How Clean Are Your Hands - Before Playing Bass?

[Nephilymbass]

Just curious what are people’s standards of hand cleanliness before playing.
I got thinking about this when I was reading the “band practice foods” thread a few weeks ago.
I personally like to wash my hands before touching the bass, but if I can’t I'll survive, unless I’ve been eating some finger food or something else that will leave a residue. Some of the guys I jam with have no problem snacking on a bag of chips and then gripping the neck of their instrument in the same moment.
I hate the slimy feel it leaves. Probably deadens the strings faster too.

Thoughts?

Im pretty picky about having my fresh woundround string vibe. I do think washing my hands before I play helps and I absolutely will not grab a bass with Dorito dust or something on my hands but I try not to wash my hands immediately before I play. Sometimes soaps can remove all the oils from my hands and make them feel I guess “sticky” is the word. So clean but not super clean.

 

[Minimalist]

That really depends on how clean my pants are since I wipe my hands off my pants before playing.

 

[VoodooJazz]

I wash my hands meticulously before I touch my bass. My band mates have called me “Mr. Antiseptic” which I contend is a bit extreme but gives you an idea. I’d also ask YOU to wash your hands before playing my instruments. And NO BELT BUCKLES, ever! I also wipe down the strings, neck, and hardware after playing.

I never thought of this before, but I noticed the comment above and it got me thinking. Having owned a Rickenbacker 4001, I will confirm that the neck finish is VERY unforgiving to dirty hands, and perhaps that reinforced my tendency toward clean hands at all times.

Then there was my Mother inspecting my and my siblings’ fingernails before church on Sundays when I was very young...

 

[NKBassman]

I don't think I've ever intentionally washed my hands before playing for the sake of approaching my bass with clean hands.
I almost always wash after playing, though.

 

[dalahorse]

I wash my hands before playing a musical instrument. Back when I played the flute, I also brushed my teeth and drank a glass of water before playing. I'm not really a germaphobe. But touching things with dirty hands is just gross. Eww.

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

I exude greaze and cheese, so there’s no stopping the finger funk

 

[db59]

Ready to go:

 

[Ekulati]

Like the great Fred Rogers said, we should wash our hands AFTER playing with something.

 

[Frankula]

I usually eat a bucket of fried chicken before playing, it helps me slide up and down the neck...

 

[Kmonk]

I always wash my hands before playing any of my guitars or basses.

 

[Space Pickle]

I get em good and greased up baby!

 

[1bassplayinfool]

1. Load in
2. Set up
3. Wash hands

 

[MrLenny1]

I keep hand sanitizer in the gig bag.

 

[Watchootognbout]

After doing things that make it necessary to wash your hands?
Yes.

As a ritual before playing bass?
No.

I'm not performing surgery.
They are clean enough.

 

[Biggbass]

freshly washed & powdered.

 

[Spidey2112]

Before home practice, I wash them...

... rehearsal? Meh. Gig? Meh.

I think it has more to do with the fact I can't fit my bathroom vanity into my gig bag.

 

[2F/2F]

I don't believe that I make it a point to wash my hands before playing. However, I do wash my hands often anyhow (I guess 10 or 12 times a day), so I probably don't often pick up a bass with really dirty hands.

I do tend to make it a point wash my hands after playing, though. If I handle metal, or anything that exists to get manipulated/handled by humans, I usually wash after the session.

 

[SimonSays32]

I usually wash my hands before we play - and I don’t tend to snack during a jam or gig, I save that for before or after.

Not that I’ve never had to play with greasy hands before - when I was a safety repair technician my hands were never fully clean lol

 

[Standalone]

Always clean. Unless we’re playing at a local brewery. There always seems to be some sticky malt on my hands by the second set. Worth it.

 

[smeet]

Always wash my hands with soap before playing. As another poster mentioned, that and my body chemistry make for long lasting strings (months sounding almost new). Almost anybody else playing my bass will kill the strings quickly. Also, getting gross food grease and crap on a nice instrument is just nasty.