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I've noticed a while back (and wondered) that Paco DL often touches the base of the neck of his guitar with his right hand before playing. I wonder if anybody knows what he's got there. I thought it was some Saint's ornament of somekind that he touches for good luck out of superstition.... Like St-Jude or something. I don't know the Saints much but there are a bunch for different things.
RE: Paco touching his guitar (in reply to Florian)
Is that what it is!!! I thought of it because I had read someone suggesting that. People actually do that!!! wow, in my case, it's not friction that slows me down, it's just being slow. :(
My fingers sometimes have a different feel to them: too dry or sticky -- this never happens at home during normal practice when I can wash my hands -- it usually happens at a gig after carrying a bunch of stuff (gig amp, guitar case) in from the car and setting up. Really puts me off stride when I start playing. Maybe it's starch coming off the cloth cover of the amp or something. Goo from the venue doorknob. Whatever.
A little vaseline (very little) returns my fingers to a consistent, reliable feel.
And no, it doesn't interact with the guitar's finish. Different solvent base.
I have no evidence, but I, like Florian, feel like it does cause the strings to die a bit earlier, which is why I only use it when I have to, but I always keep a bit on the guitar for emergencies. I'd rather waste a set of strings than play badly in front of an audience.
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"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
Posts: 441
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From: San Francisco Bay Area
RE: Paco touching his guitar (in reply to rogeliocan)
When I attended a classical guitar masterclass with Scott Tennant, I also noticed that he had a dab of Vaseline on the upper bout of his guitar (near the neck).
RE: Paco touching his guitar (in reply to davidheis_24)
quote:
vaseline would definetly eat away at french polish cause its made from petroleum
Nope. All my guitars are french polish. No effect at all. A friend of mine spent $15k on a classical Walter and uses vaseline. No problems. I leave a dab tucked into the joint between neck and upper bout for months at a time, and usually replace it with fresh when I notice it beginning to get a bit less fluid.
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"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
RE: Paco touching his guitar (in reply to GuitarVlog)
quote:
attended a classical guitar masterclass with Scott Tennant, I also noticed that he had a dab of Vaseline
I doubt he used a guitar that didn't have a French polish. And I doubt he would use vaseline if it hurt his guitar's finish.
_____________________________
"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area
RE: Paco touching his guitar (in reply to a_arnold)
Tennant's guitar did have French polish (it was a Kenny Hill Signature) and I was surprised that he had Vaseline (or some other lubricant) on it. But then, Scott Tennant can probably afford the refinish work on any of his guitars whenever he wants it.
For players like myself, I would never dream of putting Vaseline on a guitar that had a French Polish finish ... assuming that I even got to the point of buying such a guitar.
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Joined: Feb. 9 2007
From: Paris, France
RE: Paco touching his guitar (in reply to rogeliocan)
Seems like Vicente does it to his Reyes too My teacher also told me to try it... it works wonders but it requires a very precise technique. It actually got me to improve my less than impressive technique quite a bit. I have used it on both a French polish guitar and a normal lacquer one... no damage so far. And in my experience, I agree with Florian... kills strings very quickly!
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is it cause of the blindness thing ? 
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