Irritating bright guitar tone

[dogrocketp]

I also wash my hands before the first set and in between sets. I can’t stand a sticky guitar neck.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Mark Letteri describes his fingers as “trebly”.

I would tend to agree with Steve, as me and my Pops/Pops-in-law were playing the same acoustic yesterday and we all had our own tone.

 

[GuitarAddict]

Update.
The moisturiser killed my strings.
I now use baby oil. Okay stop laughing. Seriously, it’s just white mineral oil. Same as string cleaner or lemon oil (lemon oil doesn’t come from lemons it’s just mineral oil with a lemon scent).
So it doesn’t clog my strings or fingerboard. It should actually do the opposite and keep the rosewood in tiptop condition. I use a few drops in one palm. Rub it in all over the hands and fingers. Rinse off with water and dry well. Sorted. No more hard dry skin or harsh tone. And no dead stings after two sessions.
My wife actually noticed how smooth my hands were the other evening too but thats another story not to be told on here.

 

[László]

I now use baby oil. Okay stop laughing. Seriously, it’s just white mineral oil. Same as string cleaner or lemon oil (lemon oil doesn’t come from lemons it’s just mineral oil with a lemon scent).

Actually, lemon oil you buy for guitars isn't mineral oil, like baby oil.

Lemon oil that's sold for guitars is actually naphtha with a scent, i.e. lighter fluid, dry cleaning fluid, etc. Good to clean a fretboard with and wipe off, not so good for hands.

 

[GuitarAddict]

I think it depends on which one you buy. Some fretboard cleaners are more solvent based (naphtha) for cleaning, some are white mineral oil based for more of a preservative / wood conditioner, some have no oil distillates at all and are plant based oils. Takes your pick I guess.
I have a bottle of white mineral oil with no additives which states on the label it is, among other things a wood cleaner and conditioner. It also states it is food grade quality but I wouldn’t want to drink it, I think that’s more for those who use it on their expensive real wood kitchen work tops.
There really isn’t a lot of difference between that and the baby oil, just the baby oil smells nice.
All I know is my guitar tone loses all of that ice-pick tone when my skin is hydrated and the best thing for that, that doesn’t kill my strings is baby oil. I also know that 100% it’s not going to harm the fingerboard, if anything it will help keep the wood in good condition, not that hardly any gets on the guitar anyway as like I said I rinse my hands after application and I don’t apply it everyday, just when we have a cold snap and my poor old aging hands dry out.
Works for me

 

[mixmkr]

I wonder what tone you'll get after going to the bathroom and not washing your hands.

Nobody better say brown sound.

 

[Wyzard]

Tone is in the epidermis.

 

[Bogner]

I Don't Bathe For Weeks On End Before I Play As I Like My Toanz Dirty And Raunchy. When It Comes Time To Boost I Grab A Wet Order Of Hot Wings To Get That Extra Grease And Sizzle Under My Fingers As It Helps Me To Drop The Heat And Fury For My Blazing Solos Which In Turn Eventually Drops All The Hotties Panties.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

I Don't Bathe For Weeks On End Before I Play As I Like My Toanz Dirty And Raunchy. When It Comes Time To Boost I Grab A Wet Order Of Hot Wings To Get That Extra Grease And Sizzle Under My Fingers As It Helps Me To Drop The Heat And Fury For My Blazing Solos Which In Turn Eventually Drops All The Hotties Panties.

Finally SOMEBODY in this thread says something serious! Thank you!

 

[DISTORT6]

Finally SOMEBODY in this thread says something serious! Thank you!

Yup. This place is too witty for its own good.
You can’t even ask a simple question like is Paul related to Dr. Smith from Lost In Space.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

Yup. This place is too witty for its own good.
You can’t even ask a simple question like is Paul related to Dr. Smith from Lost In Space.

I heard he was related to Mr. Hand, from My Favorite Martian

 

[FatFingerBlues]

Yup. This place is too witty for its own good.
You can’t even ask a simple question like is Paul related to Dr. Smith from Lost In Space.

We have to proceed with caution here
We don't want to precipitate a time paradox
Why it could spawn a whole new Star Trek episode

 

[Bogner]

Finally SOMEBODY in this thread says something serious! Thank you!

I Only Speak Serious Truth. Facts Rule...Humor Is Overrated And A Stench In My Very Nostrils.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

.Humor Is Overrated And A Stench In My Very Nostrils.

That’s a whole different lotion. And a pair of rubber gloves.

 

[Bogner]

That’s a whole different lotion. And a pair of rubber gloves.

Your Secret Is Safe With Me.

 

[mixmkr]

Your Secret Is Safe With Me.

why is there a "wood library"?
:-O

 

[FatFingerBlues]

why is there a "wood library"?
:-O

So the Termites can read as they do their business

 

[DISTORT6]

That’s a whole different lotion. And a pair of rubber gloves.

We all need a hobby

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

We all need a hobby

Especially the ones using lotion to cure tone problems! AMIRITE?

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

I will again go "on record" as saying that I believe your left hand has very little IF ANY effect on tone... as long as you're properly fretting the notes played. A fretted note is a fretted note. TONALLY, what happens behind that fret makes no real difference IF PROPERLY fretted. Yes, you can monkey squeeze notes sharp etc., but the dryness of your skin or how boney or chubby your fingers are doesn't make a difference. The tone from that end of the scale comes from the string laying on the fret.

Now, almost EVERYTHING that happens with your right hand affects tone. How hard you pick, where you pick on the string (moving from bridge to 24th fret the tone changes constantly as you move up and down the string), the pick, pick angle and ALL the other factors affect tone. But the left hand... unless you're not fretting notes properly, doesn't affect tone. I've experimented with this on acoustic and electric guitars for years and can't find any difference in TONE from the left hand.