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<DIV></DIV>what about steaming, and then blow drying to remove dirt etc.?<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-------------- Original message from Stéphane Collin <collin.s@skynet.be>: -------------- <BR><BR><BR>> Hi Gordon. <BR>> <BR>> Indeed, any liquid/chemical mean to polish the bass string will unfavourably <BR>> alter the tone of the bass strings. I don't understand why this is. My <BR>> guess : it is the minute shocks between the brass windings that make the <BR>> high partials of the tone. Anything in between the windings (dirt, paste, <BR>> and all) will damp the minute shocks, thus the high tones. <BR>> While we are there, may I just mention again what did work for me and what <BR>> didn't, in order to bring back some brightness in the tone ? <BR>> Mechanical rubbing of the brass (scotch brite, steel wool) does improve the <BR>> look, but not the sound. <BR>> Removing the string from the hitch pin, making a large loop in it and <BR>> running the loo
p back and forth along the string has mixed results : <BR>> sometimes some brightness comes back, sometimes not at all. <BR>> Removing the string from the hitch pin and twisting it in the direction of <BR>> the winding before putting it back on the hitch can bring some of the <BR>> brightness back, certainly with many turns, but it also affects the <BR>> inharmonicity of the string, and after three or four twists, the sound of <BR>> the string becomes objectionnable. <BR>> Removing just the tension of the string, leaving it in place, and banging it <BR>> hard with heavy hammer strokes works great, nice results, but one every 4 <BR>> strings so treated breaks when pulled back to tension. <BR>> Replacing the strings with new ones works like wonder, assumed that you wait <BR>> until the strings have settled. <BR>> <BR>> I heard that guitarists who can't afford buying a new set of strings (the <BR>> majority of those) have good results boiling
the strings in boiling water. <BR>> I never tried this with a piano string, but am wanting to hear comments from <BR>> those who did. <BR>> <BR>> Hoping to raise some more comments. <BR>> <BR>> Best regards. <BR>> <BR>> Stéphane Collin. <BR>> <BR>> ----- Original Message ----- <BR>> From: "gordon stelter" <LCLGCNP@YAHOO.COM><BR>> > Was it what I used, or will ANY polishing of bass <BR>> > strings harm the tone ??? I won't do any more, until <BR>> > certain. </BLOCKQUOTE>
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