Conference napalm::guitar

       I've done that before in acts of desparation. It works fairly well!
    I've even tried boiling my strings before, but the previous works
    better for drying out the oil and grease residues on them. 
       One thing though... Isopropyl Alcohol will eventually destroy 
    the finish by drying it out. It can also dry out the wood. I'd be
    a little careful of snapping the leftover alcohol back on to the
    fretboard without a rag underneath.
    
    
    /John

     What I find very efficient and very easy to use is - don't laugh - 
     
     FAST FRET.

     It keeps my strings fresh and smooth for a loooong time. It also
     helps keeping the bright tone that you get with new strings.

     Important: use AFTER playing, the little stick covers 3 strings and
     it's enough with a few strokes on each. Use a dry cloth afterwards
     so you only leave a very thin layer of it (whatever it is). I also
     use it with great succes on my classic guitar, on the 3 lower strings
     (metalwound). Keeps the sustain and tone.

     I have found NO drawbacks at all, people that claim strings are get-
     ting sticky after applying it, usually have been applying in the mo-
     ment BEFORE playing!

     Poul

    -1
    
    Do they still market Fast Fret?  I used to use it, but it like
    disappeared.  Can you tell me where I can get some?
    
    Buck

    
    Yeah, I use Fast Fret too *after* playing, but I DO NOT recomend it
    before playing (even though thats what its for).
    
    It does keep your strings clean, but if you play with it on the neck,
    then your fingers slide around like an elephant on ice skates.

    
    .3: Well, I don't know where you live, but you can get it in Denmark!
    .4: That's true, but if you use it AFTER playing, you get NO problems,
        only advantages!
    
     Try it! You will be happy about it!
    
    Poul
    

    
    You might also look into Martin String Wipes.  These come wrapped in
    foil packs and look like Wash and Dris.  
    
    							Brian

    Yea, Good ol Isopro-alch...  Been a friend of mine for years now...
    
    best time to get em is after playing in a hot room,, persperation
    really yucks up the strings..  I keep a small bottle within
    arm's reach, always..
    
    and for those times when you need to replace em, but can't get out
    to a music store,,,,  Mix a 1/2 + 1/2 mixture of water and alchol
    and boil the little suckers..  Problem with this is, after this,
    there's just about no bringing em back, so after you boil, you got about
    maybe 4 maybe, 5 days then kiss em good bye.

    Bill,
    
       I just called the Minor Chord in Acton - They have Fast Fret.
    
    /J

    
    
    
    	Hmmmm... I usually SMOKE after playing.... hahahahahahaha
    
    Buck, musician's amigo carries the stuff as does my local guitar store
    (where I'd be happy to pick you up a can.. pot, unit, whatever).
    
    
    Steve
    

      Boil those suckers Dan! Let them stew for around 15 minutes at
    a rapid boil then take them out dry them and then hit them with
    rubbing alcohol (iso). They'll last alot longer and keep the expense
    to a minimum. At $25-$40. a set for strings...   it's worth it.
    The only trick is keeping the cloth wrap on bass strings out of the
    water. Other than that...   it's cake! I have three sets of strings
    that I rotate with. Boil 'em, dry 'em, stick them back in the pack
    as extras. I do it and it works for me!
    
    			Rock on,
    				Fred

    Has anyone come across this problem;- your guitar strings(when you've
    finally found that elusive ideal brand!) last for weeks,still giving
    out a nice tone,no dull points or whatever.A musician friend comes
    around,picks up your guitar,plays a few hot licks and hands it back;-
    strings are goners,dead and lifeless,ex-strings etc.
    	This has been most noticable on my acoustic,and nothing you wipe
    the strings with can revive them.I wondered if it could be related to
    Acidic sweat? It only happens with two of my friends,who both have to
    change their strings a coupla times a week,and they can't get over how
    long my strings last if they leave them the F@*& alone!!
    								Big Jim.
    

        I've had  strings (not to mention any name brands like Yamaha
        :^)) that have  done  just  that.  They've started to corrode
        and rust, just from  my  sweat.    Since  then,  I've started
        playing D`Addario `XL Reds' and haven't run into that problem
        since.  
        
