Cleaning bass strings

[Geoff Sykes]

Weird is not the word. Although I too was once a bass player. But now I'm a
piano tech, so I guess I'm used to weird. But I digress... I had a electric
bass player in the studio once a number of years ago, high profile session
player just out from New York, who insisted on replacing his strings before
EVERY TAKE. He said he really liked that bright new sound, so after every
take he would pull out a pair of dikes, cut off the "old" ones, (didn't want
anyone pulling them out of the trash and actually using them again in his
name as a souvenir), and then put an a set of brand new ones. 

-- Geoff Sykes
-- Assoc. Los Angeles

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Gerald Forsburg
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 10:25 AM
To: 'Pianotech'
Subject: RE: Cleaning bass strings


LOL!!!  I was a bass player for years.  Never heard of this, but it doesn't
surprise me.  We bass players are a weird bunch.  The only musicians that
are weirder are the drummers.  Beware, some bass player probably told you he
boiled his strings on a bet with a drummer to see if you'd actually do it -
pianists are generally found to be pretty gullible. <G> ;-)

Gerry

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf
Of John Dorr
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 9:48 AM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Cleaning bass strings

Hi all,

I read somewhere about electric bass players who boil their strings when
they 
get too grimy and they want to brighten up their tone.  I wondered if anyone

had ever tried that on piano bass (wound) strings?  I've also wondered from 
time to time if it would be possible to clean bass strings with ultra-sound.

 Anybody know?

I am aware of the technique of running an overhand loop up and down a 
tubby-sounding string, and of giving the string a twist.  I'd love to hear 
anybody else's tips on restoring at least some of the tone to old strings. 
 Not all my customers can afford a re-stringing job.

Thanks,
John



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