String Maintenance

[mfallon]

I aml looking for suggestions on cleaning and maintaing steel strings. Thank you.

[DrLeeDetroit]

The only advice I ever see is to make sure your hands are clean before playing; and to wipe as much of your sweat and oil off of them as you can when you're done.

It's said to prolong life -- I usually do the first part, and almost never do the second part.

--Lee

[jeremy3220]

Clean hands seems to be the biggest factor.

[Dale_I]

Kyser makes a product called Dr Stringfellow. It is advertised as a spring lubricator/cleaner. It is supposed to neutralize the acids that can be left on the string. You are supposed to shake the bottle and run the felt pad on your strings after playing before you put the guitar back in your case.

I have a bottle in my gig bag. I use it every now and then. Depending how quickly I am packing up and if I remember. I don't think it has really ever hurt anything, but I don't know for sure that it is really helping either. Snake oil or profound accessory? You be the judge...

[imwjl]

Kyser makes a product called Dr Stringfellow. It is advertised as a spring lubricator/cleaner. It is supposed to neutralize the acids that can be left on the string. You are supposed to shake the bottle and run the felt pad on your strings after playing before you put the guitar back in your case.

I have a bottle in my gig bag. I use it every now and then. Depending how quickly I am packing up and if I remember. I don't think it has really ever hurt anything, but I don't know for sure that it is really helping either. Snake oil or profound accessory? You be the judge...

Ditto on the posts about clean hands. I actually try to make sure I have relatively clean clothes to when I play my guitars. My father rather hammered that in  because he was a musician with fine instruments who came from a background with little so everything had to be respected and cared for.

I will on occasion use GHS' version of string stuff, and it will clean up some corrosion and give aging strings a little shot of life, but I use it sparingly and use care to keep the stuff off of the fretboard.

I came across some ad copy for what I think is an Ernie Ball product that's in a container of moist wipes like Wet Ones or baby wipes, and a web thread that said the moist cloth motif worked well, but I achieve that with rags that I recycle.

My kids' junior sized guitar is all the proof I need that clean hands are important.

[ronmac]

I keep a clean cotton baby diaper in the case with each of my guitars. They are great for keeping hands dry during a performance and a quick wipe up and down the fret board after use makes a big difference in string life.

[Hoser Rob]

Always washing your hands before you play helps a lot.  Plus warm water helps limber up the fingers.

Wiping them down afterwards is essential.

Never tried the Kyser stuff but I have used GHS Fast Fret.  It stunk.

Since my last string change I've started putting oil on my strings about once a week.  I use light mineral oil, the stuff you can get in a drugstore for your skin or for softening up ear wax.  That seemed to be a good choice because it won't leave the gummy residue a lot of plant oils would.  I just wipe on and wipe off well.

It works great.  I'm not 100% sure how long they would've lasted otherwise since I never used that brand before.  They're Pearse PBs ... great strings, the best I've ever used.  But after almost 2 months they sound pretty much the same as they did after 3 days (when that new string hack goes away).  Less string squeak.

Just make sure you don't slop it on the fretboard and wipe it off well.

[canoe65]

Clean hands seems to be the biggest factor.

And if your hands get 'sweaty' after playing for a while, make sure you wipe down the strings well ... and the soundboard and neck ... with a soft dry cloth.   

[mfallon]

Thanks to all for your replies. Clean hands are rule when picking up Rosie. I might try a little light mineral oil as Hoser Rob suggested.

[Caleb]

Is Rosie what you call your hand or your guitar? 

[harptech]

I keep a microfiber type cloth in my guitar case for wiping down the guitar and neck.
I found a really nice one at an auto parts store. It's about 18" X 18".
The edges are not sewn... ie, there is nothing used for binding the edges that will scratch the guitar's finish. I always play with clean hands, and almost always wipe down the guitar after afterwards.
Every once and a while, I'll wipe the entire guitar down with a damp cloth and then dry it off with the microfiber cloth.

-Bill