Fraying fingers

Hello everyone.

So Ive been playing for seven months now. I first started the first few months with Ernie Ball Super Slinkys and had developed decent calluses on my finger tips. But soon, for no apparent reason, my calluses began to fray. I upgraded my strings a few guages, and that smoothened them out again. But once again, in time they began to fray again. Im now up to EB Power Slinkys, and my fingers to seem to fray, than smoothen out. Fray, than smoothen out.

So I have to ask. Is this normal for guitar players? Is there something I can do to stop this annoying fraying? I dont want one of my calluses getting torn, like what happened to my friend, resulting in him needing to painfully and time consumingly rebuild it. Please help me defeat the callus fray! Or to at least understand why its happening...

Tearing fingers? I've never heard of such a thing. There must be something wrong with you. Ok, so I'm full of it. What with all the sliding, bending and slamming across rigid edged strings it seems only natural to me that your fingers would tear up. Mine do that all the time and I've never felt any form of actual pain that's prevented me from playing so I'm not worried about it and judging by what I've heard from everyone else I've talked to neither should you. If anything I'd say it's a good thing, it shows you that you're actually playing. You don't get calloused fingers by leaving your guitar in its bag all day.

Yeah, that's definitely normal. One thing you can do to combat it is to get some fingerboard lubricant... Fast Fret works good. This lessens the friction that the strings have on your fingers allowing them to get smoother without tearing as much. It's also good for your strings because it keeps them clean and keeps them from oxidizing. Also, it makes your neck play really smooth. There are different kinds.... some come in spray cans some come in stick applications. Just check some out though, I think you'll like the way it feels.

Originally Posted by: aschlemanYeah, that's definitely normal. One thing you can do to combat it is to get some fingerboard lubricant... Fast Fret works good. This lessens the friction that the strings have on your fingers allowing them to get smoother without tearing as much. It's also good for your strings because it keeps them clean and keeps them from oxidizing. Also, it makes your neck play really smooth. There are different kinds.... some come in spray cans some come in stick applications. Just check some out though, I think you'll like the way it feels.

Fretboard lubricant? Don't think you can buy that here in China.
Would KY jelly do the job? ;)

Originally Posted by: beanfoto2Fretboard lubricant? Don't think you can buy that here in China.
Would KY jelly do the job? ;)

I wouldn't recommend that :o



As for your callouses. Thinking back I remember mine used to do that as well. Then, for one reason, or another they became a permanent fixture of my fingertips. My guess is that your body is trying to find a point of equillibrium, and is over and undercompensating your callouses in that attempt.

When you first start out your finger tips are like "omfg, what the hell is this, lets build defences!! Lots of defences!!", then after a while they become used to it and are like "nah, this aint so bad, lets take all this defences down a bit, but not too much *shifty eyes*".

LMAO!

My guess is that your body is trying to find a point of equillibrium, and is over and undercompensating your callouses in that attempt.

That makes sense. My fingers arnt actually painful, I just didnt want them to get to that point. My friends callous, wasnt fraying, it actually started to detach. But than he was like "f*ck you fingers!" so he started playing even harder, than it ripped off. He said it hurt like a bitch.

Ill try the fret lube out. Thanks guys.

*remembers a kung fu training once*

"feel the paaaain, it's good for you, looooove the pain, enjoy it"

that's china brainwashing, maybe you should try it :p

try using rock tips callus builder. you brush it on your fingertips and gives them this hard skin. non-toxic, not like super glue.

Originally Posted by: moconno1try using rock tips callus builder. you brush it on your fingertips and gives them this hard skin. non-toxic, not like super glue.

No. Play gradually to your tolerance.

Of all the threads on this topic why was this one resurrected from 2005? Most of the original contributors are probably extinct :eek: