Boiling Bass Strings: Does it actually WORK? | SpectreSoundStudios TUTORIAL
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Today we take a look to see if the old story of boiling your strings has any real, noticeable change on the tone. Bass strings aren't cheap, and if this works, it can go a long way to saving you some cash!
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Today we take a look to see if the old story of boiling your strings has any real, noticeable change on the tone. Bass strings aren't cheap, and if this works, it can go a long way to saving you some cash!
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I first learned about it way back in the mid ’80s in Doug Marks’ Metal Method Guitar Lesson. I mentioned this idea a few years ago in another video called “How to not completely suck on bass guitar” and it was met with quite a bit of mockery. The thing was, I wasn’t kidding. Watch the video below to see the before / after tones of boiling your bass strings.
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I'm Glenn Fricker, engineer here at Spectre Sound Studios. I love making records, and after doing it for sixteen years, I want to pass on what I've learned. On my channel you can find tutorials on how to record guitar, bass, real drums and vocals. There's reviews and demos of tube amps, amp sims, drums, mics, preamps, outboard gear, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, and plugin effects.
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Try boiling the bass player for a true comparison
Lmao
Please don't-
Guitar players have been roasting bass players for eons, so I see nothing wrong with this.
Bass players are better when they're stewed. Hey-o!
I was thinking the same!
"Use tongs to remove you bass strings"
When you said that I pictured a bass player plunging his hands into the boiling water and grabbing the strings one at a time, screaming as he's doing it
i almost did that. normally most bassist are far too burnt out for coherent thought
He forgot to remind them to take the strings off the bass first.
@@chrism6952 Bassist: *Slams Bass into giant pot and boils the shit out of it
I'm the only one thinking that is a perfect gag for Metalocalypse?
( Brutal )
what about just pouring out the water first?
Instruction unclear, I ate 'em.
Don't worry, i put the spaghetti on my bass. Best sound I've ever had.
Next time, boil them slow on low heat over night, with some cream and spices. they taste much better then :)
Works for Fieldy!
Those are some tasty licks!
Of course you did, you're a bass player.
Don't forget a pinch of salt and olive oil
After eating so much nachos and fries while gigging my strings are so oily that the USA wants to invade them.
This is gold
What? This channel is about the production of metal music? I totally thought it was about the history of pre-1900s ballerina in the Ottoman Empire.
+A Metal Enthusiast and Giant shocking, I know!
A Metal Enthusiast and Giant it's an easy mistake, since Glenn has so many videos about that. He should make a channel just for the metal production, I'd watch it
Where there ballerina in the Ottoman Empire?
Common mistake
It's obviously a classical piano channel.
I used the same pot that I used to boil my strings in to boil water for tea, and I just took a sip and I swear to God it tasted like a dust bunny's arsehole
This is a lie
The fact you know what a dust bunnys butt hole tastes like is quite concerning
@@kei1132 Western Cuisine
You must be a bass player.
@@shuruff904 you must be a dickhead
as someone who was born and grew up in the soviet Union, I have that experience vastly used, and not only for bass strings but also for regular guitar strings. due to the fact that strings at that time were not available in regular commerce because of the Iron Curtain, and on the black market it was worth a fortune, we boiled strings regularly, and really took care of them to preserve them as long as possible. an alternative to that was washing strings in water with baking soda, brushing with a toothbrush and then rinsing and drying, which was believed among local musicians a safer way to make srings life longer and avoid strings quality degradation due to thermal treatment
water should be warm by the way
In Soviet Russia, strings boil you
I knew baking soda is great at removing rust from steel and iron, through electrolysis, but now you came up with something even more interesting! Thanks for sharing!
In Russia bass string play you
My bassist had the same exact experience. On top of that getting rock/metal music to listen to felt like meeting a drug dealer!
should you add some salt to the water? or maybe a potato?
Zimorog Band Wouldn't recommend. However, you can get an ultra crispy sound by deep frying your strings instead of cooking.
You do that and, baby, you’ve got yourself a stew going.
Vodka!?
I didn't expect you to be here 😂
This is an untraditional way to boil pasta
After seeing this video I told my band's bass player of this idea, and he said he'd give a try.
