boil boil toil and trouble?

bass players are broke....and strings can cost 30-60.00 a set or more!!!
(which is why mine tend to be purchased.....for life---get bass put new strings--- they stay for "life" or as long as I own the bass) :)

also good to note--- if you wipe them down (lint free cloth) after playing -- they really do last a LONG dang time--also -- I personally dont LIke the sound of a brand new set of round wounds (to bright) -- after a few weeks they get "proper" tone going --- flats seem good out the box and last decades.............Im told never kept a bass that long BUWAHAHAHAHAHA
 
All I know is back in the day bass players did it - two or three times a set. Of course, back in the day it wasn't as easy to get bass strings depending where you lived - no internet, no GC's all over the place, etc. I new strings are easy to get and you can afford there is no real reason- but, if not...
 
I had heard of EVH doing that with his strings back in the foggy past, but where I don’t play enough guitar to justify frequent string changes, and since nowadays I only use flats, half round and tapewounds on my basses, boiling is kind of a moot point with me. However, if it works as well as y’all say it does that is a very cost effective measure! Rock on!:dood:
 
That's where I first heard of it.

An old EVH interview from back in the day.

I tried pretty much everything he would say! lol.

My hero back then, Do NOT try his version of potting pick ups, lol. It was a nightmare, and I did try boiling guitar strings.

Found it easier to just buy new Super Slinky's, but the cost compared to bass strings...….. I would have probably done the bass string thingy.
 
I just boiled the strings on an old early 80's Westone Thunder 1 bass I picked up today. They are a lot cleaner and feel better - used some string cleaner on them afterwards. The water was pretty nasty afterwards - lol. They'll do for the whole tweaking, setting up, etc. Gotta find another bridge, hopefully an unfinished solid brass bridge, for it. It's got an early 80's (I think) leo quan Badass bridge on it at the moment. Nice bridge, but it's lowest height is still too high for the bass string height/action wise. It'll make for a fun adventure trying to locate a bridge for it - I kind of want to keep it a close to original as possible.
 
CabanaBoy said:
I just boiled the strings on an old early 80's Westone Thunder 1 bass I picked up today. They are a lot cleaner and feel better - used some string cleaner on them afterwards. The water was pretty nasty afterwards - lol. They'll do for the whole tweaking, setting up, etc. Gotta find another bridge, hopefully an unfinished solid brass bridge, for it. It's got an early 80's (I think) leo quan Badass bridge on it at the moment. Nice bridge, but it's lowest height is still too high for the bass string height/action wise. It'll make for a fun adventure trying to locate a bridge for it - I kind of want to keep it a close to original as possible.
Click to expand...
Check the bridge for a base plate. If I remember right, some of the badass bridges had a removable 1/8” base plate.
 
fretless said:
Check the bridge for a base plate. If I remember right, some of the badass bridges had a removable 1/8” base plate.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I had it off and didn't notice, but I wasn't looking either - I'll take another look at it tomorrow, it'd sure be nice if that's all it was.
 
CabanaBoy said:
Thanks for the tip. I had it off and didn't notice, but I wasn't looking either - I'll take another look at it tomorrow, it'd sure be nice if that's all it was.
Click to expand...

No plate or any way to lower that I can find - bummer, oh well, back to the all brass bridge hunt - but, no hurries, no worries, it's an adventure - lol...
 
Don O said:
Are you supposed to take em off first ? :run: How about microwaving them ? Ouh, ouh, I know, BBQ them :pound-hand:
Click to expand...

Might I suggest Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce...
I think the original Baby Ray's would impart a more classic vibe/tone to the strings - maybe I'm wrong - or possibly still working on my morning coffee...
 
Pardon the double post. Had you considered scribing around the perimeter of the existing bridge, then removing it and carefully routing a 1/8” sunken mount? Might bring it down to where you can adjust the action to a suitable level.
 
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