Rubber Thimbles for Playing Guitar?

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I’ve actually been planning to ask this question for weeks, but Justin’s latest video was all about using the correct pressure, so that was the kick I needed. When I play acoustic, I just cannot combat string buzz. I’ve been playing acoustic for years, but have never progressed beyond cowboy chords as even they are a hot buzzing mess. Forget about barre chords. (Everything is much better on electric, but no fun to sing along to that with friends).

My fretting hand is somewhat deformed: when bent, all fingers converge on a point at the base of my thumb so I have extremely limited reach, and the angle my finger contacts the fretboard is bad. So getting finger placement optimal–right near the fret–is problematic. If I’m trying to do a clean take, I end up holding my guitar like a rifle (arm along the neck) to create the necessary positions and also get a more perpendicular contact angle (which reduces the force you need to generate, yay physics).

But what’s worse is my fingers are made from mashed potatoes. It’s all bone and loose skin, no meat. I have to press down to the bone to stop the string from buzzing. Seriously, I did Justin’s test in the video, but I knew the result beforehand. If my fingers have not turned white from the pressure, the string will buzz. I have not developed any callouses, instead I have developed grooves in my finger tips. Is there any product like durable rubber thimble I could put on my fingers to make this problem go away once and for all? Google always gives me AliExpress junk that looks unsuitable. I’m tired of listening to string buzz and need a solution. Does anyone have personal experience with such products?

Thanks for any help.

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Have you tried going one string gauge lower on your acoustic guitar ? Like going from light string to extra light string ? It does make a huge difference on the tension that you need to apply. And most likely get your guitar action setup with those lighter strings.

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Thanks, but that’s the same junk as on Ali. Protects finger pads, not tips. You go right thru those holes in no time! Also weird texture.

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I effectively dropped a gauge, I use Eb standard and capo up to E if I want E. That takes quite a lot off the scale length, hence tension.

I do my own setups, even on acoustic. I now have several saddles I can use depending whether I want to strum harder or softer, but I find keeping the action low with not too much neck relief is the best balance. Higher action will buzz less assuming I can actually hold down the string, but I can’t for long, so it doesn’t.

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I should also say it’s already a small guitar and extra light is what, 12 gauge? I use 12, but I’m down tuned to make the string easier to push. (I use 8 and 9 on electric depending on how I’ve tuned the guitar). I’d send a picture of my finger tips if I could do it without posting my fingerprints to the web. It’s bad. Think reverse callouses—callouses that make it harder to play, not easier. But not callouses, probably total breakdown of the collagen.

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What’s the scale length? Small body is irrelevant. I use 10s on my Taylor.

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Have you tried a nylon string guitar?

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12 are usually Light string for an acoustic. Extra light is 10.

The reason why I’m recommending that is that I noticed a huge difference going from 12s to 10s on an acoustic. I don’t have finger tips issue, but the guitar had some buzzs due to neck issues. And the 10s make the playability quite similar to an electric guitar, it’s definitely a different instrument with 10s.

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I’m not familiar with the rubber thimbles. :frowning:

But, if you feel more confortable on the electric, maybe you could buy a small portable amp to play with your friends. Most of the time thoses amps play at low volume and they are battery powered. Something like the Yamaha thr5, the spark mini or the spark go. You can even get a wireless adapter.

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depending on the guitar and setup of the guitar, lighter strings can induce buzzing. I have a parlor guitar that’s great with 11s, but on 10s it buzzes.

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A parlor is a short scale usually.

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I have a GS mini sized Takamine. Tension wise, it plays just like my full scale electric, with the added benefit that the shorter scale needs less reach. Scale length makes all the difference.

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Quick question: have you taken your accoustic to a luthier yet?
I’m thinking about string height here. If you say that this problem doesn’t occur on an electric (which has a different setup), than maybe this could help.
If you haven’t already, take it to a luthier, explain your problem and hear if there’s anything that could be done.
I’m afraid that rubber thimbles only will make things worse.