        Matt

	I change my strings on January 1st, whether they need it or not
	on my main guitar (I often wait years on other guitars). I've
	played out (on this same set of strings, 3 have broken) since
	last January 1st, between 2 and 4 nights per week (4 hours per) 
	since then. I find that If I'm the only one who plays my guitar,
	I rarely have to change the strings. I use GHS .008's & play with
	a thin pick. Who knows what the problem is? I find GHS's last
	longer than any other string I've played with (Darco's are next
	best).

							Jens

Boy have I ever notice what the Base note mentioned.

Some people's hands are much oiler than mine, (as I suspect your's Jim
are the same.) I think a good indication of the Oil-of-Olay hands
is the feel of the back of the neck after someone else has played
my guitar.  There's only two other people I've ever worked with
that, after playing one of my guitars, I don't notice a build up
of hand sludge.)

But I do change my strings fairly often just the same.

    
    	Hmmm.  One play and the strings rot?  I suspect alien body
    	snatchers have invaded your friend's body.  8^) 8^)
    

    Depending on what I had for dinner I can have fairly toxic hand sweat..
    
    Some sets of strings last weeks others die a mexican food death in very
    short time...
    
    dbii

    re: "fast fret",
    i had a room mate of mine swear that spray silicon was the
    ultimate in string grease.
    i tried it a couple time before i started playing more guitar
    and the "elephant on ice skates" with a tail wind on a down-hill
    slope describes what it's like playing with that stuff. i quit
    using it. (my fingers grew two bra sizes, though!!!)

    anybody else "pump it" with silicon?!? 

    ;-)

RE:Silcon....

		One word:	*Yuck*

as Elmer Fudd would say..

	"Ohhh ------  Da Howrowr,,, daaaa howrowr...."

>	"Ohhh ------  Da Howrowr,,, daaaa howrowr...."


                       I thought that was Marlon Brando?

    
    Both gilbert godfried was on comic strip live and did that
    impression...
    
    
                     
    
                      Kevin

    Anybody else in here worship 0000 steel wool for cleaning their
    fingerboards?
    
    B. who likes this in addition to clean strings!

    Funny you should that, I had a question I was going to ask about
    cleaning necks/fretboards that I've been thinking about all weekend...
    
    I've used it on rosewood and ebony boards, but wouldn't the steel wool
    darken maple fingerboards?
    
    My question is, I have this guitar I recently acquired with a really
    nice Warmoth birdseye maple neck on it.  It doesn't appear to have any
    finish on the neck and I don't like that.  I want to put a satin finish
    on it, but don't know what to use to the the old finger oil and stuff
    from the previous owner out of the maple.  Any suggestions?
    
    Greg

re: .22

Just use clean steel wool, not that old piece you used to clean greasy
nuts and bolts.  :-)  

Seriously, I've done a fair amount of wood finishing (both guitars and
furniture) and the steel wool should be fine for your needs.  Any "wet" cleaner
will tend to raise the grain, and sandpaper would remove too much material. 

Oh, and don't use the stuff with soap in it, either (SOS pads, etc).  :-)

-- Sam

    Thanks Sam!  So, you're recommending just using steel wool (clean, of
    course) to clean off the hand goo, and not any of the chemical
    cleaners?
    
    I wondered if a finish remover like Formbys or something would help get
    it out of the wood more deeply?  The wood has darkened significantly in
    the areas where it was touched and isn't nearly as pretty as the other
    portions (like the headstock).
    
    Greg

    I was wondering if that wood bleach type stuff wouldn't work ?
    ...Ya know, like you use to clean your houses deck ?
    
    jc

    
    
    	Buck, 0000 steel wool is the last step for all my fret jobs... It
    polishes frets that last teeny bit.  On my own guits I use it on the
    fingerboards (and backs of necks) sparingly to remove oil and stuff. 
    I've often wondered how long it would be before I started removing some
    serrious finish from my neck...  WTF, I lost a big chunk of finish
    right under the A at 10th position  under the B string, and Fender said
    that it was just fine, no problem at all... I asked em' why they put
    tyhe stuff on in the first place if it was gonna fall off anyways! 
    They got testy.. seems like I don't understand the finer points of
    guitar finish... heh.

    RE: gh
    
    No, it does not darken Maple boards...if anything, it makes em lighter!
    
