GHS Fast Fret: String Lubricant and Cleaner Fails to Meet Expectations
Some Folks like It, but .
GHS, as a major and well-respected maker of guitar strings, should have known all of what I am about to tell you about this product - and perhaps does. After all, the consumer market is not attracted to products that boast of (or even acknowledge) their own shortcomings.
There are two major types of string wipes or cleaning preparations, each sold under many different brand labels. The first is a pad or wipe-off string cleaner which is primarily based in alcohol and acts by cleaning the recent and residual oils off of the strings that are an inevitable consequence of putting human fingers on them. Big Bends G String Cleaning Wipes are one of the better known and popular brands of that type of string cleaner.
The technology of this type of accessory is pretty simple, as are the purposes. A thin wipe, moistened with benzethonium, chloride, and isopropanol is simply wiped on and over the strings - ideally before and after each use. All guitar players know to wash their hands to remove excess oils before playing, but these add another level of assurance and DO extend the life of your (metal) strings.
By removing these oils from the strings, the process of unavoidable oxidation is slowed down and the strings simply stay fresher and cleaner for longer. Secondarily, they also remove oil and some oil buildup from the guitar's frets and fretboard, keeping it looking better and reducing unwanted build up on the fretboard itself. This type of string cleaning preparation is a one-step process. You just wipe the strings off with a wipe and toss it. Because of the high alcohol content, they dry almost immediately.
GHS Fast Fret, by contrast, is another type entirely and involves a different chemical concept and has broader objectives. In seeking to do, perhaps, too many things - it accomplishes its goals less completely and less satisfactorily.
GHS Fast Fret is, essentially, Mineral Oil delivered in a container that allows for the gradual release of the oil to the fretboard and strings when the applicator/container is rubbed up and down the strings. It puts oil on the strings rather than removing it. The oil is then wiped off with a provided soft cloth. The concept behind the GHS Fast Fret product is less conspicuously opposite that of the other type than it may first appear. Mineral oil DOES and can remove other, unwanted deposits and oils from strings. The downside is that it actually leaves a gradual build-up of its very own!
I have found that while it DOES succeed in making the strings, especially if they have already been on the guitar for too long, smoother and easier to play, it doesn't actually do much to reduce the noise or improve ("brighten") the sound - two of GHS Fast Fret's other claims. It has a nice effect on the appearance of the fretboard but, again, seems to leave a deposit that I have had to use the other type of cleaning wipes to remove!
So while GHS Fast Fret makes good on a couple of its claims, including smoothing the feel of the strings allowing for easier and faster play, polishing the fretboard and extending the life of the strings, it fails in the claims it makes of being able to improve the sound of the instrument or really 'clean' the strings as it simply replaces one type of deposit with another. The claim, then, of 'cleaning' the strings isn't exactly accurate.
Perhaps more importantly, GHS Fast Fret, in extending the life of the strings, actually contributes to a reduction of sound quality by trying, easily and cheaply, to take the place of the things that will most reliably improve the sound of almost any guitar - changing out (putting on new) strings! The additional claim of prolonging fingerboard life is, largely, a ridiculous notion as nearly any guitar player will realize for reasons having to do with feel and playability that I will not go into here.
GHS Fast Fret does smooth strings and improve the cosmetics of the strings themselves as well as that of the fretboard (and neck, should you choose to use it on the wood rather than a standard guitar polish.) But it subtracts, on balance, more than it adds. I would not and do not recommend it to any guitar player who really cares what his/her instrument sounds like. Rather, the other type of wipes together with hand washing, wiping down your strings after each use with a dry, lint-free cloth and regular string changes is the way to go if you want to be able to rely on consistently good sound and action from your stringed friend(s.)
Published by David A. Reinstein, LCSW - Featured Contributor in Technology
Clinical Social Worker, psychotherapist, born in Boston and a relatively unscathed survivor of the 60 s. Fan of technology, guitars, creating music and poetry. Mental wellness coach, staff trainer and parent... View profile
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17 Comments
Post a CommentI play outdoor gigs 4-6 times a week. In Florida, a block from the Gulf. Between the salt air, humidity, and the acids in my sweat, a brand new set of strings is dead after two sets. That's two 50-minute sets. Without this fantastic product I would be buying ten sets of strings a week. It's a lifesaver. By the way, if it's getting on your fretboard, you are pressing down too hard when you apply it. Just lightly kiss the strings with it.