He's now come back to say that he'll be ready to play again soon, once his guitar has dried out.
Mandolinic 😂😂😂
Hes so dumb
Mandolinic I’m fuckin dead😂😂😂
Haha.😭😭😭
HAHAHAHAH! What a moron.
.......And then, after all is said and done...the bass player adjusts his amp to sound like the 15 year old strings anyways.
hush, don't knock the sound
Also I'm betting you cant play an instrument worth a damn
Not gonna like because there's 69lmao likes
😂😂😂
American strings have the trebly attack of warcrimes!!
Another method that works, and it's pretty quick, is to lose the strings and slap the shit out of'em.
When re-tuned up, the bass sounds much more bright.
Perhaps the boil + losing/slapping is something to try, because jeez if bass strings are expensive!
Do you mean loosen the string?
@@DatBoi-mo9vc
Probabilmente.
@@ChristianIce ok
@@DatBoi-mo9vc methylated spirits or alcohol hand rub is the best way to clean strings. Boiling makes the strings very brittle and prone to breaking whereas the alcohol evaporates and leaves u with super bright strings.
@@Zezezeze69 By alcohol hand rub are you talking about hand sanitizer? don't use hand sanitizer because the other ingredients besides the alcohol stay on the strings and cause the same problems.
i was cooking pasta next to my bass strings. i accidentally ate my strings. now my voice sounds like a standard E tuning
true fact. you can take the filthy shit that came out of the strings after boil them and mold it into a little living bass player.
Ed Fire True fact. Guitarists think they're hot shit until they listen to their own music without the bass.
probbably, our entire bodies are just piles of filthy shit anyway. you could make a bass player outta water trash.
And thats how Pete Wentz was born! 🤣🤣😂😂😂
Definitely a lot more treble on the boiled strings. Dead strings might actually sound kind of a nice in a jazz ensemble type setting.
I have a pair of new ones, at least with a bit of sting to them for rock. For jazz i use a pair of halfwound strings to get some nice bottom end and a wee bit of high end so it sounds more upright.
It always a lot easier to roll off the high end on your eq than it is to try to make it appear like it's there on dead strings
Tbh from a person who just been looking into guitars and basses for only a few days now the boiled strings sounded better it's that nice raw sound that makes it so good it slightly off but not to much to throw the sound unlike most songs are today were its perfect tones at perfect lengths on repeat
@@bullishgroup8304 The thing about the new string sound? It definitely won't get buried under a wall of guitars and double kick. That's why we need it.
But how can bass players boil water when they still haven't discovered how to make fire?
I just ask my parents to do it for me
Nice!!!! 👍
Bass players just blow bubbles in the water
use the stove.
DrVinny654 what is a wheel?
Tried boiling my drumheads... didnt work as well as I hoped it would.
It may work better if you boiled the bass player instead
Zula Oww.
zing of the day
N o o
Unfortunately boiling bass players in considered cannibalism or murder.
@@godzilla964 r u a bass player? just asking from the england u speaker
Pro tip: If you want to get the strings to dry faster just throw them in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Trying to break your microwave ??
Instructions unclear, boiled microwave
I...thought this legit for like 3 seconds. I need sleep
Thanks man an old tip that actually works
only 2x you should do that...4th of July and New Years....
The question is if it's cheaper to buy new strings or to buy new pots every 15 years...
You are asking a real question here
😂😂😂😂 Oh my God!
Simple calculations. An average set of cheap bass strings is about $10 US, a cheap ebay saucepan is also $10. If you are going to change strings more than once every 15 years, it's cheaper to buy the pot.
Dylan Greene dude, I've never seen bass strings dip below 25 dollars. I regularly pay 35 to 40 for a set of strings. Guitar strings on the other hand, a decent set can be had for like 7 bucks.
Conley Collins try looking online at Amazon. I had found a set for about 15 dollars.
I’ve tried it. Yes, it breathes a bit of new life into your strings-but the quality doesn’t last as long as it does with new strings. In other words, the boiled strings fade back into sounding muddy much faster than a new set will fade into muddiness.
