dhanners623 Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 So here's a new one for me. For the past month or so, I've had a couple of oval-shaped red marks or welts on the inside of my left forearm. They are roughly 2.5x1 cm, and there's a small gap between them. (I'd post a photo but I don't want to gross people out....) None of the over-the-counter creams I've bought at the pharmacy seem to work. I was at a loss for what caused them and a couple of nights ago my wife said, "It's probably the guitar." I pooh-poohed the idea; I've played lots of different guitars since the 1970s and I've never had anything like this. But then I picked up the J-35 and held it as I normally do when sitting and, sure enough, the welts appear where I drape my left arm (I'm a lefty) over the lower bout of the guitar. The innermost welt is where my arm has the most contact with the side, and the other welt is where it has the most contact with the top. The gap between the welts is exactly where my arm drapes over the side binding. I examined the area on the guitar closely and nothing seems out of order to the naked eye. There is one very fine finish crack on the top where my arm regularly rests. It's a Gibson, and finish cracks come with the turf, so that's no big deal. But I'm wondering if I'm having an allergic reaction to whatever finish Gibson is using now. I've owned Gibsons in the past and never had this. I own (and have owned) guitars with nitro finishes and never had this. I got the guitar this summer while back in the U.S., and it has adjusted well to Kuwait. I play it a lot. I usually wear short sleeves. Anyone have any similar issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I'd get a red mark on my inner forearm where it hits the sharpish edge of the binding. I'm in Ireland so short sleeves aren't really an everyday garment . When I first got the guitar it was much worse than it is now , may be the lacquer hardening off (the hazing on the top was worse then than now also ) May be that I just moved my position down to being uncomfortable kinda subconsciously The marks on my skin weren't permanent and would disappear shortly after playing , but I thought it was a lot to do with the 'stickiness' especially the skin on that particular part of the body is pretty soft Play it with a long sleeve for a while and see if the marks vanish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted December 21, 2016 Author Share Posted December 21, 2016 I'd get a red mark on my inner forearm where it hits the sharpish edge of the binding. I'm in Ireland so short sleeves aren't really an everyday garment . When I first got the guitar it was much worse than it is now , may be the lacquer hardening off (the hazing on the top was worse then than now also ) May be that I just moved my position down to being uncomfortable kinda subconsciously The marks on my skin weren't permanent and would disappear shortly after playing , but I thought it was a lot to do with the 'stickiness' especially the skin on that particular part of the body is pretty soft Play it with a long sleeve for a while and see if the marks vanish Yeah, I play mostly in short sleeves. I will have to change that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I think it's the stickiness It is almost a burn isn't it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 You could get one of those acoustic guitar armrests..... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 My guess would be a sort of chemical burn 'cause the finish hasn't totally cured as yet. Isn't Gibson using some new kind of component in their lacquer lately? I get allergic skin reactions to different stuff all the time - a real pain (sometimes literally) and a nuisance. Long sleeves are one of my best friends! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 My guess would be a sort of chemical burn 'cause the finish hasn't totally cured as yet. Isn't Gibson using some new kind of component in their lacquer lately? I get allergic skin reactions to different stuff all the time - a real pain (sometimes literally) and a nuisance. Long sleeves are one of my best friends! Well my guitar is 2006 so that's not recent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted December 21, 2016 Author Share Posted December 21, 2016 It's a 2016 guitar and the production number dates to late April of this year. When the finish was sprayed on is anybody's guess. How long before it fully cures? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Like I say mine is 2006 , doesn't bother me so much now . I'm assuming that the guy I got it from didn't play it much , which he hinted at , but they all say that don't they . He kept it in a case. I keep mine on a stand and I think that me playing it and 'polishing' it while doing so has helped with the issue. No way of knowing unless you do a controlled experiment with two guitars really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Being old, '06 seems pretty recent to me, although, of course, it really isn't. Same with automobiles - my '01 truck acts lots older than I foolishly expect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Yeah, I play mostly in short sleeves. I will have to change that. I always wear a long-sleeve cotton T-shirt when I play, both to protect the guitar finish from my skin, and to protect my arm a bit from the guitar. I still have red welts on the inside of my right