sweetness Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Last week I cut the tip of my index finger on my fretting hand pretty badly at work. It completely destroyed the callus I had been building for 9 years and now it's just a thin scab right where I fret the strings, it's especially painfull to fret anything on the G, B and high E strings. What really sucks is I'm playing a big show this Saturday that I absolutely don't want to have to drop out of. Has anybody had a similar experience? Are there any methods to padding the wound so it doesn't sting so bad when playing? So far I've been using regular band aids and they work okay, but they leave a sticky residue on the strings that transers to my other finger tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volcano62 Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Get the thin clear band aids. You might have to change it during the show.Too bad it ain't bass...you could have just worn gloves like Duff did when his fingers bled during the UYI tour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Bond Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 For lack of better advice, you might just have to "tough it out" during the show and then take a break from guitar until the cut heals, at which point you should be able to restrengthen the finger slowly but surely.I severely crushed the ring finger of my fretting hand in a garage door when I stupidly grabbed it where it bends to pull it down rather than by the rope and got my finger stuck, crushing the tip. It was literally flat and it took about four months to heal. I had a show the next day so I just simplified my parts so I could play most of them in Drop D with basic power chords and my other guitar player took over all the leads for that particular show (we usually share leads).After that, I took a long break from guitar to let it heal, only playing occasionally for a few things I was obligated to at school. For a while it stopped hurting when I played but I would still get numb so I didn't want to push my luck. Once it totally healed, it didn't take long to build the strength back and I was playing back to my comfortable level in no time at all. Slowly in that four month period it stopped hurting when fretting chords but would still hurt if say I did bends or vibrato. Then slowly that started coming back as well.As annoying and as depressing as the notion of not being able to play for a while is, the good thing is it's not like the other fingers "forget" anything you know when playing, so building the strength up in the one finger happens in know time because that finger already "knows" what it has to do, it just needs to rebuild the strength/callus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wfse Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Pussy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrandyk Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I've never tried it, but super glue. It'll take longer for your finger to heal, but I bet it kills a lot of the pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetness Posted February 13, 2013 Author Share Posted February 13, 2013 (edited) PussyHey now, this actually happened to me one time when I cut he same finger just not nearly as bad. It split open in the middle of our set and I had blood all over the neck of my guitar. metal as fuckAnyway I found these blister bandages that are basically like extra layers of skin. They're smooth so they don't catch on the strings and they stay on pretty well, dampens the sting enough so I can play everying I want to, think I'm in business! Edited February 13, 2013 by sweetness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxlisOld Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I caught a knife across the center my pointer and middle finger several years back. Sliced down to the bone and severed my tendons and nerves. So yes, I have ever cut my hand. I'll upload a pic when I get home from after surgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Can you not like, find some well fitting thimbles, stuff a tiny pinch of cotton wool in em then just tape em to your finger? I broke my ring finger in a car accident once and although i ain't a fuckin'...uh, anything approaching a guitar player i do have one and i did used to try and play Ramones songs for a laugh and anyway, yeah, broke this finger right and i can't use it to like, y'know how sometimes you gotta use a finger to fret like, three strings at once? I can't do it now because the bendy bit below the pad of my ring finger don't bend that little bit that it's supposed to. Bit of a pain really but you can just learn to do it with your pinkie instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyTron Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Can't you just pluck any old combination of strings at random and claim that you're channeling Robin Finck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxlisOld Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Semi graphic. Hand after surgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetness Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 jesus christ i feel pain in my fingers just looking at that, is there any difference in how they bend or did you make a full recovery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxlisOld Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I can bend them and still play guitar (I've adapted) but I can't make a complete fist. I have about a quarter inch before my hand that they stop when I try to bend them in all the way. There's a lot of scar tissue attached to the tendon that impedes movement, but if I really strain and stretch it for like 20 minutes it separates and I can make a (albeit painful) fist. But then when I go to sleep that night it just heals right back the way it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Bond Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Ouch. Definite kudos for re-adapting your playing style afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetness Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Damn, glad to hear you're still able to play. Just curious, how long does something like that take to heal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxlisOld Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Long...I couldn't play guitar for about 2 years, then it took a LONG time for my forearm and finger strength to come back. Had to do daily exercises to keep the scar tissue from completely seizing up my fingers. While it was healing though, I taught myself to play with my right hand with hammer ons. A la Stanley Jordan. Really helps with tapping now. I was so close to stringing all my guitars upside down and learning lefty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyTron Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Long...I couldn't play guitar for about 2 years, then it took a LONG time for my forearm and finger strength to come back. Had to do daily exercises to keep the scar tissue from completely seizing up my fingers.While it was healing though, I taught myself to play with my right hand with hammer ons. A la Stanley Jordan. Really helps with tapping now. I was so close to stringing all my guitars upside down and learning lefty.I know that feeling. I completely severed the flexor tendon at the base of my right thumb and it was about 8 months before I could use the hand for general things like stirring a cup of tea and even longer than that before it was back to being 100% usable. Thankfully though I made a total recovery and it's as if the accident never happened, all these years later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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