Hey guys,
Is it really all that important to lube up the strings every now and then? If so, whats good to use (any houshold products would be grand)? Thanks.
Ciao.
At this time I would like to tell you that NO MATTER WHAT...IT IS WITH GOD. HE IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. HIS WAY IS IN LOVE, THROUGH WHICH WE ALL ARE. IT IS TRULY -- A LOVE SUPREME --. John Coltrane
You don't need to lube the strings at all unless you want to reduce string noise when doing slides.
Having said that, they do sell string lube at guitar stores which is also a cleaner. It does help elongate the life of the strings especially if you have very acidic oil in your fingers.
I do clean the strings once in awhile with rubbing alcohol on a soft rag.
Ok. Much thanks Nils.
At this time I would like to tell you that NO MATTER WHAT...IT IS WITH GOD. HE IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. HIS WAY IS IN LOVE, THROUGH WHICH WE ALL ARE. IT IS TRULY -- A LOVE SUPREME --. John Coltrane
What I've been doing for years with mine is oiling them with olive oil when I put them on. I dip a finger in the oil, pull the string between my oily finger and thumb, put the string on, rub the excess oil off my fingertips on the fretboard, and when I'm done I wipe it all off. The strings last a lot longer that way. I've got some bottles of Fender and Gibson products for lubing/conditioning strings and fretboards here, but the olive oil works well enough that I haven't gotten around to trying them yet.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
i like to use mineral oil on my guitars, especially if it's one that doseon't get used a lot, because most plant based oils tend to get tacky over time.
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What I've been doing for years with mine is oiling them with olive oil when I put them on. I dip a finger in the oil, pull the string between my oily finger and thumb, put the string on, rub the excess oil off my fingertips on the fretboard, and when I'm done I wipe it all off. The strings last a lot longer that way. I've got some bottles of Fender and Gibson products for lubing/conditioning strings and fretboards here, but the olive oil works well enough that I haven't gotten around to trying them yet.
On your suggestion I've been lubing my fretboard and strings for about 6 months and I do have to say my strings do last longer and my fretboard stays wet looking longer.
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Has anyone tried Stringlife? http://www.stringlife.com/coated_strings.htm
Looks interesting.
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Olive oil doesn't gum up like the other vegetable oils, but will eventually get sticky if you leave a puddle. If you wipe it off after you apply it, it's no problem.
Mineral oils won't cause a problem in the lifetime of the average guitar, but they are (poor) solvents for lignin, the binder that holds the cellulose fibers together in wood. They'll soften it in time. I've taken apart a lot of old guns in which the wood's gotten very soft and punky from the mineral oil repeatedly applied to the action.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
