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Anthony S - Posted - 12/24/2024: 18:02:15
new to banjo. New to clawhammer. What is up with my stricking/plucking hand thumb getting a silver blackish coloring after I’ve been practicing for a while. First i thought i might be from the banjo thimble i use but then no, it must be coming from stricking/plucking the 5th string. Is this common? Usual? Am i doing something wrong? Do i have cheap, toxic banjo strings from china or something? See photos. And i see that there is the same silver blackish coloring on the head near where i strike the 5th string. Could it be from my remo fybrskin head? So curious! Is this an occupational hazard? Should i change something? Thank you for any insights.
Eulalie - Posted - 12/24/2024: 18:45:46
Although the thimble may be a contributing factor, I would chalk this up to body chemistry. There was a thread on this site a few weeks ago that had to do with strings that go dead in a very short while, and body chemistry seemed to be the prime factor.
Some people have fingers that perspire when playing an instrument and therefore produce salts that react with the metal of wire strings. The excessive corrosion is a good clue. Also, the thimble may very well be abrading the strings in a manner that reacts with the string material, but I don't think you're using the thimble on the fifth string.
You may just have to wash your hands more frequently when playing to reduce the problem.
Eulalie - Posted - 12/24/2024: 18:47:50
Addendum: I just noticed in the last photo that your banjo fingerboard has a contoured scoop. If your thumb is touching the fingerboard in the scooped area, that could be part of the problem.
Anthony S - Posted - 12/24/2024: 18:56:53
1. Thanks.
2. So is this common?
3. Why would my thumb touching the scooped area be contributing to this? I thought it was just metal skin chemistry? Wood skin chemistry too? (But my thumb really isn’t hitting the scooped area. I’m hardly able to play up by the scoop at all yet.)
4. So the coloring on the head is just from what my thumb picks up from the string and then gets transferred by my thumb to the head?
cow_tools - Posted - 12/24/2024: 20:21:56
This used to happen frequently when I played clawhammer on a banjo with a frosted head. It would even happen after a fresh string change, just as you have said the corrosion transfers and rubs into the head where your thumb contacts under the string, then ends up smearing all over your finger when you play. I used to have to clean my head frequently. I use a renaissance head now which has a smooth and waxy feeling surface and I don't get this anymore.
Texasbanjo - Posted - 12/25/2024: 04:23:26
Dave had a similar problem when he played his Martin acoustic-electric bass. His fingers would turn almost black and the strings would look rusty in just a few days. We figured it was from his body chemistry and whatever was in the air around us. He would wash his hands before practicing and then wipe down the strings afterwards. It continued to do the same thing whether we were at home jammin' or at some festival jammin'.
Eulalie - Posted - 12/25/2024: 04:38:31
quote:
Originally posted by Anthony S
1. Thanks.
2. So is this common?
3. Why would my thumb touching the scooped area be contributing to this? I thought it was just metal skin chemistry? Wood skin chemistry too? (But my thumb really isn’t hitting the scooped area. I’m hardly able to play up by the scoop at all yet.)
4. So the coloring on the head is just from what my thumb picks up from the string and then gets transferred by my thumb to the head?
1. You're welcome.
2. Yes, this condition is quite common, and the best way to deal with the problem is frequent hand-washing and wiping down your strings.
3. If your thumb is touching the (presumably wood) fingerboard, the oils from the wood could be transferred to the skin of your thumb. Of course, this is moot if you are not touching the fingerboard with your thumb.
4. Yes, the discoloring on the head is from the residue transferred by your thumb brushing the head. If it's a synthetic head (not animal skin), you can just wipe the residue on the head with a slightly damp cloth.
5. Happy Christmas.
Anthony S - Posted - 12/25/2024: 06:14:50
Thanks. Merry Christmas.
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