Why NOT to polish bass strings.......

[Stéphane Collin]

Hi Gordon.

Indeed, any liquid/chemical mean to polish the bass string will unfavourably 
alter the tone of the bass strings.  I don't understand why this is.  My 
guess : it is the minute shocks between the brass windings that make the 
high partials of the tone.  Anything in between the windings (dirt, paste, 
and all) will damp the minute shocks, thus the high tones.
While we are there, may I just mention again what did work for me and what 
didn't, in order to bring back some brightness in the tone ?
Mechanical rubbing of the brass (scotch brite, steel wool) does improve the 
look, but not the sound.
Removing the string from the hitch pin, making a large loop in it and 
running the loop back and forth along the string has mixed results : 
sometimes some brightness comes back, sometimes not at all.
Removing the string from the hitch pin and twisting it in the direction of 
the winding before putting it back on the hitch can bring some of the 
brightness back, certainly with many turns, but it also affects the 
inharmonicity of the string, and after three or four twists, the sound of 
the string becomes objectionnable.
Removing just the tension of the string, leaving it in place, and banging it 
hard with heavy hammer strokes works great, nice results, but one every 4 
strings so treated breaks when pulled back to tension.
Replacing the strings with new ones works like wonder, assumed that you wait 
until the strings have settled.

I heard that guitarists who can't afford buying a new set of strings (the 
majority of those) have good results boiling the strings in boiling water. 
I never tried this with a piano string, but am wanting to hear comments from 
those who did.

Hoping to raise some more comments.

Best regards.

Stéphane Collin.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp at yahoo.com>
>     Was it what I used, or will ANY polishing of bass
> strings harm the tone ??? I won't do any more, until
> certain.