| Author | Message | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 3556 Registered: 6-2002 |
I had a festival gig on Sunday morning at around 00;30 in a large big top tent. We were the headline band so were last on for the night. About 5 mins into the gig, and I don't know if this is due to my fingers or the strings or ambient temperature, but rather than my fingers sliding off the strings as normal when I was plucking the notes, my fingers were gripping the strings so I ended up missing notes because my fingers were being slowed down by the gripping action between my fingers and strings. The feeling was like trying to move your fingers across a piece of double sided tape although not as extreme as that would be. But it was enough that I had to try to change the way I was playing the strings to avoid making mistakes. I tried licking my fingertips when there was a slow moment but once the moisture came off it was even more gripping than before. So i tried rubbing my fingers on my jeans hoping to get some smoothness back but that only lasted for a few notes. My left had for fretting was fine there was no problem there at all just my plucking fingers. When we were sound checking everything was normal but there was about an hour between soundcheck and playing and the ambient temperature had dropped but it was not cold at all. Generally when It's been cold at a gig the strings feel harder and there is much less finger and string resistance. Any Idea'? I don't fancy keeping a greasy chicken bone in my pocket to use for lube. I have two more outdoor festivals in the next month so don't want this getting in the way if there is a practical solution. Maybe Jimmy has experienced this and has some advice? Jazzyvee | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 2343 Registered: 10-2003 |
I totally get that as well. I think it's a combination of oils or sweat on your skin and condensation on the strings. I sometimes carry a can of Fingerease (I think that's what it's called) for those situations to lube things a bit and it seems to help. Also, I make it a point to avoid washing my fingers right before playing, as that cleans the oils off and makes everything more grippy as well as softening the callouses. John | ||
| 5a_quilt_top
Intermediate Member Username: 5a_quilt_top Post Number: 159 Registered: 6-2012 |
Be careful of Fingerease and its clones. Light to moderate use for a specific purpose is OK, but overuse can coat your fretboard and attract dirt and debris that will kill your strings and cause them to feel tacky. We clean a lot of dirty fretboards at the guitar store where I work part time and we can tell immediately when someone is overdoing it. Re: plucking fingers - try buffing them lightly with an emery board or a fingernail buffing pad. | ||
| jimmyj
Senior Member Username: jimmyj Post Number: 473 Registered: 8-2008 |
Ah, outdoor gigs, such fun. I played one in Connecticut on May 25th and it was 47 degrees (8ºC) with sideways rain and wind gusts which made it feel like 40 (4ºC). I was wearing a hooded jacket and when the wind would blow rain at us I'd turn my back to the audience. Nice stage presence, huh? HA! Yes Jazzyvee, my guess is that a certain combination of temperature, humidity, and maybe dew point caused your sticky situation. It may be different for others but for me things feel best when it's dry. So I think your second idea - wiping the fingers (maybe the strings too) - was probably the right direction. Sometimes in between tunes you can hold your hand near an amp or stage light fan which is putting out warm dry air. The only thing to do is ignore these distractions and concentrate on the music. Don't become obsessed trying to figure out what's happening or the music will suffer. Also know that the rest of the band is probably fighting the same battle! Three cheers for indoor gigs! Jimmy J | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 2345 Registered: 10-2003 |
I'll have to second the sandpaper/emory board thing. I do that regularly and it definitely makes a difference. John | ||
| slawie
Senior Member Username: slawie Post Number: 536 Registered: 8-2002 |
I use nose oil! slawie | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 3558 Registered: 6-2002 |
From the inside or outside of the nose Slawie... lol Jazzyvee | ||
| tubeperson
Senior Member Username: tubeperson Post Number: 444 Registered: 5-2005 |
Jazzyvee, could be like a half round, innie and outie. | ||
| slawie
Senior Member Username: slawie Post Number: 537 Registered: 8-2002 |
The skin produces natural oils. For me these oils seem to be concentrated on the OUTSIDE of my nose. If I find that my fingers are suffering a little resistance from dryness because of low humidity a quick pinch of the nose gets my fingers a little slippery. I am serious about this. It can be done discretely on stage because it looks as if you are just touching your face. Since I had my heart attack and I have been prescribed Lipitor to control my cholesterol I found that my skin produces less oil. I will be seeking apologies from those mocking folks that try it and find that it works ;) slawie | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 2998 Registered: 5-2009 |
Jazzy, A fine British product ; Penny&Giles P/N D23402 silicone lube for Penny& Giles Audio Faders ( also Dow Corning DC 150/50cs) Slawie , Take care of your Heart ! I hope that you are doing ok now . | ||
| rxbassman
Junior Username: rxbassman Post Number: 47 Registered: 1-2004 |
I also use nose oil. I started this odd trick back in the 70's or 80's after reading that Chet Atkins would do this in the studio to reduce finger/fret squeak. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1307 Registered: 1-2005 |
You can use nose grease to get rid of foam in beer too! | ||
| tncaveman
Intermediate Member Username: tncaveman Post Number: 195 Registered: 2-2011 |
WOW _ Nose grease info - I've heard it's also great for curing and preventing chapped lips too. We need to bottle this stuff - LOL Kind of like mink oil. Stephen | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 3559 Registered: 6-2002 |
I have another festival gig in this Sunday so will try some of the techniques if the situation arises again. Jazzyvee | ||
| briant
Senior Member Username: briant Post Number: 662 Registered: 12-2004 |
I've experienced this problem as well. It's very frustrating. I actually have this insane recurring dream where I'm playing a bass and the strings are total mush and my plucking hand fingers are sticking to them. No kidding. Some good advice already here on how to deal. "Ah, outdoor gigs, such fun. I played one in Connecticut on May 25th and it was 47 degrees (8ºC) with sideways rain and wind gusts which made it feel like 40 (4ºC)." Been there. Local outdoor gig for an Octoberfest party. It was in the low 40's when we started at 7pm and in the low 30's by the time we wrapped up at 11pm. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee... so much fun. | ||
