SRV screen shot of his left hand

[Willabe]

I found this by accident today, go ~7:56 and freeze/pause the video. 

Why is his hand black? Is that graphite powder? If not what's going on?

I think this is also when he was using super glue to fix his callouses. If you go a few more seconds he turns his hand to the side and you can see the deep groove in his index finger tip. (That used to happen to me, not quite as much, when I played my acoustic.)

     

https://youtu.be/5DCNek4joEE

[p2pAmps]

Man, I have no idea...  That is weird.  Maybe him using all those heavy a$$ strings tore his hands up?  I use 10s myself and used 9s for many years.  I stepped up to 10s and now like em

[Willabe]

I use 10s myself and used 9s for many years.  I stepped up to 10s and now like em

I've mostly used .010's on my electrics. Not to light, not to heavy for me.
 
But on my Strat, in my 40's, with a set of Boomers .010's, I used to swap out the .010 for a .011 and the .013 for a .014. Worked fine for blues and early R&R. I'm back to .010's.     

[sluckey]

I think it's graphite powder.

[Willabe]

Ok, 1 for graphite powder.

I've seen videos where Jeff Becks hands, both hands are white, pool cue chalk or talcum powder. But I've never seen fret hand discolored like that.     

[sluckey]

I remember in the '60 there was a spray can called Finger Ease. It was a clear spray. Just shoot your neck with it then a little on your left fingers and you could slide all over the neck with nary a squeak!

I think graphite would do the same but it sure is nasty. I've about quit using graphite on door locks and such. Walmart has a silicon spray that is clear and dries within seconds. Very slick stuff.

PS... I see finger ease is still on the market although the can looks much different than I remember.

[p2pAmps]

I remember Finger Ease LOL...  I even had one can that you wiped on and one that sprayed too.  I personally never liked it or needed it.  Maybe thats why I suck LOL

[sluckey]

Finger ease. Flat wound strings. I'm fast now. Look out! I feel a pipeline run coming on!   

[Willabe]

I think they also make white powdered graphite? Maybe that's what Beck is using?

SRV and Beck toured together maybe 1 taught it to the other?

I remember Finger Ease, I don't remember ever trying it.

I've been using GHS Fast Fret now for a good 10 years and I like it a lot! Turns out it's mineral oil. Has a round wooden handle with a soft round paper(?) fiber that holds the oil. You just rub it on the strings a little like putting on chap stick.

   

[p2pAmps]

Man were old!

[Willabe]

Ha! Your 2 1/2 years younger than me.               

[p2pAmps]

55 tomorrow!

[Willabe]

 


 



  Happy Birthday! (Cajun style!)

[p2pAmps]

Thanks Bud

[Willabe]

BTW, remember when I brought up watching a guitar mans picking hand?

If you watch that SRV clip, man he had a GREAT picking hand! A lot of his tone was in his right hand. The sharp accent rhythm chops, both up and down, and the single note up strokes along with moving from closer to the bridge to closer to the neck.Watch how his wrist and his fore arm moves.

[HotBluePlates]

I remember Finger Ease, I don't remember ever trying it.

I've been using GHS Fast Fret ...

I *think* it was a can of Finger Ease I had in the early-90's (though it may have been fast fret). I had my Les Paul refretted by a highly-recommended luthier, who saw the can in the case. He said, "I'll give you a quarter to let me throw that stuff in the garbage for you."

According to him, the stuff works its way into the fret slots and will loosen the frets, causing them to lift. His opinion was it was bad for the guitar and shouldn't be used.

Later, I saw a book on guitar playing by Barney Kessel, who recommended simply running your left hand fingertips across your nose; enough skin oil will transfer to your fingertips to stop squeaking...

[Willabe]

We use lemon/orange oil or linseed oil for our fret boards. The old, old days they even used olive oil.

I don't know what Finger Ease contains or maybe it was the propellant, but I would think that mineral oil, which they use on wooden kitchen cutting boards and wooden cooking utensils (food quality mineral oil) should be fine?

 

   

[Ritchie200]

55 tomorrow!

You kids.....

I've also heard some negative comments about finger ease and other products and how they interact with the fret board.  It may just be internet lore so hopefully our resident luthier Gabriel will weigh in on this topic.

Jim

[jojokeo]

I use Fast Fret and have for years w/out issue. I don't pile it on every time or use it slopplily and I usually wipe the strings a tad after applying also. Works great. I don't really like it too slippery meaning using the applicator and not wiping the strings afterwards. Yes, it is a light mineral oil is all.

Stevie used graphite and grease lubricant on all moving parts and contact points even though "Charley" was a hard tail non-tremolo w/ single tone and volume controls. He did a lot of bridge & saddle modification grinding to minimize top plate contact, increase saddle angles to minimize string breakages including using small plastic tubing ran just over the saddles from the trem block.

His finger tip(s) does appear to have something on it like crazy glue when he's holding his hand up in that vid. There's a product called Rock-Tips that is used for this nowadays. I've used it on occasions when I've done too much playing prior to a gig and it helps. My mandolin can really chew up the fingers (and it also works the crap out of my thumb muscles).

[EL34]

I use possum grease and 11 gauge strings
 

[Willabe]

Granny Clampett taught you that, didn't she?     

[EL34]

She taught me more than how to use possum grease!

[Willabe]