Personally, in climates like mine, the humidity is far more than it should be. String lubricants seem to help with the rust issue as it is NOT the OILS from your hand that increase the rate of oxidation, but the urea, ammonia and salts in your sweat. Yup, that stuff. Alcohol succeeds in drying out the wood in the fretboart really well... so I wouldn't, personally. The other oily lubricants do provide a protective layer against the stuff your body puts out on it's own and increases the durability of the strings a considerable amount. Plus, my fingertips love it.
Agree - GHS Fast Fret is nigh on useless. It leaves a residue, the cloth leaves fluff wrapped around the strings, and the actual plastic case the product comes in does nothing to stop it drying over time - you really have to rub it hard over the fretboard to get anything out, and then this leaves bits all over the fretboard and strings. I've had a couple of these - should have learnt my lesson, it really is a waste of time. Any 'brightness' added to the strings is extremely short lived and certainly not worth the effort or the cost.
Been using this product for years on my acoustics and electrics, great for my finger tips and makes my strings last for a long time with no sound drop off.
I'm sure it also depends on what strings you put the damn stuff on. I never used this stuff but from my experiences with different string brands, I think the reviewer should have included a bit more about the differences.
For example, I find D'addarios break easily and Dean Markleys rust easily. I'm using ernie balls now, not because of sound but for durabilty.
I'm sure if I used fastfret on ernie balls I wouldnt really have issues with build up, but if I used it on Dean Markleys I would have to change strings way more often. The stupid thing is I would then not use fastfret anymore, rather than looking for a more durable string brand.....
.....ya know?
I guess all you can really do is try it. If you like it buy it. If not try something else. Personally I like the stuff. I find it doesn't really do much for my tone but does make my guitar easier to play. It does reduce string talk but doesn't completely get rid of it. I normally apply it before I play but don't apply it after I play. I just give the guitar a wipe with a microfibre cloth it seems to help with stopping rust appearing.
well... when playing outdoor humidity and tension make my finger stick to the strings too much.
The only way to get rid of this "stickyness" for more than a couple of minutes is FastFret.
Alcohol wiping my hands lasts only for a counple of songs...
I have not used this product, but I use Isopropyl(rubbing) Alcohol on my strings and on my hands before I play to remove the oil from my finger. My strings never rust and Alcohol is cheap and easy to find. I apply the alcohol with an automotive polishing cloth. Sometimes people try to make things difficult. Any kind of oil will build up or deaden the strings. Residue of any kind effects the strings sound period. Alcohol all the way. KISS(Keep It Simple Stupid).
I have been playing for 34 years and I recently asked at Guitar Center about the product while buying strings. The sales guy said he liked it and uses it, so for $5, I decided I would really bet the farm and give it a try. I am writing to tell you this stuff really does brighten the strings and make them more playable. I have only used it on new strings and I really like the feel and brightness it adds. I whole heardtedly disagree with the writer of this article and suggest that if you are skeptical and money is tight, take your guitar into the shop play it for 20 minutes and then have them apply Fast Fret to see for yourself (provided you don't know someone who uses it).
I have no financial ties to this product and (unlike the writer of this article) was paid nothing to share my opinion.
Ok, lets break this down..
This STRING treatment doesnt get on your fretboard. So it doesnt add extra harmfull oils to the wood like WD-40, or cause build up like, say fingerEase.
It oils the strings only, and adds a temperary lub between your fingers and the strings which is less harmfull to you than, say, things like WD-40 and FingerEase.
It comes with a wipe down rag to remove access lube unlike, you guessed it...
Other than changing your strings every time you play, this IS the best product on the market. It does what it says it does and doesnt harm your guitar. Plus, it gives you less friction while you are playing to really slide aover the strings without too much of the "zing" you get with untreated strings.
This product is so popular that its sold out most places I go, and is in limited supply when I can find it.
In short, Eddie VanHalen can play the guitar with a tire iron. the rest of us can use a good helping hand. Fast fret is a great addition to your play