Bad Advice

chris77

What was the worst advice you've ever recieved about playing guitar? Mine was when I started playing I was told to 1- boil my strings when they get dirty and then to 2- put them in the freezer to "regain tone".

inflames

Yea frozen strings truly bring out that tone!

I think someone told me to dip my fingers in paraffin after playing!

PeteM

Someone suggested I pour plaster of paris into the body of my Gibson 330 to stop the feedback. Needless to say, I told him to get stuffed. But I did hear that someone quite famous did do it to his 330 and the whole thing cracked up - what a waste!

TomCat

PeteM wrote: Someone suggested I pour plaster of paris into the body of my Gibson 330 to stop the feedback. Needless to say, I told him to get stuffed. But I did hear that someone quite famous did do it to his 330 and the whole thing cracked up - what a waste!

:roflmao: :roflmao:....priceless......not to mention the bad back you will get from playing such a heavy guitar.........Now that's heavy Rockin'

AlanRatcliffe

Boiling strings is an old trick to get another week of life out of a set of strings. Used it more than once as an impoverished student. Does actually work for a while, but they lose tone very quickly after that. Add a spoonful of salt to raise the water's boiling temp and a little vinegar of lemon juice to help strip the oils.

Doesn't work with nylon strings. ?

RobK

PeteM wrote: Someone suggested I pour plaster of paris into the body of my Gibson 330 to stop the feedback. Needless to say, I told him to get stuffed. But I did hear that someone quite famous did do it to his 330 and the whole thing cracked up - what a waste!

If someone told me to pour plaster of paris into my guitar, I think I'd be a bit offended - my playing isn't that bad :roflmao:

RobK

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Boiling strings is an old trick to get another week of life out of a set of strings. Used it more than once as an impoverished student. Does actually work for a while, but they lose tone very quickly after that. Add a spoonful of salt to raise the water's boiling temp and a little vinegar of lemon juice to help strip the oils.

Doesn't work with nylon strings. ?

....add some 2 minute noodles, and there you go....lunch for the real guitarist :roflmao:

guitarboy2828

RobK wrote:
Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Boiling strings is an old trick to get another week of life out of a set of strings. Used it more than once as an impoverished student. Does actually work for a while, but they lose tone very quickly after that. Add a spoonful of salt to raise the water's boiling temp and a little vinegar of lemon juice to help strip the oils.

Doesn't work with nylon strings. ?
....add some 2 minute noodles, and there you go....lunch for the real guitarist :roflmao:

ROFL!! ?

nick

inflames wrote: Yea frozen strings truly bring out that tone!

I think someone told me to dip my fingers in paraffin after playing!

Was always told that Meths would harden up your hands so possibly some weird truth in that ?

PeteM

nick wrote:
inflames wrote: Yea frozen strings truly bring out that tone!

I think someone told me to dip my fingers in paraffin after playing!
Was always told that Meths would harden up your hands so possibly some weird truth in that ?

I tried drinking meths and it didn't do damned thing :-[

nick

PeteM wrote:
nick wrote:
inflames wrote: Yea frozen strings truly bring out that tone!

I think someone told me to dip my fingers in paraffin after playing!
Was always told that Meths would harden up your hands so possibly some weird truth in that ?
I tried drinking meths and it didn't do damned thing :-[

Bet you didnt have to clean your teeth for a while ?

Heath

I was told to bang my finger against a hot stove to harden my fingers ......

PeteM

nick wrote:
PeteM wrote:
nick wrote:
inflames wrote: Yea frozen strings truly bring out that tone!

I think someone told me to dip my fingers in paraffin after playing!
Was always told that Meths would harden up your hands so possibly some weird truth in that ?
I tried drinking meths and it didn't do damned thing :-[
Bet you didnt have to clean your teeth for a while ?

But it did help with the Deep Purple covers.

inflames

I was told to bang my finger against a hot stove to harden my fingers

Did that work or just smell like burgers?

Bob-Dubery

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Boiling strings is an old trick to get another week of life out of a set of strings. Used it more than once as an impoverished student. Does actually work for a while, but they lose tone very quickly after that. Add a spoonful of salt to raise the water's boiling temp and a little vinegar of lemon juice to help strip the oils.

Doesn't work with nylon strings. ?

Rory Gallagher used to clean harmonicas out by soaking them in a glass of vodka. He said that vodka worked better than any other cleaning agent, and it had the advantage that if money was tight you could clean out your gob irons AND have a drink.

Keira-WitherKay

hehhehe on the plaster of paris in a hollow body.. wow

however i worked with a guy who filled his ovation with sponge to stop feedback........ and it did work.... but acoustically the guitar obviously sounded almost as loud as an electric heheheh but he worked pro and plugged in so yeah right idea just wrong substance........

as for boiling strings ... when i was a bassist ... back in 80's/ 90's we used to slap a lot and to keep the brightness we (me and most other electric bassists i knew who slapped) boiled bass strings after they lost the initial brightness ... yeah and it does work...

as for fingers surgical spirits was the only thing i used to clean and repair/strengthen torn up fingers from double bass playing....... especially on the RIGHT hand... not the left ...... i still have calous's and i have not touched an upright for the last 6 or 7 years .....

so yeah some of this advice does work......... not so sure of the hot stove one ... thats crazy heheheheh

peace and light
keira

AlanRatcliffe

X-rated Bob wrote: Rory Gallagher used to clean harmonicas out by soaking them in a glass of vodka. He said that vodka worked better than any other cleaning agent, and it had the advantage that if money was tight you could clean out your gob irons AND have a drink.

Makes sense - vodka is a high proof alcohol and alcohol absorbs water and takes it with when it evaporates (which is why you oil a fingerboard if you clean it with isopropyl alcohol). The older harps with wooden barrels get saturated with water (spit) after a while and the wood starts swelling, changing the pitch/tone. Soaking them in a high proof alcohol will draw out a lot of the water and then evaporate relatively quickly.

Heath

Ye right like i was going to bash my fingers against a stove top , i like my meat but damn i aint cooking my own

chris77

So boiling actually works?! Well how about that... I tried it and the strings turned black! Must have cooked em wrong then me reckons...

RobK

Tailon. wrote: I was told to bang my finger against a hot stove to harden my fingers ......

That sounds similar to the Rocky punch-a-dead-cow technique to strenghten your fists ?