It’ll work to get your through a gig or a recording session, but you’re not fooling the laws of nature. You’ll still have to buy a new set of strings soon.
That's right. It could delay the desperate need for new strings for when the next paycheck drops.
Week old > Brand new > Boiled > 15 year old in my opinion. 15 year old ones just sound really soft and dead, which makes the mix they're in sound noticeably weaker. The boiled strings have a bit more high end and width, same (to a greater extent) for the brand new ones. The week old ones don't have as much of a difference with the new ones as the difference between ancient and boiled, but there is a tiny bit of extra thickness which I quite like.
I completely agree. The brand new strings sound very tinny and have no low end whatsoever. obviously the 15 year old bass strings sound like shit.
E x t r a T h i c c
Have no low end whatsoever? lmao ok. New strings have more pronounced treble and transients. This makes them a little sharper to listen to, but it's really easy to remove that sound by turnings knobs on your amp / EQ if that's what you want. However; it's harder to get a nice brightness/aggression out of older strings, and it can't be magically added in the same way. You only perceive less low end because of the high end. The increased magnetic pull of new strings actually gives a firmer representation of the fundamental notes of the bass. It also makes it more moldable, making it easier to use EQ and other processors to add or remove bass.
And if you use a quality bass, not cheap piece-of-shit Crestwood that sounds nothing even though you'd put strings more expensive than the bass itself, on it. Compare the strings with different ages with a Ibanez Prestige Bass, Warwick or Fender Jazz bass and the results would be much clearer.
Simon The Human there is nothing like brand new strings. They sound better and they are nicer to play. For both bass and electric guitar.
You know this segment is made for bass players because he had to instruct the viewer to use tongs to get the strings out of boiling water.
Have to admit... the boiled strings sound a lot better than I expected they would. Cool to get to actually hear that effect, rather than just hear the "old wives tale". And as a bass player, bite me Glenn!
Keep the content coming :)
**he says while holding an acoustic guitar in profile picture**
Another reason to replace old strings is for intonation. Frets will wear groves into the strings over time.
Also, I found that ultrasonically cleaning bass string is easier and slightly more effective than boiling them.
Exactly, and those local changes in mass will make it so you no longer get the clean standing waves on the string that are necessary for the higher-order harmonics that make for a bright tone.
I'm surprised bassists know how to boil water.
+Chris Arias me too!
FYI I'm boiling water now
Jk, I'm a guitarist
top comment
so, strings on the stove first then the water? when do we put the pot on the stove? I'm so confused I think I may have boiled my bass.
3 years of Kraft Mac and Cheese every night is enough experience
As I bass player, yeah, denatured alcohol doesn't taste good. I feel kinda funny. Maybe if I cook up some soup in the pot I just boiled my strings in, I'll feel better.
Also doing a dab with alcohol not dried out all of the way very bad idea. Learnt from experience
Aren't the pots you boil the strings in more expensive then new strings?
+Legendary Carlos you can use it Moe than once!
SpectreSoundStudios
No shit, Sherlock...
probably not
I think it's in reference to Glenn saying not to cook food in a pot you boiled strings in. But really, I can't see why it'd be any worse than some post-holiday caked on grime or something. Just wash your dishes properly and it shouldn't be an issue.
Maybe Glenn hasn't heard of washing dishes - ever considered that? :P
I used to play bass 6 nights a week. When the strings got too dead I would boil them and get 3 or 4 more shows out of them, then I would boil them a 2nd time and try to get to music store asap. Your video to me demonstrates what I experienced. Boiling doesn't get them back to good as new, and each time you boil them they get farther from new quality.
Im sure the wife loved the 15 year old bass player smell hahah
rjmcdade She’s probably used to it by now.
"Keep calm and blame the bass player"
The Reek of Putrefaction!!! Glen, been listening to Carcass lately?
I boiled strings a few times in my roundwound playing days. They did liven the strings up considerably, but it was short lived -- back to dead within a week.
The other risk of denatured alcohol is that it is putting a dangerous substance with alcohol on the label near a bassist, they could drink it :)
He did give a disclaimer to NOT DRINK IT.
Yes but sometimes there are bassists in the room...
