Interesting observation about carbon fiber & calluses

[Marshall]

Nice thread and comments. I'm looking at ordering a Rainsong as we speak. I do a lot of thumb-overs in my playing. And I've eased the edge of all my regular wood guitars where I need to. I expect I will want to do that on a Rainsong.

Let me know how it works.

[HeavyDuty]

Originally Posted by Marshall

Nice thread and comments. I'm looking at ordering a Rainsong as we speak. I do a lot of thumb-overs in my playing. And I've eased the edge of all my regular wood guitars where I need to. I expect I will want to do that on a Rainsong.

Let me know how it works.

If it’s recent or current production, it should have a bevel already. Drive on!

[DethWshBkr]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

After retiring almost a year ago in late December, my wife and I embarked on a journey that has seen our gigging go through the roof, at least by our standards. We will have played just over 100 gigs by this year's end and have already booked well over 100 for next year. I'm not complaining - we love it! We had hoped that our recent pursuit of playing assisted living facilities would pay off (figuratively and literally) and indeed it has, becoming both our retirement 'side-hustle' as well as one of our favorite things to do with all this new-found free time!

I was already primarily playing my RainSong Nashville Shorty OM custom going into this process and quickly added a second RainSong, a custom Black Ice dread which quickly (and a bit surprisingly) became my primary go-to gigging guitar. I have noticed that playing these two guitars almost exclusively I develop a callus on the inside of my left thumb knuckle where it makes contact with that side of the fretboard. I don't recall developing this callus with my wood guitars, at least not this much.

Over time it begins to get quite 'rough' and starts to get a little uncomfortable. The upside is that a quick session with a nail file smooths it back down and it becomes comfortable again for several weeks. It makes me wonder - is this an effect of the carbon fiber, the RainSong neck shape, or just the increased playing? Or, maybe some combination of the all three? The neck shape and flatter fretboard radius of RainSong guitars were significantly different than I was used to and that area seems to make more contact than other guitars I played in years past.

I feel like I've always played this much as I've always played and practiced several hours a day even before all the gigging began. But the other wood guitars I've mostly played over the years prior to going to the RainSong's usually had a soft V shape and/or thinner or satin finishes. So maybe more contact with a less forgiving finish? But I also can't help but feel at least part of it is the carbon fiber material. Less 'give' than a wood guitar. But then I don't remember this when I was playing with my Emerald guitars so maybe it is mostly neck shape?

I'm not complaining, just wondering and thinking out loud. As usual, I was wondering what the AGF hive mind would think about this. Do any of you CF players note an increased amount of callus development playing your CF guitar over wood guitars? Inquiring minds want to know!!

I find my RainSong to have a very comfortable neck, but of course it's personal preference based on so many factors. I actually have a much more difficult time with the edge of the fretboard on my X30. I find those frets to be more "intrusive" to my hand.
But it's not the carbon fiber itself.....

[Marshall]

That's the thing about CF guitars. Each manufacturer has one or two neck profile options. And they won't deviate. And the neck is what we interact with when playing. So, the choice they make affects the instruments playability.


That being said, I am quite happy with the Rainsong NS necked guitar I just got. But I am easing the edge on the neck for thumb-overs. Just a tinly little shaving with a cutter. Sand paper wasn't working as well.