Finger Lube?

[dd842]

Hi all,

Has anyone had any experience (good or bad) with finger lube?

I imagine it would help make sliding up and down the fingerboard easier. Say, why isn't there a REALLY red-faced emoticon available?

Anyway, I also imagine that it may gum up the strings (which doesn't seem desireable) and possibly soften calluses (again not desireable).

But I am just guessing - does anyone have any actual experience with this type of product?

Thanks,
Dan

P.S. I tried to google finger lube and you can just imagine how that went ...

[UnklMickey]

dd842 said:

...P.S. I tried to google finger lube and you can just imagine how that went ...

i can, butt i'd rather not.

FWIW, you might get fewer embarASSing returns if you include "guitar" in your search.

i'm actually overdue for a physical (including prostate exam).

i probably would have forgot all about it, if not for your post.

thanks for nuthin', Dan!



unk

[dd842]

Sorry, I knew this could be a hANUS subject.

Surprisingly, including the word guitar didn't help much ... it went from a wHOLE CRAPload of results to just one naked bASS player.

Dan

[UnklMickey]

dd842 said:

... it went from a wHOLE CRAPload of results to just one naked bASS player...

that would actually be a GOOD thing, if she looked like the bass player from the Bangles!

unfortunately, i'll guess the result from your search was a he. and he probably looked like Derek Smalls.


anyway, back on topic. back-in-the-day we had a spray-on product called Finger-ease.

we called it Finger-SLEAZE. that should give you an idea of the tactile sense, when applied too generously.

i don't remember if it was silicone, or mineral oil.



unk

[dd842]

... back in the day ...

So, why did you use it? What do you think of the idea now - would you use it again?

I am specifically interested in whether it affected the performance (tone?) of the strings, and if you ever had any softening of or damage to your calluses.

[UnklMickey]

i didn't use it, but my friends did. they used to spray it on so heavy, it dripped. EW.

it used to dull the tone, but i guess anything you gob on that thick would.

since they left it so "juicy", they probably absorbed lots of it into their callouses, and softened them.

if you were going to use it, it probably wouldn't be a problem, if you wiped of the excess after you sprayed it on.

you could probably do the same thing with a bottle of light mineral oil, wiping off the excess.


BUT DON'T USE PAM OR ANY KIND OF VEGETABLE OIL.

that will go rancid ........ bacteria will grow. double EW.


cheers,

unk

[hammeroff]

You can always just super-glue your fingertips to your upper arm of the opposite side. Let em sit, then rip em away, hold the new "calluses" over your lighter to get it all tight.

I know it sounds gross, and...it is...but it works ;D

(If tank-tops are your style, don't do this)

[RandomHero]

Whoa whoa WHOA!

I try to leave skin grafts to the professionals!!

I'll stick to my plain ol' home-grown calluses, thanks!

[hammeroff]

Sometimes those fall off though

[dd842]

Thanks Unk - I suspected that it might dull the tone.

If you don't use, it I will consider that to be what I should do ... not do ... whatever - I won't use it either.

Thanks hammeroff. I have little doubt that your idea works, but I am pretty sure that my wife would leave me if I used the idea - at least for the calluses ... however, you may have given me another idea.

My days of baldness are about to be over!

[UnklMickey]

hi Dan,

i don't recommend against using Finger-Ease or mineral oil, etc.

just against gobbing it on.

the residual film left behind will probably extend the life of the strings (and the tone) by protecting them against the salt and oils from your skin.

and of course wiping down your strings and fretboard after each playing goes a long way too.

dd842 said:

...My days of baldness are about to be over!

so what is going to be your "donor" area?.................WAIT!, on second thought we DON'T want to know. .:lol:.


unk

[UnklMickey]

dd842 said:

...P.S. I tried to google finger lube and you can just imagine how that went ...

Butthead sez: "heh heh, you said google finger, heh heh....heh heh."

[dd842]

Nevertheless, you don't use it ... and you seem to have a lot more knowledge about these types of things than most.

I had heard that you were supposed to wipe the strings and fretboard down after each use.

I think that was where my confusion crept in - I assumed that you should always avoid putting anything on the strings, when it sounds like it is finger oil and salt that is harmful.

Is it actually beneficial to put a bit of certain types of things (e.g. mineral oil) on strings? Or is it more like "it wouldn't hurt"?

By the way, now that you got me thinking about the donor area, I guess if my wife would object to crazy glue calluses, she would certainly object to a perm.