arm (I'm a righty) where it rests on the guitar for about a half hour after I finish playing. That's pretty normal for me, but I have hypersensitive skin. In my case, it's not the guitar's finish. It's just the pressure of the guitar against my skin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Have you been using a different polish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbpark Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Pictures could help. For all we know you could have something that has absolutely nothing to do with the guitar. Let's see what it looks like. Maybe a quick trip to your PCP would get to the bottom of it, instead of coming to a guitar internet forum to diagnose a possible medical-realted issue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 If I were me, I'd get a magnifying glass and a flashlight and look for any little puncture marks, like you get from a bite, though those usually disappear after a couple of days unless there's an infection below. Does it / did it feel swollen like a bite? Shape ? Roundish like a bite, or irregularly shaped with faded borders like a rash? We all have different mixes of body and skin chemistry, and it changes at times with diet, meds, etc. BBG's Long Sleeve Shirt is your first step. A nice, cold Long Neck Bottle applied regularly might be the second. G'Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 have you seen these? I have a few, I use them in the warm weather months. helps to not only keep my arm moving freely as needed, it also helps to avoid ghosting where the oils from your skin will leave residue on finish. "Guitar Sleeve" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I think Gearbasher could be on to something. The polish could be the culprit. Try cleaning the area in question with a damp cotton cloth and wipe it well. See if your arm improves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I literally know virtually absolutely everything about guitars. But I do not give medical advice, that's what doctor forums are for, and I suggest you find one soon. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I literally know virtually absolutely everything about guitars. But I do not give medical advice, that's what doctor forums are for, and I suggest you find one soon. rct What do you know re. "modesty"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 What do you know re. "modesty"? Probably more than you know re: "comedy". rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 No guitar leaves the factory before the finish hasn't cured, otherwise the finish would smear all over the place or leave imprints and be ruined, so the culprit is probably the polish or some substance currently lingering on top of the guitar. I'd wipe off the guitar with a clean linen towel and perhaps work in some polish you know you aren't allergic to and see if that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Have you been using a different polish? It's not a polish issue as I never polish mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I literally know virtually absolutely everything about guitars. But I do not give medical advice, that's what doctor forums are for, and I suggest you find one soon. rct Ron if you could only move into inner-net psycho therapy.. why... you'd be a legend in your own mind! LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted December 21, 2016 Author Share Posted December 21, 2016 I use Trick Guitar Polish, which the guys at Hoffman Guitars in Minneapolis (my regular shop) recommended; I've been following their advice for over two decades. But I last polished the guitar a couple of months ago, maybe a month or so before the welts started. The more I think of it, the more I believe it is a contact issue. I've been using a prescription-only cream (one of the weird things about living in Kuwait is that most pharmacies will sell you prescription-only medicines without a prescription) and the welts diminish for awhile but come back. I think it is the repeated contact that prevents them from disappearing. I play for a couple of hours (or more) each day. The welts don't change in size and, as I said, the line of unaffected skin between them is exactly where the arm rests on the binding. I'll start playing in long sleeves or I'll drape a polishing cloth over the area when I play, and report back in a week or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbpark Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 have you seen these? I have a few, I use them in the warm weather months. helps to not only keep my arm moving freely as needed, it also helps to avoid ghosting where the oils from your skin will leave residue on finish. "Guitar Sleeve" I'm sorry, but a "guitar sleeve"? Really? That's lame. All this talk about sleeves and polishes and people worried that much about their guitars. I just play mine. Hot them with polish MAYBE once a year, if that. More time playing, less time polishing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I'm sorry, but a "guitar sleeve"? Really? That's lame. You can do the same thing by taking a long tube sock and cutting the toe end out of it, then slipping it over your arm. Works a treat. I think tpbiii does that. You would too if you were playing a 1937 Martin 'bone, or a 1936 AJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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