A 'Tone is in the Fingers' Spin-Off Discussion: Callous Quality

[Flamencology]

How much emphasize/importance to you attribute to callouses?

[Mark Wein]

none. I play mostly electric though. I really don't think of my fingers as calloused although if I have a few really brutal days of playing I'll sometimes get this sensation that it is itching UNDER the callous.

[matou]

tone is in the bone

[rsadasiv]

A lot. If my fingertips aren't hard getting a good tone is going to be difficult.

[12Pack]

My fret hand has great callouses - my right hand doesn't. I mostly use my fingers and the backs of my finger nails for strumming and picking - I don't use a pick to often.

[Help!I'maRock!]

for me, it's more about stamina. heavier callouses mean i can play longer without my fingers getting raw.

[12Pack]

for me, it's more about stamina.

That sounded like a condom comercial.

[Jake S.]

If I go into one of my acoustic phases I might get some, but I'm generally more of an electric player so I usually don't have any.

[Wilmer X]

None. I had hard callous in the 60s and early 70s, but it became much softer later. Perhaps due to playing 9-38s for so long?

[the_huge]

Bottleneck-only players ain't got no use for callouses.

[instantsteve]

I am playing acoustic exclusively now, so I has them!

[12Pack]

[Denverdave]

for me, it's more about stamina. heavier callouses mean i can play longer without my fingers getting raw.

This....

We play four sets and I'm on acoustic probably 2/3 of the night. If I don't have good callouses then by the fourth set my fingers are in pain....

[Help!I'maRock!]

bpe

[Puckman]

My fret hand has great callouses - my right hand doesn't. I mostly use my fingers and the backs of my finger nails for strumming and picking - I don't use a pick to often.

I've been experimenting with this lately, cause I can never get comfortable with picks. But how do you avoid that awful scraping sound when using the back of your nails to strum? I can't seem to find a way to NOT get that.

[Steverino]

I have permanent grooves worn into mine.

[Flamencology]

I've been experimenting with this lately, cause I can never get comfortable with picks. But how do you avoid that awful scraping sound when using the back of your nails to strum? I can't seem to find a way to NOT get that.

[jaxn slim]

for me, it's more about stamina. heavier callouses mean i can play longer without my fingers getting raw.

+1

Plus it makes it easier to really, really dig in to the strings.

[baimun]

UNLJEASH THE FJOOKING CAJLUSES!!!!!

[stinkymommasboy]

I actually have to chew my callouses down no and then.

[Puckman]

I couldn't stop staring at that guy's fretting hand...HOLY CHRIST!

[micwalt]

I don't have visible calluses, but the tips of the fingers of my fretting hand feel like hard plastic.