[UnklMickey]

thanks for the vote of confidence Dan.

i know a good bit about electronics. but most of the rest about guitars, i've learned bits and pieces, here and there.
and i'm not afraid to experiment, where it won't cause any permanent damage.
i think this is a case, where the most you could possibly do is dull the tone on one set of strings.

so i say, if you think it might help with the sliding, try it.

i actually mis-spoke when i said "salt and oils from your skin".
i meant to say, salt and acid.
the oil from your skin won't do any harm, other than leave a medium for bacteria to grow.
but the salt and acid, will corrode the strings.

yes, thinking about it, mineral oil or Finger-Ease will probably be a good thing. just wipe off the excess.




BTW, never steal fabric from the carpet to repair the drapes!

[dd842]

You are most welcome for the vote of confidence.

I had a thought similar to your thought of just trying it.

In fact I thought about it and concluded that it is not fair to those who kindly give their opinions to accept those opinions as fact - nor is it a good habit to simply accept their opinions as fact (no matter that I truly value those opinions).

On that basis, I went home last night and tried it for myself.



I am big enough to admit when I am wrong ...




... turns out my wife loved the perm!

[dd842]

Okay, seriously I went home and tried the mineral oil thing. I found:

1) it's hard to keep it just on your fingertips, it got on the palm of my hand and as a result it got on the neck,

2) having said that, it did also make the neck "faster" as a result, which was okay by me,

3) it did not soften my calluses significantly, no damage done,

4) it did help with slides, I was able to do things more easily than before,

5) I did not perceive any degradation of tone, but I used it sparingly, and

6) obviously, it is easier not to use it than it is to use it (one less step) so I could easily see discontinuing the use of it


I don't know if I'll keep using it, but I think it was worth a try.

Dan

[The Doctor]

A guitar forum is the only forum where you can open a thread on finger-lube without getting banned....

[RandomHero]

I've taken to using what you might call the opposite of finger lube.

At the paint factory where I work, we use a solvent, methyl ethyl ketone. I took a pint can of it home with me one day to try an experiment. MEK is harsh. -Really- harsh. But the thing about it is that it evaporates so quickly, that it's safe to expose your skin to. I dip the fingertips of my left hand into that can before I play, and let the stuff completely evaporate. The result is clean, uber-dry fingertips! My favorite kind.

I can't play straight out of the shower, after washing dishes, or any time I'm sweaty. My hand sticks and I lose string bends!

Maybe that alcohol-based hand sanitizer would have a similar effect, if you don't find yourself in a place to procure any MEK.

[dd842]

" I can't play straight out of the shower, after washing dishes, or any time I'm sweaty. My hand sticks and I lose string bends! "

Funny that you say that, as I first became very cautious about my precious pads in December 2005, when we had guests staying with us for Christmas.

I do the dishes in our house, and we had lots more dishes than usual which caused my calluses to be softer than usual. I ended up damaging them ... it didn't hurt or anything, but I don't like "ruts" in my fingertips any more than drivers like them in roads.

Conceptually, I think I like the idea of MEK. But I may be misunderstanding your description.

I am wishfully thinking that it "deep dries" your fingertips leaving them with that nice hard and flat callus, like you have by the end of the day (i.e. well after showering but before dishes). Think of the good idea hammeroff had ... but without the skin grafts!

But then you mention alcohol-based hand sanitizers. I am in sales and I use Purell routinely after meetings (can't be too careful these days). My hands are sanitized and they are dry - but there is no benefit in terms of helping to actively dry my water-softened calluses.

So with MEK, is it more like you get a super dry version of whatever softness your callus is currently in? Or does kind of "deep" dry them?

[UnklMickey]

admin said:

... But the thing about it is that it evaporates so quickly, that it's safe to expose your skin to. I dip the fingertips of my left hand into that can before I play, and let the stuff completely evaporate...

RH, that stuff is nasty.

an excerpt from an MSDS:

Health Rating: 2 - Moderate (Life)
Flammability Rating: 3 - Severe (Flammable)
Reactivity Rating: 1 - Slight
Contact Rating: 2 - Moderate
Lab Protective Equip: GOGGLES & SHIELD; LAB COAT & APRON; VENT HOOD; PROPER GLOVES; CLASS B EXTINGUISHER
Storage Color Code: Red (Flammable)


Inhalation:
Causes irritation to the nose and throat. Concentrations above the TLV may cause headache, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, and vomiting. Higher concentrations may cause central nervous system depression and unconsciousness.
Ingestion:
May produce abdominal pain, nausea. Aspiration into lungs can produce severe lung damage and is a medical emergency. Other symptoms expected to parallel inhalation.
Skin Contact:
Causes irritation to skin. Symptoms include redness, itching, and pain. May be absorbed through the skin with possible systemic effects.
Eye Contact:
Vapors are irritating to the eyes. Splashes can produce painful irritation and eye damage.
Chronic Exposure:
Prolonged skin contact may defat the skin and produce dermatitis. Chronic exposure may cause central nervous system effects.
Aggravation of Pre-existing Conditions:
Persons with pre-existing skin disorders or eye problems or impaired respiratory function may be more susceptible to the effects of the substance.


