Fingers Hurt!!!!

[Mook]

Don't know where to put this post, but it is somewhat related to strings.....

It's getting more and more that after a 3/4 hour gig, my fingers are just plain worn out. The finger pads, that is. And on BOTH hands.....

I play a light gauge, .40-1.28 (5 string), so I cannot get any lighter.

Sometimes, I have 3 gigs on a weekend, and by the 3rd gig of the weekend, I'm dying.......

Any suggestions?


Mookie

[TNCreature]

are you playing stainless steel strings? they can be quite rough.

[OldGreg]

Maybe flat-wound strings if it fits your sound.

Also, in my experience.. the lighter the gauge of string, the faster my figures wear down. Seems illogical, but that's been my experience.

[RDUB]

I suspect it may have more to do with technique than strings. I often do three or more gigs on a weekend (this week it's a theatre show Fri night, Sat afternoon, Sat night, and Sun afternoon, and a rock band rehearsal Sun night and Mon night.)

I typically only have sore fingers on my right hand if I've been trying to get more volume by digging into the strings instead of turning up my amp a bit and plucking lighter.

I rarely have pain in my left hand fingertips, but I'm sure that's due to working very hard on relaxing my grip and hand position. You only need to press a string hard enough to fret it. If you experiment, you'll see that it doesn't require very much pressure at all on an electric bass, and the lighter your left hand touch, the faster you can play!

[Roy Vogt]

It could be that you're digging in too much. As RDUB said, turn your amp up a little louder and dig in a little less.
Are you playing during the week? If not, your calluses may not be in shape.
Finally, depending on the sound you need you could try Nickel, Flat or even Tapewound strings (in decreasing order of wear and tear on your hands). You could also try Fast Fret or Almond or Sweet Oil on your plucking fingertips and see if it helps any.

[Arranger]

You're not using a compressor, are you? That places limits on your dynamics that your fingers will never be able to overcome. I had the same problem until I got rid of my compressor.

[chokeslam512]

Also, how is the action? A high action requiring a lot of fretting force could be the culprit on your fretting hand anyway.

[tsverrir]

Are you playing nickel or nickel plated strings?
If you are just sore then It's probably not the problem. If, on the other hand, you're getting blisters it might be nickel allergy.

[Arranger]

Originally Posted by tsverrir

........nickel allergy.

Wow. Good call and very common - not necessarily among just bassists, but common in the general population, overall. There are other symptoms of nickel allergy. Worth looking into.

[Mook]

Answers to all:

I'm using nickel plated. Can't stand the sound of flats.

Not using a compressor.

Action is fairly low....


I think I need to turn up!

Thanks, all!

Mook

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Nothing wrong with using compressors if you set it properly...

Speaking of Compressors, you should check out Pressurewound strings... aka Compression Wound strings.

The outer winding of the strings are pressed into more of an oval shape so there are none of the higher ridges on the string that regular round wounds have. They are smoother to the touch, and very punchy strings.

A few companies make them...

GHS - Pressure Wound Flats - Alloy 52
Ken Smith - Compressors - Nickel / Iron Alloy
SIT - Silencers - Nickel Plated Steel
Rotosound - Solo Bass 55 - Stainless Steel

[The Mad Zak]

Ya know, I play very hard, and I don't own a compressor. When I play frequently I end up building up callouses on my fingertips. (Not too much...just slightly thicker skin.) There have been times where I stop playing for a while, and they go away. Then, when the band kicks back up, I end up with sore fingers for a while until the callouses come back. I just shrug it off as part of the price of being a bassist.

Maybe I would play softer if I had the talent to do so! I just end up getting into the music and pounding on my bass.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

There is nothing wrong with digging in a bit!

If you what to be forced to play with a lighter touch, check out the idea of building a ramp.

[OldGreg]

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

There is nothing wrong with digging in a bit!

If you what to be forced to play with a lighter touch, check out the idea of building a ramp.

Great idea!

[randysmojo]

Is a ramp built to roughly the same height as the pickups, or what would be the factors in determining height?

Also, SLaPiNFuNK, out of the four brands you mentioned for compression wound strings, how do they rate against each other for tension?

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Ramps can be made at any height. I would check out the "Show us your Ramps" thread to see some. They can be anything from a piece of plexy glass double sided taped on, or made to match your top.

As far as height, thats up to you. They can be higher than the pickups. Usually they are slightly lower than the fingerboard or same height as the fingerboard. But thats something you will need to figure out for your self / what is comfortable for you.

As far as the Pressure Wound strings... GHS & Ken Smith offer a wider variety of string gauges while the SIT & Rotosound only have one available set.

They are similar in tension to rounds of the same gauge. They do feel a little more tighter and responsive though.

[randysmojo]

Perfect. When I get paid, I'll send you an order!

[funkingroovin]

I've heard of putting a few drops of KrazyGlue on the fingertips/pads to "armor coat" them. I've never tried it,as my hands are calloused enough to use as ashtrays,but it makes sense..

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Originally Posted by funkingroovin

I've heard of putting a few drops of KrazyGlue on the fingertips/pads to "armor coat" them. I've never tried it,as my hands are calloused enough to use as ashtrays,but it makes sense..

You can do this. There is also a product made specifically for this, to put over broken skin etc... "new skin liquid bandage"

I haven't used it for YEARS though...

[funkingroovin]

Ironically,KrazyGlue was initially invented and marketed during WWII as a "liquid skin bandage",not as a joining compound..been using it for years in lieu of band-aids..