Double Bass Blisters, blisters, blisters...

[Fat bob]

Super glue has worked many many times very well for me. When I first started and had some longer gigs I used it preventively, before a gig and sometimes at setbreak. A little later in life I have used supergluing over blisters to not have to pop them. For a while now during the dry winters in CO my left hand has been getting a split on on the pinky and now first finger- not on the callous but just to the side, superglue has become a seasonal necessity. Just recently I took 2 weeks off playing for vacation and then got sick. When I played NYE and then a big band gig I used my B bass and the strings had come up quite high. For the first time in years and years I got blisters on my R.H.; now back in grad school and playing in class 4+ hrs a day, practice, and 2/4 gigs a week I have had to use a bit of superglue since my time off.
Crazy Glue is best because of the container; also if you ever get a cut on a finger (right or left) and have to play it is the only thing I have had success with.

 

[Don Hergert]

Here's mine, one week after. Unfortunately I've cut that finger about 1/4" below where the blister was, so it's still on the sick list. But the blister is resolved enough to play again.



When new this bluster was punctured near the front of the blister, but not underneath good skin, then iced and alcohol applied and this process repeated every few hours the first day. The location of the puncture makes a difference if playing is planned in the short term. I did do a little playing with it the first few days, covered with a small tissue pad and duct tape, for maybe a few hours. Then, the skin cover had shriveled up over the last few days and finally came off yesterday, leaving a nice hard spot. If the cuts weren't there I'd be playing with it today.

One thing worth mentioning, this event was a big festival and there were probably up to 1000 people jamming at various locations and times, with easily ~50+ double bassists. I did see a lot of other fingers wearing duct tape, so it's nothing to be embarrassed about.

Edit: It's also worth explaining that this finger is ready to use today for straight pizz, or of course arco, but just not slap, as where I hit and feel the cuts is with slap. My pizz technique is index and 2nd finger together most of the time, separated sometimes for faster pizz, with the thumb anchored on the driver side of low fingerboard. My slap technique involves index middle and ring fingers together.