String Care

[stevie2sticks]

Hiya 

I have tried using string cleaner after I play.

The first couple of cleans it seems ok then the cleaner seems to run out or dry up.

just wondered if using a cleaner on the strings improves life of strings or keeps them in the best playing condition. Or am I wasting my money. 

i use MM National Strings just wondered the best way of taking care of them.

thanks
Steve IO!

[slide496]

I've been using a real chamois on mine as recommended by MM in earlier posts, does a really good job of cleaning IMHO. Got mine on Amazon.

Lawd lawdy,
Harriet

[Stevie]

I use real chamois too H, but it occurred to me that since chamois does such a good job of removing excess water from your automobile paintwork after you've washed it, it's probably not a good idea to leave it inside the guitar case?

e&oe...

[slide496]

Hi Stevie,

That I wouldn't know- I keep mine in a drawer. It may be like a microfiber towel or sponge which absorb liquid on contact, but not otherwise. Maybe someone else can address that more authoritatively.

Lawd lawdy,
Harriet

[rickS]

I've used FastFret for years - one wipe of the strings before use revivifies them & hugely prolongs their lifespan ( to the tune of several months ), & a can of it will last me about a year, so it more than pays for itself.

[Michael Messer]

A little wipe of oil on your finger up and down the strings will also revive them and it makes the plain strings feel amazing for slide. Jasmine oil, almond oil, any light oil will be fine. Jasmine smells better than olive oil!

Shine On
Michael

[bluesinthestreet]

Jasmine it is, then - jasmine tea, that gorgeous, kind, young lady who used to run the local real ale pub, and now oil for the strings. Donovan had a point...

[lexluthier]

Hi! Here's my way of looking at string care, for what it's worth.

Pianos have wound strings and don't need changing like guitar strings do, so what's the difference?
Well apart from being relatively huge in comparison, they don't get touched as guitar strings do. Our fingers are all over them and we've all seen how much crap can gather on the underside of strings if you do nothing. The oil and detritus from our skin gets into the windings, acid in our skin oxidizes the metal, both of these things defeat tone.

While wiping them may get rid of surface dirt and polish the high points to a degree, I believe that ultimately you're just pushing stuff into the windings.

Oiling the strings from early in their life may offer a barrier to the ingression of dirt but will change the tone somewhat as the windings hold the oil in spaces between the windings and the core. This is bound to deaden the treble to a degree but I appreciate may be a tone that is acceptable or even desirable. If it's not, here's my solution:-

Slide something under the length of the strings to protect the fingerboard and guitar body, kitchen towel will do the trick.
Make a small loop of the same loosely around a wound string and spray Servicesol switch cleaner into the loop while moving it along the length of the string(the idea being to wet the string with the Servicesol while not getting it all over the place!)
Now pull and release the string against the fingerboard, Delta snap style, and watch how much crap falls off.
The plain strings can of course just be wiped with the solution. Being a switch cleaner it will de-oxidize the strings as well as loosen oil and dirt.

The tone of the string will change immediately. Having shown this to friends, they now find they need or want to change strings a lot less often. I hope anyone reading and trying this will benefit the same.

Chris

[oldmanblue]

For what its worth i use fast fret with no problems.

[Michael Messer]

Hi Chris,

Snapping the wound strings against the fretboard is something I have done for decades. It works well. It can bring a dull-sounding wound string back to life.

The oil really only works properly on plain strings. I don't use it to extend the life of a string which it does do, I use it because it makes the string feel good when I play.

It is a personal taste thing, but I don't try to extend the life of strings, I replace them. Some would say that they don't like the sound of new strings. If you play a lot, they won't be new for very long. When I am touring I can change my strings every morning and by the time I am on stage in the evening they are worn in and not new sounding.

Shine On
Michael

[lexluthier]

Hi Michael.
String life is definitely something people feel very differently about, and for different reasons. I don't personally know anyone who likes new strings for the first hour after fitting as they tend to be a little manic and sometimes unstable if not fitted well. Most folk I know do as you do if playing a gig, and change 'em early on.

Otherwise most non-professionals don't change too often, acoustic players more often than electric players in general. The most often non-gigging stringer changer I know has a 2-3 week cycle, the average is probably 3-6 months or more from what I've observed.

People are either too unbothered or, more's the truth, don't want to stand the expense of changing strings too often. Most seem to change come gig time, not for tone but for insurance against breakage!

I think most on this forum of tone hounds would change as often as yourself if gigging with the same regularity, however I believe the above is nearer the truth for most hobbyist to even semi-pro's, which may account for the often brought up subject and products arising around string care.

Incidentally, I've never understood the use of 'Fastfret' as a string care product, it's no more than a lubricant isn't it? I've rarely come across something that dis-colours strings quicker!
Enough waffle.

Chris