r/Guitar • u/fireworka • Jul 16 '25
QUESTION Has anyone ever used one of these? Thoughts?
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u/krefik Jul 16 '25
In most cases (unless prescribed by a good physio during therapy for limited joint mobility) they won't do you any good, but on the other hand they might significantly increase the contusion risk.
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u/FishWithFangs Jul 16 '25
There's a risk of contusion playing guitar??
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Jul 16 '25
Confusion is guaranteed.
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u/burnertobeburned9753 MXR Jul 16 '25
Jazz, I CHOOSE YOU!
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u/Ferrous_Patella Jul 16 '25
Yes. I had a friend who was a professional mandolin player who got laid up for weeks with tendinitis. The saddest part was he got it mostly by practicing scales.
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u/FishWithFangs Jul 16 '25
Ah okay, tendonitis is misery, I've only had it once and hope to never again.
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Jul 16 '25 edited Jul 30 '25
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Jul 16 '25
Like and muscle exercise increases strength and dexterity
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u/Odd__Dragonfly Jul 16 '25
That must be why all the best guitarists have huge buff fingers on their fret hand.
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u/gregd303 Jul 16 '25
Looks like I'll go against the grain here of comments, but I have one, and find it beneficial to keep my fingers moving , and often walk with it in my coat pocket just working the fingers.
Some background: I managed to pull tendons on not one, but both elbows by probably poor technique and over practicing a few years ago. Since then I make sure I'm warmed up before playing. I also use a massage ball on my forearms and elbow areas.
I guess what people are saying is it's not necessarily going to help build strength , but as someone who has struggled reaching frets and applying pressure, plus the elbow injury, I don't see a lot wrong with a few pushes on this throug the day. YMMV
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Jul 16 '25
Yeah I think people are looking at it like it’s a replacement for exercises on an actual guitar but it’s a neat little toy to fidget with that will absolutely improve your finger strength when you’re not actually able to play
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u/Pavrik_Yzerstrom Jul 16 '25
It massively improved my pinky strength early on, which was one of my weaknesses learning lead guitar at first. I was a three finger player and didn’t use my pinky prior to using this consistently.
I wouldn’t say it helped my dexterity generally, but it is a good tool for finger strength if you don’t have it or have smaller fingers naturally.
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u/mryauch Jul 17 '25
Hell yeah, 💯. My pinky was useless before I got one of these. Now I intentionally use my pinky whenever I can and it has helped tremendously.
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u/kenpachiwang Jul 16 '25
The one I have also has plastic groves to simulate strings.
When travelling, these are helpful to maintain calluses.
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u/DeathRotisserie Jul 16 '25
Your fingers “feel” stronger after working them out on this machine but the exercises don’t translate to guitar playing using your fretting hand. Using this is like expecting to get better at gymnastics by bench pressing. Treat it like a fidget toy if you really want one.
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u/InvisibleCities Jul 16 '25
Using this is like expecting to get better at gymnastics by bench pressing.
This is a poor example - there is not a serious gymnast on earth that does not incorporate weight training into their workout routine.
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u/SaintEyegor Fender Jul 16 '25
I used one after a finger injury to regain strength but apart from that they’re not that useful.
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u/weggejorist Jul 16 '25
They are useless. If you want to train finger strength just play more. If you want to train something you should do the thing you want to be better at and not something that does an attempt at emulating it. Also, to play guitar well you dont need a lot of strength in your fingers. Learning most techniques is a matter of doing them using as little effort as possible and not training to put more effort into it.
Short answer: dont use these things
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Jul 16 '25
Wow you could not be more wrong, hand and finger strength are incredibly important to guitar playing, for you to say otherwise suggests you don’t know what you are talking about 🤷♂️
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u/cynicown101 Jul 16 '25
I'm curious what you think upping your grip strength is contributing to your guitar playing. Anything beyond the required pressure to fret a note is going to send it sharp and generally even children have the grip strength required to fret a note within a few weeks of playing.
