Sticky fingers and flatwound strings?

[fretmeister]

I have an outdoor gig tomorrow and it looks like it might be hot.

 

At rehearsal today I was having trouble with how grippy / sticky my flats were with sweaty fingers.

 

Other than fast fret every tune, anyone got any ideas? If I had a week or so I’d swap to rounds but I don’t want to do that the day before a gig.

 

Does antiperspirant on finger tips work? Anything else?

[Bunion]

Put some hand cream/moisturiser on before the gig reapply if needed during from a squirt dispenser type bottle 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Bunion

[fretmeister]

Surely that will just ruin the callous?

[Supernaut]

Switch to rounds, turn the tone knob down and thank me later.

[Mastodon2]

I understand not wanting to change strings before the gig, just use Fast Fret throughout the show and after the gig is done, throw the flats in the bin and put some rounds on.

[PaulThePlug]

Give the strings a wipe with isoprop rubbing alcohol... or one of those Glasses Wipes... and take a hand (beer) towel...

[Pea Turgh]

Olive oil.  Never tried it, probably ruin everything you touch, but will make slippy slippy.

[fretmeister]

1 hour ago, Mastodon2 said:

I understand not wanting to change strings before the gig, just use Fast Fret throughout the show and after the gig is done, throw the flats in the bin and put some rounds on.

It’s the first time I’ve played with La Bella flats in the summer. They are just so smooth there’s far more surface area to get stuck on.

 

Lovely in aircon or normal temps. Horrible with sweaty hands.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Doesn't Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) use a light dusting of talc on his fingers to stop this issue.  He uses flats.  I do not. Unless its on an EUB or something else without frets. 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Rub lard into your strings, fingerboard and hands. Keep away from dogs and drummers though.

[chris_b]

Wash your hands and clean your strings.

 

IME sweat shouldn't be too sticky but the associated gunk that builds up can be.

[lownote]

I'm a martyr to this and can only suggest the usual slick goos.  Sometimes I think it's God's way of telling me I'm playing too much diddly diddly, as is my wont. Less notes, in the right place, might be my answer. but can't speak for yous.

[ezbass]

I used to get this LaBellas (it’s not a problem for me with EBs) and I used to carry a little zip lock bag of talc, which I dipped into as required.

[fretmeister]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

Wash your hands and clean your strings.

 

IME sweat shouldn't be too sticky but the associated gunk that builds up can be.

The strings are 3 weeks old.

Hands are clean.

[fretmeister]

48 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I used to get this LaBellas (it’s not a problem for me with EBs) and I used to carry a little zip lock bag of talc, which I dipped into as required.

l’ve got some EB group flats. If I had another day or 2 I’d put them on.

 

Time to look in the cupboard for some talc!

[Stingray64]

Am I the only person in this thread who finds slipping off rounds while sweaty a FAR bigger problem for playing well than sticking to flats?!

[Bassfinger]

8 hours ago, fretmeister said:

Surely that will just ruin the callous 

Not caused me any problems.

[fretmeister]

On 25/06/2022 at 15:04, PaulThePlug said:

Give the strings a wipe with isoprop rubbing alcohol... or one of those Glasses Wipes... and take a hand (beer) towel...

@PaulThePlug
 

I’n the end I decided to change the strings and spend ages stretching them and I’m glad I did.

 

However the glasses wipe suggestion was also excellent. Really helped a lot. Dried the finger tips out enough for half the set and then I did it again. They are now going in my kit bag.

 

Thank you for the tip. Much appreciated.

[bloke_zero]

On 25/06/2022 at 15:04, PaulThePlug said:

Give the strings a wipe with isoprop rubbing alcohol... or one of those Glasses Wipes... and take a hand (beer) towel...

This - I found the coating seems to get grabby depending on the humidity - cleaning the coating off should help and playing them in for some time. I think you made the right call though sorting it out to your satisfaction before hand!

[lazzer]

Good old johnsons baby powder- a light dusting before each set will stop this dead!

[ped]

On 25/06/2022 at 18:27, ezbass said:

I used to get this LaBellas (it’s not a problem for me with EBs) and I used to carry a little zip lock bag of talc, which I dipped into as required.

Did that stand up in court?

[FinnDave]

I used to find Chromes felt sticky and 'grabbed' at my fingers - but when I switched to LaBellas they had no grabbiness at all. Rotosound flats and GHS Precision flats are also non-grabby for my fingers. 

Judging by other people's posts above it seems to be a matter of finding the right strings for your fingers.

[Pea Turgh]

34 minutes ago, ped said:

Did that stand up in court?

When I was 12 or so I made some sherbet dip at home (after seeing it on the tellybox).  Took it in to school in a large sandwich bag to try to sell to fellow students.  Got collared by a teacher half way through the day and marched down to the biology lab so they could run tests on it to check I wasn’t carrying about £10k’s worth of Colombian marching powder. 

Ah, fond memories!

[Badscrew]

Some flats are more sticky than the others.

I had horrible experience with Chromes' - even had friction burns on my fingertips from trying to do slides once!

Fender Flats - no stickiness at all

[bass_dinger]

On 25/06/2022 at 15:38, Pea Turgh said:

Olive oil.  Never tried it, probably ruin everything you touch, but will make slippy slippy.

 

Yes, it will ruin a guitar.

 

 

 

What product ruined this guitar? Olive Oil.