Bassist talk

[Bar Band Bassman]

Puncture the blister, drain, let dry. Do it at bedtime so it has a few hours to toughen up a bit before you play again. Use a string lubricant (e.g. FingerEase) until callouses develop. IME, playing flats or rounds doesn't matter. It's really just a matter of time. Avoid playing "Locomotive Breath" by Jethro Tull. Super glue is great for cracked skin around fingernails for me.

The Bar Band Bassman

 

[PrinceByTor]

I’ve busted open a blister at a show, and really the only two options that I found was switching to middle, ring and pinky fingers or going plectrum. I’ve really never had an issue with my noting hand, only my plucking hand.

When healing up between shows I’d keep rubbing real honey on the sore. Usually within a couple of days it’d be healed with a better callous to boot. Personally I believe the antibiotic properties and how the bee spit itself interacts with my skin really speeds up the healing.

 

[Curtbass]

Get a louder amp and play softer

 

[LowActionHero]

 

[Five or Six]

If your bass is setup right you shouldn't have to worry about it so much. A poorly setup bass with high action can be a culprit to. If you have discomfort when practicing, stop for a day or so and let things settle down. Practice till you hurt isn't good practice.

 

[DrBnz]

I've never had blisters either. But if I did and had to continue on, I'd look into "Mole Skin".

 

[onda'bass]

In college I did get blisters around midterms/finals. My best fix was drain and super glue to get through a performance/exam. I was playing 6-8 hrs a day so playing light ect does not apply here. I have also never had them since then.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

When I used round wounds, I had blisters on top of blisters. I switched to chromes and never had blisters again. I don't dig in as hard as I used to and that helps as well.

 

[Watchootognbout]

In 50 years of playing bass with rounds, I've never had a blister. I think it has to do with technique.

Same here.
Soft fingertips.

 

[Rib 13]

Anybody remember Moises Alou?

 

[retslock]

Blisters how do we beat them?

The callouses on my fingertips prevent blisters until I’m forced for whatever reason to not play for several days. The blisters appear when I start playing again but don’t last long. I remove loose skin and keep playing. They’re tender and sore but the body swings into action to create more callouses pretty quickly. It’s only happened a few tomes in many years. Keeping up your playing time is the best prevention/remedy.

 

[Stewie]

Get a job working for a roofer. Your hands will toughen up quick.

 

[Gervais Cote]

Calluses

Grow up playing violin or guitar

super glue

Crazy but it works !

 

[Geri O]

Flats

The one time in this life that I tried flatowound strings somwhere in the 80s.....

The smooth surface of flats was more grabby and friction-prone, causing my fingers more irritation and very near blistering. I play with moderate force, but nowhere near thrashing.

Something I never have experienced with roundwounds.

That was only one reason of several that I never played flat wounds afterwards and never will.

 

[Geri O]

Get a job working for a roofer. Your hands will toughen up quick.

Great for one's hands.

Not so much for fingertips.

But there's a lot of good reasons to work for a roofer, no doubt.

 

[Gervais Cote]

Get a louder amp and play softer

Best solution so far !

 

[Gervais Cote]

Replacing your high tension round wound strings by low tension flats would help on the short term but best is to practice daily and you fingertips will harden.

 

[ComicBass]

Just play every day and you will have invincible fingers. People at my last job couldn't believe how I could just handle the hot pans. These calluses are invincible.

 

[r_bnks]

Wth?

 

[butterfingers1]

You get blisters the first couple weeks. After you never get blisters again no matter how long or how hard you play, as long as you play regularly.