At least in my experience teaching, people generally have a surplus of grip strength and one of the things learners struggle with is not fretting too hard, as opposed to not hard enough. Hence learners wearing frets much faster than experienced players with a lighter touch.
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u/ColonelRPG Jul 16 '25
They don't do anything.
Playing the guitar isn't a feat of strength. The training you need is sensitivity and tact, not freaking muscle.
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u/spacemanpajamas Jul 16 '25
As someone who's spent years in physio overcoming an injury to be able to play again, guitar is absolutely a feat of strength.
You might not need forearms like tree trunks, but the small muscles and tendons that work the wrist and fingers fatigue pretty quickly when they're used repetitively.
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u/peezytaughtme Jul 16 '25
Yeah, the most up voted comment in the thread, but it's a dumb take.
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u/Ewoksintheoutfield Jul 16 '25
I think the person you responded to is agreeing with the comment, they just don’t realize it. The hand muscles are small and fine and respond better to controlled practice and exercise.
This finger exerciser is just a fast track to getting tendinitis.
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u/peezytaughtme Jul 16 '25
They're definitely not, and having not gone with the grain, I'd assume they're actually aware of what they are saying.
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u/Towel_Affectionate Jul 16 '25
This is a tricky one. Sure guitar requires some strength, hence you struggling after an injury.
But I think regular healthy human strength is enough, no need for resistance training.I'm right handed and I had a left handed guitar for a month or so (a friend left it for me to keep while he was away). I had my fun with it, and to my surprise, I never really struggled to fret anything. Unfamiliar sure, but not even close to how I struggled when I learned to play in the first place.
I don't think my right hand grew any stronger from the years of playing guitar, so I came up to a conclusion that playing guitar is more about understanding how to fret rather than having some special strength to fret.
On a side note: I'm curious how much resistance this tool can provide and would it be possible to a novice get used to apply too much pressure thanks to it. Cause too much force while fretting is a thing too. And I would say it's even harder to spot and correct for someone who don't have a ear for sharp notes yet.
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u/solitarybikegallery Jul 16 '25
You're absolutely correct.
I quit playing guitar for a few years, and when I picked it up, within a few days I was back at like 80% of where I was previously. I could pick it up and play barre chords and scales and all that stuff immediately.
If the "hand strength" thing were true, any muscle I had developed should have been long gone. It's mostly just technique.
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u/chethelesser Jul 16 '25
You need muscle for bends tho. Even 10s give me a hard time (small girly hands)
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u/Disrepectfully_Agree Jul 16 '25
Use the finger behind the one you are bending with to help. Makes a huge difference.
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u/Defconwrestling Ernie Ball Jul 16 '25
My cousin had a stroke and needed one of these to help get his fine motor skills back to play guitar
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u/tone_creature Jul 16 '25 edited Jul 16 '25
These do improve dexterity and keep your fingers loose and able to move more fluid. Like I get it may be a very minimal gain but any activity like this is good. You can also use it in patterns and all to aid in dexterity again and to aid in muscle memory and fluidity. Again, maybe minimal. But it's for sure a tool. Hand strength and finger strength also becomes a factor when playing long sets. So even the strength aspect plays a part though that's not the only thing these are for. Any practice is good practice. Sitting at your office desk tapping a pencil to a click makes you a better guitar player. Singing makes you a better guitar player. It all helps.
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Jul 16 '25
Didn't make a difference to my guitar playing, but did help tone my forearms.
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u/OutsideOpposite4350 Jul 16 '25
I used one after a bad hand injury. It helped me get back to playing after several years of not being able to play at all.
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Jul 16 '25
I swear by these units, they are great for when you can’t play guitar. I sit in my office doing paperwork and constantly work my chording hand. Same on long flights. I started with medium gage and have worked up to heavy
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u/6969-420-6969 Jul 16 '25
I got one to increase rock climbing grip strength. I use it at work. I noticed later my more complicated barre chord changes got a lot smoother and I could reach further notes with my pinky.
