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Old 04-14-2019, 01:10 PM
Guitars+gems Guitars+gems is offline
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Default Coated strings for soft fingertips?

I didn't play guitar at all for the 3 weeks I was in India or the jet-lagged week after I returned, and didn't play much the week before I left. So my calluses were about gone.

To get them hardening again I started out on my 00L-17 which has light gauge Retros. My fingers got pretty sore and one even developed a small blister. I just played though it for shorter more frequent periods, and I was okay. Took about a week. Next I played my 12 string, and that was fine, probably because the strings are extra lights and besides the pressure is distributed between the courses. Finally played the dread, strung with mediums, and I had very little fingertip discomfort. So I thought, "Yay, I did it!" But after a day went back to the 00L-17 and the soreness returned, not as badly as it had been, but still...sore.

The dread has medium gauge Martin Lifespans. So is it just the coating that made the difference despite the greater tension and thicker strings? If so, I didn't realize that coating, especially because the Lifespan coating doesn't seem very noticeable, would help that much with soft fingertips.

*I edited to add that the action is about the same on the the two 6 strings.
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Last edited by Guitars+gems; 04-14-2019 at 01:27 PM.
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Old 04-14-2019, 02:33 PM
Goodallboy Goodallboy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitars+gems View Post
I didn't play guitar at all for the 3 weeks I was in India or the jet-lagged week after I returned, and didn't play much the week before I left. So my calluses were about gone.

To get them hardening again I started out on my 00L-17 which has light gauge Retros. My fingers got pretty sore and one even developed a small blister. I just played though it for shorter more frequent periods, and I was okay. Took about a week. Next I played my 12 string, and that was fine, probably because the strings are extra lights and besides the pressure is distributed between the courses. Finally played the dread, strung with mediums, and I had very little fingertip discomfort. So I thought, "Yay, I did it!" But after a day went back to the 00L-17 and the soreness returned, not as badly as it had been, but still...sore.

The dread has medium gauge Martin Lifespans. So is it just the coating that made the difference despite the greater tension and thicker strings? If so, I didn't realize that coating, especially because the Lifespan coating doesn't seem very noticeable, would help that much with soft fingertips.

*I edited to add that the action is about the same on the the two 6 strings.
There's no requirement to use Medium strings on a dreadnaught. A great guitar will be great with light gauge strings and if it isn't, it isn't great, IMHO, YMMV, and a humble bow.
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Old 04-14-2019, 03:15 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Hi Denise, I recently tried a set of DR Sunbeams for the 1st time on my EJ-200.
I went with mediums 13-56 under the illusion that I needed big strings on a big guitar.
They seemed too stiff to me and my fingertips didn't like them.
I took them off on day 5.
Just happened to have a set of 12-54 lights so I put them on next.
Amazing difference.
Loud, balanced and comfortable.
Ordered 2 more sets on day 5.

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Old 04-14-2019, 04:25 PM
Guitars+gems Guitars+gems is offline
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So, Bruce - are you guys saying the soreness was secondary to playing the 13's for a day and then returning to the 12's? I had so little soreness when I was playing the 13's, I didn't think they'd caused it. Actually, I had been thinking the skinnier strings were cutting more deeply. But maybe the mediums were to blame after all. They are definitely stiffer.

In any case, I've been playing all the guitars today and my fingers seem back to normal.

Hm... I don't know. The dread had 13's when I got it and I love the way it sounds, so I never thought about changing to 12's. I don't find that guitar hard to play, and I can make barre chords on mediums about as well as I can on lights, which is to say not very well on either. . Maybe I'll experiment a little. See what happens to the tone with lights and see if the guitar plays any easier.

Thanks for the input.
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Old 04-14-2019, 04:38 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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I guess I'm just not a .013's guy Denise.
These DR Sunbeams have been a really nice surprise, there's something about round core strings I really like.
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Old 08-09-2019, 10:32 PM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
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I usually play 12-54s but I can definitely feel a difference between most hex core strings and round core. Love the feel of round core strings. Easier on my fingers for sure.

Best,
Jayne
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Old 08-10-2019, 08:47 AM
FrankHudson FrankHudson is offline
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I don't know if there's much difference to tender fingertips in cowboy chords between coated and not. Lighter tension strings, higher frets sure, but not coating.

On the other hand, playing "lead" and chord movement where you slide your fretting hand up and down the neck,* I think at least the Elixir brand coating helps. I used to have calluses I could drive nails with, but not so much anymore, and a set of strings that doesn't feel like a rat-tail file in a nice sometimes.


*Yes, I know you should/can lift your pressure and maybe not even touch the strings when moving up and down the fretboard. But I'm sloppy and in my defense I play a bit of slide guitar, nylon string guitar and fretless bass too and sliding up and down the string is part of how I tend to execute vibrato.
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Old 08-10-2019, 09:12 AM
jklotz jklotz is offline
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Did you know they make a product called Rock Tips that is basically surgical superglue with an agent that makes them pliable and non permanent? You paint it on your finger tips, dry for 60 seconds, then they act like calluses? It wears off in a hour of playing, but it allows your natural calluses to form. I've used it for a few years and it can be very helpful.

http://www.rock-tips.com/
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Old 08-10-2019, 09:39 AM
vindibona1 vindibona1 is offline
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The thread is kind of dated... But I have to ask... How would coating make fingers less tender unless you're constantly sliding all over the place? And if the friction is the issue the answer is simple: Finger-Ease or any other string lubricating product. I tend not to use F-E on my acoustic strings except if I'm getting excessive string squeak, then I wipe it on (rather than spray it).
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