Maybe that was WHY he gave the disclaimer......
Oh, without a doubt, I'm just saying I get the impression that sometimes bassists don't quite pick up on what he's saying...
So, how long have you been playing bass?
my dad is a bassist/guitarist/drummer/keyboarder/singer/tuba and saxophone player/ 10 other instruments player, and he told me that his experiences in boiling bass strings actually weakens them. the coils around the bass strings actually open up and allow water to get in, causing rust to build up around the core of the string. it once almost put his eye out when he was playing. .
I've tried boiling my strings a few times. They never get that fresh set brightness, and they seem to get dull again pretty quickly. I find using Fastfret every time I play my bass is less effort and keeps the strings sounding decent for longer, but again, there is no substitute for a new set.
It's been a long time but your comment reminded me, I would notice the same thing. Whatever gains in clarity and brightness would decline rather quickly and you can only boil them so many times before you hit a wall and get very little benefit. That was my experience in the late 90s and early-mid 2000s; more string options today at lower costs too. The local music shop carried 2 brands starting at $45cdn for a set of four strings which was a lot when you're 16-18 and min-wage was $6.85/hr.
If you use Fastfret a lot, I got something for you.
Go into your pharmacy of choice and ask for white mineral spirits. Buy a whole bottle and get some clean rags.
Now you got a lifetime supply of Fastfret for less than one of those dipped wooden rollers they sell to you.
You can either add the rag to a similar roll, or you use a rag directly and also reach under the strings.
The white mineral spirits form the pharmacy are from higher quality (filtered multiple times) than the stuff used for fastfret.
Thanks for the tip onpsxmember, I'll give it a shot!
onpsxmember Tnx for the info, will give it a try!
It's a good poor man's solution, and I'm a poor man. The soup afterwards brings back so many memories too. ~8^)
Crumbs balls, it makes me laugh every time i here it.
Must hear where this comes from....plz
Crom was the god of Conan the Barbarian. As an athiest, I figure if you're going to cry out to a myth, why not have some fun with it!
The title of this video should have been:
Bass strings: “15 Year Old Strings Vs Boiled 15 Year Old Strings, being played with the treble rolled off.”
This is constructive critism not shit talking: Tell the guitar player thats playing bass for this video to pick inbetween the pick up and bridge and he will get better tone.
As a bass player i have boiled strings before, it does make a difference but the effect wears off quicker.
Toxic Potato it does give you more treble, which is a good thing when your playing bass in a metal band. It helps you cut through the mix and be heard. Less treble is one of the reasons old bass strings sound dead. Picking closer to the bridge also evens out your picking (kinda like a compressor would, using a lighter pick does this too) because the string is a little tighter feeling closer to the bridge (or nut, this holds true to any stringed instrument....the string has more movement in the middle), this makes it so the larger strings dont fart out as easy when your picking hard/fast. These things make your tone better in my opinion, i dont claim to be the authority on metal bass tone but watch some vidoes of metal bass players, most of them play closer to the bridge (especially in faster parts) because it has benefits like those. Watch the nolly prayer position playthrough, that guy has fucking awesome technique, pay attention to where hes picking. Dont believe me, just pay attention to bad ass metal bass players and you will see
William Harrison .. that's exactly what I noticed! Sometimes I'd boil mine b4 I gig to get that new bright sound but it does not last long
Tell the dummy who wrote this comment that "tone" is COMPLETELY subjective, and that intelligent people know that a tone _they_ happen to prefer isn't any better or worse than a different tone that someone else prefers.
Two sets one on the bass, one boiled then soaked in methyl hydrate until needed, keeps them crisp and removes any chance of rust.
True story: I put brand new strings on for my first real recording session back in the early 90's. Did 9 tracks (in one or two takes each, thank you very much), then went back to correct a handful of mistakes. The difference between the main tracks and overdubbed parts were like night and day. I get it, new strings sound fantastic, but in my experience, that tone is gone after about an hours worth of playing. To keep that tone, I'd literally have to change my strings every hour. Sound practical? Of course I'll still change them for any serious recording, maybe break 'em in a little. Someone mentioned Elixir strings in another comment section. I tried 'em once, played a couple of rehearsals, then a show, where the coating started flaking off like dead skin. Worthless, at least for me anyway. So yeah, my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth (not much, right?). Keep being a funny, knowledgeable asshole. Fuck you!
