Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking

Subject: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Brad Sondahl
Date: 31 Oct 98 - 09:50 AM

I like to pick with fingernails, but they're currently too short from breaking, so I'd be interested in solutions people have come up with. (I remember hearing years ago about superglue and tissuepaper, vaguely). Also I don't practice as much as I used to, so my callouses on my fretting hand aren't as callous as I'd like. At one session they were applying beeswax to their fretting fingers, but I think it would gum up wound strings. Am tempted to try something like superglue on them before a picking session, and again would like advice. Brad http://www.camasnet.com/~asondahl/bradindex.html

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From:
Date: 31 Oct 98 - 10:27 AM

Remove the flesh from your fingertips with acid so that the bones are visible and available for fretting. Be sure to wait for the fingertip stumps to heal before trying this. :-)

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 31 Oct 98 - 11:18 AM

Brad,

There was a recent discussion of picks and guitars that included ways of fortifying finger nails, etc. Many were simpler than Anon.'s acid etching. Click here.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Peter T.
Date: 31 Oct 98 - 12:03 PM

I have a different sort of question, which is a bit odd. I have recently taken back up the guitar and I have a problem finger due to an industrial accident that happened many years ago. Essentially they had to cut out some of the top part of the internal flesh of the finger (a fretting finger on the left hand) in order to rebuild it, and it does not look as if it will ever grow calluses hard enough to make up for the loss of the original hard spungy tissue beneath. It means I cannot press cleanly down on a string, no matter how hard I press. I was thinking of trying a bandage, or a finger sheath, or a cap, or some other method of strengthening the tip of the finger -- but that means I would lose all feeling. (This sounds a bit like a condom problem!) Anyone ever have anything similar (I exempt the Django Reinhardts out there who may have completely lost fingers -- though I may have to refinger, the way things are going).

Yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Snookums
Date: 31 Oct 98 - 12:47 PM

To Peter T:

You might try a quilter's thimble- they make some from leather, that might give you the protection you need. You'll probably get used to the loss of feeling after a while, just like one does when a callous gets built up. A good fabric store could probably get one for you or try www.keepsakequilting.com Laura

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: clansfolk
Date: 01 Nov 98 - 03:58 PM

Have tried the acid - works ok, also handy if you walk out of guitar shops without paying! Try and trace those finger prints :-)

Pete

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Peter T.
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 09:29 AM

Thanks Laura/Snookums? I will search one out. Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Bert
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 10:09 AM

If you use flatwound strings and lower the action it makes it much easier on the fingertips. You will lose quite a bit volume an the tone will change but that might be acceptable until your callouses grow.
I had a friend who lost a couple of fingers and had to string his guitar left handed and learn all over again.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 07:25 PM

Peter T.,

Stationery stores often have little rubber finger tips that are used to make it easier to flip through pages. They may be adaptable to your needs as well. Keep on trying, where there's a will there's a way.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 09:10 PM

I once had to do a concert the night after opening a kiln of flower-pots and got a great cut> I rapped it till the evening and then glued it closed for the show.Only problem was the cut opened up during the second set.I turned around in the dark to open the crazy glue with my teeth...and well... I washed it off before my mouth was fused closed but it was a close one.The stuff dose work though if your alittle more carfull then this idiot potter-guitar

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 09:18 PM

I once had to do a concert the night after opening a kiln of flower-pots and got a great cut> I rapped it till the evening and then glued it closed for the show.Only problem was the cut opened up during the second set.I turned around in the dark to open the crazy glue with my teeth...and well... I washed it off before my mouth was fused closed but it was a close one.The stuff dose work though if your alittle more carfull then this idiot potter-guitar

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Brad
Date: 04 Nov 98 - 01:11 AM

Thanks for the anecdote. I'm a potter guitarist too. http://www.camasnet.com/~asondahl/bradindex.html

Subject: RE: Fortifying fingers for fretting and picking
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 04 Nov 98 - 08:18 AM

This is what I do to strengthen my nails for picking. Take some tissue paper (I find the softer sort is better, surprisingly - such as soft toilet paper, but not the quilted sort). Cut it to approximately the shape of your nail, but only long enough to come about a third or half-way down from the tip - do about three for each nail. If you find a way of tracing the shape of your nails precisely, let me know! Put a coat of clear nail varnish on the nail and let it dry, then put another coat on and put the first layer of paper on, just overlapping the tip. Put another coat of varnish on and let that dry. Do the same with the other pieces. When the whole lot is nicely hardened off - which could be half an hour or more - trim off any bits at the side with scissors, then file the tip to a suitable profile. Incidentally, I find that an off-centre shape works best, with the longest point a little over towards my little finger. With some practise, you should be able to do this without getting paper and nail varnish all over the carpet, your trousers, the cat, etc.

This should be okay for two or three weeks, although you may have to re-stick the edges occasionally; at least they don't take the surface of the nail when they do drop off.

I'm told that nail hardeners are helpful as well, but you can't use that until the paper comes off again.

If anyone can tell me how to fasten my left shirt cuff with long nails, I'd love to know!