Guitar Injuries?

Subject: Guitar Injuries?
From: JedMarum
Date: 17 Jul 11 - 10:28 PM

I've been playing guitar since I was 10. That nearly 50 years but there's a first time for everything.

I always tie my guitar strap up at the head of the guitar, rather then putting a strap button at the heel of the neck ... but yesterday, I was using a borrowed guitar for a performance in Alabama ... for 100 or so, very attentive ladies ... and I decided to switch instruments, after a particularly powerful song. As I raised the guitar quickly to take off, the heel attached strap surprisingly caught at my shoulders (not my guitar, I wasn't expecting it) ... and WHAM! The rim of the guitar smacked my sharply on the orbit of my eye socket; and damn HARD!

All eyes were already on me at that moment, so I hoped the sharp pain I felt wasn't going to spoil the mood, or slow down the "show" ... but sure enough, I could see the swelling begin out of my peripheral vision, as I pretended the bang was no big deal.

I strapped on the banjo and hoped to get into the next song and just about the time I saw two ladies in the front row leap toward me with paper towels, I felt (and saw) the blood trickling down my eye onto my cheek. It was my first on-stage, guitar injury.

Live folk music sure can be dangerous!!

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 17 Jul 11 - 11:16 PM

I have reattached fingers as most everybody here knows. Along with that surgery I lost most of the feeling in my left index and middle finger. Once while changing a broken string in my banjo, Ode Long Neck, I left heaviest unwrapped string long as I had no cutters on stage. I got the wire on OK but when I went to tune it I ran the long wire under my index finger nail up as far as the first knuckle before I was aware of any pain. The bad thing is this wasn't the first time I did this.

The first row at an Irish fest in Elmira NY was visibly shaken. Blood flowed as did my language.

Don

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: Deckman
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 12:22 AM

OUCH! bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 02:27 AM

Met a man today who broke a bone in his hand playing octave mandolin...

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: C-flat
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 03:08 AM

I know a guy who nearly knocked himself out attempting a Hendrix-style-guitar-behind-the-head manouvre.
His strap was too short!!
We're still chuckling years later!!

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: Acorn4
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 03:25 AM

It's not as dangerous as motorbikes though!

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 03:55 AM

I have a pickup on my guitar but it has no pre-amp so depends on the power of the PA. I played with a couple of other guitarists last year at an event and was struggling to get enough volume so was strummimng the guitar rather harder to try and compensate. I must have caught a bit of me on the string.

Towards the end of a tune one of the others asked me if I knew that I was bleeding over the front of my guitar. amazing what adrenalin does as I hadn't noticed (and I am INCREDIBLY squeamish when it comes to blood)

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: GUEST,Nick
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 03:55 AM

whoops not logged in

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: kendall
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 09:11 AM

Jacqui's new Apollo guitar got drunk and fell over at Old Songs. She now has a long crack in the bottom side, and while I guess it was my fault, I wasn't driven into the cellar.

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: GUEST,Fyldeplayer
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 11:01 AM

Not the guitar put a thumbpick. Many years ago given slot on main stage Towersey at short notice ( 15 mins ). Waiting outside with beer, got stung by wasp on right hand thumb, so took stage and did 25 mins in increasing pain! Rarely has my wifes singing made my eyes water so much.

Also, shamefully turned round at opening of one song leaving imprint of schallers in wifes forehead ( we're still together!). She gives me swinging room now!

Had few electric buzzes but let go in time.

One guy prompted to check his watch whilst holding beer bottle managed to pour much of contents direct into soundhole as had guitar on my lap. Its dangerous out there!!

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: Midchuck
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 11:30 AM

Jacqui's new Apollo guitar got drunk and fell over at Old Songs.

It's happened to all of us at Old Songs. Just not to our guitars.

She now has a long crack in the bottom side...

It is VERY important, in reading Kendall's wording of that sentence, to understand that Kendall and Jacqui always refer to Jacqui's guitar with feminine, rather than neuter, pronouns, as one does with a ship..

...and while I guess it was my fault, I wasn't driven into the cellar.

But then, the camper they were using had no cellar. I offered her a ground cloth and sleeping bag that he could use to sleep under the camper, but she decided the swearing and moaning would keep her awake.

P.

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: Brian May
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 11:36 AM

I sincerely hope you tended to your instruments as quickly as you tended to yourselves . . . blood is not good for the lacquer used on most decent instruments.

Selfish buggers . . . (ouch!)

Have fun

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: banjoman
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 05:30 AM

Been through the whole gamut of banjo and guitar injuries ranging from RSI - Carpal Tunnel bleeding fingers from broken strings- broken big toe through dropping guitar on foot etc etc. Currently experiencing undiagnosed pain and cramp in left wrist. Told to stop playing - not a chance

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 09:15 AM

BEWARE !!!!!

if ever taking to the stage with a Flying Vee or Gibson Explorer shaped guitar,
or any modern solid body rock guitar with extreme design sharp protruding
pointed lower body edges..

Take care strapping it on or swinging it around in time to your strumming..

Protect your gonads.


It will bring tears to your eyes...


It bloody well hurts and takes the best part of the band's set for the aching to subside...

