Wedding Ring weighing you down?

[Astro]

I have lost 2 rings. Yes they get in the way for me when I play. And I have trouble wearing it sometimes at work. And if you don't wear it all the time, its hard to get use to it and so I kept fiddling with it. Also, if I have to take something off and on, its inevitable I will loose it.

Now my last replacement ring (ring #3) lives in the drawer and comes out for special occasions. My wife was very understanding and said it didnt bother her. But occasionally when friends brought it up over the years, I sometimes wondered and felt a little guilty.

Now, after 30 years, we're old enough to where its a pretty certain thing that no one is going care, look, or even notice. Its not like some chick at a bar is going to point me out and think hmm, "I wonder if that hunk is taken". Happened only rarely when I was young and semi-hunky.... Zero chance now. When playing out, I've joined the ranks of the invisible. I know my wife feels pretty secure at this stage.

[mingusb1]

Well of course it is (weighing me down).

Now is there a mandolin question here somewhere?!

Z

[jaycat]

Sorry, couldn't resist . . .

[ModalBliss]

Well, my 2 cents... I've been playing guitar for about 20 years. Mandolin for less than a month. But my first love was the violin (played for 4 years longer than guitar). I used to take my rings off for fear I would damage the neck or some random spot on my instruments. Army ring (like a high school ring... heavy... you know...), random other rings. After losing two Army rings, I decided to stop wearing rings altogether.

I got married last week (Friday) and have taught a few days worth of guitar/uke lessons WITH the ring. I love this thing! I was afraid I would feel confined... Nope. But I did get mine a little bigger. (Not on purpose) but I'm still able to reach those extended jazz chords.

[lonestar_shawn]

I recently learned that there are special silicone or rubber wedding rings for people that do Crossfit and other weightlifting. This way they can prevent their nice metal rings from getting scratched up by the weights. That may be an option for someone who wants the symbol but doesn't want the hard metal or weight on their finger. No financial interest on my part, I just thought someone might find it useful:

http://qalo.com

[Dick Hutchings]

Took mine off about 10 years ago when I woke up with a dislocated knuckle. I always hated the feel of it anyway. The same morning it happened, my friend lost his finger when he jumped off of his camper and the ring caugt on something. That was it for me and rings.

[Josh Kaplan]

I'd been waiting for someone to mention the Charley Pride song!

-Josh

[sblock]

Late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon very nearly ripped his finger off (a "ring avulsion") a few weeks ago by tripping and catching his wedding ring on a countertop on the way down. It's all over the news, for example, click here.

He required many hours of advanced micro-surgery to try to save the finger, followed a by a long stay in the intensive care ward, and it's still not clear if they will eventually have to amputate it, or not. Or whether he will ever regain full use of the finger, or not.

This is a cautionary tale that ring avulsion, while rare, is a very real risk of wearing a wedding ring on your finger!! You could lose that finger.

[Maggiemando]

I hadn't heard of that accident! A ring tattoo is starting to sound better and better for all the aforementioned reasons...

[mando on the side]

Sometimes I use it as a slide...it sounds horrible on mandolin but its' quite fun

[derbex]

I got a banjo instead of a wedding ring. Still got the banjo, and the girl.

[jaycat]

I'd been waiting for someone to mention the Charley Pride song!

-Josh

This is actually my favorite version, by my all-time crush, J.C. Lodge:

[mandroid]

I saw One of BB King's Instructional Videos and thought that big gold pinky ring

added mass to set in motion & make that Vibrato .

[terzinator]

When Joan and I married in 1969, I picked out a fairly thick, heavy wedding band. After playing a few years, I found it really handicapped me in moving my fretting hand around, and it felt like a weighty encumbrance on the ring finger. So I went without wearing a wedding ring for probably 25 years.

Then I started to miss having the symbol on my finger, so I went to a local jeweler and got the thinnest gold band in their stock. I keep the original, engraved ring in my jewelry box, and find the "replacement" ring doesn't bother me at all when playing. The ring's loose enough so I can readily remove it, so I don't have the feelings of tightness and restriction I had with the larger ring.

This matches my story, but 1989 instead of 1969.

Oh, and my wife's name isn't Joan.

[Mandolincelli]

Just stay single!
John

...and raise your kids the same way.

[Bertram Henze]

This matches my story, but 1989 instead of 1969.

Oh, and my wife's name isn't Joan.

This, in turn, matches my story. But I never took off the ring (and it would indeed take a bolt cutter to do that today), but I would search the whole of the Shire for it if neccessary.

[andyplaysdrums]

I recently learned that there are special silicone or rubber wedding rings for people that do Crossfit and other weightlifting. This way they can prevent their nice metal rings from getting scratched up by the weights. That may be an option for someone who wants the symbol but doesn't want the hard metal or weight on their finger. No financial interest on my part, I just thought someone might find it useful:

http://qalo.com

My wife and I just got these, as she takes her rings off frequently for any activity that might damage or dirty them, so I got matching ones. We're very happy with them!

Coincidentally, my mandolin journey started as my wedding gift from her. 11 years on, I'm finally getting serious about it (the mandolin!)!

[k0k0peli]

Just stay single!

...and raise your kids the same way.

It's genetic. If your parents didn't have kids, you probably won't either. Right.

[Bertram Henze]

It's genetic. If your parents didn't have kids, you probably won't either. Right.

You still could travel back in time and become your own father or mother (and take your mandolin with you to create a reverse vintage model for yourself). There's nothing technology wouldn't attempt today

[k0k0peli]

You still could travel back in time and become your own father or mother (and take your mandolin with you to create a reverse vintage model for yourself). There's nothing technology wouldn't attempt today

I have proof that reverse-time-travel by humans is impossible. Why? Because people *uck-up stuff. If humans could travel back in time, eventually someone would visit The Big Bang -- and *uck it up. If that had happened, nothing would be here now. The very existence of our universe proves my assertion, Q.E.D. Too bad -- I'd like to go back to nab a few vintage instruments. And an Ermanox. Oh, I would almost *murder* for an Ermanox!

[fatt-dad]

I love wearing rings and never take off my wedding ring. I have a MUCH bigger ring on my right hand. I mean just the stone is over an inch long and with setting it's about 1-3/8ths.

I have other obsticles to better playing. I guess that's how I see it. . .

f-d

[Bertram Henze]

I have proof that reverse-time-travel by humans is impossible.

I have proof that reverse-time-travel by humans has already happened.