“Dry Hands” What can I do

Larry Ball · From: Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

I have researched the archives and found little info on the subject. I am working with a group that is playing a lot of songs that requires “Hammer Ons and Pull Offs”. The weight of the bar is not the problem, it is trying to hold on to it doing a “Pull Off”. I find as the gig wears on my hands warm up and it is easier to control however the “Bands” opening set requires lifting the bar. During setup etc especially in summer months my hands are fairly warm so it helps but winter months are a bearcat for dry skin types. I don’t like rubbing my hands with creams and then tying to hold the bar.. I use moisturizing creams later .

This post my sound a bit off centre but it is a problem associated with playing a Steel.

Thx

Larry
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Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

Larry, I do have the same problem from time to time. I use moisturizing creams alot, but just before I play, I'm like you, I don't like the cream feeling on my hands, and I don't want to get it on my bar, picks, or strings. But I get dry hands all the time-the creams do help. I tend to wet my bar hand with water and dry it off just before I play. Do the same with the finger picks, but with the finger picks, I use my saliva-spit for the fingers-it does seem to weld my finger picks to my fingers.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Not miracle solutions but there are several polymer-type bars out there. Among them is the Clinesmith (that I've not tried) and a Telonics bar that I may be mislabeling as polymer -- it may be a bakelite sort of material. Which may be a polymer. I haven't a clue. Anyway, they are grippier than steel (or my #1 bars, Zircs). I've got a Telonics. It sacrifices a small amount of tonal shimmer but it feels a little less slippery, both summer (wet) and winter (dry).

Larry Ball · From: Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

Duane

I use Silva-Spit also which glues my finger picks on, I also try to spit on my left hand which helps.. I just try to hide that event from on lookers who would think that is a bit gross to be doing on stage.. Although I saw the “Late Great “ Buddy Emmons do it on stage in a video I was watching but that was at a Steel Guitar Convention. I only play with BJS Bars so I guess that will have to do…
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Bob Blair · From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

I do find the Clinesmith bars (and a couple of old Tribotones that they replaced) are a bit easier to hang onto. I like them quite a lot, but I like chrome bars like the BJS also. Having humidifiers where I sleep and where I do most of my playing at home seems to help a bit. Winters in Central Alberta get real dry - the colder it gets the dryer it gets. This year it's not been very cold so far. I play a lot of dobro as well as pedal steel and reverse slants with dry hands are a good way to send you bar flying. One thing I discovered by accident was that if I peeled a mandarin orange it made things less slippery - make of that what you will!

Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

Larry:
I think wetting my fingertips with my mouth silva is kinda bad hygiene. Being a clean freak, aways washing my hands and using hand sanitizers, I still do it. I seen Emmons do it several times, over a period of two or three Scotty shows, so that's why I started doing it. It's strange, and I tend to lean over and turn my body from the crowd, so they won't see. That's weird too, I guess.

Brian Lee · From: Washington, USA

I've had the exact same problem! Glad I'm not the only one. My hands have always been dry. It's great for regular guitar because my strings last a long time, but for holding on to the bar it's a real drag. I've only been playing pedal steel with a conventional round bar for about a year, so I'm still a real novice. I started with a 7/8" BJS bar, and have fairly large hands. It's beautiful, but I had a heck of a time doing pull offs with that bar, just a you describe. It seemed like the contact point of my fingers along the sides was even with the center of the bar so I couldn't get much purchase on it. I tried another brand 1" steel bar that I had around, but it's heavier than I like in general, and even though my fingers fit under the sides enough to get a better grip the extra weight worked against the better grip- so it was still hard to do pull offs. I made a 1' diameter bar with the center bored out to cut the weight down to about the same as the 7/8" bar and it has worked much better - haven't dropped it since. It's not as nice as a BJS, so I'll probably get one of their 1" lite bars when they are back in stock. The larger diameter with weight comparable to a 7/8" made a big difference for me.
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Brian Spratt · From: Oklahoma, USA

John Hyland · From: South Australia

There is always the Dobro style bar option similar to what Robert Randolph uses.
https://stringsbypost.com.au/product/shubb-pearse-sp1-steel-slide-bar-81mm/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqqavrpHCgwMVualmAh11pQDkEAQYAyABEgJp1_D_BwE

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

There was someone making a bullet nose bar called a John Huey bar that has some weight drilled out of the center.

Raybob Bowman · From: S. Lake Tahoe, CA, USA

Coconut oil is best thing I've found for anything skin related.
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Andrew Frost · From: Toronto, Ontario

Vaseline and toothpaste.

This mixture is also a good emergency studio trick if you need to 'age' a replacement flatwound bass string in a hurry...

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

Washing dishes with dish wash soaps that cuts grease good will wreck your hands, Use Playtex/Rubber gloves.

Since COVID hit, Using the hand sanitizers with an alcohol base, Will dry your hands too.

Growing up on a farm milking cows. I still use Bag Balm when my hands get dry.

Ron Funk · From: Ballwin, Missouri

Larry Ball -

"Way back in the day" Emmons Guitar Company sold a small spray can of 'Rosinit' which, when sprayed on the underside of your index and middle fingers, allowed your extended fingers to literally raise the bar up from the strings, but still allowed your extended fingers and bar to provide great vibrato.

'Rosinit' was great for doing pull offs - and also really helpful when playing outdoor gigs on hot summer (sweaty) days....

I'm interested in finding a similar product currently available.

Anyone know of something currently avaiable?

Thanks,
Ron

Tony Dingus · From: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA

I have the same problem so I keep a damp rag or a small spray bottle to keep my hands damp. Works for me.

Tony

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