How to Clean Bass Guitar Strings

With bass guitar strings averaging $25.00 for a set of four and going as high as $90.00 for a set of six, replacing them every time they sound dull and muddy can get very expensive! Fortunately, bass guitar strings are very heavy, thick, and durable; therefore, they seldom break with normal use. This is an advantage for the bassist, because they can again regain their sparkle and tone easily and safely.

First, it bears mentioning that, in spite of what many people may tell you, bass strings should NEVER be cleaned by boiling them in water. For obvious reasons, water and metal should never meet! Although many bass players swear by this method, there is a much better way to clean your bass strings using denatured alcohol, which has very little water and evaporates quickly (this can be obtained at any hardware or home improvement store, usually next to the paint supplies).

WARNING! - Denatured alcohol is extremely toxic and highly flammable. Do not use in poorly-ventilated areas or around sources of sparks or open flames. Immediately wash any exposed skin that makes contact with it.

Some people prefer to build a string-cleaning tube from PVC pipe, which can make storing the denatured alcohol and retrieving the strings a bit easier (some really great instructions for building your own bass string cleaning tube can be found here). For simplicity's sake, however, we will concentrate on using a simple old coffee can or 1-gallon plastic bucket; both of which will work just fine as a container. To clean the strings, you will need one of the aforementioned containers, some rubber gloves, a funnel, a large, OLD beach towel, WD-40, and a VERY well-ventilated area in which to work.

First, remove the strings from the bass and, one at a time, coil them up just loosely enough to lay flat in the bottom of the container. Next, pour just enough denatured alcohol into the container to completely cover all of the strings. Now place the container in a well-ventilated area for 12 to 24 hours (and well out of the reach of children, pets, and anything that could ignite the contents). The longer you soak them, the cleaner they will become (and it will not hurt the silk windings on the ends, either).

While the strings are soaking, this is a good time to thoroughly clean your instrument, concentrating mainly on the frets, nut, and bridge (which can be cleaned with an old toothbrush and a mild cleaner). The basic rule of thumb here is to pay special attention to anyplace on your bass that makes hard contact with the strings.

When the time is up, remove the strings from the alcohol while wearing the rubber gloves and wipe them with the towel. Then, lay them straight on the towel and spray them down with the WD-40; this will not only protect them, but also help to displace any moisture that may linger within the windings.

Now, using the funnel, pour the denatured alcohol back into the container and seal it up tightly and store it in a safe place. Finally, reinstall your strings and tune the bass back up. This method can be used on the same strings repeatedly until the eventually break down where the frets chew into them (and remember, doing a lot of slapping and popping will wear ANY bass strings out much faster, no matter how much they've been cleaned).

Repeat every month or two, depending on how often you play them. Since the majority of musicians do not have rock-star budgets to finance their obsessions, it only makes sense to try and get as much mileage as you can out of your equipment. Following these simple and inexpensive steps to maintain your strings will keep them sounding bright and fresh for a long time, and keep a little extra money in your pocket to boot!