Try coated elixir strings. Bright sound lasts for quite a long time
Boil the bassplayer and he'll play faster and in time 😂
Wouldn't an ultrasonic cleaner work better? I use surfactants and ultrasonic cleaner for PCB cleaning. I use it on many other things that surprise me that it works so well. In the end though isn't it cheaper to buy new strings?
Brand new and a week old I can't hear any difference but the boiled ones are night and day.
I think it would work as well or better. Not sure how practical it is though, as how many people have one of those. Not sure if the ones for jewelry would be big enough for bass strings either.
Heath Barnhart They are more than big enough. Practical not likely. It's 150 bucks for the cleaner and the chemicals are not cheap. Plus the risk of your bass player drinking them. How much for new strings? 30-50 bucks? Though a person could pay a jeweler $15 for a 15 min hot cleaning. But what's the chance of a bass player having $15 before a gig?
This is about house-hold fixes, so ultrasonic cleaners are kind of out of the picture. And I agree--probably my computer speakers, but the week-old and brand-new strings are very subtle
Just one small gripe with this video. 6:24 Don't use "an old rag or shirt", cough up the $1.50 for a microfiber cloth and wipe your strings down EVERY time you finish playing. Your strings will last SOOOO much longer.
my strings have been made in czhekoslovakia, have been through 3 pairs of hands, and look like they are made of shit, and sound like shit, and i dont know how they survived to this day
Don't know if it's true but according to people who have done this (TH-camrs and forum guys) the boiled strings go back to being dull quite rapidly. Within a matter of days apparently. Can we get a report on this Glenn???
That's why he said that they shouldn't be used for more than one or two recordings
He said a few days to a week tops
He actually says, "I can't guarantee any longevity however, nor if the strings will keep their life past tracking one or two songs." Also if you listen to his prior statements discussing results for the boiled strings he's speaking hypothetically. This is why he used words like, "might" in the context of 'to express possibility'. I'm asking for clarification once he's given the strings a good run out. :)
Yeah, they go back to dull pretty quick. Still, depending on HOW DIRTY they were, it'll probably still extend the life of your strings pretty considerably if you don't care about perfection. I boiled my strings a few months ago and they still sound better now than they did before I boiled them.
Ta! :)
🙄Boiling is so 90s. We use ultrasonic cleaners now.
100% the bass players that complained listened through their phone speakers. I mean they're too cheap for strings so why would they waste their beer money on actual good headphones/speakers
Chase Sutherland I have shitty $20 headphones and I can easily hear the difference
BlackCommie they wouldn't spend 20 bucks for new strings, why would they spend 20 bucks for headphones !
Well, that's if they had much hearing left, to begin with... If they're too cheap for strings, you really think they'd bother with any ear protection? :P
Even through phone speakers, the difference between old, new and boiled is enormous.
Real question: if they can't buy new strings, Why would they waste their beer money on a phone?
Terrible comparison : "not boiled" - played the heavy strings and lower tones. "boiled" - played the lighter strings and higher tones. Who are you trying to kid?
I always thought boiling them was a myth, wow it works!
It really does, very impressive results.
In my first band back in 2001 I was lucky enough to have a bass player with half a brain who tried the string-boiling trick, so I've seen first-hand how big a difference it makes! Certainly not quite as good as a brand new set imo, but if you're short on cash it's a great substitute!
Next Up On The News: A Bass Player Has Accidentally Killed Himself By Drinking Denatured Alcohol After Boiling His Bass Strings In It. While The Liquid Was Still Of Boiling Temperature.
Why would this be news if it is common occurence? Oh.....
Little long for a headline, yeah?
for our song 'off your horse' i used boiled strings if you want to reference that as an example. It's not heavy enough for most people here tho i'm thinking... cheers from Aus
nice
Week old was my favorite. I felt that the boiled strings actually cut through the mix a little too well, didn't blend properly with the guitar. And, while the new strings did have a better attack, I felt that the week old strings had a sort of brightness and smoothness to them that the new strings didn't. Overall, the week old strings just sounded best in the mix to me. Out of mix, I'd probably give it to the new strings, because that attack makes for a more engaging tone. I would only want new or boiled strings for a truly fantastic bassist, the kind that leads the group more than the lead guitar does, Flea or John Deacon.
Quad sprung solidlifter valvetrain
I said it under original "15 YO strings" video, but I say it again, cuz I think it's true (IMHO): I think bass player should use new strings on any record, not only the metal. If you need that dead muted sound you just can mess around with live or mixing processing (and why the hell else do you need that tone knob on your bass, huh?), so the new and clean strings are more versatile.
Thank god someone else gets this, it's shocking how many bass players in these comments can't grasp the concept of using new strings then adjusting the tone as necessary, or even using something like flatwounds.
It's better to get as much of the tone you want as possible from the instrument itself, and less of it screwing around with the amp/DI/post-processing. If you start with a certain tone and change it to something completely different at the end you will take too much out of the sound ending up with a weak result.
Brand new strings are a tool for achieving a specific result, not quite a universal tool. A tone knob, if used carefully is also a good tool.
You don't get the same results from having barely broken in strings with tone wide open and brand new strings with the tone partially down.
With the broken in strings you have a sort of natural high pass shelf above 3000hz or so. There's still something going on above that range but it's not overly present in the mix.
Brand new strings though have a lot of harshness above the 3000hz range though, and for those who can still hear the higher frequencies these can cause ear fatigue fast. Especially if you also distort the signal. Now you can remove this information with the tone knob, but this just makes it so that all information above a certain range is removed completely. It's essentially just a low pass filter that cuts out the frequencies completely.
Now whether you do or do not want anything going on up there for bass is entirely up to you and your engineer, but point is, the tone control can not make new strings sound the same as broken in strings. You can approximate the sound with some more expansive EQ work. But generally I find that the less you have to process a signal the better.
I think you missed that was just my humble opinion =) Anyway, besides the tone knob you have a different types of basses themselves - jass, precision, active bass with it's own EQ onbboard. You can use those knobs as well, and it's not a processing, but the instrumnt itself. Also, precision bass sounds softer tha jass bass, for example (IMHO as well).
Keeper While it's on the instrument it's still an active EQ system. Not much different than adding an EQ pedal, using the knobs on the amp, or EQing in a DAW. Only possible difference is that it's in front of all other effects, but that's mostly an issue when playing live with some manner of distortion. And while I get that you're trying to say that different basses might sound differently, even a P will have added harshness from new strings. A jazz, assuming you use the bridge pickup, will have even more highs.
You're also the first person I've ever seen that calls a P softer than a jazz. If anything the added mids make it more ballsy. Maybe I just interpret the word soft differently.
When you've boiled down the strings, filter the oil then use again!
STEEL PANTHER \m/
Back in the 80s I used to boil my strings every 2 weeks when on the road. Struggling musicians doing the bar circuits, you know!
I used to buy the D'Addario nickel wounds and they lasted quite a while. I always kept a fresh bass on stage for that moment when the inevitable happens. Only happened once and it was the dreaded A that blew..lol!!!! If you were getting bored with the material and this happens, well, you get a real surge of reality and wake up fast as you plan your way through the song without fucking up!
In LGBT the B stands for Bass players. Bass players are a marginally oppressed minority therefore Bass Player Exclusionists from LGBT community are Bigoted. Also Bass players are all gay. Of course not in any derogatory way.
(Beatles 'Hey Bulldog' voice)
You got it dude, YOU GOT IT !
BwaaaaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaaaaaa !!!!!
15 years old sounds horrible.
I was so surprised at how much better the boiled strings sounded vs the 15 year old strings. They were just so much brighter and had a much more defining sound. The new strings still sounded better but this experiment was extremely interesting.