PLEASE, do your health a favor. look for another way.

[RandomHero]

I've never used the sanitizer before, it's only a theory that it might work the same way based on how it's mostly alcohol that evaporates quickly. I think most of those products have an additive, propylene glycol (also used in paint-making, and the prime ingredient in a notable "finger lube," KY jelly) which serves in the sanitizer as a moisturizer.

MEK chemically robs your skin of -all- its' moisture.

Good point Unk... I hadn't thought about it. I should have probably noted that it's not wise for anyone to go around dipping their hands in chemicals that eat paint! I just happen to have a body chemistry that's tough, we mop the floor with this stuff at work and it's never so much as given me a headache.

I used to wash my hands in it. I came home one morning, and though my hands didn't hurt, they did remind me a bit of an old pair of leather boots I once had.

As for actually altering your callouses, I can't say for sure. My callouses are pretty tough, I just like that slick feeling of bone-dry skin on nickel.

[dd842]

Randomhero, given what Unk just wrote - and given that you are immune - I think I'd better stay away from it. Still, conceptually I like the idea ... if there is a safer product to use.

Unk, as much as I am trying not to put undue pressure on you by simply accepting your words as facts rather than opinions, it is no surprise to me that I continue to place such great value on your opinions.

[UnklMickey]

admin said:

...I just happen to have a body chemistry that's tough, we mop the floor with this stuff at work and it's never so much as given me a headache....

ah, to be young and immortal. i remember those days, all too well.

seriously guys, MEK and the like, won't cause that much damage immediately. but over time, and repeated exposure........

dyolf said:

A guitar forum is the only forum where you can open a thread on finger-lube without getting banned....

i'm sure there are other types of forums, where you wouldn't get banned for it..................
............. but i don't wanna go THERE.


my goodness! 17 posts already, and nobody's greeted you yet? where ARE our manners?

Welcome to GuitarNuts2.

[eldungo]

Hey all. I been playing almost 4 years. Can't play the "beginner" card anymore! I swear by Finger Ease. Spray A LITTLE on the strings, fretboard AND the back of the neck. Run a few bar chords up and down the neck and then wipe each string down and the neck and fretboard too. Takes about a minute. Doesn't affect calluses and makes things buttery smooth. Makes the fingers nice and dry too. Haven't seen any undue wear or tone loss in Super Bullets or bronze wound acoustic strings. I keep my axes in tip top shape AND clean. I hate looking at a persons git and it's covered with dust, oil, dirt, nose hairs, boogers and who know what else! ewww. Looks like the console in a lot of recording studios! Use the Finger Ease sparingly and you WILL like it. One can lasts 3-4 months...Used Sparingly! Try it. I like the smell too! Better living (and guitar playing) through chemicals!

[dd842]

Thanks, eldungo

I think you have hit on the keyword: sparingly!

I have been playing seriously for a little over a year.

My Guitar Playing Evolution Flowchart:

High School 1980's ----> V
------------------------play sloppy chords to impress girlies
------------------------V
------------------------girlies impressed?
----------------------- V ------------ V
------------------------NO!
------------------------V
----------------find non-musical girl
----------------V----------------V
--------------------------------YES!
---------------------------------V
----------------early 1990's ---->
---------------------------------marry said non-musical babe
---------------------------------V
---------------------------------late 1990's ----> V
-----------------------------------------go forth and multiply
-----------------------------------------V-----------------V
---------------------------------------------------------YES!
-----------------------------------------------------------V
---------------------------------------------------------2005
-----------------------------------------------------------V
------------------------------------------------------ pushing 40
-----------------------------------------------------------V
----------------------------------------------------try again (guitar!)
------------------------------------------------------------V
-----------------------------------------girly impressed? (with guitar!)
-----------------------------------------V--------------------------------V
----------------------------no ..
------------------------------------------------------------yes ..
-----------------------------------------------sort of ..
-----------------------------------------rather ambivalent, really .. but I digress ..
-----------------------------------------V
-----------------------------------------daughter likes to sit inside guitar case because "it's soft"
-----------------------------------------V
------------------------------2006 ----> learned to fingerpick
-----------------------------------------V
-----------------------------------------Barre chords ...
-------------------------------------------must ... master ... barre ... chords" ...
----------------------------------------------gasp
-----------------------------------------V
-----------------------------------------pass out from self-imposed pressure to learn barre chords
-----------------------------------------V
-----------------------------------------land in guitar case
-----------------------------------------V
-----------------------------------------luckily, "it's soft" ....

So, having tried the use of mineral oil, with no ill effect, I may just try Finger Ease to make the process of getting to the next level "ease"ier.

