Late last month I received a small sample pack of Chops PrePlay hand conditioner from the lovely folks at GraphTech. Although I still don’t know how I ended up with it—I did enter a lot of online competitions during the December-January holiday season—I am glad I received the sample pack. It made hours of guitar playing and practice this afternoon go a whole lot smoother. Pun intended.

I was intrigued by the claims on the card that came with my sample pack. If this hand conditioner could extend string life and reduce hardware corrosion, I was all for it. As for reducing your skin’s pH while leaving you with a smooth, silky finish … I just assumed that was a good thing. I’m not a chemist though. I trusted the marketing on the package. Here’s what I discovered. … Chops PrePlay hand conditioner for musicians