings I'm going to guess you are not a pro musician, so just play them if the intonation is still ok.
 
#55
B-Mac said:
where do you get good strings for $20?

I have ten basses that range from 35" to 30". 2 are fretless, 2 are 5 string, 3 are A/E and one is an 8 string.

GC is a total waste of time to drive to buy strings most of the time so I tend to order from the places listed below. The lower priced strings on all of these sites, unless they are on sale, are mostly strings I would not buy. I am all for saving money so if you can recommend a good set of strings for $20 I'd appreciate it if you could hook me up.

Bass Strings, Bass Guitar Strings, Buy Bass Strings | JustStrings.com

Welcome to Bass Strings Online - A Bass Store for Bass Players!

Bass Guitar Strings | Strings and Beyond
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$18.99...free shipping if you buy three packs
Amazon.com: DR Strings Sunbeam - Nickel Plated Round Core Bass 45-105: Musical Instruments
 
#60
B-Mac said:
where do you get good strings for $20?
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I think you'll find there are an awful lot of definitions of good when it comes to strings on this forum. Aside from being built to a reasonable standard of quality, what makes strings good is completely subjective.
If you have a pretty good idea of what you like in terms of tone, tension, flexibility and overall feel, give Jason a call at Bassstringsonline.com and talk with him about your options. I'll be willing to bet he'll have suggestions that cover a lot of price ranges.

I've been very pleased with a lot of different sets of strings in the sub $20 category, but I have my needs and you have yours. Best to speak to the expert.

I'm not a shill for BSO, I've just found that that's where I tend to get the best prices and service and selection.
 
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