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: GUEST,Stringsinger
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 09:56 AM

In my stint with the Weavers in '63, we never used separate
mics but one central condenser which we attempted to choreograph
around. Lee Hays had to duck and complained bitterly about
my inability to swing the banjo around nearly missing his head.
This is probably because my strap was around my left shoulder
over my neck whereas Pete always had his strap loosely draped over
his right shoulder allowing more mobility. Earl Scruggs does
this as well.
    Changing strings can also be hazardous if it breaks and
can hit you in the eye while tuning them up.

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 11:12 PM

I got poked in the eye by a fiddle bow once while playing a guitar. Hurt like a sumbitch. Does that count?
- Phil

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: GUEST,Songbob
Date: 20 Jul 11 - 11:21 AM

"Pete always had his strap loosely draped over
his right shoulder allowing more mobility. Earl Scruggs does
this as well."

Yes, but Earl did it because of the cowboy hats they wore. He couldn't slip the strap over the head onto the left shoulder 'cause there was no one to hold the bloody hat! I find the one-shoulder sling method tiring -- I tend to lift the shoulder to make sure there's no slippage, and I typically develop multiple muscle problems in short order from such a technique.

I regularly get at least one banjo string jammed into a finger -- usually the bursa around a knuckle -- whenever I change strings. It's almost like the banjo demands a blood sacrifice. One reason I play old-style minstrel banjo (with nyl-gut strings) so much these days.

Most of my guitar/banjo/fiddle/mandolin injuries are minor knocks, bumps and such, but the most painfulest ones come from harmonicas catching beard hairs in mid-song. And I can't stop playing to cry, either.

I do take care to fold the cut-off string ends back on guitar and mandolin, though -- the "let 'em fly about" school of string-changing results in sharp, pointy things near eye-level, and I've come too close to chance it for myself or anyone nearby. That kind of injury would be most unfortunate.

Bob

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 20 Jul 11 - 12:48 PM

just remembered I have a permanent work related injury..

a bony lump on my forehead inflicted by a flamboyant mic stand swinging singer
on a cramped small club stage
when I was 18 or 19...

..delayed reaction mild concussion set in the following afternoon
after all the 'pre-gig stimulants & performance enhancing pharmaceuticals'
from the night before had worn off.

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: PHJim
Date: 20 Jul 11 - 03:04 PM

"Yes, but Earl did it because of the cowboy hats they wore. He couldn't slip the strap over the head onto the left shoulder 'cause there was no one to hold the bloody hat! I find the one-shoulder sling method tiring -- I tend to lift the shoulder to make sure there's no slippage, and I typically develop multiple muscle problems in short order from such a technique."
Notice that when Earl started playing with The Earl Scruggs Review, he no longer wore a hat and started putting his head through the strap.

I have very weak fingernails and as a result I have to use acrylic nails to play clawhammer banjo. On one occasion I had let the nails grow out a bit and while playing the cutical end of the nail caught on the string and pulled it off. The nail beneath was very thin and it was very difficult to get the blood off the skin head of my banjo.
The moral of this tale is, "If you wear acrylic nails, don't wait too long to get a fill.

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: Genie
Date: 20 Jul 11 - 03:05 PM

My guitar-induced injuries didn't happen overnight, but they're as debilitating as if I'd broken a bone or had a bad cut. Just plain old osteoarthritis in my chording hand, that's so bad some days that I can't even play a normal C or F chord without looking at my fingers to make sure they go where they're supposed to.   Shaking my hand out and stretching and warming up (for a half hour or so) helps a lot, but with old "Arthur" some days the equipment just doesn't want to function as desired.
I'm fortunate not to have developed carpal tunnel syndrome, but I guess there are several of these "occupational hazards" for guitar players.


I've also had a guitar string snap and hit me in the face, but never any real injury from that.

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: PHJim
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 01:29 AM

I guess my previous post was a banjo injury. I hope that's OK.

My son Clay had an injury while playing mandolin for Washboard Hank, also not a "guitar" injury, but definitely a music related one.
Hank used to (still does)end his solos with a Pete Townsend style swing of the arm and come crashing down on a bell or pot lid on a metal hard hat. He caught Clay in the nose on the upswing and it bled so bad that they had to quit playing till it was stopped. Any time Clay plays with Hank nowadays he's sure to move away when Hank starts a solo. It's very comical to watch him duck out of the way.

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 05:37 AM

Since someone else has brought up washboards... I would advise anyone stupid enough to be near me when "playing" to wear hard hat & goggles (ear defenders I expect as standard) as thimbles tend to fly off in all directions when I get "sent, man*".

RtS
* a phrase popular with musicians in my youth, m'lud [most listeners have helpful suggestions where I should be sent]

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: cooperman
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 07:32 AM

I often stick the thin e string in my finger when threading at the headstock. I always think of Tony Hancock in the Blood Donor! I never suck it cos you can get aids or HIV from blood. The things we put up with to get 'sent' Rog!!

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 10:55 AM

....uh Coop, I don't think you can catch HIV from yourself unless you already have it then of course you can't catch what you already got.

D

Subject: RE: Guitar Injuries?
From: cooperman
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 11:20 AM

Ha ha, wondered who would spot that. Wonder if Dracula will be around at Whitby this year??