Fast Fret and Finger Ease

[tyt921]

Anyone tried any of these products? I am 'planning' to get both or if possible just get away with buying 1 of them for my acidic hands solution. Are these products any good?

I have tried D'addarios EXL's and Ernie Balls. I will give EB Cobalts a try. If they dont work I will actually spend 14 bucks on some elixirs

 

[BrianC]

I do not have acidic hands but I do like fast fret. It keeps the strings clean and fast. It can make nasty strings usable in a pinch. I also use it to clean my fret board.

 

[NomadMike]

Used to love Finger Ease, but then grew to hate it. Just stopped using it and never looked back.

 

[solacematt]

Been using GHS fast fret for 15 years. Good stuff

 

[László]

Fast Fret is mostly plain ol' mineral oil. All it does is add more junk to your strings and fingerboard.

Mineral oil builds up, attracts dirt, and except for making things shiny, doesn't do anything good for strings or fingerboard. I'd never, ever use it.

Please check, but I'm informed that the other is mostly silicone, another thing that I'd never use on my fingerboard.

 

[Michael B]

Yeah...I wouldn't put either of those on my guitars...just change your strings

 

[tyt921]

sigh....my strings rot within hours...and become unusable after 2 days. I cant change strings every 2 days...lol

Nomad: what did you not like about finger ease the spray? let me know!

 

[László]

Get the fookin' elixirs and don't waste your dough on snake oil.

 

[CoreyT]

I must have dry non acidic hands, as I still have the same set of EB Cobalts on my SE Santana I got summer of 2012.
Yep, two years and they are still looking and sounding great.
I have only changed out a few guitars, and my 408 still has the same set of Cobalts from May of 2013 on it, along with my SE Tremonti Custom I got November of 2012.

Have changed them on my Gibson SG and my SE Custom 24, but that is it.
They really did not need changing, but I wanted to see how the locking Autotrim tuners worked when changing strings.

 

[tyt921]

Guy, quick update. I bought them Elixirs and finally tried them. Strings didnt go rusting on me even after an hour or play. They look very clean and shiny even after a few days. I just bought my second pack in case of emergencies on ebay for 10 bucks shipped. If this really works out, I will order through bulk of 6 for 47 bucks shipped. I am VERY relieved that I went with these strings. On the market, these are literally only things I can use now. I might be interested to try the DHS boomers though but seeing how they are basically the same price as Elixirs, I dont think I will need to try them out. Thanks folks! I did however use my remaining ebay bucks and got Fast Fret. I will try it sparingly overtime to see if it has effects on my fretboard or strings!

 

[László]

Guy, quick update. I bought them Elixirs and finally tried them. Strings didnt go rusting on me even after an hour or play. They look very clean and shiny even after a few days. I just bought my second pack in case of emergencies on ebay for 10 bucks shipped. If this really works out, I will order through bulk of 6 for 47 bucks shipped. I am VERY relieved that I went with these strings. On the market, these are literally only things I can use now. I might be interested to try the DHS boomers though but seeing how they are basically the same price as Elixirs, I dont think I will need to try them out. Thanks folks! I did however use my remaining ebay bucks and got Fast Fret. I will try it sparingly overtime to see if it has effects on my fretboard or strings!

Just an FYI, but Elixir's FAQ says "it is not necessary or beneficial to use a string lubricant with Elixir strings."

They specifically say Fast Fret will do nothing in another FAQ.

Of course, no one listens to me...

 

[tyt921]

Just an FYI, but Elixir's FAQ says "it is not necessary or beneficial to use a string lubricant with Elixir strings."

They specifically say Fast Fret will do nothing in another FAQ.

Of course, no one listens to me...

lol Les,

Well now that you mentioned it. I can see how it will do nothing, because there's already a coating there and the oil will just remain on top of the strings until it goes onto the fret board. Anyway, it was basically free from my ebay cash back points. Glad to have those! Now lets see how long I can use these strings. That guy from youtube, Scott Grove stated that his Elixirs lasted him 13 years on his strat, never changed and they STILL sound good lol. Not sure about that statement, but I am starting to be a believer for Elixirs!!!!!

