Question Concerning Callouses

[kwakatak]

I remember when I first started playing my callouses would be really thick and dry and flake off. At the time I was using medium-guage strings and I was keeping them on both my electric and acoustic guitars waaay too long.

That was years ago and now my callouses have healed but strangely enough it doesn't hurt when I play. I now use light gauge coated strings on my acoustic and heavy gauge on my Strat. In all fairness the acoustic gets much more play time.

Is this normal? Has my skin adjusted to the stress or am I doing something right by being more discriminating with my choice of strings?  

[TaylorFishin']

Neil,

My finger tips have NEVER calloused! I have played on and off for 25 years.
They are as tuff as a cheap steak and rarely if ever get sore. Only those marathon weekends, where you jam for two straight days non stop, do they get sore. Most of those years were on electric guitars but the last 6 or 7 have been almost all Acoustic playing. They still have never calloused.

Normal?? Who knows what normal is. I think maybe your skin does adjust over time.

Scott

[tim farney]

I remember when I first started playing my callouses would be really thick and dry and flake off. At the time I was using medium-guage strings and I was keeping them on both my electric and acoustic guitars waaay too long.

That was years ago and now my callouses have healed but strangely enough it doesn't hurt when I play. I now use light gauge coated strings on my acoustic and heavy gauge on my Strat. In all fairness the acoustic gets much more play time.

Is this normal? Has my skin adjusted to the stress or am I doing something right by being more discriminating with my choice of strings?

Neil, I think it's the coated strings. I'm experiencing the same thing. I don't use anythig but nanowebs, and when I'm playing a lot my fingertips get tough and thick, but the never get the visible, white, peeling, flaking callous that they used to years ago.

Tim

[kwakatak]

Thanks TIm and Scott! I hadn't considered that.

For years I have played the same guitar, never changed the strings frequently and even never had it set up by a professional until recently. Back in my teens I was playing LOT more often and played longer songs too. For example, I used to tear my fingers up and cramp up my hands on an extended version of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"

Now I switched to coated strings, had my guitar set up so the action's lower after having a new saddle installed and I'm playing more mellow fingerstyle-esque music. Recently I tried Martin SP Bronzes, but I didn't like them nearly as much as the coated strings - my fingers were starting to get that old-penny copper smell. Now I'm back with the Polys and happy again.

[Ratishna]

People all have different types of skin that respond to damage (yes, guitar playing can cause skin trauma especially when starting out).  Some develop thick callouses, others little.  Your finger are what's best for you.

E. Shoaf