Mesh
Would talcum powder help?

You are not the first person to mention this, Mesh. I googled "playing guitar with sweaty hands" and some did swear by it.
 
What would worry me, I think, would be getting it into the grain of my fret boards, both of which are "open grain," if you know what I mean... I don't think it is rose wood any more because I think it is on the endangered list.
 
And, eventually, the sweat would win the fight and I'd probably end up with a white stick gloop on my guitar strings.
 
cheers, and thanks,
 
andy

57Gregy
We used to spray WD 40 on them.

Hmmm.... Not sure if that's a good idea any more... Only because of the other ingredients in WD40.
 
cheers
 
andy

bitman
Not since I moved up to where the humidity is like 10 percent.

 
Ha! So, I would have to move to where you live then Ron
 
Not even sure what the humidity it is where I live.
 
cheers
 
andy 

craigb
I used to have sweaty hands but I got rid of it using a combination of these handheld electrolysis devices and hypnosis (long time ago!).  Haven't had an issue since.  Something like this:
 
https://www.amazon.com/Drionic-Hand-Foot-Device/dp/B009VOE3A4
 
 

I had a look, Craig, but I'm not so keen to stop sweat oozing from my pores, just protecting my strings while playing.
 
Thanks anyway
 
cheers
 
andy

SteveStrummerUK
 
We used to advise snooker and pool players who complained of a sticky cue to work some silicon spray into the grain. I don't know if it would be safe to use on a guitar or whether it would affect the neck finish or mess with the (lemon?) oil finish on the fretboard (Spacey would know the answer to this I'm sure). Mind you, it certainly didn't do any harm to maple or ash cues.
 
I've tried using Fender's Speed Slick string cleaner - it certainly works to remove the cling but I don't much care for the 'residue' it imparts to one's fingers.

Thanks for you input Steve,
 
You mention silicon spray, and this is something I have been trying, for well over a decade now, but I've not sourced a decent local supply of the stuff.
 
So what I have been using is a silicon shaving oil instead. For all the time I was using it on my SG it never seemed to damage or stain the "rosewood" fretboard.
 
Each time I use it, thought, and now is such a time as I have picked up my guitar again after many months gathering dust, I think, is this bad for either my guitars or my hands.
 
I'm guessing that it should be okay applied to my finger tips, and, at the same time I briefly run up and down the strings with any surplus oil on my fingers.
 
So, until someone chimes in and says "NO" to silicon oil I will carry on using it.
 
 
I used to use something similar to that back in the early eighties. It came in a round tub and you rubbed it up and down your strings. I think you could also take the impregnated cloth part out of the container and use that as a cleaning cloth instead. But it was such a long time ago that I can no longer remember for sure.
 
cheers, and thanks for that,
 
andy

 
 
Andy, I never found silicon spray easy to come by until someone mentioned they sell it at Lidl under their own-label 'W5' brand. I bought a couple of cans a few years ago and I'm still on the first one.
 
I use it mainly on my plastic curtain rails to keep them clean and slippy, as well as on anything that WD40 is too 'oily' for.

SteveStrummerUK
 
 
Andy, I never found silicon spray easy to come by until someone mentioned they sell it at Lidl under their own-label 'W5' brand. I bought a couple of cans a few years ago and I'm still on the first one.
 
I use it mainly on my plastic curtain rails to keep them clean and slippy, as well as on anything that WD40 is too 'oily' for.

Thanks Steve, I'll have a look into that. We have a Lidl close by

Some guitarists I know with "acid hands" swear by elixir coated strings. Others with just generally sweaty hands who say they're not quite so keen on the tone of elixirs say that D'addario strings seems to last really well. 
Ernie balls turn into rusty razorwire within a day, I'm told.
 
Whatever you use, give the strings a quick wipe down with a cloth after playing. If you have some isopropyl alchohol, spray some of that onto the cloth before wiping them down, it helps with basically everything.

ooblecaboodle
Some guitarists I know with "acid hands" swear by elixir coated strings. Others with just generally sweaty hands who say they're not quite so keen on the tone of elixirs say that D'addario strings seems to last really well. 
Ernie balls turn into rusty razorwire within a day, I'm told.
 
Whatever you use, give the strings a quick wipe down with a cloth after playing. If you have some isopropyl alchohol, spray some of that onto the cloth before wiping them down, it helps with basically everything.

Thanks ooble
 
I do use Ernie Ball strings, as it happens although I had my PRS professionally fettle (last year I think) and I'm not sure what he replaced them with.
 
To be frank, I should have changed the strings on all of my guitars within the last year, but I don't pick them up very often so I tend to forget.
 
When I was in a band, and we went to rehearsals once a week, and I also played the guitar every day back then, I was changing the strings every couple of weeks. Some cheap British made strings... Name escapes me.
 
But, yeah, I do generally remember to give everything a rub down at the end of the session...
 
cheers
 
andy

Mesh
Would talcum powder help?
 

Swot Jeff Beck uses.

I always dry my fingers then use a product to “oil” my fingers (go faster grease ?

Jerry