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Post by Michael Messer on Jun 24, 2007 13:31:08 GMT
What does Fast Fret do to the strings?
Shine On Michael
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Post by mirrormist on Jun 24, 2007 16:26:22 GMT
I hate string changing ;D
Changed four lots recently...all different and have bought a new set for my twelve string...they haven't been changed for five years...and i am not looking forward to it...
I know a lot of mention has been made of string construction and finger grime etc but would consider that retuning must have some bearing on string decline.
Best wishes to all
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Post by rickS on Jun 24, 2007 17:43:21 GMT
Hi Michael, FastFret is a string cleaner that (presumably) works by cleaning the gunk out of the windings, leaves them much zingier, & very slightly 'slithery' to the touch for a short while; I find that when strings have lost their newness, & settled into their optimum tone, Fatfret will keep restoring them to the fresher end of that tone-spectrum (I use it once per guitar per session) - prolongs their life (for me) literally for many months, tho I have a light touch & 'non-corrosive' sweat, which may help also, Anyway, for the cost of a set of strings, the ol' Fastfret pays for itself many times over for the many months of use I get out of each one - well worth a try! (Anything that minimises string-changing on slotheads has gotta be good!)
regards,
Rick
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Post by Bill Stig on Jun 25, 2007 11:28:32 GMT
I think fast fret also seems to leave a residue on the strings that lubricates them hence the name. I was given some once but I didn't like the feel of the strings and I don't recall it making the strings sound any better. It's worth trying though - some people swear by it.
Bill
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Post by Gerry C on Jun 25, 2007 17:04:20 GMT
I've used almost every brand of string in the known universes over the years and have finally settled on D'Addarios for my 000-28 and 12-string (a recently acquired Freshman - super guitar!) and 13-gauge Newtones for my reso; I prefer the lighter gauge as I quite often play Blind Boy Fuller-type stuff WITHOUT A SLIDE !! I tend to change string about every four weeks unless I have a lot of gigs: I can usually do three or four gigs a set. Oddly, I like the sound of new strings - especially on my Martin - but I don't like the raspy 'new' feel. It's great when they've settled in a bit. I use Fastfret too but mainly because I have hands that sweat a lot when I play: I use a dusting of Johnson's Baby Powder ;D on my hands for the same reason (a trick I learned from Steve Phillips). I always clean up my strings and neck when I finish playing. One thing I have found that seems to me to affect string life is smoke; I find that strings go dead much quicker if I'm playing a smoky pub than in a smoke-free venue; and it makes my guitars smell 'orrible too! Roll on July 1st! Cheerily, Gerry C
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Post by rickS on Jun 25, 2007 20:30:27 GMT
Yes indeed, Gerry, roll on smoke-free-gig day, gonna make a BIG difference to many performers - a longtime muso friend of mine is just now getting over a heart attack, never smoked, but the medics told him that the vast amount of gigs he's played in smoky venues over the last 40-someodd years was a major contributory cause to his artery-damage, & that must be true for so many others..the ban will save lives for sure..
On the subject of strings,if anyone finds (as I do) that mediums are too heavy for fingerstyle & lights too light for slide, it may be of interest that Martin SPs now come in an in-between (12,5 - 55) 'light-medium' gauge (Strings Direct stock them); I've got'em on my old tricone, & now they're played in, they work really well, acceptable sound & nice feel - I wish some other string-makers would follow suit, I'd love to get the same gauges in Newtones & John Pearce..
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Post by Michael Messer on Jun 25, 2007 21:54:15 GMT
Hi Rick,
If you want some custom gauges, just call Malcolm Newton and order some strings in whatever gauges you require.