 

[jfine]

I used to use all sorts of stuff to try and make my strings last longer. FingerEase I can't stand--it kills my strings worse than my finger oils do, and that's saying something! In the early '70's, Guitar Player Magazine ran an interview with John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service)--one of my favorite players--and he mentioned that he wiped down his strings with something called Hoppe's No. 9 Gun Solvent. I tried it--the only time in my life I've ever been in a gun store--and it gunked up my fingerboard something fierce. I've tried Maxima gold-plated strings from Germany--I used to be able to get a week out of those--but they got so expensive that I couldn't afford them any more. Elixirs do it for me--I've had the same set on my DC145 for the last four years! I guess I should change them, but I'm not gigging these days, so they don't get as much use as they used to.
The late great Danny Gatton liked the sound of dead strings--apparently he used to wipe them down with a mixture of cigarette ashes and beer. Yuck--not for me!

 

[Raven17]

I've been using Elixers for years and can't stand to play anything else. It's funny what you get used to.

 

[tyt921]

Wellpz, there you have it. I am too now a firm believer of Elixirs. Anyone tried the legendary strings Pyramids? I aint gonna buy them because they cost like 35 bucks per set! But just curious what others have to say about them.

 

[maggior]

Back when I was first learning to play, I trashed strings after a single jam session. Gunk build up, they would rust, etc. It was so bad that I gave up playing guitar for a long time...10 years. My hands sweat a lot AND I have acidic sweat. So I know where you are coming from.

When I did take up playing again, I tried fast fret and finger ease. They didn't really help. I tried different types of strings...including stainless steel! All they did was wear down my frets - they were horrible though they did last longer. For years, I switched to heavier guage strings - 11s. That helped, but wasn't perfect.

Today, I am back to using nickel wound 10's on my guitars, Daddario XLs and more recently Earnie Ball. I change my strings faithfully every month - which means a good 15-20 hours of solid playing on them. The way I get a full month out of them. What I do is after EVERY time I play, I wipe the strings down with string cleaner/lubricant that came with my Gibson guitar maintenance kit. I wet a small rag and grab each string and wipe up and down 3 or 4 times - tops and bottoms. My strings still tarnish quickly, but they sound fine and tune well right up to the end. I'm finding I perfer my strings once they've tarnished a bit because I can grab them easier for bends.

 

[LJD]

I use Fast Fret all the time, to clean my strings after I've been playing for a while (sometimes before). I don't push it into the fretboard, and I never get any kind of "build up". I love the effect, strings play super quick and feel effortless. The strings seem cleaner, prolonged chimey life. It's like wiping more notes into your guitar.

 

[tyt921]

Back when I was first learning to play, I trashed strings after a single jam session. Gunk build up, they would rust, etc. It was so bad that I gave up playing guitar for a long time...10 years. My hands sweat a lot AND I have acidic sweat. So I know where you are coming from.

When I did take up playing again, I tried fast fret and finger ease. They didn't really help. I tried different types of strings...including stainless steel! All they did was wear down my frets - they were horrible though they did last longer. For years, I switched to heavier guage strings - 11s. That helped, but wasn't perfect.

Today, I am back to using nickel wound 10's on my guitars, Daddario XLs and more recently Earnie Ball. I change my strings faithfully every month - which means a good 15-20 hours of solid playing on them. The way I get a full month out of them. What I do is after EVERY time I play, I wipe the strings down with string cleaner/lubricant that came with my Gibson guitar maintenance kit. I wet a small rag and grab each string and wipe up and down 3 or 4 times - tops and bottoms. My strings still tarnish quickly, but they sound fine and tune well right up to the end. I'm finding I perfer my strings once they've tarnished a bit because I can grab them easier for bends.

Glad to know there are others who experience this. The stress that plays into all of this is immense and people who dont rust/oxidate, tarnish strings quick are just so so fortunate. But now that I found elixirs, they have been staying pretty clean and shiney, of course I now wash my hands and wipe them down as well after and before play...so far no tarnishing...I also found that the oxidation was eating my frets HARD especially when I do bends. They just rip through them. Theres a solid scrap mark across the frets, and if i take my finger and rub on it, its sharp enough to make my fingers feel the flat edge it was grinding on.. Its a good thing i was playing really hard only on my Starter crappy guitar...my prs I baby it like it was my own child...it rarely gets plays.

 

[László]

Wellpz, there you have it. I am too now a firm believer of Elixirs. Anyone tried the legendary strings Pyramids? I aint gonna buy them because they cost like 35 bucks per set! But just curious what others have to say about them.

They sound good, though more traditional perhaps than some others. However, you'd go through 'em pretty fast I'm guessing with your hands.

 

[tyt921]

However, you'd go through 'em pretty fast I'm guessing with your hands.

lol. :biggrin: