what do you guys do when playing in humid conditions

[dstroud]

I've found lately at a lot of outdoor gigs and some indoor gigs my strings/hands get sticky and really difficult to slide into notes. the strings almost feel oxidized and sticky, but if I check them later in an air condition environment they feel fine. any suggestions? I was thinking of trying some sort of coated string as I use just regular GHS Boomers. I also heard Jeff Beck uses like baby powder or something, but I would be thinking that would be worse if my hands were sweaty. TIA!

 

[sandman]

something like this maybe?? https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... cant-spray

 

[chunktone]

I've found lately at a lot of outdoor gigs and some indoor gigs my strings/hands get sticky and really difficult to slide into notes. the strings almost feel oxidized and sticky, but if I check them later in an air condition environment they feel fine. any suggestions? I was thinking of trying some sort of coated string as I use just regular GHS Boomers. I also heard Jeff Beck uses like baby powder or something, but I would be thinking that would be worse if my hands were sweaty. TIA!

Other that sweat my ass off, I tend to use my parts caster which has an unfinished roasted maple warmoth neck.

 

[dstroud]

something like this maybe?? https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... cant-spray

right on thanks man! I think I used Fast Fret when I was a kid. I think it wasn't so good but this looks awesome! Will have to give it a go!

I've found lately at a lot of outdoor gigs and some indoor gigs my strings/hands get sticky and really difficult to slide into notes. the strings almost feel oxidized and sticky, but if I check them later in an air condition environment they feel fine. any suggestions? I was thinking of trying some sort of coated string as I use just regular GHS Boomers. I also heard Jeff Beck uses like baby powder or something, but I would be thinking that would be worse if my hands were sweaty. TIA!

Other that sweat my ass off, I tend to use my parts caster which has an unfinished roasted maple warmoth neck.

ahhh, sweating seems to make it worse for me

 

[SpiderWars]

I used Finger Ease on my fretting hand and Gorilla Snot on my right. My pick would get slippery. Don't ever get that stuff on your fretting hand tho!

 

[thiswaythatway]

Tell me about it! I played an outdoor show last month near the ocean from 5:00 -9:00pm. When we started it was hot as hell and as it went on my guitar felt really stiff and I was fighting it all night. Later it felt like the strings were a year old and they were covered in a layer of crud. I should have wiped them down more often and I was going out of tune soo much I wished I had a floyd.

 

[dstroud]

I used Finger Ease on my fretting hand and Gorilla Snot on my right. My pick would get slippery. Don't ever get that stuff on your fretting hand tho!

good advice! never thought of that lol

 

[dstroud]

Tell me about it! I played an outdoor show last month near the ocean from 5:00 -9:00pm. When we started it was hot as hell and as it went on my guitar felt really stiff and I was fighting it all night. Later it felt like the strings were a year old and they were covered in a layer of crud. I should have wiped them down more often and I was going out of tune soo much I wished I had a floyd.

right on man, I used to do these insane gigs at Venice Beach at an open air bar on the boardwalk. we would start at 4pm and play til midnight. that gig would waste a set of strings lol

 

[mchn13]

I use spray on fast fret, finger ease, whatever, and a clean absorbent rag every time I go to practice. I’ve spent many moons practicing in a storage shed in the south, and definitely makes a guitar feel like shit.

 

[GtarLover]

I’m in FL and play in many southern states, outside.
We play straight through quite a bit, meaning no sets...just 90-120 min no breaks.
It’s a bitch...yet as others have mentioned, fast fret spray is great for strings.
I ALWAYS need a towel, for hands and guitar neck. Even with wrist bands on, it’s a challenging thing.
Wipe regularly and tune as well

Also have a Dunlop Pick Holder on the mic stand for when I drop picks.

If playing sets, clean up after each one. Wipe down and spray neck.
My strings don’t last more than 2 shows, ever.
Humidity is the enemy

 

[SpiderWars]

And how could I forget (and Darren you know EXACTLY what I'm referring to!)...what we called; the Steve Vai fan.

 

[GtarLover]

yep...AND THIS ^^
awesome

 

[dstroud]

And how could I forget (and Darren you know EXACTLY what I'm referring to!)...what we called; the Steve Vai fan.

haha I actually thought about a fan for about 2 seconds. Ordered the finger ease instead lol

 

[romanianreaper]

Ugh, I hated playing outside when it was humid. Played a few gigs in Hawaii back in the 90s and had a Gibson SG at the time. Take that Gibson painted neck and mix in humidity and it was like my hand had a set of brakes on it.

 

[SpiderWars]

It was fairly standard for the drummer to have his own fan somewhere back there and after a while I decided F this, I'm getting my own fan too. Many times the beach gigs had a breeze but when it was still it was brutal.

 

[Racerxrated]

Grin and bear it. Not much to do except hope for a breeze lol...played a July 4 street dance 3 yrs straight in a small Wi town from 2011-14..in 14 it was 98 and humid as F&$%. My hands were so damn sticky I felt like I was picking up the guitar for the first time. We recorded part of the night and it wasn't as bad as I thought but I'd never dealt with humidity like that before.

 

[SpiderWars]

Grin and bear it. Not much to do except hope for a breeze lol...played a July 4 street dance 3 yrs straight in a small Wi town from 2011-14..in 14 it was 98 and humid as F&$%. My hands were so damn sticky I felt like I was picking up the guitar for the first time. We recorded part of the night and it wasn't as bad as I thought but I'd never dealt with humidity like that before.

I would probably have done that except in central FL it's like that for 6 months of the year and even sometimes in April and November. It's so bad that one of the worst places to leave your gig guitars is inside the case because they absorb so much moisture your guitar just corrodes inside the case.

 

[PeteLaramee]

Here in the Mid Atlantic the humidity is ridiculous. I too use fast fret and used to use finger ease and I wash my hands (and completely dry them) whenever possible right before going on. The dirt mixed with sweat along with the string crud gets tough to work with. I did 20 minutes at the NY guitar show once and forgot my fast fret...I had just put my left hand in syrup or something like that and couldn't wash my hands. Worse 20 minutes of my life.

 

[Racerxrated]

Grin and bear it. Not much to do except hope for a breeze lol...played a July 4 street dance 3 yrs straight in a small Wi town from 2011-14..in 14 it was 98 and humid as F&$%. My hands were so damn sticky I felt like I was picking up the guitar for the first time. We recorded part of the night and it wasn't as bad as I thought but I'd never dealt with humidity like that before.

I would probably have done that except in central FL it's like that for 6 months of the year and even sometimes in April and November. It's so bad that one of the worst places to leave your gig guitars is inside the case because they absorb so much moisture your guitar just corrodes inside the case.

Ugh. That Sucks. The biggest issue for me was the palm of my left hand, felt like I put stickum on the back of the Charvel pro mod I had at the time. Our drummer always had a fan, I would move back next to him to get part of his fan breeze. They had us on a flatbed trailer, and I also remember the floor moving up/down just enough to freak us out while we were playing....

 

[Racerxrated]

Here in the Mid Atlantic the humidity is ridiculous. I too use fast fret and used to use finger ease and I wash my hands (and completely dry them) whenever possible right before going on. The dirt mixed with sweat along with the string crud gets tough to work with. I did 20 minutes at the NY guitar show once and forgot my fast fret...I had just put my left hand in syrup or something like that and couldn't wash my hands. Worse 20 minutes of my life.

Talk about timing.....