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The Steel Guitar Forum
Bar Chatter Archive
Clean Strings
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This topic was originally posted in this forum: Wanted To Buy |
| Author | Topic: Clean Strings |
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BILL kennedy unregistered Posts: 1041 |
posted 03 July 2000 05:36 PM
tHIS MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU: I got caught with not enough time to re-string my d-10 for a gig(which was much needed).15 min. before leaving for the job,my wife said to try some isopropyl (rubbing)alcahol to clean them.In a last ditch effort i did in just 15 min.I used a soft rag (lint free)with the alcohol and did each string.When i set up at the gig and started playing it sounded like all new strings were just put on.From now on before playing a job, i'm wiping it down with this stuff.I think strings will keep thier tone longer. BILL KENNEDY marlen D-10 |
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bill dearmore Member Posts: 439 |
posted 03 July 2000 07:18 PM
Yea Bill, I've been picking up alcohol soaked pads at Wal-Mart in the drug dept. Less than a couple of dollars for a hundred of individualy wrapped pads. I get 3 or 4 times the string life from a set of strings. Saving money and I hate changing strings. It "Works". Good discovery,see ya, Bill |
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BILL kennedy unregistered Posts: 439 |
posted 04 July 2000 06:20 AM
GOOD IDEA BILL, I'LL PICK UP SOME OF THOES AT WAL-MART PRONTO, THANKS--BILL KENNEDY |
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Rick Collins Member Posts: 3286 |
posted 04 July 2000 08:06 AM
I was just thinking: Do you think the alcohol will promote rust? I don't know for sure. Some players use a Blitz cloth to wipe strings clean. It is treated with a copper cleaner. Maybe cleaning before you begin playing with alcohol and cleaning with a Blitz cloth after the playing session would be a good approach. That way all the copper cleaner would be off the strings while you are playing. Rick |
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Moon in Alaska Member Posts: 1155 |
posted 04 July 2000 10:41 AM
I think most of us are amazed to see how much "crap" we get off the strings by cleaning them this way !! My wife has diabetes, so I have a never ending supply of those little patches. Now I wish you guys would find something to rub on there to prevent breaking !!  ------------------ |
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Theresa Galbraith Member Posts: 2369 |
posted 04 July 2000 11:18 AM
Blitz cloth! [This message was edited by Theresa Galbraith on 04 July 2000 at 11:20 AM.] |
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Chuck Hall Member Posts: 306 |
posted 04 July 2000 11:39 AM
I don't think isoprobyl alcohol would promote rust. I work as an environmental tech in the aircraft industry (USAF) and we use the stuff to remove tape residue before painting aitcraft. Much testing went into this process and corrosion is of the utmost concern. Course airplanes are alum and not steel but rust is rust, I guess. Chuck ------------------ |
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B Bailey Brown Member Posts: 606 |
posted 04 July 2000 11:48 AM
I’ll give you a weird one to think about. I use Williams Lectric Shave to wipe the strings down after a job. Say What??!!  About 10 years ago I worked a job with a great guitar player from California. I was wiping down the strings after the job with something like WD-40 or LPS1, whatever I was using at the time. He looked at that and said, “Ahhh, you really don’t want to do that. That stuff will attract more gunk than it will ever take off the strings.”, and he hands me this bottle of Williams Lectric Shave. I looked at him like he was crazy. He told me that the stuff is basically about 50% alcohol, and has some light oil in it. The alcohol evaporates fairly quickly leaving a light coat of oil on the strings. I have been using it for years and it seems to do the job. The only thing you have to know it that you need to find the unscented type. Either that, or when you get to the next gig and open your steel case, it will smell like a French Brothel! B. Bailey Brown |
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Mark Herrick Member Posts: 1154 |
posted 04 July 2000 11:54 AM
What is the difference between isopropyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol? I always thought there was something else in isopropyl alcohol besides alcohol that might leave some kind of residue. I use ethyl alcohol to clean tape residue and oil/grease from metal parts and surfaces. The can I have says it contains: ethyl alcolhol, methyl alcohol and ethyl acetate. I also use naptha as a general purpose mild solvent and cleaner. (I would be careful using either on any kind of painted surface or plastic, such as stick-on labels like the Mullen logo on my guitar.) The Blitz cloth definately leaves a residue. [This message was edited by Mark Herrick on 04 July 2000 at 11:57 AM.] |
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Earnest Bovine Member Posts: 4687 |
posted 04 July 2000 11:57 AM
Poisoning yourself with ethanol is more fun. |
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kyle reid Member Posts: 468 |
posted 04 July 2000 12:27 PM
I just bought a bottle of alchohol at Kmart for 49cents What do you think of me putting a few drops of 3in1 oil in it? Sounds better than 10bucks for the Williams Shave stuff? |
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kyle reid Member Posts: 468 |
posted 04 July 2000 12:30 PM
Looks like I can drink the stuff better than I can spell it! |
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Rodney Shuffler Member Posts: 593 |