Dan

[dd842]

It's been a while since posting on this subject! The reason being that I was trying to, first of all, find Finger Ease in Toronto - which turned to be a lot more difficult than I thought it would be - and once I did find a place that could get it, they had to order it. I had to wait another four weeks for it to arrive.

I think the time it took to locate a place to buy it, and the time it took to actually receive it, are the best commentary I can offer on the whole idea of finger lube.

Neverthless, it finally did arrive and I did finally get to use it.

I found it to be quite different from the mineral oil that I had previously tried (which was effective but a little messy, and darkened the fretboard).

Finger Ease is much tidier - it is evenly sprayed on, and it did not feel as if it was "wet" like the oil. I would say it ends up leaving a slippery surface as opposed to adding slippery oil to a surface ... and it does clean up nicely, polishing the neck while wiping (that does not mean I would spray it on the body).

Also, I did not notice any residue causing the fretboard to darken, as the mineral oil had done. Then again it was already dark from the mineral oil so who knows ...

Overall, having tried the two - mineral oil and Finger Ease - I would agree with eldungo that Finger Ease is definitely the way to go ... if you want to use a finger lubricant.

Dan

[sumgai]

(emphasis added)

.......
... if you want to use a finger lubricant.

The first thing that strikes me here is, what do you do when you wanna play someone else's guitar, and they don't use the product upon which you've become dependent? That might be embarrassing, eh?

In the final analysis, motivation is the name of the game. Impressing girls notwithstanding (great motivator right there), I'll simply say that if you are sufficiently motivated, nothing will overcome your need to build up calluses.

My advice? Gut it out, and become 'calloused'. Once you reach a certain stage, your finger tips won't give out on you, no matter how much you do or don't play. They'll become very soft, yet you won't notice it. I won't say how long it takes to get that way, I just got through saying, you don't even notice when it happens.... I certainly didn't. ;D

HTH


sumgai

[dd842]

Thanks, sumgai.

I am glad you emphasized that part, as I was being deliberate in using that wording.

After starting this thread, and receiving input from people who have more experience than I do, I wasn't even going to try it out for some of the reasons you have just mentioned.

But I thought I may as well try it and see.

I agree 100% about the callouses. In fact, during the period that I was waiting for the lube, I did not actually use the mineral oil - I had just tried that one time back in December.

Also, when I was trying out guitars at the same shop and at the same time as I picked up the lube, I thought of the limitations (not to mention lawsuits) in trying out new guitars in the shop while using such a product.

Nevertheless, I was determined to try the Finger Ease and I gotta say, when I sprayed that stuff on and was able to slide barre chords up and down with ease ... BTO "four - wheel - drive" (is that the name of the song?) it was very appealing ... uh, the feeling, not the music

I had never found barre chords to be so easy as after I applied Finger Ease. And if they are easy, and I can excited about them, I hope to stop avoiding them - and eventually get used to them.

I thank you for your thoughts, and I even agree. Notwithstanding, I bet that I will use Finger Ease on occasion - for barre chords, specifically - in my quest to stop avoiding them. I also bet that I will not use it after I get comfortable with them - at least that is my hope.

But it is cool stuff. I don't want to become reliant on it, but it is cool stuff.

On a humorous note, the floor over which I sprayed the lube is painted concrete. I have noticed how incredibly slippery that spot is ever since spraying over it. I actually have to remind myself to be careful whenever I go near that spot!

Dan

[sumgai]

Dan,

My thoughts on barre chords......

In my initial zeal to learn to play, I wanted to be The Chord Master. I soon realized why everyone said, 'hold your fingers such that they lay on the strings from the top, not at an angle'. Barre chords emphasize the need for that - if you're lazy, the three bent fingers will produce an incredibly ugly-sounding chord, whereas if you're doing it right, the chord sounds rich and full - and hurts (until you're up to speed).

While I would advocate for a complete disdain for the stuff, I also recognize that if it encourages you to practice properly (or at all!), then use it. Use it until you run out, and swear you need to buy another bottle, only to realize one day, 6 months later, that you forgot to get the re-supply, and you never missed it!

At that point in time, you will have snatched the pebble from my hand, Grasshopper. ;D


sumgai

[dd842]

sumgai said:

Dan,

My thoughts on barre chords......

...... 'hold your fingers such that they lay on the strings from the top, not at an angle'.

I hold the guitar kinda like a classical guitar (headstock pointing up) in the hopes of doing so ... is that sorta what you mean?

sumgai said:

Use it until you run out, and swear you need to buy another bottle, only to realize one day, 6 months later, that you forgot to get the re-supply, and you never missed it!

At that point in time, you will have snatched the pebble from my hand, Grasshopper. ;D

sumgai

Sensei,

I look forward to that day very much!

All the best,

Dan