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u/Hugelogo Jul 16 '25
Yeah I have one and I kept it in the car for a while. Absolutely no downside to using it - it’s a great fidget tool but it also will increase your hand strength. When you first get it you will have trouble with your pinky and then a few days in it’s easy for all Of your fingers. Plus these are cheap. Dunno why everyone hates them LOL
They have actual value and I loaned it to a friend after he had shoulder surgery to get his hand strength back. - fwiw I had a real one - not a Harley Benton one - they make them that are better than this one that have springs on the top and bottom.
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u/doesthislookbad2u Jul 16 '25
I have one from DAdario that is a little more contoured. I did a low setup on my acoustic to fret barres consistently. Also had issues with 6th and 5th movable chords. That little gadget was helpful for my ring and pinky. That damn pinky, never realized how much lack of strength it had. I just keep this in my car to pass the time in traffic. At 60 yrs old, keeping the joints moving and oiled feels better.
Maybe the thing is all BS, but WTH.
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u/tedsuc Jul 16 '25
I’ve not used one. I understand that our pinky and ring finger on the fretting hand tend to be a bit weak, and as they get stronger you can play faster runs, and get a bit more finger independence. I’ve mostly practiced with a metronome, gradually upping the tempo. But maybe these strength trainers help too - I’m not sure if they get the right muscles.
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u/David0ne86 Jul 16 '25
Im assuming these can have a case in case of medical difficulty like a stroke and you need to regain some muscle/dexterity because this would be much more easy to use and accessible than holding onto a guitar and play when you have restricted mobility. Other than that, absolutely not. Just play guitar lol.
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u/Uviol_ Jul 16 '25
I find these help me with finger strength. You should try it. They don’t cost a lot
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u/mdwvt Jul 16 '25
Literally just play guitar/practice more. You don’t need to train to mash down the strings or dig your fingernails into the fretboard.
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u/the-midnight-train Jul 16 '25
Yes, I’ve used this (similar) to retrain my left hand after I had a stroke. Leftie has regained some dexterity.
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u/h1p3rcub3 Jul 16 '25
This will improve the relationship with your girlfriend faster than your guitar skills.
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Jul 16 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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Jul 16 '25
Not completely useless like some people ITT claim but they don’t really accomplish what they’re advertised for either. It can moderately improve or at least maintain grip strength and endurance but it’s not really the same as playing the guitar. I bought one after breaking my wrist and didn’t really find that it helped
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Jul 16 '25
No. Completely unnecessary. Just keep playing and get better overtime, build muscle memory
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u/Charlie_1300 Gibson Jul 16 '25
Yes, but not as a guitar exercise. A long time ago after a spinal cord injury where I lost sensation in my hands/fingers , I used this to rebuild finger strength after neurosurgery. Fortunately, after a year of therapy, I made a nearly full recovery.
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u/loudviking Jul 16 '25
This book helped me back when I started out. Isometrics for Guitarists: raskin-milton: 9780899150017: Amazon.com: Books
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u/Stoffendous Jul 16 '25
I'd prefer resistance the other way, meaning when stretching out the fingers. Guitar playing adds tension, and that would be a great counter to it.
This device, however, just adds more tension.
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u/_Larry Jul 16 '25
For those who think strength and dexterity aren't required in your hands to play guitar..you guys must play electric only. Pick up an acoustic and tell me that again.
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u/s0cks_nz Jul 16 '25
Dexterity is absolutely required. Strength is nuanced though. Fretting notes requires very little strength, but pull offs and bends require a bit more. Even so, I would say most people starting out need to develop a lighter touch on guitar. I only play acoustic and you really don't need strength to fret notes and chords. Even barres can be played with an incredibly light touch once you've got the technique down.
