Sticky strings.

[mdlorenz]

Played one outdoor gig last tuesday. 85 degrees, pretty humid. Real sweaty. New strings. Now they are real sticky... There's got to be something else to do other then just changing em.

Tried Fast fret. Find that it works right after you use it, but over time it makes things worse. I wash my hands before and after playing. Obsessively wipe off the strings after playing...

What do you do?

[mandroid]

Maybe alcohol hand wipes will clean them off , Short of as you say, just changing out the set,
or at least the wound ones.
maybe put a piece of plastic under the strings to keep the solvents off the fretboard wood.

[Fred Keller]

Suffer http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Seriously, I've tried a few things (wiping, fast fret, handwashing) and nothing works all of the time. I've just had to force myself to make peace with it and remember that winter is long up here in the northland http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[mandopete]

I put either gasoline or tequila on mine (which ever is cheaper at the time).

[mandolirius]

I've found this to be less of a problem with coated strings. Try some Elixers.

[mdlorenz]

Yeah I should've stipulated that in the beginning... I use EXP74's. Figure it's got the same resistance to wear as Elixers.

I've used elixers, & didn't like the tone as much as EXPs... wonder if there'd be any discernible difference in feel....

[BlueMountain]

1. Coated strings may be the problem. Use uncoated strings.

2. Is it the strings, or is it maybe your fingers that are sticking? I can usually tell when I have to stop playing right away: my finger tips start sticking to the strings a little, and they hurt.

3. You might try a product made by Paul Glasse's girlfriend's sister called "Climb On!" It's meant for rock climbers whose fingers get sore, but he gave me a sample and recommends it for sore fingers. It comes in something like a tiny shoe polish can and looks like saddle soap, but it smells like pleasant herbs. If my fingers are sore, it stops the pain is seconds. I don't know why. Might give that a try. Has beeswax and wheatgerm oil in it. http://climbonp.accountsupport.com/cgi-bin/cart/agora.cgi?p_id=00001

[violmando]

Never had that problem yet with my mando strings; with my upright bass strings, I have used--now don't laugh--electric shave! Works like a dream--cleans them with the alcohol and makes them slick as new. But you DO have to be careful not to get it on the finish. I wet the cloth and rub the cloth very carefully along the strings. For what it's worth...

[Elliot Luber]

Did you try the obvious? Wash your hands, then wipe the strings off. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but you could be recontaminating them.

[oldtimestrings]

Go get a bottle of isopropyl rubbing alcohol for 79 cents, put a spot on a cloth, and run it up and down your strings. You'll be amazed by the gunk that comes off, and it makes the strings feel better and last longer in humid conditions (I learned this trick when I lived in South Florida). Be warned: it can make an awful screeching sound when you wipe the strings, but it's over quickly.

[mdlorenz]

Yipes I hate that sound. Gives me shivers

[Kevin K]

A little WD-40?

[Matt Bowe]

Isopropyl alcohol swabs in foil packets are available at most drug stores (100 ct./±$5)
Works like a charm, improves tone and increases string life.
Just keep the stuff off your varnish finish!

[Mattg]

Carefull with your finish!!!

[Sonomabob]

I have just taken a #2 pencil and striped some lines across the strings every other fret or so.

The graphite dust seems to make them slippery again.

I do clean them first.

[Salty Dog]

These are interesting tips as, this time of year, I start breaking wound "D" strings (broke one today between sets). #I sweat a lot and even left a prominent salt stain on my McClung armrest yesterday. #I religiously wipe my strings every time I play with a treated cloth, but my theory is that the salt gets into the winding and avoids the cloth wipe off. #Then it corrodes the string to the point of breakage. #It always breaks on the bridge, where my arm rests (and sweats). #The strings were on for less than two weeks so this corrosion happens quickly - I am referring to J74s here. #I am not very confident that any of the above tips will really get the salt out of the windings.

[Salty Dog]

These are interesting tips as, this time of year, I start breaking wound "D" strings (broke one today between sets). I sweat a lot and even left a prominent salt stain on my McClung armrest yesterday. I religiously wipe my strings every time I play with a treated cloth, but my theory is that the salt gets into the winding and avoids the cloth wipe off. Then it corrodes the string to the point of breakage. It always breaks on the bridge, where my arm rests (and sweats).

[steve V. johnson]

I use alcohol that I get at NAPA auto parts stores, it has no lanolin nor other additives. I used to use this stuff to clean the heads of tape recorders
in the recording studio. I use a lint-free rag and make sure to get all the way around the string all along the length.

After that I use John Pearse String Swipes, which are little square patches, like the kind in gun cleaning kits, and they contain Caig De-Oxit and some other stuff, and I go over all the strings as I mentioned above. The patches usually end up showing some black dirt and some green corrosion from the bronze wrapped strings.

I only do this when I haven't time to do a full string change, like when I'm at a festival or doing two outdoor gigs in a day.

The String Swipes are very good to use on new strings after about the first six or so hours of playing. This seems to increase the life of the strings.

All the best,

stv

[Robert Moreau]

My string routine:

I use fast fret and a microfiber cloth, that I use just for the strings. I wipe the strings with the cloth occasionally while playing (every few songs, without fast fret)

After playing I wipe the strings well with the microfiber cloth, then fast fret, then the cloth again. This seems to work alright. Fast fret on it's own didn't really work for me either... (and I never use Fast fret before playing. That just turns to goo).

Rob