The tone really is in the hands

[ADbassman]

Last month I went into the dermitologist to have some warts burned off my right index finger. Well, after they healed back for the most part, I started to play with that finger again, and I noticed my tone from that finger changed. Now my middle finger gives a lot more bass and mids when I pluck, but my index gives more mids and highs, no bass. It wasn't always like this, so hopefully when my finger heals back all the way, I'll get my real tone back.

Just a little strange.

[PilbaraBass]

Again, it comes down to physics...strike a string with something hard and you get more of the high harmonics...strike it with something soft and you get more of the fundimental tone (the low)...obviously the pad on your index finger is now a bit harder than your middle finger...keep playing, hopefully it will soften up over time...in the mean time you will learn to compensate a little.

But yes your are definetely correct. The tone IS in the hands

[CJK84]

I play exclusively fingerstyle - probably 7-10 hr/week.

And yet I really have no callouses (maybe a bit of more-than-normal hardness) on the tips of i and m of my plucking hand.

I play with a light touch, yet I'm surprised that my skin here is still soft even though I've played regularly for the past year and a half.

I'd actually like to have some callouses to bring more highs out of the strings, but I guess my light touch is "preventing" callouses.

[Correlli]

For me, tone comes from experience and technology