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Double Bass Dealing with blisters

1

1987

Jun 17, 2006
40
0
#1
Hey guys,

I'm just wanting to get some advice on what to do when either hand blisters up. I recently got one on my right index finger which got worse and worse until it finally burst on a gig. Subsequently, I had to finish the gig on electric and haven't been able to play pizz for the last few days. Any thoughts/advice on how to deal with blisters would be much appreciated.

Cheers!
 
#3
There's only one good remedy: Don't overdo it and build it up slowly so you don't get them at all. Especially gig's are dangerous because you forget about your fingers. Once you notice that you've gone too far it's too late.....
Then you need to avoid using that finger which is hard but pays of eventually because you learn new techniques.
 
#4
I don't have a problem with blisters, but my fingers tend to crack quite a bit. I use this stuff called new skin. It comes in a smal bottle, is liquid, and has an aplicator kind of like fingernail polish. 2 or 3 coats of this stuff and I'm playing again. The best stuff I've ever used was liquid bandaid (by bandaid), but I can't seem to find it now. Hope this helps. +! on adjusting you technique
 
#7
I never blister anymore, but on a few occasions have gotten cuts. I use flexible fabric bandaids. I may use a couple in different directions so that at the place where the string hit my finger there isn't a seam.
 
#9
About 25 years ago I stopped in where a friend of mine was playing a jam session. He asked if I wanted to sit in. I was pretty lit a variey of things I can't remember. I play pretty low strings. His were VERY high. Now I'm pretty tanked and thinking to myself---cool---ok, I'm Wilbur Ware---no, I'm Jimmy Garrison. The tune was a rhythym tune and veryy fast. I'm pulling the s#$t out of the bass. The tune lasted a half hour. After the tune ended I looked down and there was blood all over the bass. I got blisters which popped and the turned into blood blisters and popped. My friend and the other bassists in the room are doubled over and laughing. This is how I learned about flexible fabric bandaids. For a month. The moral of this story young gents----don't drink and play.
p.s. I saw Zoot one time. Playing his ass off. Drunk as a skunk. I asked him how the hell he could play so well while drunk. He said " I practice drunk"
 
#10
Great story Mike.

I don't get blisters anymore either but my right middle finger is prone to cracking and splitting when the humidity is low. Why my index finger doesn't split either is a mystery to me seeing as it gets more work than the middle one (for whatever reason, I'm grateful). When this happens, I douse it in Neosporine and wrap it in a Bandaid. Usually, it is healed enough to play by the next day. If I don't do the Neosporine/Bandaid thing, it usually gets mildly infected and takes 2 or 3 days to heal.

I've also used the New Skin trick. The secret is to lather it on thick and use a hair dryer to dry it. Repeat for 2 or 3 coats. It can take 10 minutes for a thick coat to dry even with a hair dryer so don't be impatient. With a couple coats of New Skin, I can usually make it through a gig although it is usually starting to peel by the end of the gig.

I've tried using bandages but I can't keep them on for more than a set before they're shredded and off my finger.

mark
 
#12
Super glue works great. Re-apply it in between sets.

Cloth band-aids are fine for your pizz fingers, too. I'll bet DB player blisters are pizz hand at least 80% of the time....

Another thing: you can predict when you're going to run into trouble. If you've gotta pull a 5-set night when you're used to playing for maybe an hour -- you're gonna have some trouble. Be prepared with whatever remedy you choose. You can feel it when a blister is coming on. If it's possible, hold the thing off by icing the finger. Get a glass full of ice from the bartender and stick your finger in there on the breaks...
 
#13
You should examine why you have a blister in the first place. It's like resetting a circuit breaker- I can just reset the breaker, but I want to know why it tripped!

If it's a volume thing, that's usually pretty easy to fix. If I'm not loud enough through the amp, it's only for the first tune of the night. If the band is too loud, then blisters aint your only problem.

If it's a setup issue, well, get your bass set up properly.

If it's an endurance issue, practice... Keep playing until you get the callouses to make it through a long gig.

I can't offer any specific advice on what to do when you get a blister, I haven't had one in as long as I can remember.
 
#14
I use Healthy Hoof. It is a toughening cream designed for horse hooves and really strengthens the calluses on the fingertips. Costs about $4 for over a year's worth.

You gotta take care of the finger meat proactively to have ze good sound, not just put band-aids on after blistering.
 

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