Shine On, Michael
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Post by rickS on Jun 25, 2007 22:41:42 GMT
Hello Michael, yes, I know Newtones do custom Gauges, but I didn't know they were available in the 'in-between' gauges; - 12.5, 16.5, etc, instead of the standard 12 or 13 gauge of lights or mediums? - it'd be great for me if they are, I'll check'em out next time I'm ordering..it's probably an age-thing, but years ago I never gave any regard much to gauges, now, with advancing decrepitude (& tetchy carpals!), I don't want to have wrastle that fingerboard too much! Cheers,
best,
Rick
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Post by slidin1 on Jun 25, 2007 22:57:55 GMT
I used to use phospher bronze 13s with 15 on top then summer came,not sure what day that was,and my hands sweat and everything turns green! Moved onto Elixers which I find are good,at the moment using Martin bluegrass 16s,no green hands as they are nickel and the sound is good too.As Doug MacLeod says,'use heavy strings 'cos that's where the tone lives' When you feel that you are playing with fencewire,time to change 'em
Regards,
Slidin'
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Post by robn on Jun 25, 2007 23:27:17 GMT
I changed my strings a couple of days ago and put MM Newtone pure nickels 13-56 on my wood-bodied reso with a NRP cone. I haven't used nickels for ages and I'm enjoying experimenting with the new sound. I'd forgotten how good pure nickel strings can sound on a reso - lots of individual string clarity, less overtones but less bass than PB.
I'm going to leave these on a while and see where they take me. I've had to adjust my playing, but not in a bad way - just different. Mind you, I seem to remember nickel strings lasting months longer than PBs when I used them before - so they might end up being on my guitar quite a while!!!!
I'm sure I'll go back and "rediscover" PBs at some stage - but the nickels will do the job for now.
Robn
PS Added bonus is I'm getting far better balance out of my mag p/u when I plug in.
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2007 18:36:19 GMT
My son has sweaty fingers that are about as corrosive as the creature's blood in 'Alien' ! He now wipes his hands with surgical spirit before playing - removes the sweat & dries the skin. He suffers from eczema but this doesn't upset his skin. His strings last approx. 5/6 times longer (we know because he dates the packet when changing them & keeps it in the guitar case). We also find cleaning the strings with 'Dr Stringfellow's Cleaner/Lubricant' immediately after playing helps too - far better than just wiping with a cloth.
DON'T spill surgical spirit on French Polished guitars - it will strip the polish off!! (Guess you could always drink it if the gig's a bit slow!?)
Cheers, C.
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Post by tark on Jun 30, 2007 3:11:37 GMT
Apparently the major cause of strings going dull is the electrochemical reactions that take place between the core and the windings of the wound strings. If your fingers are particularly sweaty the moisture and salts etc. in the sweat that seep into the gap between the core and the windings cause electrochemically accelerated corrosion.
The coated strings try to stop this in one of two ways. Strings like the Elixirs sheath the entire string to stop the moisture penetrating. Strings like the Cleartone and the DAddario EXP use a chemical treatment on the surface of the winding wire to electrically isolate it from the core wire and stop the reaction occuring. This is probably partly defeated by the fact that these strings (like almost all modern guitar strings) also use a hexagonal core wire that is designed to bite into the inner surface of the winding to stop its tendency to unwind.
Any coatings will tend to dull the strings sound, with the thinner coatings like the Cleartone having less effect. This loss of initial brightness is supposedly compensated for by an extended period where string doesn't gradually lose further brighness of sound. Coated strings should work best for players who's fingers sweat more.
The various string cleaning / life extending liquids can help by getting in to the gaps between the string cores and windings and stopping the sweat from penetrating. Piano strings are of similar construction to guitar strings (particularly the Newtone strings!) but don't get touched, so they can last for years.
Under normal playing conditions string tension changes due to re-tuning should have little to no effect on lifetime because the string is in elastic deformation and operating like a spring. However at the bridge and tuners strings are often in plastic deformation where re-tuning can cause work hardening resulting in the string eventually snapping. If hardening occurs where the string passes over the saddle then this can affect the sound and intonation. Rough surfaces and sharp angles at the tuners and saddle increase the chances of plastic deformation due to bending of the string. If for example your strings break a lot at the tuners then smoothing and polishing the edges of the holes in the tuners should help.
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