Blind-Summit
THE GUITAR PLAYERS COMMUNITY

GHS Fast Fret

The lifespan of a set of guitar strings will vary depending on the brand of strings, the amout they are played, and how much grime and sweat is deposited onto the strings as you are playing. Typically, a nice new set of strings will lose their bright, swishy sound after about a week or two, before gradually becoming dull and muddy. A couple of months later - they will need to be replaced. If you’re playing in a band, or on a more regular basis - the lifespan will be far less.

What Is It?

GHS Fast Fret is branded as a “String and Neck Lubricant / String Cleaner for All Stringed Instruments.”

GHS Fast Fret is a bit cheaper than a packet of new strings, and improves the lifespan of a string, keeping it sounding bright for longer. As the name suggests, it also has an effect on the speed at which you navigate the fretboard.

The GHS website says: “Not a spray! Contains no silicone. It’s a liquid in an applicator. Use it on strings, fretboard, back of neck. Lets fingers slide freely, keeps strings clean, is good for wood.”

How Does it Work?

The product comes in a small tube, you get a cloth and the applicator - a wooden block with a material block on one end, soaked in the special liquid. To apply it, you simply wipe the applicator up and down your strings firmly, but no so hard as to force droplets of the liquid out of the applicator. I found it best to work up and down in pairs of strings E&A, D&G, B&E, covering them with 2 or 3 wipes.

This has now treated the strings with the fluid, which you can leave on to act as a lubricant to help reduce the friction against your fingers (which is where the claim to make you play faster comes from), or wipe it off to clean the strings.

You can also apply the product to the back of the guitar neck to help your hand slide more easily. This did help a little, but not really worth it in my opinion.

The Verdict.

Fast Fret was recommended to me by a friend, and for around £5 it’s a no-brainer! I tried it on my acoustic guitar first of all, and whilst the appearence of the strings didn’t change, the sound was slightly more bright and clean. I had only recently put new strings on it, so I wasn’t expecting a great difference. The second thing I noticed was the reduced friction between my fingers and the strings. The liquid is a white mineral oil, and this leaves a pleasant smelling residue on the strings (and your fingers if you don’t use the cloth), and whilst it’s not going to make you play like a guitar god, it does give you a little extra freedom of movement.

I had read through numerous other user comments, and people complained about 2 things. Firstly, the product does not clean under the strings and secondly the residue on the strings. Personally - I can’t see either of these points being an issue. Firstly, to clean under the strings - I applied a good amount of the product up and down the strings, and then folded the cloth in half so that it sat above and below the strings. I then held it at either end keeping the cloth taught, and ran it up and down the strings so that it cleaned the top and bottom. This clearly worked as I ended up with 6 grey lines on the cloth where the grime had come off!

Secondly, the user comments regarding the residue - the cloth will remove pretty much all of this. Just keep wiping the strings. It’s really not an issue.

In Summary

It did help loosen off the grime on my electric guitar strings, and the oil helps to slide around the frets a little more easily. I didn’t notice a staggering difference in the string brightness, and I will have to report back later on if the strings last any longer than ususal. The brightness of the strings did increase after a couple of applications.

Overall, you can’t really go wrong with the price, and this product will last a long time, so it’s well worth a try.