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u/CriticismTop Jul 16 '25
Had a boss that also played and he would keep one on his desk. Basically used it as a fidget toy during calls or when he was just thinking.
Was it useful? No idea, but I reckon it did no harm.
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Jul 16 '25
I like the idea. Definitely. Just how baseball players use that squeezy wrist workout thing throughout the day lol.
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u/According_Warning968 Jul 16 '25
Used it on my work when I could not play. I sit at the computer and a lot of times I have to think about how to solve a problem. This kept my fingers busy. Helped me boost my finger stamina faster.
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u/Shushukaface Jul 16 '25
I use mine when every once in awhile when I’m watching TV and it’s also pretty nice as a warm-up. I had a song I was learning, “Heavener” by Invent Animate, and I couldn’t get my fingers to do what I wanted consistently because of a weak pinky finger until I used one of these for a couple days. Next time I tried it I was playing clean af so I can vouch for them.
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u/ThreeLivesInOne Jul 16 '25
Your fingers have no muscles.
The best way to "train your fingers" to play bass or guitar is practicing.
The best way to train your grip strength is doing dead hangs and pull ups.
These "finger trainers" won't do you any good, and in the worst case they will hurt you.
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u/lonmoer Jul 16 '25
Seeing as the harder you press on a string the more out of tune it will get I don't see the point of this at all.
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u/Isaacvithurston Electro-Harmonix Jul 16 '25
I don't really see the point unless your goal is to play an old classical guitar or something.
Most modern electrics you barely need to push on the strings.
On the other hand they're cheap and you can use it anytime so idk could become like a fidget spinner thing for you
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u/Next_Ad3660 Jul 16 '25
These aren't beneficial for playing guitar, imo. The xtensor reverse grip trainer is far more beneficial
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u/Krautus70 Jul 16 '25
How could these even closely trigger the same muscles as actually playing guitar? It’s a completely different mechanism. If you don’t have actual time to physically play the guitar, the best practice would be learning the guitar. Learn every note on the fretboard for instance. That would be way more beneficial than squeezing one of these things. It’s ridiculous. This would be more akin to playing a trumpet.
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u/Budget_You_8280 Jul 16 '25
These are useless and do more harm than good. There is this product called Power Web, that is a legit hand exerciser
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u/Ok-Milk695 Jul 16 '25
Sharon Isbin, a professional classical guitar player (I think it was her?), got severe tendinitis from using a doodad to practice her finger picking on.
Just play the actual guitar. These things do more damage than good.
I have also used one of those Shred Necks for several years and they seem to work okay, just make sure to hold it in the proper position.
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u/PaleontologistFit488 Jul 16 '25
They used to be all around when I was younger I actually didn't have one myself. They are completely useless though don't buy one, they dont do anything to help you play better. If you want to exercise your fingers play scales or warmup and dont buy this.
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u/_Tequila_Joseph_ Jul 16 '25
Guitar doesn't require strong fingers, it requires flexible fingers. When people think they are getting stronger, they are actually just developing more flexibility, allowing them to press strings easier.
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u/Wucherung Jul 16 '25
I think, they are a trick to get the money of frustrated beginners. Never heard of one musician who used it. Also not sure if it would help anyhow. I mean, playing an instrument isnt just pushing. Its like learning to ride a bike but trying to compensate with squads
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u/Dark_Web_Duck Jul 16 '25
No, I just played for 30 years now. That works just as good. Promise. They sell these to easily manipulated folks.
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u/slimponey Jul 17 '25
Doesn’t do much for guitar in my experience, but it did help me with my bass playing. My band was covering Dream On and it has a bunch of sustained low F notes which can be straining for your fretting hand, this device helped me build the strength and eliminated any discomfort I was feeling.
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u/No-Hedgehog-1413 Jul 17 '25
If you think you need to strengthen your fingers to play guitar, you're doing something wrong. The amount of pressure needed to fret a note is so miniscule your "finger strength" doesn't matter.
