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Ok, as a poor bass player, I've resorted to boiling strings to get their brightness back and have had mild success. I've also heard about soaking them in denatured alcohol, although that I've never tried.
Has anyone ever heard of slapping the strings clean again? Literally loosening the strings and pulling and snapping them on the frets? I was pointed to [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8OYeN9mAL4//:268mium0]this youtube video[/url:268mium0] and I tried it on my MTD. The strings seemed brighter afterwards, but I feel as though this is my imagination. My pal (who works at a local music store) says he and his co-workers have tested it and it works. Is this for real? Would it damage the frets?
I'm about to try the denatured alcohol method myself, using this:
http://www.studybass.com/gear/bass-stri ... ning-tube/
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Been there, done that. You won't want to cook food in that pot after boiling strings, it's kind of gross. Boiling will bring back a ton of zing and clean the strings. They should go right back on the bass, so if you start your water first, bring it to a boil, drop the loosely coiled strings in for ten minutes or so, dry them off with a lint free clothe and restring, it should only take about 15 minutes. Set a timer, I've ruined a set or two by spacing out on the time, and boiling them dry. (smoke alarm is handy)
My boiled strings were more likely to break after a few boils. But, I played much harder then, so, that might have been coming anyway. I'd break new strings too. But the boiled ones broke more often. Could be because they were older, but I think there might be something to the heat damage theory. Carry spares in your case!
Now, I've got a 1" pvc tube filled with denatured alcohol, (NOT Rubbing or isopropyl!) and a couple six string sets soaking all the time. SInce the strings are all Paysons or DIngwall nickels, they can be changed in a few minutes.
I've got the price of the alcohol in that set up, I had pvc pipe and glue laying around in the shop.
I'll never boil again.
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How would boiling the strings damage them? They're stainless steel (or nickel which is also "stainless") so they shouldn't rust. Something to do with the minerals or fluoride in the water?
I have heard soaking them in isopropyl alcohol dissolves all the gunk. There is a video on youtube of a before/after soaking in alcohol. Get a length of pipe, fill it with alcohol. Make a cap for each end and a hook on one of them, hang the strings up and then leave them for a day or two. Boiling them in water will undoubtedly damage them!
Slapping the s*** (literally) also works, but cant be good for your frets, I would never try this on my Dingwall!! You can see the crap that comes off the strings, it ain't pretty...
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Yeah, two reasons for that: 1) I was getting my MTD ready to lend to a friend that wants to start playing bass, and 2) it seems like bass abuse and I'd rather test it on a $500 bass than a $2500 bass.
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