Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So does anyone take any steps to protect their guitar/bass calluses? I once heard that Eric Clapton wore a single glove in the shower to keep his from getting wet, but for all I know it's just an urban legend.

When I play consistently, I don't notice the callusus...the skin is just tough. But when I don't play for awhile, I just endure the pain until the callus forms. I've played too many years to let the hurt stop me once I can pick up a guitar again...hence the quote in my profile.

I have heard of people putting mail polish on their fingertips...not me, so can't vouch for it.

I've also played gigs bleeding...very dramatic, very painful, but what are you gonna do? You finish the gig.

*snicker* ...mail polish...

I don't get those from the bass, but now that I have the GS330, I am getting my guitar ones back. I just realized that I need to pick up the 6 string every day, if even for 15 mins, just to keep them going....

PS - We're such callous folks!

Clapton advises soaking the fingertips in 'surgical spirits' (rubbing alcohol, I presume) for 10 to 15 minutes daily.

It's rare that I go a day without playing guitar and I've never had trouble with callouses -until this year. Now I seem to wear GROOVES in my index and middle fingers. Ugh!

Help.

Just practice Dave Gilmour solos, or slower Joe Satriani instrumentals.
Those whole tone bends get your finger tips in shape quickly!

Spot on, Charly. I play for at least an hour every day unless I'm interstate on business. Not long ago a long session would have the ends of my fingers screaming but now I don't have any problems. I also get grooves from time to time, Noel.... they seem to come and go for some reason.

This weekend will consist of 4 or 5 hours jamming with Ron Viney on Saturday and another 5 or 6 on Sunday at band practice. The only pain will be from my back and my arthritic left thumb!

I always try to let my finger tips harden up a bit after a shower or hand washing before I start playing. When I was in my teens I used to rub methylated spirits into the tips, which helped to harden the skin but it didn't do anything for the bruising underneath.

As Mark says, just keep playing through the pain barrier!

I play mostly acoustic, so those grooves are just normal--the nerve endings seem to get pushed back and I almost never feel pain...unless I put it down too long.

You can always do what the baseball players that don't wear batting gloves do to toughen up their hands... pee on 'em!

EEWWW!!

I play acoustic too. And like Mark, the grooves are permanent in the ends of my fingertips.

JimK

Charly - playing bass doesn't give you calluses? You guys wouldn't believe the calluses on my RH fingertips!

Quote: "I just realized that I need to pick up the 6 string every day, if even for 15 mins, just to keep them going...."

Exactly the same here. I try to play at least 15 minutes on guitar every day. Otherwise it's back to blister time.

John, what I think Charly meant is that bass playing (with the thicker strings) does not produce calluses on the fretting hand.

One problem that seems to be unique to me - when I play guitar a lot, some of the skin from the top layers of the calluses starts to shred and peel of on my fretting fingers.

Mine just "vanish" over time. I could be playing constantly, every day, and occasionally they'll just break down. Next thing I know I got a new blister and my fingertips are on fire. Then I build them up again.

You'd think playing for 20 years would've made them permanent by now; I guess I have weak skin!