Should you boil bass guitar strings to get better sound out of them?

Question

My bass strings are dying and I was wondering if boiling them would be good to help them get some life back.

Answer 1

Hi Bass



Put it this way, it has nothing to do about getting a better sound. Why bass players boiled their bass strings was because, they were wearing and the only way to revive them or get more sound life out of it was to boil them.

Don't boil them when they are new. Piece of advice. As for guitar strings, it won't revive anythng.



As for Flat wound bass strings, the effect is less noticable than a round wound. When you boil a round wound, the dirt in-between the winding get loose and falls off which is why you get more sound.



edit...as for some posters here stating that you can boil them brand new to break them in is completely false. A person buys new string because of the sound it gives off when brand they are brand new. You are addng wear to a string if you boil them when new. When they are used, you boil them to get the grim or dirt from the finger that gets lodged inbetween the wounding.

As for the other poster who claims to say that this is an old wives tales if another stupid statement. It does work. Period and it wasn't started by Van halen either.

Get your facts straight.

Answer 2

Actually, you can boil bass/guitar strings when they are new.

I haven't heard much about boiling bass strings to revive their sound, as I don't play much bass.

But I do know that if you boil guitar strings and dry them completely, they will be instantly "broken-in"

When you first put on new guitar strings, it takes time to break them in. They are naturally tense right out of the factory, and for a day or so, the strings will constantly go flat out of tune. This means the string is gradually loosening up. Eventually the strings will be broken and and will stay in tune, as long as your guitar keeps up.



But if you boil your strings, it will relieve the tension in the strings, and will be instantly broken in.

I believe it was Van Halen who used this little trick regularly, on all of his strings.

Answer 3

It will buy you a little more time with the strings, but not much. Eventually you are going to have to just replace them. I know they aren't cheap, but nothing lasts forever.

Answer 4

You can boil my bass strings anytime!

Answer 5

Hmm.. i'm not too sure I play the guitar and I never heard of anything like that before...

Answer 6

haha I tried that once... Doesn't work. Buy some DR's they last a ridiculously long time w/ good tone.

Answer 7

no no no. thats an old old tall tale. it doesnt work.

best thing to do is use GHS Basic Bass Strings, because they're stainless steel and inexpensive. http://www.BogdonMusic.com