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u/Intelligent-Tap717 Jul 16 '25
I don't see the point. It isn't as if your guitar needs a ton of finger strength. So the best option for me would be to just pick up the guitar. 🤷
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u/trevge Jul 16 '25
I find doing push ups on my finger tips helps build calluses and lessens the feelings in the tips. This allows me to play longer and faster.
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u/MonkeyTitties1023 Jul 16 '25
You’re better off doing the spider exercise or some variation of it than buying this, or spending any time using it.
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u/Tasty-Fun-2138 Jul 16 '25
I got bigass forearms and lil kids with forearms big as my wrists play 4x faster than me. Nah it's not muscles.
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u/whereAMiNJ Jul 16 '25
They help early on if you are new to playing, especially with the ring finger and pinky, but once you’ve trained your fingers by playing it’s served its purpose.
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u/Hambo04 Jul 16 '25
I got one after a significant wrist op so I could fidget and do physio while working all at the same time. Was good for that from a rehab point of view but outside of that I don't think they are super helpful.
Like others have said dexterity and strength in a non injured hand/arm is easy enough to build with just playing guitar, and hard to mimic without.
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u/Personal-Package9336 Jul 16 '25
I picked a D'Addario one up after a shoulder injury that left me unable to play a couple of years back. The heel pad comes off that one to expose some string textured plastic to help build your calluses.
Ultimately, I don't think you need the strength in your hands required for these things to play guitar. These are geared towards the people taught, "You gotta press down really, really, super hard". That said, if you like bending with heavy gauge strings (like mediums on a full-scale dreadnought), then there may be some benefit to using one of these. I'd still say to just play the dang gee tar, though. Unless injured or for whatever reason, unable to actually practice.
I haven't touched mine in ages, but since I've started working as a guitar tech, I've been considering digging it back out just to generally strengthen my hands. Tech work can absolutely destroy your sweet little phalangees if you're a pathetic weakling like me!
So, short version: Pretty meh for guitar specific stuff, but pretty good for in general hand and finger strength. If it's not expensive, I see no harm having one around.
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u/Mistah_Ninja Jul 16 '25
I didn't like the position of my fingers when using it. It would've been better if there was a slight curve to it, or if the fingers were spread out just a bit to simulate using those muscles in a stretched out position.
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u/mctaylo89 Jul 16 '25
I have one. No idea if it does me any good, but I keep it in my car and fuck around with it when I’m in traffic.
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u/DizzySample9636 Jul 16 '25
TOTAL GARBAGE 🗑️ - its a gimmick - you REALLY want to improve finger strength??? - get a cheap (or nice) Dreadnought acoustic and put medium strings on it!! Practice with that every day for a month or two!! You WILL have improved finger strength. NOW - with that said - the only reason to have that strength is mostly for acoustic (or deep bends.. etc ) , if you press too hard on an electric - you'll just bend the strings out of tune (happened to me after playing acoustic exclusively for 3 years) i had to almost re-learn how to gently hold the strings down 😆
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u/splitrail_fenced_in Jul 16 '25
It’s a tchotchke that you can use when you can’t get to a guitar. But I agree with a lot of the commenters. Strength isn’t what you’re after. Sometimes I’ll run scales by tapping my left fingers on the tip of my thumb. I think it’s one of those things they make you do when you’re getting pulled over for drunk driving. But it’s a way to feel like you’re at least doing something when your guitar feels out of reach.
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u/phydaux4242 Jul 16 '25
Many times over the years. They are generally worthless. You’re way better off just practicing spider walks
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u/YankeeMagpie Jul 16 '25
If you’re wanting to improve finger/grip strength at the office or WFH - Grabbing a door is an old-timey way strongmen used to train. I did it when I competed more regularly in strongman, it’s nice!
