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Wearing out my fingers...

Nice little hipster look you got going there Mr. Nerve....:D

Hmmm... that's interesting cuz I've been labeled many things, but never that. Fer real. I think in real life, R&R comes out of me a lot more.

Then again, nowadays I'm kinda in transition. The pic to the left here is the pic my mom always wished I'd take. Very rare type of photo of me. A misrepresentation!!!! I think I may have to change it soon.

Aright... I'm about to come out of the closet... ***...

This actually happens now:

joe suit.png
 
Hmmm... that's interesting cuz I've been labeled many things, but never that. Fer real. I think in real life, R&R comes out of me a lot more.

Then again, nowadays I'm kinda in transition. The pic to the left here is the pic my mom always wished I'd take. Very rare type of photo of me. A misrepresentation!!!! I think I may have to change it soon.

Aright... I'm about to come out of the closet... ***...

This actually happens now:

View attachment 1169640
:wideyed::speechless::D
 
Stevie Ray Vaughan used to put super glue on his fingertips, press them into his arm, then tear off the skin to give himself extra padding when his fingertips got too sore to play. Try it...sounds like a good time :)
I haven't gotten to a store yet to pick up some crazy glue, but I have razor blades in the house. I think it'll work just the same. Thanks. I'll let ya know how it goes.
 
Depending on where you live this is also the worst time of year for calluses since the humidity in the air will cause them to soften and wear a little faster. When you get out of the shower, pool, or getting done washing dishes putting a little bit of oil on you finger tips or right before you play if you sweat a lot. It helps keep those finger tips in peak performance condition.
 
Crazy glue will work well, but it will change the sound of your attack because you are basically going to have a hard plastic finger tip. It will not poison you or anything, I have used it plenty of times in my wood working shop to close a cut so I could keep working
 
Gnarly blood blister I got after taking some time off and trying to jump back in with out building my skin back up. Typing at work the next day was interesting.
 

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It's tough if you're a germaphobe like me, always washing your hands. I seem to recall someone telling me way back about how Jaco convinced his mom to not make him do the dishes anymore so he could preserve his callouses! Dunno if it's true, but it's fun story to repeat anyway...;)
 
Crazy glue will work well, but it will change the sound of your attack because you are basically going to have a hard plastic finger tip. It will not poison you or anything, I have used it plenty of times in my wood working shop to close a cut so I could keep working

This.

What I do is to have a small piece of sand paper or sanding pad, a light grit, and after I apply the super glue I will pass it across the finer tips a bit to knock back the hard surface. I doesnt undo the the glue effect and I still get the benefit of applying the glue, but takes off any ridges and makes it a bit smoother. Usually by the end of the fourth set, my fingers are down to the skin, but I'm almost done so I dont get the sore fingers.

BnB
 
good luck with your solution(s)! altering your finger style can be a difficult task, but it also gives you more options in the long run.

for 'acute' situations, i have always used tape: the right kind of tape (old school surgical adhesive) used to save me from losing calluses outright.

good luck! glad you have the gigs! :thumbsup:

also: i like your pics! they 'say' what they're supposed to say!

 
I'd suggest:

- Do learn how to use a pick. I like Dunlop triStubbys 3mm because they have a big textured depression which is great for not losing the pick, and the gentle slope makes it not so twangy/shrill as, say, a typical dunlop tortex would sound.

- What strings do you use? Some strings are gentler than others, in my experience Rotosound steels felt very harsh while DR Sunbeams were the gentlest.

- Learn to relax. One of the biggest causes of playing too hard is being nervous and tense, and that tension goes through your fingers.

- And the other biggest cause IMO is lack of volume - if you can't hear yourself, you'll try to compensate by playing harder unconsciously. You need to get a better monitoring situation.