Stretching Strings By Boiling Them In Water...

[Mario8672]

If I use the standrard Nickel Plated electtric guitar strings and put them in boiling water for 20 minutes will they rust when they dry?

Thanks

[kelly user]

They are streched at temps far greater than that. i don't see what boiling water will do. except clean them

[Mr.Lizardman]

I'm surprised to hear this 'urban legend' is still around- I heard it sometime in the early '80s but ignored it to keep from frizzing out my 'doo....LMAO!

[VitaminG]

wouldn't it take less time (and effort) just to stretch them out as you string the guitar up?

[jgcable]

Old wives tale.

[emperor_black]

I've heard that bass players boil their strings to "rejuvenate" them cause bass strings used to cost like $20 a set. Who does it nowadays with ebay at our disposal. talking about eBay... does anyone still buy a Dimarzio set for $8.99 in GC when the same set is available on eBay for $3?

[59custom]

I Either heard/ read. That in the 80's EVH boiled his strings cause he prefered dead strings???

[bonghits]

Old wives tale.

I agree.

[demeyes]

You boil strings to clean them out and revive the sound a bit. It only works on the wound strings too from what I heard, it gets grease and dirt from the windings that a cloth won't help with. I've done it with bass strings. Worked well but they will dull out again after a few days. I was thinking of trying it on a heavy set of strings on an LP I don't play enough to warrant a new set.

[Bengal65]

It would be a royal pain putting on a boiled set of used strings. I toss them in the trash pronto.

[dannyr]

Too much trouble!!! Put strings on guitar, stretch them, play the hell out of them, and then throw them away and put on a set of new ones. Don't mess with trying to boil them.

[Jack The Riffer]

I usually put them in the bottom of the bong and then smoke mass quantities through it, then take them out and dry them off and put them back on. Seems to work well. Either that or I'm really stoned by that time and have no clue how anything sounds.

[Spivonious]

I usually put them in the bottom of the bong and then smoke mass quantities through it, then take them out and dry them off and put them back on. Seems to work well. Either that or I'm really stoned by that time and have no clue how anything sounds.

:ROTF:

[LEOKV2]

Well, I know something for sure: My bassist, and almost every bassist I know around here, boils his strings often.

Like someone said, a new pack of strings may cost like 20 to 30 dollars (for bass), so yeah, boiling them "rejuvenate" them in a way. It makes the strings sound like new (that metallic ring and clarity) but not for long. What we do is, when we're going to record the bass, he buys a set of strings. After 3 or 4 songs, we boil them and keep on playing. If you don't do this, you can actully hear how the strings start to die after a while, specially if he plays using his fingers (which he does). So yeah, usually we boil the strings a couple time during a 10 song recording session. It makes the strings sound "like new" but for maybe half an hour or an hour. It serves the purpose for recording, or hell, just to make your bass sound like with new strings now and then.

You need to be careful to completely dry the strings because if not it will moist the fretboard and he even has some rusted frets because of this. And the strings will rust too if not dried well.

For the "boiling" or as we call it "making spaghetti", we add liquid soap. Like a generous splash of liquid soap. I don't think that the boiling is done to "stretch" the strings, it's actually done to CLEAN them from the grease our fingers leave on them and make them sound dull. The hot water and the SOAP help dissolve the grease. It really works.

As for guitar strings... I've never done it, and probably won't. I just prefer to buy a new set of strings. Plus, if you are playing metal or something that requires a fully distorted tone most of the time, you can get away with dull strings for a longer period, say, compared to someone who plays clean guitar most of the time. Anyway, I just re-string the guitar with new strings, it's cheaper than bass strings and I don't want any moisture or rust on my guitar.

[Mr.Lizardman]

I buy my strings by the case- much cheaper! (guitar) Play 'em until I just can't stand 'em or they sound like crap. (usually the same time) I keep them wiped down between jams, and I always make sure my hands are clean before I play- but that's also because I try and be 'nice' to my guitars....