Leather straps and string corrosion

[rmoretti49]

On some of my guitars, where there is room in the case, I keep the strap on, laying it along the fretboard after disconnecting it from the heel. Recently I noticed rather dramatic string corrosion after only a few weeks. In all instances, the strap was leather, and was in contact with the strings in the case.

Strings ordinarily last a long time for me, so I know it isn't body chemistry.

RM

[Mandobart]

Certainly possible. Anecdotally, I've done the exact same thing for many years and never had any string corrosion with 80/20, phosphor bronze or monel strings.

[EZYPIKINS]

Used to leave my strap attached to the heal on my electric. Pull it up, laying on the fingerboard.

Never really noticed excessive string wear, as I changed strings frequently.

What I did notice, was a distinct 3" wide print on the lower bout of the guitar.


Today, my straps travel in my Gator stand/case. Along with my mic, cables, capo, and picks.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by rmoretti49

…Strings ordinarily last a long time for me, so I know it isn't body chemistry.

RM

Hi RM

It's obviously a 'thing'. Leather is a sponge, so it could be the treatment when the strap was built/made, or it could be taking on some 'body' chemistry when it's worn.

Good that you identified a problem and fixed it.

[lar]

If your leather strap is vinyl (?), I can definitely see this happening. See below. If it reacts with nitro, i wouldn't be surprised if these nasty chemicals react with metal.

If your leather strap is leather, possibly they also use some type of plasticizer to make it more supple as well. Neatsfoot oil is commonly applied to leather for the same purpose. Although it isn't a "plasticizer" it could react with metal, I don't know. (I'll try it and let you know - was it the wound or plain strings that corroded?).

So it probably isn't the leather, it's what's in the leather.



from frets.com:

"The culprits in this case are the plasticizers in vinyl. Pure vinyl would be very hard and brittle. To make it soft and pliable, they add plasticizers, essentially solvents that partially dissolve the vinyl, making it soft. The plasticizers are typically liquids, about like sewing machine oil. In service they can leach out, contaminating any nearby surface.

"It does not have to be direct contact, they can also evaporate and then condense on nearby surfaces. Ever notice that oily, dusty, cloudy film that builds up on the back of your car\'s windshield? That\'s the oily plasticizers from your vinyl dashboard condensing on the glass, then collecting ai rborne dust.

This leaching-out of the plasticizers is also bad for the vinyl. As it loses the plasticizers, it becomes hard and brittle, and eventually cracks, as vinyl is infamous for.

The bottom line is that you need to keep vinyl out of heat, and also to avoid keeping any sensitive finishes in a closed environment containing vinyl. Contact is bad, but even having vinyl inside a case (but not in direct contact) could still cause problems."

[Wade Hampton]

I used to leave the strap on one of my mandolins draped over the strings when I put it away in the case. I never noticed any problems, but then I left that instrument untouched for a few months.

The next time I opened the case, along the path where the strap had rested the strings had corroded to a bright light green.

So, yes, leaving the strap in contact with the strings can cause corrosion. It’s a good idea to pull the strap off and roll it up.

I don’t know if this makes a difference, but on my mandolin it was the rough-out side of the leather that was touching the strings in the case. So I have to conclude that it was some chemical used in the leather tanning process that interacted with something in the strings.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Ray175]

If I lay the strap on the strings I place a lint-free cloth along the neck. I’ve never had the problem you describe and each guitar has instant access to a polishing cloth if needed. May be a useful idea for others....

[rstaight]

I put cloth straps on my lower cost guitars like the Indiana's and Lotus. The Takamine's get leather. Levy just to let you all know.

Never have had the problem with straps causing corrosion on the strings. Guess it's because I always remove the strap when the guitar gets cased. I roll the strap up and put it in the compartment in the case. Along with my picks, capo, and tuner if I take it along.