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Hi Paul,

have you pondered to also seek some medical advice on your finger/skin condition, in case you haven’t done already? Or something like physical therapy to help your finger stretch a little.
I also don’t have any clue about rubber cups for your fingers, though. I’m with Mathieu @math07 and would try really light strings (10s) on your acoustic, too. Also the idea of Nylon strings from Chris @chris_m might be worth a try. But definitely try before buying it, as nylon stringed guitars play and feel totally different from steel string acoustics.

If all of this won’t work, you might stick to the electric guitars mainly. There are some “hybrid” options like acoustasonic guitars that play more like an electric guitar, but can also be played without an amp, I assume. Rogier @roger_holland owns such a guitar and might give a clue on that.

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Hi Paul,
A couple of thoughts from the sublime to the ridiculous… take your pick :wink:

You mentioned having this problem back in Nov '24 in a reply to someone else’s problem:

Are you pressing the string at the right place- right up as close to the fret as you can get? Even the lightest of pressure on the string should move it downwards. It only has to touch the fret (metal), and the string should never be pushed down to the fretboard (wood). If it does, you will be out of tune (sharp). Most beginners press far too hard and often away from the fret.

Slide guitar!
bottlenecks don’t groove :wink:

If you do pursue the rubber caps route, go for black caps, and let me know how you get on. I could do with another verse :rofl:

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Hi Brian, yes I’ve had this problem for a long time. It’s only gotten worse–more permanent. Am I pressing in the right place? When I can, I do.

I have extremely little reach with my fingers. When they support each other, they look almost like a normal fist. I lived 50+ years before noticing there was a problem (learning guitar showed it to me). When I move my fingers independently as one does with guitar, their true plane of motion is revealed:

hand 1
hand 1640×790 462 KB

Even if I grab my pinky and forcibly pull it to the right, it will not move more than 1 cm (the width of my middle finger). Something will break beyond that. It’s a bone structure problem, not a soft-tissue or flexibility problem.

The ring finger fares a little better, so to play a D or Dm for example, I place the ring finger first, lock it down hard then move my hand to try to get some stretch to land the index and middle in the right place. In so doing the ring finger is mostly up against the fret where it belongs, assuming it doesn’t slip on the unwound string and slide to the wrong side of the fret (which it often does). Orienting my arm along the neck rather than perpendicular to the neck also helps.

But as to the specific problem at hand (ha ha!), I suppose a side view won’t reveal my fingerprints online.

finger 1
finger 11878×1911 109 KB

You say only the lightest touch is needed. Sure, but try pushing on a guitar string with a mashed potato. I didn’t use that analogy lightly. My fingers are like mashed potato covering bone. If I press them now, with another finger, they dent and stay dented.

So when playing guitar, if I press hard enough eventually the string goes down, because my bones aren’t mashed potatoes. I’ve tried taping my fingers with some success, but it’s a lot of friction to just picking up my guitar and practicing, so 99% of the time I do not tape and just live with the shitty buzzing of improperly depressed strings. Unfortunately, my wife also has to live with the shitting buzzing which tends to reduce available practice time :slight_smile:

Surely I am not the only one with this problem. I know I’m super special, but didn’t think I was THAT special. :rofl:

If I find any black caps I’ll let you know. :rofl:

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To shorten the scale length I down tune to Eb standard and leave a capo on 1. It’s cheaper than a new guitar. This makes the scale length ~23.75 inches, ~63 mm.

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Yes. Rather than buy a new guitar I’ve tried various adaptations like tuning to Eb then leaving a capo on 1 (reduces the scale length by the length of the longest fret). Also tried tuning to D standard and leaving a capo on 2 but didn’t like it, can’t recall why. I settled on Eb for this guitar so long ago already …

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I heartily concur, but with one condition:
  That it is a good luthier.
Ask a guitar playing friend whom you trust, and ask them to suggest a good luthier.

First luthier I went to got a bit better. 2nd time (because I wasn’t satisfied with the first’s job), and playability went way up.