    RE: Gree Vee King
    
    Yeah, that's what I like about the stuff...takes the gunk off the board
    and the frets as well, making both clean n shiney...nothing like clean
    frets to aid in playing better, I say.

    OK, I've got one for ya.  My hands give off this, this, ... demon sweat
    that will nuke a set of strings after 1 gig !(4 sets).  We're talking
    rusted and dead !  Now, what do you kids recommend that I could use
    after each set to *try* and keep 'emk clean.  I usually wipe 'em down
    and then retune immediately after each set, but usually it doesn't do
    much good.  I've thought about using alcohol on a rag after each set,
    but I'm afraid that would harm the fretboard after repeated use. 
    Suggestions ?
    
    Scary 

    I use a hankerchief or a diaper. My hand sweat sounds somewhat less
    nuclear than yours but I have had the problem.
    
    dbii

    re: .28
    
    I have the same problem as you.  The first thing you should do is start
    buying your strings in bulk from where ever you like.  I get mine from
    Rhythm City in Georgia.  Secondly, I wipe the strings down after each
    set and then wash them down with alcohol at home.  Of course I try to
    be careful not to spill much on the fretboard and elsewhere, but I do
    it everytime.  My experience has been that the alcohol doesn't hurt
    anything.  I wipe it dry very quickly of course and each time I change
    strings I reoil the fretboard with Formbys Lemon Oil.  I'm getting more
    play time out each set now.  But there is still nothing like the sound
    of brand new strings (twangggg)!
    
    dan 

re: .24  (Greg)

   The only potential problem with a liquid cleaner like Formby's "liquid 
   refinisher" is that it might raise the grain of the wood a little.  If
   you want to use it you should probably be prepared to use some 220-440
   grit sandpaper on the neck after it dries to smooth out the grain again,
   the the steel wool to polish the wood prior to putting on the satin
   finish.  You might just try the steel wool by itself first and see if 
   you really need the cleaner.  

   The wood bleach mentioned a few replies back is meant more for bleaching
   out real stains than just removing grime and sweat.  Might work, but I
   wouldn't bother.

   Of course, after you've got the neck prepped you should put a few very
   light coats of finish on, instead of one thick one.  And use the steel
   wool again between each coat.  It'll come out reeeeeeal niiiiice...

   -- Sam

    
    
    
    	Scary, alcohol will dry out the fret board a little I would
    think, but it's the only thing that I can guess your secretions would
    be soluble in... Thenkew Dr. Grevenstein...  heh, heh, sounds like
    you've got some acidic sweat dude.. how about a multi-phase attack.
    
    
    	Rinse your hands (I wish I were kidding, but my mind really works
    like this, boys) in rubbing alcohol before a set and see if yer board
    remains drier.
    
    	Wipe the strings down with iso after each set, then do your regular
    wipe and tooooooon up!  Rubbing alcohol is amazing shit, scary my man,
    why when I was young... aw but that's another story...
    
    Good luck my sweaty friend....
    
    Gree Vee

    Well, if the guys in my band ever get thier sh*t together so we can gig
    again, I'll try it !  It's kind of a bummer when ya play a 2 night gig
    and have to go through 4 sets of strings (2 guits) to get through the
    weekend ... kinda munches into your profit margin ...
    
     Scary ....

    re: Scary                    
    
    Buy your strings in bulk and save a few $$$.  I have another friend
    that goes throuh 'em like you do and he typically buys two or three
    boxes of strings at a time.  
    
    re: Steve
    
    I don't think I'd agree with the recommendation of wiping your hands
    down with alcohol before the set.  For me, that dries my skin out and
    my hands respond by sweating MORE!  I'd recommend simply washing them
    with a gentle soap before the set.  If you use warm water it'll help
    get your fingers loose too (a little tip that I got from Steve J.).
    
    Greg

    
    
    
    
    	Makes sense to me Greg!!!  The idea was to dry out his hands, but I
    didn't think about the possibility of that dryness creating a condition
    where his hands would create even more of that greasy stuff, sebasious
    fluids???   Do I sound like a doc yet???  Heh, heh...  Don't get any a
    that stuff in yer mouth Scary, it might kill yer!