posted 04 July 2000 12:37 PM
I heard Will Ray (Hellecasters fame) talk about some product called Slickeez (or something like that). It was basically alcohol on pads that were tough enough to stand up to wiping strings down. I like to use GHS Fast-Fret with the little applicator. But what I like better, is when it dries out, I replenish the cotton applicator with regular rubbing alcohol and it cleans real well. Rod ------------------ |
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Steve Feldman Member Posts: 2983 |
posted 04 July 2000 12:39 PM
Either kind of the alchohols mentioned should act as a dessicant and will displace moisture. This should prevent corrosion, I would think. Fingernail polish remover or acetone might also have the same effect. I use a blitz cloth myself, though. |
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B Bailey Brown Member Posts: 606 |
posted 04 July 2000 02:05 PM
Oh golly, what have I started here. I am not a chemist, so I can’t really answer those questions. To the best of my knowledge, isopropyl alcohol (That’s what you buy at the grocery store, otherwise known as “rubbing alcohol”) does have impurities in it. Ethyl alcohol is “pure alcohol”, and has no impurities in it. As Earnest pointed out, you can put that stuff in a glass of Orange Juice (ethanol)…and not know what state you are in!! As Steve pointed out anything with alcohol in it will clean the strings. To me, anything with a bit of oil in it will help prevent corrosion and rust on the strings. Theoretically, they should last a bit longer. I can’t swear that is true…but it seems to work for me. B. Bailey Brown |
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Donny Hinson Member Posts: 9192 |
posted 04 July 2000 04:19 PM
Rubbing alcohol, which is mostly isopropyl alcohol usually does contain some water. The last bottle I bought said "isopropyl alcohol...90.9%, water 9%, other ingredients .1%. But I have seen some brands that were only 60% alcohol. You can buy denatured alcohol at the hardware store thats 99.9% pure, and of course the 100% (200 proof) grain alky which is sold at some liquor stores. I wouldn't use anything that contains water. The bottom side of the strings collect the most grime. I used to use a rag with WD-40 sprayed on it. It did a pretty good job of extending string life, but the ladies complained that I smelled like the oil burner service man! Life is filled with tradeoffs! |
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Dean Brown Member Posts: 254 |
posted 05 July 2000 05:26 AM
Man, I'll bet that Williams Lectric Shave should work great on My Williams PSG. |
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David Mullis Member Posts: 1413 |
posted 05 July 2000 05:34 AM
Okay, where can I get a blitz cloth? Thanks |
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John Hawkins Member Posts: 588 |
posted 05 July 2000 06:02 AM
David - Click on "Steel Links" then on Steel Manufactures then on Franklin Steel Guitars. Mr Franklin Sr.sells Blitz cloths ! Their phone number and address is on their page . Good luck ! Careful --- don't let that cloth touch your fret board ! It will damage it over time ! John |
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John Hawkins Member Posts: 588 |
posted 05 July 2000 06:05 AM
David , OOPS ! Those links I mentioned are all here on the forum -- Start at b0b's home page and you will see Steel Links . Go from there ! John |
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Jack Stoner Sysop Posts: 8119 |
posted 05 July 2000 06:05 AM
Some of the "Army Navy Surplus" stores have the Blitz Cloths and some sporting goods stores have them too. If you can't find one you can order them from the Franklin Guitar Co. If your in Nashville, Friedman's used to carry them. I have an older one that I've been using for about 10 years (and still going) but the new ones are packaged differently and I think the ones for Brass are the type you want (they sell several types for different metals). Paul was the one that turned me on to using the Blitz cloth and he said Sonny Garrish told him about it and who knows before that. |
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Bill Crook Member Posts: 1820 |
posted 05 July 2000 06:14 AM
Just my opnion..... I think that if you put ANY kind of oil on the strings, you really deaden that string. Anythin that leaves a reseduial(sp?) on a string shortin's the life of it. Again .... Just my opnion
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Jeff Lampert Member Posts: 2636 |
posted 05 July 2000 07:32 AM
As best as I recall, many years ago, I tried to clean some gunk off the fretboard on my Sho-Bud Professional using rubbing alcohol out of my medicine cabinet, and it dissolved the ink off my fretboard. BE CAREFUL!! |
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Kenneth Kotsay Member Posts: 306 |
posted 05 July 2000 05:09 PM
I'm confused, is it Johnny Walker Red label or Johnny Walker White label or how about "Night Train" (not the song) for those who are hard pressed for cash. |
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B Bailey Brown Member Posts: 606 |
posted 05 July 2000 05:45 PM
Oh yea, I forgot to mention that in my original post, but what John and Jeff said is true. Be very careful when using things with alcohol in them. After about 4 years of using the Williams Lectrec Shave I trashed the fret boards on one of my Blanton guitars. Over a period of time that stuff will take the paint off. B. Bailey Brown |
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Theresa Galbraith Member Posts: 2369 |
posted 06 July 2000 05:19 AM
Blitz cloth www.paul-franklin.com |
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