Tip for Newbies as well as experts

Here is a small tip that I did like to share with all of you.

Take a clean (cotton, if possible) cloth put very little coconut oil and smooth the oiled cloth on all the strings (all frets). This will help in speeding up for solos, help in slides, hammering and above all remove those extra scratchy voices.

Make sure the oil is as little as possible

Please tell if this was helpful :think:

Regards,
dhiM

 

Hi there

Dont mean to be rude but I guess using oil creates problems in the long run; either you need to clean the strings very frequently. Moreover, this stuff deposits on the frets and fingerboard (specially if you have a wodden fingerboard) and is quiet hard to clean. It also attracts a lot of dust.

If you are really facing problems in sliding, my advice would be to use talcum powder on the finger tips.

Well, I guess different stuff works for different people.

 

well myself tried it n i got to know that this oil attracts a lot of dust

 

Well... the way i can think of it... oil might help on very old strings... but if u change ur strings frequently, you shouldn't have to do anything else to improve its quality

 

Dear All,

All I can say is that it works.

As far dust is concerned - it is an issue; but I keep by 6 string in a case and I have an habbit of washing my hands before and after a jamming session therefore I have never had an issue.

You can try it with a set of old strings, get a feel of it if you are comfortable then go along or else switch back to your own selective method.


Thanks,

D hi M

 

@ dhim - Oil will sopil strings.. and also the tuning.. So My Advice dont do it.. Oil will spoil the wood more than the strings..

@ Dark Matter - talc will soften your finger too. May cut your fingers.(I had this bad experience)..

@ Others - use this product called Fast Frets - GHS or Gliss to clean the strings.. It makes your solo's faster..

 

Hey ever tried buying a guitar instead of all the oiling and talcing

 

Well, I agree with esgallindeion that if you change strings freqently, there is no need to use anything else.

 

hey guyz......i have no problem in cleaning strings as i like jammin with clean hands......but now my G and D strings after 2-3 weeks give out some metal thread like stuff exactly where the freats r situated.dunno whats the problem.....my fret board or strings or my playin...pls help jay.

 

Chill.. Its the coating put on the strings to make the sound brighter.. so thats an indication that you got to change Strings..

@ Others : YOu should change strings atleast once every month.. Retain the old ones use them the alternate month.. Kepp them in an air tight container preferable vaccum locking Zip bags.. They will sound better..

 

Oil would ruin the fretboard, totally. It is just not advisable to have any sort of liquid (except fretboard oil/lemon oil), and that too only once a year, to wipe away any grime. You may not notice it initially, but it'd totally damage the wood. The fretboard is constantly under very high tension and hence is generally the least 'tampered' part of the guitar.

@ Jayanth - I disagree with changing the strings every month. They may lose the lustre and the brightness/tone a bit, but once every 3 months is good enough even if you jam frequently.

Once a month you can clean them up to get rid of dirt and grime (not with oil!). A very recommended product is 'rubbing alcohol' (isopropyl). You will find it at any good chemist. Dab some in an aborbent cloth and wipe your strings. Isoproply also helps build and maintain calluses on your fingertips.

Raj

 

Ok Raj.. My strigs dont even last for more than four weeks.. They either snap or get rough.. I roughly play about 8 hours a day 7 days a week. On an acoustic, strings wil get ruined even faster.. Look further in my post.. You can retain the strings and use them every alternate month.. This i do cause i dont want to lose the tension.. And the tone..

 

8 hours a day! Vai plays for 8 hours a day! Seriously dude, you ought to take good care of your hands. Tendonitis may not be far away. A lot of undue stress is placed when you jam for hours together. Over a period of time it could spring some unpleasant surprises.

Obviously with 8 hours going in your axe requires a lot of attention. On this count I have to agree your strings need to be changed once a month. Perhaps that may not be the case for people like me who play only for three or so hours a day. Your case is a rare one, and most don't need to follow suit in terms of changing guitar strings.

Cheers!

Raj

 

No most of the musicians i know here in Bnagalore practice for 8 hours nothing new here.. But that was when i just started with guitar.. Now its like probably 6 hours a day..

 

Most guitarists are clueless about health issues. Software programmers are the worst hit with Carpal tunnel, guitarists aren't far behind. Just look up google and you'll know many a career have been ruined due to careless and incessant playing.

The problem is most learn it the hard way, i.e. once they've been hit (including yours truly). Since you are a mod Jayanth perhaps you could focus on the health aspects too. Long term interests should never be sidelined.

Raj

 

All i do in a day is play Guitar or Moderate here.. Build sites. and stuff..

But i've never had health issues.. Especially with fingers cause i never have played on rusted , old strings. So i never had calouses and cuts etc..

I wash my hand s with dettol like two times before and afte rplaying.. I guess thats like the best i can do.. But most musicians i know practice more than me.. So none of them have problems..

 

Calluses and cuts aren't health issues. They are too trivial to be labelled so.

Health issues are damages to tendons, muscles and ligaments, and result in lifelong injuries. I am afraid sooner or later the 8-hour marathon sessions would come to a complete halt. It is ironic how sometimes people even overlook the pain and proceed like nothings happened. And suggesting that your friends play for 8 hours leaves the newbies gaping and they too want to progress playing 8 hours a day. No newbie should play the guitar for anything more than 3 hours a day. Even then, the 3 hours should be spread out thruout the day. If you don't believe me, ask your Orthopaedic doctor.

These injuries take some time to show up, but when they do, they are really ugly.

Raj

 

3 Hours .... 8 hours???????????? :think:

There are times when I dont even wanna see my guitar.

Frankly speaking I think one should get back to the guitar when one truly desires to play the guitar.

Practising is good. But I think 30 minutes to 45 minutes should be ok for practise. But that again depends on the level of expertise you have.

Regards,

DHiM

 

Point well taken Dhim. You should definitely limit your practice. Even the 'experts' who understand health concerns seldom play for anything more than 3-4 hours a day, at different stretches. Guitar playing can become a tedious activity, irrespective of the enthusiasm. Too much of anything is not good.

Most guitarists are ill-informed and don't even know what tendon injuries are. Some will brag it doesn't worry them as they know what they're doing. Well, it'll sure worry them when it hits them. Sadly it'd be too late by then.

Simply ask yourself if you need 'quality practice' or 'quantity practice'. BVut then you already know the answer.

Raj

 

See for that matter nothing in my body should have a problem.. I am quite well built and I go to Gym.. I do a little Yoga. I play a lot of football and Cricket.. So in any case, I dont play for 8 hours at a stretch. I play 4 hours when i wake up. and again before going to sleep for lie 3-4 hours.. middle of the day for like an hour or so.

There is no talk about the Quality practice here, If i dont play my exercises and my riffs and songs everyday, I wont be satisfied. I dont practice for the time. I practice for perfection.