String Cleaner

rcsnydley
Posts: 0
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:03 pm
Status: Offline

Tue Jun 02, 2009 9:51 pm

Haoli - I checked out the String Cleaner website and I think I'll order one.

I'll give a product review after I have it for a while.

Keep Playing
Ric


Chasplaya
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 8:41 pm
Status: Offline

Wed Jun 03, 2009 1:23 am

Lavallee wrote:
T I am not sure if I am as dedicated as you and Chasplaya. However only fools never change their mind ;)

Marc
Its not so much dedication its just habit, plus I can't afford to restring my 6 guitars that often. I think I need to check out this String Cleaner being discussed and review it also.


agentcooper
Posts: 0
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:59 pm
Status: Offline

Mon Jul 20, 2009 5:45 pm

I've never used string cleaner in my musical "career", but maybe I should. Sometimes I forget that it's the 21st century and there's a product for every problem, since there are so many damn people in the world that we've got to employ all of them somehow, and even now, we are failing miserably.

That was way on topic...

But really, I could save some money with this "string cleaner". In reality, I probably won't buy it religiously, but it's cool to know that there's a product to turn d'addarios into elixirs. Haha.

-Dale


Chasplaya
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 8:41 pm
Status: Offline

Thu Aug 20, 2009 3:22 am

Hey call me cheap if you like but I made my own string cleaner just like the one advertised.

How did you do that Chas I hear you all say

Well Easy peasy,

You know those thin CD cases you usually get free in some magazines (only about 3-4 millimetres thick) well I adapted one of them. I levelled off the edges not the edge with the hinge or the cliplock but the other two. then I got a Wonder cloth from the kitchen used PVA glues and stuck it to both sides voila a string cleaner that does both sides in the same way as that commercial thing.

My wife is currently looking for the new dishcloth ummmm....


AndyT
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 2:06 am
Status: Offline

Thu Aug 20, 2009 3:43 am

Chasplaya wrote:
My wife is currently looking for the new dishcloth ummmm....
Ok, you are cheap. LOL


Good idea though. I have a few of those cases laying around. Maybe I should make a few and test market them here locally. LOL

Fast Fret is pure white mineral oil here in Hawaii, but who knows what formula they use anywhere else. Its good stuff.


Hydroman52
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:52 am
Status: Offline

Sat Jan 02, 2010 4:26 am

String cleaners

Here is my “executive summary” for those with limited time. Kyser Dr. Stringfellow String Cleaner and Lubricant is the best I’ve used so far.

Here is the long winded explanation for those with longer life expectancies.

When I was younger and knew everything, I would play guitar and, when I was done, I’d wipe the strings with a cloth to keep them clean. Then I’d put the guitar back in its case until I played again (usually the next day). It didn’t take very long before the strings got tarnished, full of grime, and sounding dull and “thumpy”. Needless to say, my strings got filthy and unplayable before they actually wore out. It was quite a dilemma because money was tight and springing for a new set of strings was a luxury. Consequently, I would play those filthy strings and suffer the no sustain and tuning difficulties for long periods of time.

Fast forward 10 years . . . . no, wait a moment . . . . . more like 30 years that seemed like 10 years . . . . to present day. Just recently, I discovered string cleaning solutions. Well, I shouldn’t say I just discovered them, because they’ve been around since I started playing. But when I knew everything, I knew they were just a gimmick sold by snake oil salesmen (“I’m not wasting my money on that stuff”) and never tried them.

So I took the plunge and used some of that old vinyl LP money that was never spent to make a foolish investment in guitar maintenance. The first stuff I bought was GHS Fast Fret String Cleaner. It’s a packet with a swab type thing on a wooden handle. The swab is impregnated with the cleaning solution. You wipe the strings with the swab and then use an included cloth to wipe the solution and grime off the strings. This stuff worked well and there was a noticeable improvement in playability over time.

