How was your gig last night?

[Leonard Smalls]

2 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

working against arthritis in my thumb

I use a trigger thumb splint... All pain gone from fret hand!

[Stub Mandrel]

9 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

I use a trigger thumb splint... All pain gone from fret hand!

 

Wow, no way I could cope with that!

 

My brother (who is an insanely good guitarist) had his trapezoid removed. Fortunately his doctor is also a guitarist and gave the specialist specific guidance. Even so he was out of circulation for six months and still feels it is recovering.

 

He's eight years younger than me and started on steroid injections way before I had any symptoms. His was made worse by extreme mountain biking, including competition downhilling. I think my less severe biking didn't help...

[Leonard Smalls]

24 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Wow, no way I could cope with that!

That's what I thought!

But it just splints past the thumb joint, with strap across palm and round wrist.

It doesn't hinder finger movement, just means I keep my thumb straight and it feel perfectly natural...

And it looks like a cool rock'n'roll black strappy thing!

[Stub Mandrel]

26 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

That's what I thought!

But it just splints past the thumb joint, with strap across palm and round wrist.

It doesn't hinder finger movement, just means I keep my thumb straight and it feel perfectly natural...

And it looks like a cool rock'n'roll black strappy thing!

 

I've got a couple, might try one at rehearsal.

[Leonard Smalls]

11 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I've got a couple

needs to be black leather and studded...

[basexperience]

That glucosamine habit can be an excellent one to get into. I’ve been taking it for nearly 20 years (I’m 54 now) and I’m convinced it’s the reason I don’t have major joint issues. Yet. What age are you guys? Do you tend to fret hard?

[Leonard Smalls]

1 minute ago, basexperience said:

What age are you guys

Over 60 now!

I've discovered, that since wearing a strap-on () I can quite easily fret with just fingers - i.e. palm and thumb not gripping the neck for dear life...

Saying that, my fingers aren't particularly stiff'n'arthritic - just had a case of trigger thumb...

[Lozz196]

8 minutes ago, basexperience said:

What age are you guys? Do you tend to fret hard?

I’m 59 and up until a few years back yes I used to fret hard (and play hard, with fairly high action and high tension strings).

[Bluewine]

5 hours ago, peteb said:

 

I must admit that I have succumbed to wearing slip-on Sketchers trainers, but I still can't bring myself to wear them on a gig! A couple of the guys in a band last night were not so fussy, proudly rocking the Sketchers onstage...! 

 

 

I'm a Van's guy. Lol

 

Daryl

[Bluewine]

On 15/04/2025 at 02:43, Cat Burrito said:

As part of Record Store Day, I played a church in my hometown. Not only did it mark 12 months of me being alcohol free but it marked the first time I played a venue that my Dad had played. No, we're not religious but it amazes me that in 37yrs of playing, it hasn't happened already. I had friends come over from Wales and down from Yorkshire and we were on it throughout. The playback confirmed it. It was promoting my friend Rich Davies and his band The Dissidents. Got to use my Blackstar head and cab with my trusty Ric 4003s. It sounded immense. 

 

 

Dang! Love the red Ric with your black outfit.

 

Daryl

[dmccombe7]

4 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Well I’ve spent the last year or so changing my technique on my fretting hand, always used to do the thumb-wrap over the neck and now arthritis has set in that hurts, so now trying to play with thumb straight on back of neck. Seems to have worked, something I’m rather pleased about.

I was suffering hand cramps at one stage when doing 2.5-3hr sets and decided to follow the "experts" guidance and use the thumb on the back of the neck as much as possible and i very rarely get any probs now. I do occasionally get lost in the moment and forget but i soon get back to it. 

Also tried keeping my hand in the 1st finger 1st fret, 2nd finger 2nd fret kind of thing mainly when i'm playing around the 5th fret areas as i struggle to do it nearer the nut having small hands. 

Dave

 

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I’m 59 and up until a few years back yes I used to fret hard (and play hard, with fairly high action and high tension strings).

I'm 65 but what i found in last few yrs was that the harder i plucked with my right hand the harder i fretted with my left hand.

These days i tend to play a bit lighter with my right hand and the left hand is almost just touching the frets. I try not to push the strings onto the fretboard but its difficult to achieve that during a live gig as my head goes into auto pilot.

With age also comes thinning skin and i was getting piercing stabbing feelings on my fretting index finger and that has almost gone now too. It  makes a reappearance if i've not been gigging for a couple of weeks to a month. When gigging a lot it never happens. Maybe just my skin hardening with more gigs i do.

