Dealing with Dead Strings?

Boil them in Water

Some people like dead strings on their bass. But some people hate it: they go around buying set after set of strings, and at $20 or $50 a set, that can become massively expensive.

Never fear, though... There is another way! When your bass strings start to sound dull and lifeless, break out the ol' pot of water, bring it to a rolling boil, and give your strings a dunk. Let it go on for 2-4 minutes.

When you drag it back out, it will be clear of all the oil and dead skin that you had deposited onto the strings. This oil and skin has a dampening effect on your sound, because it causes problems in the fluidity of how the vibrations travel across the strings. So, when you put the strings back on your bass, they will be bright and like new.

The Downside

The downside is that this may be risky for gigs. It isn't that the strings have been harmed from the water, but that eventually the strings will break just from wear, even if they are sounding bright. Just be careful. If your strings are too old then they may break.