D’Addario Varigrip Hand Exerciser–Improve Dexterity and Strength in Fingers, Hands, Forearms- Adjust Tension Per Finger– Simulated Strings Help Develop Calluses- Comfortable Conditioning

I own a Blue (light tension) Grip Master and a Planet Waves Varigrip. Both are great and have helped my guitar fretting hand. I thought I'd give a quick summary for anyone considering purchasing one of these. I bought the Ruff Rider callus builder caps for the GM, and they really added a lot to the value I get from the GM. Calluses are critical to my being able to play well. If you are considering these, I found that it was a lot cheaper to order the Ruff Rider through Guitar Center and have them delivered for free to a local Guitar Center. I would suggest buying the actual PWV and the GM through Amazon. The PWV comes with the callus ridges on the opposing side (the palm side). So to work on your calluses you need to remove the callus cover and flip the grip over. The downside is that you can't work on finger dexterity at the same time that you are building your calluses. At first I considered this a disadvantage. However I've changed my mind and consider it a distinct advantage over the GM. There are times when you don't want to shred your calluses (show or important practice coming soon) but you still want to work your fingers. If you've put the callus builders on the GM, it takes a little time to pop them off and put them back on again, plus you run the risk of misplacing them, and removing them a number of times may loosen their fit. So I strongly prefer the PWV design for the callus option. I have permanently removed the callus cover from the PWV and it works great without it. Actually it works better for me because it makes it slightly smaller. (With the cover removed the callus builder side just harmlessly presses into your palm and you really can't feel it). I have a preference for the GM when it comes to building strength for bar type chords. This I do by holding the palm side with my thumb and running my index finger along the full set of buttons. I prefer the GM for this because it has two sets of springs in it which allow for a better and more natural (for me) squeeze. As far as exercising for finger dexterity, I much prefer the PWV for two main reasons. It's much easier (for me) to work fingers individually. It's very stable and allows me to isolate individual fingers as opposed to the GM which is kind of sloppy (too much movement) due to the double spring action which leads to unwanted movement/tilting and other fingers slipping off the buttons when trying to work a particular finger. Secondly the distance between the palm and the finger tips is about 1/4" shorter with the PWV (when the callus cover is removed) which allows me to use better form by really curling my fingers and bringing my fingertips in from the very top. I have big hands and still prefer the PWV. If my hands were smaller I would prefer the PWV that much more. The PMV also allows the tension on each finger to be adjusted individually. For me this isn't as big an advantage as the two previously mentioned because increasing resistance is not important to me. A disadvantage of the PMV is that after about 2 weeks it started squeaking which was a bummer for my wife and kids on a one week vacation when I didn't have my guitar handy and wanted to keep me fingers in shape. "Dad - enough already with that finger gadget". However this problem is easily fixed by an occasional shot of Triflo or any silicon spray (I don't recommend WD40). I recommend spraying while the fingers are depressed then wiping with a napkin. For me, finger strength is not as important as finger coordination and speed. I seldom press the buttons all the way down, and I seldom press all the buttons together. I slowly increase speed with partial pushes and various patterns that demand varying degrees of coordination (1234, 4321, 1324, 121314, 1414, 1313, etc.) If I had to pick one or the other I would choose the PWV without hesitation, but that is just my personal opinion. If you can afford both, I would do that and see what works better for you. But, again, both are great and have really helped my playing. Keep on pickin' -Mike

Great for getting your shooting grip stabilized and your trigger finger ready for action

The D'Addario Hand Exerciser is a great tool for building strength and dexterity in your fingers, hands, and forearms. As a guitarist, I’ve found it especially useful for improving finger independence and endurance. I love that you can adjust the tension for each finger, which allows for customized workouts depending on your needs. The simulated strings are a clever feature—they effectively help develop calluses without the need for a guitar in hand. It’s also comfortable to use, with an ergonomic design that fits well in the palm. I appreciate how portable it is; I can practice anywhere, whether I’m on the go or just relaxing at home. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is that the tension adjustment isn’t as smooth as I’d like. It sometimes feels uneven between fingers, which can be a bit distracting. Also, after extended use, the resistance could be a bit stronger for more advanced conditioning. Overall, it’s an excellent tool for musicians or anyone looking to increase hand strength and dexterity. Definitely worth the investment!

My husband bought this to help him recover from the nerve damage in his hand that he sustained when he had open heart surgery. Apparently when they do the surgery they can pinch the nerve going to the hand. He loves that it’s easy to use and that it allows him to adjust the tension as he exercises his fingers. He says it’s already helping him get feeling back in his hand.

Despite not being able to use it for what I wanted (at least not yet) it seems to be a good finger / grip exerciser. I pinched a nerve in my right arm and my hand got extremely weak. I was hoping now that the nerve has healed I could use this to get my strength back in that hand. Even on its weakest setting my small finger can't budge it at all. Thats no fault of this exerciser though.

As I'm getting older I notice that I'm losing finger strength when I play my guitar. This help me with my dexterity especially in my left hand fingers. This works great and I'm very satisfied with the results.

The form of the exerciser is good in the hand. And the adjustable tension for each finger is a great feature.

Coolest product ever! It allows you to brazen calluses on one end and practice finger dexterity on the other by swapping the grip piece. Can't wait to see an improvement after giving this a go!

Güzel

Great product! I love this

Buen producto si quieres foratalecer tus dedos o recuperarte de lesiones tipicas de los guitarristas. Tienes unas ruedas para ajustar la tension en cada dedo y puedes quitar el protector de goma si quieres hacer callo en los dedos, aunque te recomiendo que los hagas a base de tocar. Producto con la calidad de Daddario que nunca defrauda

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Good quality. My son really likes it