John Formsma wrote; <<cleaning treble strings ... My first thought is to use super fine (#0000) steel wool...and...found a recommendation to use 3M paint stripping pads instead of steel wool to clean bass strings. Any thoughts?>> Yes. If the 3M pads you describe are the ones with which I am familiar, they are an open plastic "wool" felt with an embedded grit. Very high quality and excellent for some things, but not everything. They are plastic sandpaper, essentially, and leave a sandpaper kind of effect. Some people apparently like the look of bass strings that have been sanded with fine emery paper. I don't. They are more "copper colored," but look sandblasted and non-reflective. It is simply cheap and easy to do, but not up to "best practice" standard. I have seen some pianos where some technician even sanded the treble strings, causing real and serious damage. The strings do show up better! I suggest that you try #0000 steel wool ( more on stainless steel wool versus bronze wool later) for the treble strings. It has a shearing, planing action on dirt which is provided by thousands of sharp little knife-like fibers, not an abrasive grit type action. If you live in an area of high humidity, the tiny fibers lost during cleaning can be a major problem if they later rust. This looks like little tiny brown worms or threads, stuck here and there, sometimes permanently staining wood and varnish. Boatyards use a lot of bronze wool, never steel wool, when they are refinishing teak, brass, etc., for they know that in a marine environment the lost steel fibers will later turn rust and turn brown, even when buried in several coats of varnish. Years ago I had one stainless steel wool pad. Alas, it didn't last forever, and I have never again seen it or heard of where one could get it. Sitting in water it did not rust, and it apparently beat bronze wool for hardness (sharpness) and longevity, and any lost fibers would not turn green, like bronze wool can in a marine environment. Anyway, try bronze wool, real fine and rubbing it longitudinally, on the bass strings. HOWEVER - My favorite way to clean bass strings is to put a very fine brass or steel wire ( about .008" ??? wires) wheel, perhaps 1" to 1.5" in diameter, in a drill and spin it perpendicular to the length of the strings. Run the drill itself longitudinally along the strings, with the wheel nestled in the groove between two bass strings. The wires get down into the "grooves," getting out all the dirt and really polishing the copper. Makes the strings look almost brand new. Best of luck, - and if you find a source of stainless steel wool pads, please let me know. Sincerely, Bill Simon Phoenix
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