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Sticky bass, sticky strings = rage

DinnerWithAGypsy

DinnerWithAGypsy

Jun 11, 2008
1,095
55
Louisville, KY
twitter.com
#1
Right now I'm playing a musical and am playing up on a platform with the rest of the orchestra about five feet under the lights and an hour and a half at a time, sometimes twice a day. We're about halfway through two weeks of practically non-stop shows.

What I'm finding as I'm playing is that after playing for a while, my bass -- that is the neck, the body, the strings, everything -- starts to feel really sticky and just disgusting. I've played for theatre musicals before and remember noticing this in the past but I want to figure out how to counter it this time around.

I know that this is probably just due to the fact that my hands are sweating and that I'm playing so often continuously.

I have a Planet Waves polish/cleaning cloth thing that I typically use to wipe down my basses and that I use whenever I'm using any type of shine or protect or restore product on the bodies of my basses, but that doesn't seem to be doing the trick. Is there some other product I could use to counteract this? Is there something I should/could be doing? I'm open to suggestions.

This admittedly isn't a huge deal by any means, but I'm interesting to hear all your guys's input. :)
 
#2
You could try something like GHS Fast Fret or Tone Finger Ease. You also could lightly sand the back of your neck with a high grit sandpaper to get rid of a little of the gloss which would be very conducive to sticking, or put some talc on your fretting hand/thumb (but not your fingers).
 
#4
i stopped using fast fret a few years ago, basically because i am tight and did'nt want to pay for it :)

just bought a new pot and wow i love it again :) no sticky strings :)

i would just use a standard microfibre cloth for general cleaning of sweat from the bass body and back of the neck, or a terry cloth. both will soak up the crap before it gets a chance to get sticky. keep it at hand while you play too to mop up between songs :) even if its just a quick swipe up the back of the neck.
 
#7
This is a little outside of the box, but...

You might try to reduce your stress levels a little (assuming that you are stressed in the first place). I've noticed that, when I'm working against a lot of deadlines or excessively worried about some upcoming show or issue, that my hands sweat a bit more when I'm playing. Lots of coffee also seems to increase hand sweat.

I like the baby powder idea, you could also try gymnasts' chalk, but be careful, if you sweat a lot it can mix with the chalk/powder and make a nice white-mud mixture.
 
#8
TheMutt said:
You could try something like GHS Fast Fret or Tone Finger Ease.
Click to expand...

I think I will invest in some Fast Fret just to see what it does for me..and I've never heard of Tone Finger Ease, but I'll check it out.

Aspidites said:
A little baking soda on the neck and your hands works wonders.
Click to expand...

I'll try this for sure. Thanks for the suggestion!

snyderz said:
Jeff Beck and I use baby powder.
Click to expand...

Sounds similar to the effect that the baking soda might have? I'll probably give this a shot as well. Thanks.

XylemBassGuitar said:
This is a little outside of the box, but...

You might try to reduce your stress levels a little (assuming that you are stressed in the first place). I've noticed that, when I'm working against a lot of deadlines or excessively worried about some upcoming show or issue, that my hands sweat a bit more when I'm playing. Lots of coffee also seems to increase hand sweat.
Click to expand...

Definitely a valid point, but the problem is, I'm not at all stressed. I wasn't really to begin with, but now that we're about half-way through it, I'm more bored than anything else. :P
But yeah, I'm definitely not stressed by any means..and coffee can't be doing it. I drink coffee casually but have only drank some before one of the shows in the past week that I can remember...

darthplagis said:
i would just use a standard microfibre cloth for general cleaning of sweat from the bass body and back of the neck, or a terry cloth. both will soak up the crap before it gets a chance to get sticky. keep it at hand while you play too to mop up between songs even if its just a quick swipe up the back of the neck.
Click to expand...

Dude, did you read my original post? That's what I'm doing now, which isn't really working.
 
#10
Stanley Clarke and I use original Mennon's Skin Bracer.

It has "the right" amount alcohol to clean your strings well, reduces stress by putting shootzpah back into boring gigs, AND ..... makes your bass smell REALLY good

:)
 
#15
Cloverfield said:
yeah :hmm: i was saying i would use the micro fibre cloth for general cleaning (like when not playing) AND use during the set, i guess i did'nt make the separation clear enough :rolleyes:

i find that a micro fibre does not draw the moisture as well as a terry cloth/jersey material (tee shirt), and if you are in the orchestra pit it would be quite hot, i imagine that may be the cause of excess sweat

just read that link on fastfret, as long as you dont slap it on unfinished wood too thick it should be fine. i stopped using direct mineral oil applications a few years ago due to a reccomendation on here, but as fast fret is not a direct to the board/soaking in treatment it should be fine.
Click to expand...
 
#19
I use baby powder on outdoor summer gigs, it is very hot and humid in the NJ area this time of year. I use it before each set, it helps a bit. I have the talkbass community JJ Helms bass, and the last owner refinished the back of the neck, which now gets a little sticky, and I was just thinking this weekend that a little fine sandpaper is going to help a lot.
 

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