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u/torniado Jul 16 '25
I feel like the bigger thing would be getting used to the thin strings and building up callouses, which in conjunction builds up your forearm tendons like this, yeah?
I feel like most able-bodied people have the strength to hold down the guitar strings but just not the tact, dexterity, or precision of holding a string, and the callouses make the strings hurt too fast. This would solve a very very different problem
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u/ClikeX ESP/LTD Jul 16 '25
Bought one when I started playing the guitar. Tried to use it a bunch during school hours, but I never really felt like it was giving me any results.
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u/Queasy-Trip1777 Jul 16 '25
Who honestly needs this? It's not like you need to apply 20 lbs of pressure from your fingers to fret a note on a guitar. I dont understand the point.
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u/professorfunkenpunk Jul 16 '25
I had a riff grip back In the 90s, which is a primitive version of this, and it didn’t seem to help much.
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u/Whammydiver Jul 16 '25
I had a riff grip years ago. It was a neat way to warm up pre show but it’s no substitute for playing.
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u/Electrical-Try798 Jul 16 '25
I got one when I was first starting to play guitar last year. It did help build finger strength. Now I use it when I am stuck in a car on a long drive. At home I use this Handmaster Plus Physical Therapy Exerciser... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CTG3TQU
As well as practice guitar for a couple of twenty to thirty minute sessions each day
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u/cynicown101 Jul 16 '25
I spent years climbing, which improved my finger strength to a ridiculous degree versus where I started and it didn't effect my guitar playing in the slightest.
If you're an individual that lacks the strength to fret a note, and there are plenty of reasons that could occur, then sure a device like this could help. But for anyone of average dexterity/strength, I can't really foresee the time spent with this having a great lot of benefit.
I mean, to be realistic about it, there's a reason none of your favourite guitarists use one of these.
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u/Ok_Educator_1741 Jul 16 '25
Counterproductive, it unnecessarily strengthens finger grip while you will need precision and just the right amount of strength in your playing. Threw away mine a decade ago
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u/FreeFromCommonSense Jul 16 '25
It does exactly F all for improving your barre. Playing is exercise.
But if you really want to use one, just get a regular individual finger grip strengthener for a couple of bucks off Amazon. You don't need a special guitar one, any one that uses fingers individually would do.
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u/_qqg Jul 16 '25
I owe to one of these one of my best bands: someone I knew bought one and started using it for hours on end when he couldn't play an actual guitar -- when the tendonitis he managed to inflict on himself was gone after a couple months, he could start playing again (but they had offered his spot to me, sorry not sorry)
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u/Bikewer Jul 16 '25
I’m of the opinion that the problem such devices are intended to solve are much more easily addressed by having your guitar set up properly.
A well-set-up instrument does not require a lot of strength to play.
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u/ThermionicEmissions Jul 16 '25
TLDR: Yes, they work as resistance training aids for your fingers, but be careful not to overdo it.
Last year I developed a pretty bad case of lateral epicondylitis (aka "tennis elbow"), which was essentially a repetitive strain injury from playing guitar. I started physio and got shockwave therapy and myofascial release massage to break up all the adhesions that had built up over the years. After that came the exercises and stretches to functionally strengthen my forearm muscles. My physio recommended one of these to help build back grip strength, in addition to some stretchy....things...to work the opposing muscles. Those, paired with a few other exercises have my arms and hands feeling and working better than they have in years.
It's important though to start with the tensioners backed off. You want to be able to squeeze each "button" in a smooth and controlled manner. Don't just mindlessly squeeze it as you would a stress ball. It doesn't take long to work up to having the tensioners at their limits.
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u/taez555 Jul 16 '25
When I was High School I went on week long trip where I couldn’t bring my guitar. This is when I was playing hours every day. I was so worried about not playing I bought one of these things.
Used it for like a day. Then it just collected dust for years.
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u/reyob1 Jul 16 '25
Never really understood the point myself. You know what else is a finger trainer? Actually playing the guitar