Dave

[dmccombe7]

18 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

I'm a Van's guy. Lol

 

Daryl

A Vans guy that doesn't tie his laces makes you supercool and young at heart.

I hate loose shoe laces.

Dave

[Lozz196]

11 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

I'm 65 but what i found in last few yrs was that the harder i plucked with my right hand the harder i fretted with my left hand.

These days i tend to play a bit lighter with my right hand and the left hand is almost just touching the frets. I try not to push the strings onto the fretboard but it’s very difficult to achieve that during a live gig as my head goes into auto pilot.

 

I’ve worked on doing the same Dave, low action, lighter touch and lighter gauge picks, all work towards my hands taking less of a battering when playing. I think joining my current non-gigging classic rock band has steered me this way, with my old technique & bass set up I wouldn’t have been able to play the songs. 

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I’ve worked on doing the same Dave, low action, lighter touch and lighter gauge picks, all work towards my hands taking less of a battering when playing. I think joining my current non-gigging classic rock band has steered me this way, with my old technique & bass set up I wouldn’t have been able to play the songs. 

It all helps. My basses are set up to 2mm at 12th fret or just under. I guess if you use a pick you probably need it a bit higher than that. I'm not great with a pick.

Have you tried lighter gauge strings @Lozz196 ? I'm using Elixir Nickels 45, 65, 80. 100

Dave

Edited Saturday at 18:49 by dmccombe7

[Lozz196]

33 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

It all helps. My basses are set up to 2mm at 12th fret or just under. I guess if you use a pick you probably need it a bit higher than that. I'm not great with a pick.

Have you tried lighter gauge strings @Lozz196 ? I'm using Elixir Nickels 45, 65, 80. 100

Dave

Yeah I’m down to the 45-100 Elixir Nickels as well, and on short scale basses so less tension than regular scale. Great strings.

[MacDaddy]

21 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Yeah I’m down to the 45-100 Elixir Nickels as well, and on short scale basses so less tension than regular scale. Great strings.

 

I use these and prefer a low action. 

 

[peteb]

4 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

I'm a Van's guy. Lol

 

Daryl

 

Yep, I tend to go for Vans myself, except that I tie the shoelaces! I used to wear Converse but, even though they are undoubtedly the coolest option for urban footwear, unfortunately they are too narrow for my feet...! 

 

Edited Saturday at 20:53 by peteb

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

Yeah I’m down to the 45-100 Elixir Nickels as well, and on short scale basses so less tension than regular scale. Great strings.

All in you've made quite a lot of changes to how you play these days Lozz.

 

I've had a set of the Elixir steels on my Warwick Thumb for over 12 yrs now and they still sound ok. TBH i only play it in the house on rare occasions.

My gigging basses will get approx 6mths to a year before i notice the tone rolling off.

I need to try the steels on my VM4 to see if they sound any different.

Dave

[Bluewine]

5 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

A Vans guy that doesn't tie his laces makes you supercool and young at heart.

I hate loose shoe laces.

Dave

 

Dave,

 

I can't bend over that far. Lol

 

Daryl

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, peteb said:

 

Yep, I tend to go for Vans myself, except that I tie the shoelaces! I used to wear Converse but, even though they are undoubtedly the coolest option for urban footwear, unfortunately they are too narrow for my feet...! 

 

 

I think it's why many ( not all ) guys my age wear slip ons or the footwear where you have a velcro closure.

 

I wonder if I'm pissing off punters. Are they offended because an old guy can't tie up his shoes? Lol

 

71 wearing Van's. Who do I think I'm fooling? Lol

 

Daryl

[peteb]

4 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

I think it's why many ( not all ) guys my age wear slip ons or the footwear where you have a velcro closure.

 

I wonder if I'm pissing off punters. Are they offended because an old guy can't tie up his shoes? Lol

 

71 wearing Van's. Who do I think I'm fooling? Lol

 

Daryl

 

The Stones are up there wearing Converse or whatever, and they're about 105...! I'm sure punters think that your Vans are perfectly fine... 

 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

6 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

I'm a Van's guy. Lol

 

Daryl

That’s just too f***in’ cool for school 🤘

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, peteb said:

 

The Stones are up there wearing Converse or whatever, and they're about 105...! I'm sure punters think that your Vans are perfectly fine... 

 

 

I don't like the way Beatle Ringo has those Cons laced up. Lol

 

Edited Saturday at 23:14 by Bluewine

[dmccombe7]

8 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

I don't like the way Beatle Ringo has those Cons laced up. Lol

 

Standard British lacing i reckon. 

Dave