Anybody using string lubricant?

Buco

I borrowed a friend's Barault with ebony fretboard and remembered why I love that wood for the fretboard the most. Slick, fast, naturally oily. It definitely helps the fingers navigate the fretboard easier.

So I started looking at those string cleaners that also most often advertise to lubricate the strings at the same time. I also used a few different fretboard oils as well but whichever one you use, the wood absorbs the oil and that's that. Now the cleaners definitely help there, they really keep the sound fresher for longer. Even you let your strings get old and dirty, you give it a wipe down and tomorrow they will sound fresh.

But, and this is so weird, they would do exactly the opposite of slick and lubricated. It was as if I ate a box of Little Debbie glazed donut sticks and grabbed my guitar to play. Fingers would stick like crazy, awful. I tried Fast Fret, Tone Finger Ease and MN109. They all did the same thing. I don't know if this is because the chemistry of my skin or the silvered strings or what? They all have universally great reviews but for each there's a small number of people who described a similar thing that was happening with me.

Does anybody here have some kind of experience with any of these?

bopster

Works miracles as a lube for strings and fretboards.

Buco

Ok Dr bopster I have one coming. Let you know what's up. Thanks man!

bopster

Don’t thank me. Thank Little Django!

mac63000

I haven't had the little Debbie experience on guitars with string lubricant, but more the opposite, like a slip n slide. My hands tend to be dry though so I wonder if that plays into it.

Overall I'm not overly fond of brand new strings--I like them with a bit of the brightness worn off, but certainly not to the point where crud prevents easy movements. Especially in the summer I can see wiping the strings off after playing, especially with sweat that will build up on the strings, fretboard, and neck, but I haven't tried any special treatment on argentines other than a dry microfiber cloth. The worst feeling is borrowing a guitar from someone with corrosive sweat that hasn't been cleaned.

MikeK

Unlike a lot of players, I love the feel and sound of brand new strings. But, kind of like a brand new toothbrush, I seem to be able to notice and enjoy the newness for only about a day. When I first started playing this music in the summer of 2016, I noticed that the strings that I liked (Argie 11's) were more expensive than the old D'Addario electric guitar strings I used for decades in jam bands. I started using Fast Fret, in an effort to make them last longer between changes. But I would pick up other guys' guitars on break at a gig or jam, and I came to like the dry feeling of theirs. When I would pick mine up after playing theirs, it seemed unnaturally slick by comparison. So i got rid of the fast fret, and that was that. I have no complaints about the product, it surely does what it says it will do. I just went in a different direction based on the feel of the strings & fretboard, and I've been happy with the change.

mac63000

But, kind of like a brand new toothbrush, I seem to be able to notice and enjoy the newness for only about a day.

😂😂 That's a great way of putting it

Buco

@MikeK Ok so I think that must mean it's not these types of strings that would react differently to things like Fast Fret and cause friction instead of sliding. I can see the slippery feel being welcome during soloing but a drag for rhythm playing, didn't really think about the latter.

MikeK

That makes sense, Buco. The feeling of single string slickness surely is different from that of chords. On a separate, but related note, tying in to another topic you & I have been involved in recently on the the forum, I'm going to clean my fretboard tomorrow when I change my strings. The 0000 grade steel wool & F-ONE oil arrived yesterday & I'll let you know how the fretboard feels after I employ them.

Buco

@bopster Good news and bad news. Bad is that it doesn't work for me as string lubricant. I put a drop on a cloth and wiped on each string then wiped off with a dry end of the cloth. It did freshen up the sound very nicely so I'd do it occasionally regardless. Right now my finger doesn't slide smoothly and the noise is twice as much as usual. Weird, gotta be something about my skin. But it does make a fretboard slicker (but not greasy) than others I tried, Dunlop and F-ONE. At least right after, we'll see how long it lasts.

bopster

@Buco sorry it didn’t seem to work well for the strings. What brand are they? I never have that resistance issue when running my fingers on the D’Addario’s I use.