The Band19 
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callouses
As a guitar/bass player? I used to have nice thick ones. Then I got lazy... And only played the guitar (or bass) when I needed to lay down a track. And there are plenty of other things that go in to tracking as you know. Now unfortunately, I have the fingertips of a safe cracker :-( So now when I get around to needing to track a guitar? I have to play it for weeks first. This is why the terrorists hate us, this is a true first world problem.
Sittin downtown in a railway station one toke over the line.
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Leadfoot
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Re: callouses
2013/07/23 20:28:58
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I have the same thing sometimes. I have a family of 5 and can't always get down in the studio to practice. Luckily my job keeps them in somewhat rough shape, but not like they were when I was playing 4-5 hours a day. Whose idea was it to grow up?
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The Band19
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Re: callouses
2013/07/23 21:59:54
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It feels "good?" When you're on you're game? I've never been a great guitarist? But I've been good? When you pick it up and feel like a hack, it's disheartening... I'll rock on the tune I'm getting ready to record and will get it nailed ;-) But the whole, "used to be able to play effortlessly? Vs the whole, "DAMN! I NEED TO PRACTICE THIS SHIZ!!??" It's well understood by those whom it is well understood by. CCR - Green River... "Classic Rock." My favorite genera. "Well, take me back down where cool water flow, yeh. Let me remember things I love. Stoppin' at the log where catfish bite, Walkin' along the river road at night, Barefoot girls dancin' in the moonlight. "
post edited by The Band19 - 2013/07/23 22:05:50
Sittin downtown in a railway station one toke over the line.
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Philip
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Re: callouses
2013/07/23 23:50:30
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As the forum podiatrist, I'd ponder that, although barefoot girls are spectacular, they, too, are apt to get callouses.
I'm getting lazier than ever I'm afraid. 'Not cranking new songs ... just polishing old ones. Yup, No carpel tunnel, hardly a callous anywhere. 'Better get to work.
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Jay Tee 4303
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Re: callouses
2013/07/25 10:35:17
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Found a secret... ...my venerable pawnshop Fender acoustic, with the stiff, mile high action. After chuffing around on that for about a week, my tips get hard as rock and lightning fast! Fortunately, it has the same width neck and string spacing as my SG.
post edited by Jay Tee 4303 - 2013/07/25 10:36:20
IBM PC/XT 1 MB RAM 8087 Math Co-Processor 5 Megabyte Seagate Hard Drive Twelvetone Cakewalk Version 2.0
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sharke
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Re: callouses
2013/07/26 14:57:17
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I used to have rock hard callouses but after months of totally neglecting my guitar in favor of the keyboard, they've all but disappeared. Yesterday I restrung my Telecaster and got right back into it. Today my fingertips are on the verge of blistering. Wish I'd taken it easier.
JamesWindows 10, Sonar SPlat (64-bit), Intel i7-4930K, 32GB RAM, RME Babyface, AKAI MPK Mini, Roland A-800 Pro, Focusrite VRM Box, Komplete 10 Ultimate, 2012 American Telecaster!
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Leadfoot
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Re: callouses
2013/07/26 15:16:38
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One of my favorite ways of re-callousing is to break out the twelve string acoustic for a few days. Rips my fingers to shreds at first but gets them in shape very nicely.
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timidi
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Re: callouses
2013/07/26 20:04:20
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I know the feeling all too well.
Use it or loose it.
It's expensive (not monetarily) coming back.
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The Band19
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Re: callouses
2013/07/27 00:12:07
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I'm trying to play a little (at least a few mins?) each night. I think we all should. We are musicians? We're guitarists? We've spent many thousands on our guitars? Don't let your meat loaf... "Work it." Even if it's only for a few minutes? Play that damn guitar.
Sittin downtown in a railway station one toke over the line.
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droddey
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Re: callouses
2013/07/27 00:23:12
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It's a big problem, and not just the callouses thing, but the whole already long round robin process of doing a song where you might not get back to a given thing for a month or more, exacerbated by having to do it in stolen extra moments. It means you can never really be as good as you should at any of it. It's the curse of the auteur I guess. If you choose to do it all yourself you have to accept the limitations that come with the control.
What I typically do is, as I'm doing my 'get the brain to turn off' time before I go to sleep, sometimes I'll put on a documentary or well known movie, and just sit on the bed with an acoustic and just do mindless exercises, playing finger style, so that I get maximum exercise and fingertip hardening, without having to invest too much concentration in it. And acoustic definitely does the most damage.
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The Band19
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Re: callouses
2013/07/27 01:19:36
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One of the best Clint Eastwood quotes of all time... "Dirty Harry." Also, yeah, pick that thing up and play it? I don't care if you've played it for ... years? It doesn't matter? Pick it up and play it! What matters is your relationship between you and your instrument? And it doesn't matter what that instrument is? What matters is your relationship... (insert woman here...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrFV5r8cs0
post edited by The Band19 - 2013/07/27 01:22:56
Sittin downtown in a railway station one toke over the line.
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Guitarhacker
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Re: callouses
2013/07/28 11:01:47
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When the callouses fade, rust sets in to take their place....
Ain't that the truth..... I have had the same thing happen. With little time to spend playing, the fingers get soft and rusty.... they don't move like they did back in the day..... pick up the guitar to write and lay down a track or two..... and I need to spend time working things out.... maybe not a bad thing.
But I do need to get back to more time on the fretboard.
On the barefoot girls thing..... anyone who goes barefoot will have some pretty tough soles in short order.
My website & music: www.herbhartley.com MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface BMI/NSAI "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer "
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bapu
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Re: callouses
2013/08/12 20:03:55
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The Band19
As a guitar/bass player? I used to have nice thick ones. Then I got lazy... And only played the guitar (or bass) when I needed to lay down a track. And there are plenty of other things that go in to tracking as you know. Now unfortunately, I have the fingertips of a safe cracker :-( So now when I get around to needing to track a guitar? I have to play it for weeks first. This is why the terrorists hate us, this is a true first world problem.
+1 to that Robby.
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