Save resources recycle your fluids
I have an I.Q. of 144 and think 3-year old strings sound better. Not that I.Q. tests mean anything... In all seriousness, I can't help noticing he's playing with a pick. If you finger it, you get more of a meaty thump which is what I like about older strings. As bass is a rhythm instrument, having that meaty attack would, to me, seem like a better option. I would be interested to know what your view is on pick vs. fingers. (I do regularly use a pick, I just prefer fingered.)
Internet IQ tests are fake
Thinking that fingers are "better" than pick or vice versa is a sure sign of an inexperienced musician.
I can't take my eyes off of the amount of GR on the Distressor in the background, what a beautiful piece of equipment
I kinda wanted to hear that comparison, but I had to stop the video when that incredibly stupid song came back to haunt me again. Seriously, guys? The “Lady of Pain” song again? The one that sounds like an 8th grader wrote it? Stoppppppppp
Whatevers dudes & hot bass babes
I think the old unboiled strings have this "muffled" noise that I love!
Sure, many "love" it. The issue is that it doesn't work in metal.
I've boiled them for years, but now I use the denaturated spirit, it makes them last longer and sound even better. Even when I boiled with a bit of vinegar, sometimes the putrefaction just didn't want to come off...
Later today at the store:
My mom: need anything
Me: yeah
Mom: what?
Me: a pot we will never need again
Mom: what???
Bet that's a great conversation
I have done it for the past 15 years - brings back the brightness. Don’t worry about using a different pot.
"Pure distilled bass-player putrefaction" - that made my day :D :D :D
Motley crue is favorite
Drummer here ready to be hated on. I like the sound of the 15 year old ones. They're really soft, and don't seem to rattle as much against the frets. Again, I'm a drummer, so don't shoot me. I also don't play metal. But, I think that 15 yr old sound definitely has a musical application.
I agree. I play bass and guitar. And, the old strings sounded the best here. Honestly, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference in this recording, other than a little rattle in the high notes of the new strings. In real life, the difference is profound (re new, old, boiled, week old). It just doesn't come through here. Maybe it's my stereo settings.
Wait, rattling against the frets is a string problem? I just thought I was bad at playing, and I'm getting better.
Funk Brother (Motown Legend) James Jamerson would agree with you (dont thik he EVER cahnged 'em lol) - but he wasnt trying to be loud or metal he was just this deep groovy foundation...
Seriously, depends on the style - if you wanna be Lemmy, have 'em shiny !
Great vid, but do you think that it will be possible to boil just regular guitar strings? Legit serious question.
+Metal Dude absolutely!
Does your act ever wear you out? The intensity feels toxic.
What kind of bass player uses a pick😂😂
Paul Mcartney, John paul jones and Johnny chirst just to name three
6:15 When I first started playing guitar back in I think it was 2014, my dad told me to always wipe the strings down with a hand towel when I'm done playing and I have done this religiously ever since. I even go as far as washing my hands before and after playing to get any sweat or grime off my hands. I usually get around 2 weeks out of a set of Ernie balls before they are dead and I usually change them when they start to rust or don't stay in tune which can be between 1 - 3 months+ depending on how often I play, how long I play, how hot/humid it is etc. I also change the towel out every couple of weeks to a month just so I'm not wiping any built up grime back on to the strings.
Love the videos Glen 👍
It definitely works, but not past a gig, maybe two. Also depends how fucking hard you hit. BUT! I have a '67 Epiphone whose strings I have not changed in 11 years as the sound is great for jazz gigs, please don't yell at me, Glenn! :)
It works, but not for long, about a week or two of regular playing in my experience. But you can keep boiling them until they really and truly die. Did it many times in the college years and younger, broker days. The point of no return is when the metal stretches and deforms to where you just can’t get them intoned on the neck (yes, some bass players care about such things). Once I switched to DR strings, this became less of an issue. They are expensive, but once they are broken in, they hold that tone for months. But if you need that “fresh string sound“ for a session, boiling does absolutely work.
Tongs? A real bass player should have thick calluses on their finger tips.
Old Strings sounds just like a Public Image record from the late 70's.
Now I feel bad for folks who like the sound of the freshly-boiled strings the most, as it'd fade away into the week-old strings sound after a while.
