Hard fingers..Unite!

[Ripper]

I am teased and yes, mocked for wearing latex gloves while doing dishes and showering ( only my left hand )
I try explaining about the essentials of hard weathered fingertips and how to a guitar player, having pruny hands and fingers is a date with pain and peeling skin if left wet too long. My lovely lady just rolls her eyes!
I know some of you fellas out there are welling up with tears right now thinking " At last someone else knows my pain!"
Does anyone else have any stories on the subject?
I have to go now...I broke a nail. ;D

[UnklMickey]

deepblue said:

I am teased and yes, mocked for wearing latex gloves while doing dishes and showering ....

....My lovely lady just rolls her eyes!....

Sorry Deepblue, but i think you just left yourself wide open for more of that teasing and mocking!


latex glove in the shower? soap up, rinse off and get out. there's no reason to spend more than 5 minutes in the shower. (well, actually there could be, but you'd have a better use for latex products in that case.)


and why are you doing dishes? you did mention a lovely lady. need i say more?


unk


DISCLAIMER:
_{THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HERETOFORE ARE ONE MAN'S OPINIONS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF GUITARNUTS2 OR MEN IN GENERAL}

[Ripper]

Thanks Unk...I can dish it out, so yes, I can take it.

[UnklMickey]

deepblue said:

Thanks Unk...I can dish it out, so yes, I can take it.

are those the everyday dishes, or the fine china? .:lol:.

[Mini-Strat_Maine]

deepblue said:

I am teased and yes, mocked for wearing latex gloves while doing dishes and showering (only my left hand)

You might eventually develop a sensitivity to latex. Go with nitrile or something. Nitrile is more resistant to chemicals, and some of 'em come in a cool blue color. Or maybe those clear vinyl ones like the deli people use would be less noticeable.

I have to go now...I broke a nail.

Knox Gelatin used to run ads that said their product helped strengthen nails. I dunno if you're supposed to drink it, soak yer fingers in it, or what.

I've never done that Bryan Adams, "played-it-'til-my-fingers-bled" thing, but practicing/playing can chew up the fingers, especially in dry weather.

[UnklMickey]

ministratmaine said:

... practicing/playing can chew up the fingers...

it just ain't fair!

playing your guitar can chew your fingers.

but, chewing your fingers won't play your guitar.

[dunkelfalke]

hm actually i don't care anymore. my fingertips are hard enough for me and i can't play for a long time anyway because of rsi.

[RandomHero]

Dry weather helps my skin with the steel. I'm kindof tough-skinned to begin with, hailing from the dryest parts of Kansas (rains a few times a year there,) and just never bothering with hand lotion.

The suckiest thing for me was when I was a dishwasher in a high-volume restaurant. Exactly when I started learning guitar! My peely fingertips were getting so bad it was impossible to play; not because of the pain, but because my skin would keep catching the strings with the loose layers.

[Ripper]

Thanks Randomhero....Im from The Toronto area in Canada. Our weather goes from hot and humid to cold and dry. My digits take a beating so I try my best to protect them.

[jdl]

deepblue, i'm from southern alberta, so i feel your pain in regards to the wonderfull ever changing Canadian weather! I too try and use my fingers as an excuse to get out doing dishes, but my girl also plays so she isn't very sympathetic!!!

[Ripper]

Thanks jdl...Youre kind of between a rock and a hard place. Im about to make a few guitar purchases within the next few months ( income tax refund )....A twelve string will be one of them. Now that will really takes its toll on my delicate lil' digits! Its nice to know that a fellow Canuck feels my pain!

[jdl]

aww yes the tax refund rush to the guitar store day is almost here!!!! I just got my $400 from "uncle ralph", so tomorrow i'm gonna go pick up an S&P mini jumbo i think. What 12 string are thinking of getting Deep?

James

[UnklMickey]

deepblue said:

Thanks jdl...Youre kind of between a rock and a hard place. ...

hey, that's where I live!

deepblue said:

...Does anyone else have any stories on the subject?
I have to go now...I broke a nail. ;D

as long as we're "letting our hair down" here,

you mentioned nails.

many years ago, i rarely trimmed my nails. sometimes, in a hurry before playing, i would trim just the nails on my left hand. (usually so short, they'd almost bleed) the nails on my right hand got long enough that i could use them as built in finger-picks. i soon went back to trimming the nails on both hands, because:

• A: people said it looked stupid to have nails on one hand short, and long ones on the other hand.
  
  
• B: i never did get good at the finger-picking thing, and the long nails just got in the way.

FWIW: the second reason is the only important one. if i had developed any skill at it, i would have dealt with the long nails getting in the way. and as far as what it looked like to other folks, who gives a percent!

besides, i still had short nails on my left hand, so i didn't have to worry about nose-bleeds. XD



unk

[Ripper]

Hey jdl...Yes, I heard you got a nice cheque from the ol'guvvy!...Well done my friend!
Its funny you mentioned Simon & Patrick because I was playing a beautiful 12 string of theres, and its probably going to be the one I choose. It was between that and a Fender 12, and the S&P really sang for me. Good luck with your jumbo!

[jdl]

It's too bad you don't live out here deep, last weekend i saw a seagull 12 string for $200, at a local pawn shop. All it needed was a new set of strings other than that it was in perfect condition.

James

[Runewalker]

I am not sure where this thread is headed but if it is still about 'fangers' and you are really vexed by ripping, flying skin shards then I will share my little health secret.

In real life I work as a finance guy monitoring hospital supply expenditures and negotiating contracts, about as far away from guitars as you can get. A few year back a major Suture mfg introduced a new product for wound closure that was $#@% pricey, but nifty. It was this glue that was spread over the cut and sealed and rapidly dried. Turns out it was FDA grade Super Glue.

With the luthier stuff I do I am always cutting myself, and my handy $0.79 tube of superglue is always around to seal up the carnage. When I have torn up a fretting finger a layer of superglue makes it right to at least throw down some power chords. Right now I am down to 3 fret fingers because of a stupid and unfortuante encounter with a utility knife razor blade, but does that stop me from irritating the neiborhood? Noooooo....... Super glue and toomuchamplifier to the rescue.

Since we know wifey is still gonna make you do the dishes, just dry those prunes and slather on 'da glu right on to the sharded meat. It;ll form a protective layer, and consolidate what's left of your shreaded tissue. They even make it with a brush applicator so you can claim you are 'doing your nails.' That she will understand. Don't forget to remove your apron before strapping on your guitar.

RW

[jdl]

yea, I too have had a few run ins with the utility knife when i used to make rubber gaskets for compressor engine's. On one occasion, i took a chunk of my ring finger off, and super glued it back on. Rune walker, I think you can buy a commericial variant of that "surgical glue" in most drug stores. I picked up a little bottle of it with an applicator brush for about $5cdn a few months back. It probably isn't as good as the surgical grade stuff, but it seeled up a cut i had fairly well.

James

[mike]

At work I wear latex gloves a lot doing lab work. They cause my hand to sweat and I thing actually cause more damage then if you simply just wash and dry. In my case I have to wear them, but at home I don't want to see a pair.

[petemac]

I used to use the same excuse for getting out of doing the dishes!!!