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Just got a new Eastman Ar805CE yesterday. What a beauty!
It kills me to put 10's on it but that is as heavy as I can go and still play.
I tried some TI Bebops 11-47 but even those hurt.
Fortunatley it's a pretty light top and it still sounds good but 12's would be better.
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07-07-2009 09:21 AM
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how do you mean they hurt? fingertips?
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No sorry, I've had an arthritic condition called Polymialgia Rheumatica.
Originally Posted by csoul
Tendons are in a constantly inflamed state. Had one Carpal Tunnel surgery
already.
Just trying to maintain and play pain free without doing additional damage.
Light strings and a low acion make it possible.
Just curious if any others.
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it sounds bad, hope you get better. is the condition you have due to overplaying or it is something that you just get for no reasons?
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It's genetic..unfortunatley it's not something I will get over. I am just trying to keep playing and have been blessed to be able to continue with a few tricks like light strings. Originally Posted by fast1
it sounds bad, hope you get better. is the condition you have due to overplaying or it is something that you just get for no reasons?
Lots of folks have worse stuff. I'm a happy guy just curious if others are dealing with medical issues and how it affects their playing.
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I still use the 13's but I've had to lower the action. I have arthritis in my left hand also but it's osteoarthritis and no where as severe as your condition. I don't know how long it will be before I have to drop my string gauge but I can feel myself getting close. On days where the weather is not so good, my pinky gets awfully sloppy catching its notes. I also get increased cramps in my hand.
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Didn't Django use the lightest strings and the heaviest picks?
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It's more of a condition than a medical issue, but I'm looking for an 18inch archtop. I figure it'll make my beer belly look smaller
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I was diagnosed with Focal Dystonia in my right hand, but to be honest, I'm starting to think it's a wrong diagnosis. I can't play fingerstyle anymore, although if I don't pick up the guitar for a couple of weeks, I'm able to play fingerstyle for a while, as long as I don't overdue it. I now have to use a Herco thumbpick and even then, I have to be careful not to overdue it. Originally Posted by jazzrat
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I have a touch of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the left hand and struggled for a long while. Found that changing my playing position virtually eliminated all pain. My solution was to always wear a strap which supports the Guitar in a far more vertical position sitting between my legs sort of classical style.. this resulted in my wrist remaining straight and inline with my forearm when playing.. the relief on the wrist and disappearance of cramps running up my thumb etc was immediate.
And yes Big Daddy the 18" hides the beer gut really well.
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Yeah, I hope I'm not being a Jazz snob, but there's some things a Les Paul just can't do Originally Posted by MikeJ
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plugged in, the difference between .11's and a lot heavier strings is minimal.
i don't play .11's for medical reasons, but i bet i have less "medical reasons" in the future because i do!
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you should really look into natural health supplements. i work at a health food store we sell supplements, gmo free produce, and natural groceries. to help and prevent arthritus you can take fish oil supplements. these are very good for the muscles in your hands and the fat in your brain, since your brain is made up of 75 percent fat. if its your joints you can take something called glucosamine and chondroitin but the fish oil is fantastic for your health any way. We have a few guitar players that take these supplements and it has worked well for them, i also take them.
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Now that is interesting. I've been playing on and off for about 40 years, and started off with something like 8 gauge when I was a kid. Thought it was clever to do this. Anyway, a few years ago I went from 11's to 12's on my LP-scale electric and currently prefer the feel of 13's. Your comments give me food for thought. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
I don't know about that minimal difference you're talking about; I certainly feel the difference, and that ultimately comes through in some way in the amplified sound. Not that I have any complaints about your particular sound, from what I remember
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I'm with ya. Lots of good omega 3's, MSM, Chondritin, Glucosamine, plus good vits and trace minerals. I take all the good stuff and believe I'd be in worse shape if I did not. Originally Posted by vix9
They tell me that the condition is rooted in the fact that I have no immune system so I try and boost that also with good probiotics.
Unfortunately the pain and stiffness is an ongoing thing.
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Jazzrat-
Have you tried shorter scale length guitars? I have some arthritis, tendonitis, etc, and I find that the string tension is the biggest killer for me. I don't know what the scale is on the Eastman, but you may want to seek out a 23" or 24" guitar and see if it helps.
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I've not tried anything shorter than 24.75". The Eastman is 25" Originally Posted by JohnRosett
As long as I use 10's on my jazz guitars and 9' on my strats I'm good.
I have found a fatter neck is a help as the web between thumb and 1st finger is in contact with the neck rather than the classical thumb/arched fingers thing.
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The classic short scale is the Byrdland (23 1/2 inch scale), although I've heard that some people find the neck too narrow at the nut, or too thin. Originally Posted by JohnRosett
An alternative is to tune your own guitar down a half-step and put a capo on the first fret -- viola! 23 1/2 inch scale! Of course, some idiot put all the fret marks in the wrong places
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Hi.
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Oh no. I know they called me fathead but I never thought it was true Originally Posted by vix9
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I have been playing for less than a year. The end joint on my pinky has problems. May be both arthritis and Mallet finger (broken tendon). I made a small padded aluminum brace that i tape on when playing. This helps but the joint stays inflamed if I play more than an hour or two per day. When it gets real bad I take a day off or play with the other three fingers. for me chords don't bother it so much it's when I stretch out the pinky reaching that really beats it up. I'm currently trying capsican lotion and ibuprofen to see if that helps. I use heavy strings but I try to use a lite touch.
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At the risk of turning this into a senior's chat room, I,m tempted to jump in on this one. I have arthritis in the left pinky 1st joint and in my right thumb wrist joint form 45 years of fingerstyle, chord melody jazz. I have found it tolerable most days ( depending on the humidity ) to get by with 9's compensated by the reduced brightness of fingerstyle vs. picks and taking the supplements mentioned above, i.e., Omega 3 and MSM & Gluc.
I also try to regularly do the physical therapy stretches recommended by the several P.T., O.T. and message therapists I've gone to in the past.
Just trying not to loose any more ground at this point.
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I wonder If La.Bell Black nylon flats would be easier on the hands?
Does anybody here have any experience?..LG.
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Hi,
I was diagnosed with CTS in my left hand a couple of years back. The best advice I received was: If you must practice for an hour a day, do it in four '15 minute' sessions with a rest in between. Now I try to discipline myself to practice this way and leave my guitar alone completely maybe one day in 3. All of this goes out of the window for Live performances though. Probably none of this applies to arthritic conditions, I don't know - but this approach to practising certainly helped me. I found the following site a very useful resource:
Search this Web Site
cheers
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Hi. thanks for that. My problem got worse when I changed to heavier gauge strings, La Bella 15-56 flats,that's why I mentioned the black nylon's. I'm reluctant to drop my string gauge--the 15's sound so great,
but I may have to, but to what?..LG.
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