Hi there was a few threads recently on rosin and cleaning strings.
I took the advice, and I have noticed a big improvement since I started cleaning strings with dry jay cloth after playing.
Is a dry jay cloth enough ? should I use something else ?
PS..If anybody can recommend a good trusted brand or type of rosin, I would appreciate ?
I am using black rosing expensive stuff, Don't find it great !
Following someone else's advice (lazyhound, I think)
I use methanol on a rag occasionally - maybe once a week or so.
This will eat into your varnish, so be careful. I flip it around
so the strings face the floor and rub the strings from underneath
when I do this so there's no possibility of alcohol hitting the varnish.
I've been using Bernadel; other popular ones are Piastro goldflex
and Millant Deroux. I think it partly depends on your climate and
type of strings. Also if you search you will find loads more
comments on this from over the past few years.
I prefer to use isopropanol or isopropanol/ethanol or ethanol wipes - you should be able to get any of these at a good drug store.
"Methanol" is a generic name for an ethanol-based mixture containing methanol (which causes blindness and other sundry nastinesses if ingested), dyes, oils, and even small quantities of sulphuric acid, depending on the industrial application it is intended for. I don't really want those constituents coming into contact with my strings!
It's also worth mentioning that some musical instrument stores sell string cleaning fluid (presumably clean isopropanol/ethanol), and specialist electrical should have it because it is used for cleaning circuitry, tape heads and the like.
Thanks for that,.
Is there a need to clean your strings after everytime you use the fiddle, and secondly is it important to clean rosin off strings ? what I am saying is too much rosin a bad thing ?
Clean your strings frequently, every 30-60 minutes depending on your playing. Use a cork, rub vigorously on the string until it feels smooth and appears clean.
After playing it's a good idea to wipe loose rosin dust off the string with a dry lint-free cloth - and off the belly of the instrument and the bow stick while you're about it. Inevitably, over time there will be a build-up of residual rosin on the strings, so, depending on frequency of use, I use isopropanol about once a week to remove that residue from the strings. I just take care, as Mhuppert does, not to let the stuff contact the varnish, and don't have any heat sources nearby.
Too much rosin on the string will adversely affect the tone. A build-up of rosin will also affect the bowing because that build-up will tend to "glassify" and cause the bow hairs to lose some of their grip. The player will then put more rosin on the bow which only makes matters worse.
I wipe down my string bow and belly of my fiddle each time I am finished playing. Still rosin will biuld up the string and they get tacky and the sound dulls. So I take a peice of cardborad and slide it under the strings. Then I soak a sawb of rubbing (isopropanol) alchohol and carfully wipe the strings till they feel smooth.
I found some ladies' "personal" wipes in our bathroom (I am not an american) and reading the instructions carefully, found that they were gentle enough for the tenderest of places. This strongly suggested that they should not harm the finish of my fiddle, so I tested them in an un-noticeable place with no harmful result. They cleaned my (steel) strings perfectly and in fact went better than that - they got rid of dirt that had been on the instrument when my granny gave it me, almost 50 years ago. Available in all good chemist's shops and highly recommended!
In addition to cleaning the strings (I just use a piece of chamois leather) has anyone found the life of the strings is improved or otherwise? I use Dogel B48 and keep them until one breaks then replace the lot. I used to use Tomastik (I think that's the spelling) but they wore out and unravelled after a couple of months.
Cleaning fiddle strings
Cleaning fiddle strings
Hi there was a few threads recently on rosin and cleaning strings.
I took the advice, and I have noticed a big improvement since I started cleaning strings with dry jay cloth after playing.
Is a dry jay cloth enough ? should I use something else ?
PS..If anybody can recommend a good trusted brand or type of rosin, I would appreciate ?
I am using black rosing expensive stuff, Don't find it great !
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by premierview
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
Following someone else's advice (lazyhound, I think)
I use methanol on a rag occasionally - maybe once a week or so.
This will eat into your varnish, so be careful. I flip it around
so the strings face the floor and rub the strings from underneath
when I do this so there's no possibility of alcohol hitting the varnish.
I've been using Bernadel; other popular ones are Piastro goldflex
and Millant Deroux. I think it partly depends on your climate and
type of strings. Also if you search you will find loads more
comments on this from over the past few years.
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by Hup
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
A lot of fiddlers (including me) use a (real) wine bottle cork to clean rosin off strings. It seems to work pretty well.
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by DavyR
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
I prefer to use isopropanol or isopropanol/ethanol or ethanol wipes - you should be able to get any of these at a good drug store.
"Methanol" is a generic name for an ethanol-based mixture containing methanol (which causes blindness and other sundry nastinesses if ingested), dyes, oils, and even small quantities of sulphuric acid, depending on the industrial application it is intended for. I don't really want those constituents coming into contact with my strings!
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
It's also worth mentioning that some musical instrument stores sell string cleaning fluid (presumably clean isopropanol/ethanol), and specialist electrical should have it because it is used for cleaning circuitry, tape heads and the like.
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
Thanks for that,.
Is there a need to clean your strings after everytime you use the fiddle, and secondly is it important to clean rosin off strings ? what I am saying is too much rosin a bad thing ?
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by premierview
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
Clean your strings frequently, every 30-60 minutes depending on your playing. Use a cork, rub vigorously on the string until it feels smooth and appears clean.
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by leoj
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
After playing it's a good idea to wipe loose rosin dust off the string with a dry lint-free cloth - and off the belly of the instrument and the bow stick while you're about it. Inevitably, over time there will be a build-up of residual rosin on the strings, so, depending on frequency of use, I use isopropanol about once a week to remove that residue from the strings. I just take care, as Mhuppert does, not to let the stuff contact the varnish, and don't have any heat sources nearby.
Too much rosin on the string will adversely affect the tone. A build-up of rosin will also affect the bowing because that build-up will tend to "glassify" and cause the bow hairs to lose some of their grip. The player will then put more rosin on the bow which only makes matters worse.
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
I wipe down my string bow and belly of my fiddle each time I am finished playing. Still rosin will biuld up the string and they get tacky and the sound dulls. So I take a peice of cardborad and slide it under the strings. Then I soak a sawb of rubbing (isopropanol) alchohol and carfully wipe the strings till they feel smooth.
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by Pirate-Fiddler
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
I found some ladies' "personal" wipes in our bathroom (I am not an american) and reading the instructions carefully, found that they were gentle enough for the tenderest of places. This strongly suggested that they should not harm the finish of my fiddle, so I tested them in an un-noticeable place with no harmful result. They cleaned my (steel) strings perfectly and in fact went better than that - they got rid of dirt that had been on the instrument when my granny gave it me, almost 50 years ago. Available in all good chemist's shops and highly recommended!
# Posted on May 28th 2008 by Ebor_fiddler
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
I'd better read the label then - I was the world's worst O-Chem
student too
# Posted on May 29th 2008 by Hup
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
Isopropyl alcohol on a tissue or soft cloth.
# Posted on June 2nd 2008 by hauke
Re: Cleaning fiddle strings
In addition to cleaning the strings (I just use a piece of chamois leather) has anyone found the life of the strings is improved or otherwise? I use Dogel B48 and keep them until one breaks then replace the lot. I used to use Tomastik (I think that's the spelling) but they wore out and unravelled after a couple of months.
# Posted on June 5th 2008 by CiaranMulholland