Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I tried it a few times when I was a kid during the early 70's and used to change my strings all the time to keep up with that "modern" RW sound, I found it to be a waste of time. Now I put grease on them and stretch them for a couple of years to properly "thud" them up before using. Works great. Lot cheaper too. I find it's time to change my strings when they break.

I have found boiling roundwound strings in a pan of water with vinegar CAN bring dead strings back to life for a while. It works if, for instance your have a new set of strings, and do a couple of particularly sweaty gigs and your strings go dead very quickly. IF the strings are actually old then boiling doesnt really work - i tried it once and got lots of odd overtones and bad intonation up the neck. However, at least with the stainless strings that i use, the output drops somewhat so its not really worth doing.

Ed, should we all send you our old strings for your art project?

I read somewhere that pm[mecca] used to boil his strings thats probably where this came from.he probably did it to save money on buying new ones.

yeah, mine break before they get bad enough to go to the kitchen

I wash my hands before playing bass, and it never fails that when a guest bassist plays my bass, it feels greasy to me afterwards. I keep a hand towel on top of my amp, too. Gotta keep the hands as clean as possible.

I change my strings when they sound dead and have pronounced 'creases' at each fret on the back of the string.

don't forget to put some salt otherwise the roundwoundpasta will be tasteless... Italians cook it better

Do you put salt on flatwoundpasta, also, or does it taste good without it?

roundwoundpasta take the sauce better than a flat one...yes you better salt it too

flatwound pasta needs a LOT of spice ... otherwise it goes THUD in your mouth ... all starch and no flavor ... bummer ... I prefer round wound pasta ... it is zesty!

I put my flatwounds in 90 weight axle grease for three months, you can get some really great slides after that. It's also good for your hair if you play rock a billy.

Those were the days, weren't they? At $18.50 a set, the used Rotos always got boiled once to give 'em a little more time. I used to do it in my grandmothers pasta pot too. When they were done, she would see the schmaltz that would leave a ring at the waters edge and threaten me with large cooking utensil if I did it again. Never underestimate the determination of an Irish grandmother protecting her cookware with a LARGE cooking utensil! My wife has another term for anyone who would do something like that to save a set of strings.

I like my Rotosounds cooked al dente, robusto with the iron supplement I need!!!!

If you can find any; "Doc Farley's String Sudser".

It works, lasts surprisingly long. Never used it on a Ric with a finished fretboard however---just Fender's with rosewood fretboards.

Have not seen the "Farley's" around for quite some time. Maybe the EPA says they can't make it anymore.

Marty

Gene
yes, "al dente" is the right way to eat pasta in Italy... not the sticky stuff they give you abroad