Fingertips Tips please!

[jakenewmanbass]

[quote name='peteb' post='203814' date='May 21 2008, 06:29 PM']You could always try the Stevie Ray Vaughan method, which is to superglue your fingers to the opposite forearm, leave to dry and then rip off – leaving a bloody forearm but an extra layer of skin and a layer of superglue on your fingertips![/quote]

Or the sadistic version where you glue it to someone elses forearm

[OutToPlayJazz]

1. Lots of practise... The more you play, the more you harden the fingertips.

2. Ease off the bass and let the amp do the work for you. Think tone, tone, tone!

3. Try some lighter guage strings. My Status basses run on 30-90 guage strings & I find I can play hard for a lot longer on thinner strings. Try say, 40-100 if you don't like them too light.

[Jase]

Spot on with point no 2 OTPJ.

[Mottlefeeder]

+1 on Newskin. It stings on open wounds, but it does hold the edges together, so they heal faster. It also provides a protective surface as others have said.

[Paul Cooke]

[quote name='peteb' post='203814' date='May 21 2008, 06:29 PM']You could always try the Stevie Ray Vaughan method, which is to superglue your fingers to the opposite forearm, leave to dry and then rip off – leaving a bloody forearm but an extra layer of skin and a layer of superglue on your fingertips![/quote]

knowing the state of my fingertips... I'd end up leaving the pads stuck to my forearm...

[Sean]

I have superglue in my gigbox always but using the amp is the best tip as per OTPJ point 2 above. Prevention being better than cure.

[cheddatom]

If you have more amp volume, you may feel like you have to play less hard, and that makes it easier to play - fair enough. However, I don't understand why people claim that this will yeild better tone, and is better technique in general.

I like to play through overdrive which means that when I really dig in, I get rewarded by more dirt. Isn't this good technique? I like the sound of hard playing.

[BOD2]

[quote name='jakesbass' post='203835' date='May 21 2008, 07:04 PM']Or the sadistic version where you glue it to someone elses forearm [/quote]

I can imagine SRV's band members might have been a bit reluctant to shake hands with him BEFORE a gig....

[peteb]

[quote name='dlloyd' post='204092' date='May 22 2008, 09:56 AM']I'd read about that and thought it sounded brutal, but actually tried it when I accidentally cut on the fingertip of my left index finger with a scalpel and had to play that evening.

It doesn't rip chunks out of your forearm, it removes a very thin layer of essentially dead skin and you can barely feel it... and it covers cuts like a charm. For right hand fingers, I'd build it up in layers. Avoid hairy bits of forearm... that will hurt!

Super glue on its own cracks, and it's easy to knock a chunk of it off, leaving the raw skin underneath... not pleasant.

Paper and clingfilm doesn't work very well in my experience.

Disclaimer: It may be that the superglue/forearm technique only works for me because I have some sort of freakish skin anatomy that you might not share... I will not be held responsible for bloody holes in your forearm![/quote]
RESPECT - never actually tried it myself or knew any one who actually had!!

[Huge Hands]

Thanks to all for your tips!

As an update, last night we played the gig, and I tried the Superglue method. I was not brave enough to do the Stevie Ray Vaughan trick! My two main plucking fingers had healed, but it was still fresh, raw skin. One coat did only last a set before cracking, but at no point did I suffer with pain.

It worked a treat. I was so impressed, I'm almost tempted to use it all the time, rather than when I need it!!

Thanks again!