Sore Fingers

[georgie_boy]

Hi Everyone.
Anyone got a quick fix cure for sore fingers after a 4 hour gig!
I use stainless steel strings, and the tips of my right hand.the plucking hand are real tender.
We are going to be playing loads more gigs, but it's very painful to whack the bass as normal.
Yeah, I know, practice practice practice, but these stainless jobs really do my fingers in albeit I love the punch and clarity.
I'm sure we've all suffered in silence with this problem, but I'd just like to know how seasoned bassists get around this problem.
I don't want to go back to Nickel strings...though they are so much easier on the fingers.
All help appreciated. I've heard that Surgical spirit toughens them up real good........will wait for jlevinemd's comments though.
 
Have a great day everyone
 
George

[811952]

I clip my nails a couple of days before a gig (Tuesday or Wednesday) so there's enough nail to support the meat of the fingertip by the time Friday comes.  Otherwise the tips really fall apart quickly.
 
Also, of late I've borrowed a bit of Fingerease from the guitarist (when I'm played the Lakland with medium gauge stainless roundwounds) and sprayed it on both the strings and my fingers at the beginning of each set.  
 
I've also had great results from using a nail file to smooth the callouses on my fingertips, which reduces the friction against the string considerably.
 
Back in the day I lost a lot of blood through the fingertips, playing fresh Rotosounds every night, so I know what you're talking about, and it totally sucks!
 
John
 
(Message edited by 811952 on September 21, 2008)

[white_cloud]

Hi George,
 
Sorry to hear about the fingers. Try my recipe - 10 bottles of your favourite beer followed by half a bottle of vodka mixed with red bull. I guarantee you wont feel the pain in your fingers until you regain consciousness tomorrow evening!
 
John.

[bassman68]

I've always found 'russian roulette' with the good old super glue on the fingertips my favourite when the callouses start to wear a bit!
(Please excuse the spelling, i've been gigging since thursday night,5 hours recording today & now 3 bottles into the cab sav to unwind!)
 
Steve

[811952]

Too funny!  I've always used the superglue AFTER destroying them!  Works wonders.

[jet_powers]

I used to follow John's recipe quite religiously. Then I would take the bottle caps and shred them with my fingertips by bending them back and forth until it broke in half. Then I would halve the half, etc. until I had a whole bunch of very little pieces of bottle caps. Musta worked and built some serious callous. I've never had an instrument bloody my fingertips and I'm a lifelong loyalist to Rotosound.  
 
Now the side of my index finger on the fretting hand on a Telecaster, that's drawn blood from me by going up or down the hi E string a little too fast apparently, but I figured perhap somehow the tele knew it was being groped by a bass player and it fought back...
 
-JP

[2400wattman]

Georgie,  
 There is no cure except more playing/gigging. Your tips will callous up and possibly blister. If they do blister drain it/them as soon as you get home. They'll heal up to a degree and you'll be able to play the next night with none to minimal pain. If it's that bad use a pick. Where do you pluck? Bridge or neck pickup? If you pluck on the bridge p/up and you need to make it throught the night start plucking over the neck p/up. A different part of your finger strikes the strings depending on which p/up you're plucking over.  
Good luck!

[kimberly]

Hi Guys.  
 
Wow....this brings back memories.
 
I remember more than a few occasions using a pin to puncture a blister on my index finger between sets so I could finish not only the next set but the night.  And... the 'catch 22' was, since I favored the index finger and I only have my index and pinky to play with, I'd play the pinky finger more to make up for the 'loss' of the index.  Inevitably I'd end up spraining my pinky and then have to use the index more and round and around I went.  Vicious little cycle.  
 
  Back on topic, the only long term answer is to play more and develop your callouses.  Flats, rounds, it makes no never mind.  The more you play, the better prepared you are all around.  
 
Best Wishes,
 
Kimberly  

[georgie_boy]

Thanks everyone for the tips  
Alan.you are right, and I will try to vary the angle of attack. Problem is, I play all over the plucking area  (I said PLUCKING!)
John and Steve, The recipe works a treat!!...until the next morning. I'm going to keep practicing everyday till things toughen up. Another problem.I use 3 fingers of the right hand (left hand to you Kimberly) and they tend to play so many notes per bar,(very similar to JE) as I work in tandem with the lead guitarist, that I've probably played about 20 hours in a 4 hour set.
Yeah overkill maybe, but it's great.
When I pick up the bass now, any of the 4, it's still very tender, although the Surgical spirit seems to be doing the trick. Will keep going at it and see what happens.
This never used to happen before, until I changed to Stainless strings..........obviously getting too old and too soft.
 
Will sign off now, as I've just heard that my best friend (who has a Spoiler, and from whom I bought my 75 P bass is dying of Cancer and only has hours to live. He is in Birmingham (England) and we have been best friends for over 40 years.
 
I'm absolutely gutted, as it's too far away for me to go and see him before the inevitble.
 
The pain in my fingers seems so insignificent now compared to the pain in my heart.
Just gount to try a White Cloud solution!!!
 
Thanks
 
 
George
What does one do exactly with the Superglue??

[adriaan]

George, sorry to hear about your friend.
 
When you feel up to it again, try out Joey's magic setup prescription - lowering the action should help, and there's more play on an Alembic than you may think. You can go beyond low, into Entwistle's below the fret territory at the turn of a couple of nuts and bolts. Even I can do it ...
 
Also lighten up your touch, for both hands. For more volume, turn up the amp. For volume consistency, add a compressor. And don't forget to ask the others to turn down their volume.

[bassman68]

George,
My deepest sympathy to you & your friend, i lost a good friend to leukemia who was diagnosed too late, whilst i was away on holiday the other year, I feel for you mate.
On a lighter note the superglue roullette requires you to dab some on the tip of your thumb & then to touch the other fingertips in turn building up a false callouse on each, just don't stick your fingers together!
It's helped me out on numerous occasions over 26 years of playing although it's no substitute for regular playing to build the tips up but i still sometimes do it if i've been away from my bass whilst on holiday etc.
I agree with Adriaan as well to lighten & lower.
Hang in there...
 
Steve

[funkyjazzjunky]

Have you tried Gorilla Snot?
 
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gorilla-Snot-Gorilla-Snot?sku=428010

[olieoliver]

My fingers don't get the use they once did either George. So I imagine I would be in for some sore fingers should I play a long gig. I did do some long studio sessions lately but there is as much rest as playing time in those.
 
When I play at church it's never for more than maybe 30 minutes or so. BUT when they ask me to play acoustic (guitar) those same 30 minutes KILL my fingers. I've tried the New Skin product that's out but it takes too long to dry and cost so much more than spuer glue.
 
SOooooo, I side with the super glue folks. Always worked for me.
 
OO

[georgie_boy]

Well,
My friend slipped away this evening at 19.30 hrs GMT
 
Will be back sometime soon
Thanks for your support
 
 
George

[811952]

Terribly sorry to hear that, George.
 
Be well,
John