Do your fingers blister when...

sevenyearsdown · #1 09-06-2008, 01:47 PM

You play your other basses. I hardly play anything other than my P. As of late though I've taken my VM Tele to practice, and was playing my jazzer today....and low and behold - blister on my dominate picking finger. The arm angle is comfortable. The only thing I can see different is that I'm picking closer to the bridge (learning Reverend Hortin Heat stuff for next practice).

BTW - same strings on all three basses - DR Hibeam flats.

I seem to be able to play my P for hours without this issue.

Anyone else get this?

Slax · #2 09-06-2008, 02:01 PM

Haven't had this problem myself.

Maybe on your other bass you're holding you finger on the string slightly different and not over the callous you've created with your main bass?

llamalor2112 · #3 09-06-2008, 04:21 PM

I too get this problem. I usually play my Geddy Jbass for allmost everything I do. However, I also love the sound of acoustics and will quite often pull out my Victor Bailey for the quieter/jazzier material. I personally think that the blisters I get from the Bailey are due to the fact that it has a thicker neck than my Geddy and I have to hold it differently. Perhaps it's just the bronze-phosphor strings?! Either way, I feel your pain.

David1234 · #4 09-06-2008, 04:33 PM

Maybe you have your P turned up louder, or EQ'd more appropriately, and don't play it as hard?

CapnSev · #5 09-06-2008, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David1234

Maybe you have your P turned up louder, or EQ'd more appropriately, and don't play it as hard?

+1

You're probably more comfortable on the P than anything else, so you're not digging into it like the others to get your tone.

mothmonsterman · #6 09-06-2008, 04:37 PM

Different guage strings, different actions, different materials, different tones they all change how you play and you're not always going to be cisistant on where you need you calouses to be.

beethumpin4 · #7 09-07-2008, 07:49 AM

I find that if you boost you gain on the amp you will have to play less hard. That is something you have to learn playing softly is not always easy sometimes you get into it and really pluck hard. There's no miracle cure play more softly with higher gain.

ClassicRock55 · #8 09-07-2008, 12:48 PM

I play fretless with flatwounds nearly 100% of the time so when I pick up my Jazz Bass with rounds, my fingers will hurt a bit after a few hours of playing, although no bleeding or blistering.

varunkapahi · #9 09-07-2008, 01:05 PM

your fingers like your p bass and they show it when you play another bass.

Arpeggiator · #10 09-08-2008, 01:37 AM

thought about allergy to certain metals? just a thought

Cernael · #11 09-08-2008, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sevenyearsdown

You play your other basses. I hardly play anything other than my P. As of late though I've taken my VM Tele to practice, and was playing my jazzer today....and low and behold - blister on my dominate picking finger. The arm angle is comfortable. The only thing I can see different is that I'm picking closer to the bridge (learning Reverend Hortin Heat stuff for next practice).

BTW - same strings on all three basses - DR Hibeam flats.

I seem to be able to play my P for hours without this issue.

Anyone else get this?

I'd say that's it. You have to pick harder closer to the bridge to get the same volume.

Try upping your amp to 11 instead, see if that helps.

stewart8980 · #12 09-08-2008, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sevenyearsdown

You play your other basses. I hardly play anything other than my P. As of late though I've taken my VM Tele to practice, and was playing my jazzer today....and low and behold - blister on my dominate picking finger. The arm angle is comfortable. The only thing I can see different is that I'm picking closer to the bridge (learning Reverend Hortin Heat stuff for next practice).

BTW - same strings on all three basses - DR Hibeam flats.

I seem to be able to play my P for hours without this issue.

Anyone else get this?

My guess is it's like switching shaving between an electric and and regular razor. Every time you switch (at least in my case) you get irritated skin. It might contain the same chemistry as this problem

sevenyearsdown · #13 09-08-2008, 10:13 AM

The other contributing factor is that I was playing the same song for about an hour straight....I'll like to practice, a lot.

OtterOnBass · #14 09-08-2008, 10:18 AM

Did you adjust the strap when you switched?

Stingray_EB · #15 09-08-2008, 10:20 AM

The only time i get blisters is if I slide on dead strings.

loend68 · #16 09-08-2008, 10:39 AM

I would think it's mostly due to picking closer to the bridge. The strings are much 'stiffer' there and you have to pluck harder.

sevenyearsdown · #17 09-08-2008, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtterOnBass

Did you adjust the strap when you switched?

Yes

Quote:

Originally Posted by loend68

I would think it's mostly due to picking closer to the bridge. The strings are much 'stiffer' there and you have to pluck harder.

You're probably right. When I play the jazz, I tend to anchor to the bridge PUP.