| tubeperson
Senior Member Username: tubeperson Post Number: 445 Registered: 5-2005 |
I guess gloves with open finger holes may keep the hand somewhat warm. The friction of playing would have to do the rest for the fingertips. Or perhaps some single malt. | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 2013 Registered: 9-2002 |
No doubt because of my part-Sicilian DNA and always living in humid climes, I've never had this problem: Maybe it's the olive oil and garlic intake . . . . . . . I'd loved to have been cold on an outdoor gig, I seemed to only do outdoors is summer, where cold was NOT the problem. I always wondered why I could never get a sharp attack with my fingers (more pick-sounding) and other guys could. Then I read one of Bob Taylor's articles where in the course of talking about the variables involved in tone, he mentioned 'bone tone' that they certainly couldn't account for when voicing their guitars: Some people just have bonier or fatter fingers, and this made the difference. They just had no way to account for the individual physiognomy of individuals' fingers. No wonder this guy has made such an impact in acoustic guitars. J o e y | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 5501 Registered: 7-2004 |
So Hendrix wasn't really playing with his teeth. He was actually rubbing his nose on the strings! hehehehe Bill, tgo | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 11146 Registered: 5-2002 |
It's an interesting observation (though as Bill alluded to, physiognomy might not be the word you were looking for), and it does make sense that finger anatomy would make a contribution to tone. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 11147 Registered: 5-2002 |
I've never tried it, but I can't see where putting single malt on your fingerboard would help. | ||
| growlypants
Member Username: growlypants Post Number: 56 Registered: 3-2011 |
I use Jack Daniels all the time. (Works great!) | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 3564 Registered: 6-2002 |
Had an open air festival gig on Sunday afternoon firstly I tried the thing I'd done before which is to wipe my fingers on my jeans to dry them off and that worked well but I had to keep doing it to have any consistency. The nose grease worked the best I'd say and kept my fingers doing what they are supposed to be doing best however I'd be a bit concerned about losing the brightness if It was going to be a regular part of my playing. But It's gonna have to be a work in progress till i find the right balance. Jazzyvee | ||
| stout71
Intermediate Member Username: stout71 Post Number: 162 Registered: 7-2011 |
Jazzy - I think your recent technique is a good one. As far as losing brightness over time, have you tried using something like BassBrites after a gig? www.bassbrites.com I use them and they work great. I guess a number of substances that do the same thing would work, but these are pretty convenient and fit in a bag or case really easily. They aren't incredibly cheap - about $10 USD, but the convenience factor outweighed the cost. I use Rotosound PSD's and the windings on those strings are larger (to me) than a traditional roundwound string, so junk (oil, etc.) gets caught up in the grooves more easily. | ||
| mike1762
Senior Member Username: mike1762 Post Number: 1004 Registered: 1-2008 |
I decided to try the Jack Daniels trick. I drank 1 shot and it didn't seem to make much difference. However, after 3 shots I definitely noticed a difference: my fingers felt much more relaxed on the strings and I was not only hitting the notes I MEANT to play but several additional notes as well. After 5 shots there was absolutely no issues with finger "grippage"... all was well with the world. At about the 8 shot mark I noticed that I felt no friction at all between my fingers and the strings... it was then that I realised I had forgotten to strap-on my bass. At 10 shots a new lubricant entered the equation and the experiment came to an end. | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 923 Registered: 2-2011 |
Jazzyvee, I have experienced this same thing on several occasions even playing indoor gigs. It feels almost like the top layer of skin has worn away & the new skin underneath is sticky. It's very frustrating because it definitely affects your timing. I try switching fingers & using my ring & pinky fingers to pick with until I can wash my hands to get rid of the sticky feeling on my index & middle fingers. I never thought about the nose oil trick, I will try that next time! My next gig is outdoors next week, so chances are that I will need it! Stout71, I had never heard of Bassbrights before. I just ordered some, so thanks for the tip! | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 933 Registered: 2-2011 |
Jazzyvee, Jerry is right about Bass Brites! I just got some & it not only cleans your strings & makes them sound brighter, but it also puts a coating on them that feels like silicone, but it's not oily or wet feeling like Finger Ease. I think this stuff will eliminate the sticky finger syndrome especially if you clean your strings before & after you play. After to get the gunk off & before to put the coating on them to make your fingers slide easy. I got my Bass Brites less than a week after ordering them. | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3408 Registered: 10-2002 |
For us Eiropeans they have to be ordered through bass strings online . I got as far as checkout to find shipping to the UK would be $11.50 for 2 packs plus the $23 for the product. (in case anyone is planning on buying some). graeme | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 936 Registered: 2-2011 |
I just used the Bass Brites at an outdoor gig & they work great! I could feel my fingers getting sticky during the soundcheck so I cleaned the strings with Bass Brites & the coating works like a charm! No more sticky fingers! Plus my strings still sound like new after 2 gigs on them with the last being outdoors on the water with 85 - 90 degree temps & 90% humidity, so I was sweating a lot which would have normally killed the new string sound. Honestly, I would buy Bass Brites for the lubrication factor, the fact that they also keep your strings sounding bright longer is a bonus! I can clean all 4 strings with 1 cloth & each tub comes with 30 cloths so they should last a good long time. I bought 2 tubs & they were less than a new set of strings even with shipping, so I think it is a good value. |
