Fast-Fret - Oiling your strings???

[herb_ransburg]

I was in GC this weekend and saw a guy purchasing "FAST-FRET". This is an oil/oil-like stick that you rub on the strings of your lady. Teh substance looked to be embedded in cloth, maybe? Condidtions and makes your sound brighter? That's what I overheard the clerk say. Anyone got an idea about this stuff? My immediate thought is, 'what is this guy's neck and frets going to look like after using this stuff for a while?' I clean my neck and strings with cotten t-shirts or polish cloths. Should I be using something else??

Thanks for any commentary and learn a bit of history every week or ever day. It will help you appreciate your journey so much more!

http://www.cascadeblues.org/History/turner_othar.htm

Herb

[ricochet]

For years I've rubbed down my strings and unfinished rosewood fretboards with olive oil, then wiped it back off. Don't leave an oil slick on there. It does slicken things up nicely, and the strings last a lot longer than if they're unoiled. Lots of commercial products are sold for the purpose. I've got some sold by both Fender and Gibson, but haven't gotten around to trying them yet because olive oil's been perfectly satisfactory.

[david]

I'm not sure exactly what is in Fast Fret, but its more of a cleaner than an oil. It does make the strings very slick, however!

I use it on my mandolin and banjo but haven't used it on my resonator guitar. I have just not tried it because I assume I'm not fingering the strings nearly as much so there isn't as much of a build up of oil and grit. I really ought to try it and see if it makes a difference in the slide sound.

The Fast Fret is a stick you rub on the strings and wipe off with a cloth that comes with it. It will leave an incredible amount of gunk on the cloth from your stings and does seem to make them last longer.

Banjo playing has a lot of slides (with a finger, not a bottleneck) and I've found that right after using Fast Fret it is very easy to slide past the fret you want. The little double strings on a mandolin will tear your fingers up and the Fast Fret seems to ease that a bit.

[Zhurh]

Was placing an order once with mus friend and guy told me to get some fast fret. Good stuff, you'll like it.

I change strings bout every month or so with snake oil vintage 12-54's. I wipe neck down and use super fine steel wool on what won't come off with damp rag. Fast fret won't leave a residue and I luv the stuff. Kinda like windex, garlic, or matamucill when ya get old, ha ha.

I think I'll have to try the olive oil now that I heard about it.

[mickeypainless]

I know I mentioned this a year or so ago but since we have a bunch of new folk, I'll repeat....... I learned about the olive oil from Rico and gave it a try. Not only does it work wunders on my git strings but bein married to an Italian, the smell left on my fingers after playin drives her wild!

[grady]

I've been using Fast Fret for so long that I have one of the original metal Fast Fret cans that the company used before going to the plastic containers that you see it in today.

When I buy a new stick of Fast Fret, I throw the plastic container away and use the metal one.

There is absolutely no risk of it damaging your guitar.
I've used it on every Guitar I've owned over 21 years or so of playing.

[stratman_27]

I might have to get a can to try out, I've never used Fast Fret but used to use the Fingerease stuff. Hated the smell of it. I've been using Gerlitz Guitar Honey for a fretboard conditioner and it really does a good job of keeping moisture in your fretboard and keeping the frets slick for bends. I change strings about every 2-3 weeks on my electrics so anything that would lengthen their life would be welcome. Thanks for the heads up.

[601blues]

my 2 cents!! Iam a woodworker by trade and hobbie,anyway the one thing I have found is if you use anything with oil in it the dirt will stick to it,ie, table saws blades etc,so what i use on my eq.and my guitar strings and it is great is silicone spray it dries very fast and is the slickest finish I have ever had,spray it on a table saw bed and the wood just slides thru!! and by being dry nothing sticks to it at all and has no build up and you don't have to worry about fret boards swelling, with fast lube and other stuff I have seen fret boards that were not sealed asorbe that stuff and swell, Any way I do not spray directly on my strings, after cleaning I spray silicone on a wipe cloth,and wipe to the strings, wait a couple min. and you have a slick finish on you strings that will last a couple of gigs!!Also wipe your neck down and not only do you have fast action!! you keep anything from stickin to yer neck, you can get a large spray can of food grade at Lowes or Home Depot,for about 5 bucks,or you can get standard silicone spray at the Auto parts ,I can't tell the difference,

[lightninboy]

Fast Fret
That brings back memories.
Like a weird little shaving brush, in a small can.
I used it for 20 years or so.
It does the job, but you get little bits of cotton wrapped aroung the strings and have to pick em off. Also, it doesn't clean the underside of the strings.

For the last 10-15 years I've been using Kyser Lemon Oil to clean my strings and condition the fretboard.
I wrap an oil soaked cloth around the string, twist it tight, and wipe the length of it. Then wipe dry with another cloth.
Works great.
Gets all the gunk out and brings them up almost as good as new.
I sometimes use Finger Ease as well, if needed, on the strings and the back of the neck. Handy stuff when recording too. (Helps reduce finger noise).
They're both cheap, and come in handy size containers that easily fit in your gig case.

[ricochet]

I think it was Finger Ease that I hunted down an MSDS for a while back. It's spray silicone.

[NEONMOONY]

Ric wrote

For years I've rubbed down my strings and unfinished rosewood fretboards with olive oil, then wiped it back off.

Yeh, any excuse to oil your Johnson!

[601blues]

I think it was Finger Ease that I hunted down an MSDS for a while back. It's spray silicone.

REALLY??? I haven't tried that stuff for at least 20 yrs the last I remember it was oily,

[ricochet]

Yes. Liquid silicone's quite oily.

[david]

Years ago, it seems, Rico posted about the Olive Oil treatment. I used to do that all the time and really liked the results.

I would still be using only the Olive Oil, if my wife hadn't figured out what I was using her Olive Oil for.

[ricochet]

I got hold of a bottle Jane was throwing out, 'cause she thought it was too old. If you're careful with it, though, you won't contaminate the stuff you're using for food. Doesn't take much.