A month or so later, I saw glowing reviews for Dunlop’s Ultraglide 65 String Conditioner Cleaner and Kyser’s Dr. Stringfellow String Cleaner and Lubricant. Since I was putting together a mega-order for a jillion sets of strings, some microphones, cables, stands, and other gewgaws, I added some of each along with a can of Fingerease Guitar String Lubricant (what the heck).

Here is what I have found. All the products (except the Fingerease which is for something else – more on that later) seemed to keep the strings cleaner and brighter sounding than not using any cleaner. However, I like the Kyser product the best for a couple of reasons. First, and most important, is that it seems to clean the strings better. Not only do the strings sound brighter, but they also look brighter than the others. Second, the GHS and Dunlop products use applicators attached to a handle or bottle and don’t effectively get the “back” side of the strings. So that side stays dirty unless you make a special effort to douse a cloth and wipe all sides of the strings. The Kiser product is a spray bottle (I understand that it was a swab bottle in the past, too), and you can just spray it on a rag and get all sides of the strings right from the start.

I have given the Dunlop to a friend to use, and will give away the GHS to some needy individual, too. I usually clean strings at the end of a session and just before I put the guitar back in the case. By doing that, it’s clean and ready to go right away when it’s pulled out of the case. I have cleaned strings during a practice session if it is unusually long. I don’t know if this stuff will “revive” strings that are already gunked up, since I’ve only used it on new strings from the start. But I would think that there would be a definite improvement if it was used in that situation. This stuff is worth the money at only $4.00 - $6.00 a bottle. I have been using my first bottle for about a half of a year and I still have plenty left.

Now about the Fingerease stuff. Wow! This stuff really makes the strings and neck slick. I never realized how much drag there was on the strings until I sprayed some of this stuff on them and played. But I’ve only used it a couple of times, and here is why. I believe it dulls the sound of the strings a bit which is the exact reason why I am cleaning them. Even though the cleaners say that they lubricate, they don’t make it anywhere as near as slick as this stuff does. It may be more useful to an electric guitar player than an acoustic player as the brightness of the tone and sustain are probably not as critical and can be overcome by electronics. But I do have an acoustic/electric guitar and may experiment more with it in the future. Also, I only used it on a satin finish neck and don’t know how it works on any of the gloss finish necks. And speaking of finishes, none of these products have damaged any of the finishes of my guitars so far. I would still recommend approaching that subject with caution, because I really don’t have a lot of experience with any of them and wouldn’t want anyone finding out otherwise on my account.

I also read an article where a bass player made a string cleaner out of PVC pipe with a screw-on cap with a hook on the inside. He unstrung his bass, filled the pipe with mineral spirits, hung the strings on the hook, dropped them into the solution, and screwed the cap on. He left them in there for a day or two and they came out shiny and clean like new. This would be quite a cost savings for bass strings as they cost a considerable amount more than a set of regular guitar strings. I don't know if this would be very practical for my 6-string. After using the Kiser product, my strings are completely worn out before they reach the point where this would be worthwhile.

I’d be interested in finding out more reviews of others. Especially those who have already posted to this thread.


Hydroman52


mattroutley
Posts: 0
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:27 am
Status: Offline

Sat Jan 02, 2010 6:43 am

for what its worth, i'm a fast fret fan too


AndyT
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 2:06 am
Status: Offline

Sat Jan 02, 2010 6:57 am

Great writeup Hydro. I've been using Fast Fret for a while and really like it. My strings last noticeably longer and they are easier to play. I never tried the other products you wrote up but I'll look into them now.


dekotaj
Posts: 0
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:23 am
Status: Offline

Sat Jan 02, 2010 10:12 am

I to use fast fret,after playing,and I change strings every couple of months.

Kevin


johnrfeeney
Posts: 0
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:11 pm
Status: Offline

Sat Jan 02, 2010 3:20 pm

GHS Fast Fret - great product

this is what i use


Post Reply Previous topicNext topic