Yeah I'm a bassplayer. I hate that the mass majority of musicians who play the same instrument as me give bass players a bad name. New strings are the way to go. Yeah, other styles sometimes can use old strings like R&B for example but otherwise don't be cheap. I mean yeah, they get pricy and sometimes I even use older strings for gigs but NEVER old strings in a studio production or studio atmosphere! Come on guys our new strings on.
I think the 15 year old strings were liked because of the numb and dull sound they give, it would be very situational though. I’m no expert in recording really so most likely I’m talking out of my ass.
My E string broke at practice last night, I guess you can only get away with boiling them a few times before they weaken. It unwound right on the saddle, the saddle does look like it has a burr on it. Got some new DR's to go on it now. :)
To play devil’s advocate, how do we know you aren’t actually adding some processing to make the old strings sound worse or make the new ones sound better?
Because that would defeat the purpose of his whole channel.
Besides it's extremely easy to try this at home. I just did, and it works, at least temporarily.
gringochucha Right, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t do some processing behind the scenes to help prove his point. Don’t get me wrong, I love the channel and trust him for the most part. There’s nothing wrong with having some healthy skepticism of anything on the internet though
@@DouglasComical No sure, skepticism is always healthy, but in this case I really don't think it would make sense for him to do that. The video would be just as interesting if he debunked the myth.
I mean, he has nothing to gain by this, and it's actually a pretty nifty trick.
Like I said, I tried it yesterday and it worked pretty well. Sure, they don't sound 100% new, but I got a lot of tone back.
Fuck yeah it works! I used to do this all the time while I was in high school and was literally broke. The strings do end up sounding duller after the freshness is gone, but it's a good temporary fix before a gig.
I personally love the sound of brand new strings. Doesn't matter if it's on a bass, or a guitar. I just wish more people would have this mentality, maybe then their tone won't be so shitty and sound so lacking
Some 'science' behind this has to with the dampening effect that the dead skin cells cause. The buildup is similar to stuffing sponges into a spring and letting it vibrate. Buildup also causes the string to gain extra mass so the sound .... never mind. You just covered that in the video.
Soak strings in a bottle everclear for 24 hours. Make bass player take shot of (used) everclear for every month those strings are old. He should polish off the bottle and he will have recycled all those skin cells. We are going green and saving strings.
Doug Marks must have got that from Eddie Van Halen. It was in a Guitar World magazine that was half about Ed and half on Jimi Hendrix.
6 gallons of it
This was a good comparison but to be honest you should have got a better bass player who properly dug into the string to demonstrate the difference. That was some below average bass playing for a metal track.
You should really use a de-greaser like washing up liquid or lemon juice in the water when you boil them, which will remove any gunk and skin oil that gets in between the ridges of the strings.
Placing the strings in a rice cooker filled with melted paraffin wax and paraffin oil should be optimal. This is the best method to keep gunk off of a bike chain and keep it from oxidizing, this should also be the best for strings.
I'll boil my strings if I have to, but I would rather buy new strings. Nothing cuts though the mix of guitars.
I’m going to try my wife’s ultrasound tank she has for cleaning jewellery. I reckon that and boiling should bring them back to life
I've boiled guitar strings and then wiped them down with olive oil. I get a warmer tone with less scratchy high end. I hate bright strings lol. To each their own. There are no golden rules of tone and methods. When you start that trend? Every mix sounds the same. If so and so is using this technique and this song or this plugin? Chances are you'll just copy another engineers mix. You'll lose your creativity and own unique style and sound. Not every track needs to be crushed with a labs distressor. Not every vocal needs parallel distortion or tweaks with a Pultec or 1176. Not every drum track needs parallel NY style compression. Not every guitar tone needs over distortion high gain, causing the lack of picking Dynamics 😂. It's over compressed already naturally. Then when you compress on mastering? You squish them even more.
The difference would be a lot more drastic on something like a J-bass because it naturally has a lot more top end.
Nonsense. The only reason a set will sound more alive when removed and replaced is because the part that's worn down isn't in the same place.
I've boiled my 7 years old Rotosound 66. Three weeck afther the sound was Ok.(1987 Greco RB bass(Rickenbacker)). But very quickly the cords died again. I wash my hands every time before playing.😞