what do you guys do to clean up sloppy playing?

[Chordchunker]

The problem with practice at full speed is that you actually incorporate mistakes into your finger memory So, I slow until it's nearly impossible to make a mistake.

 

 

This^. Only perfect practice makes perfect.

[Hubert Stumblin]

try playing unplugged for a while, i promise you will improve.

 

 

I'd say that works only if you're playing an acoustic. Playing an electric unplugged is NOT a good idea if you're trying to clean up your playing. There's all kinds of clammy {censored} that goes on when you're playing unplugged that you don't hear. Then when you do plug in all that crap gets amplified and your playing sounds like ass.

 

I'd say play plugged in but CLEAN. No effects, no reverb, no OD. Doesn't have to be loud, just loud enough to hear everything you're doing.

[StratCries]

do you just slow down and play your trouble spots over and over until they are clean, or do you just lay your hand on the table and smack it with a ruler every time you mess up? This has been the biggest part for my playing as of late, what good is playing fast if it just sounds like a bunch of garbage. What do you do?

Why play fast, it ain't that important. Play the speed where your guitar is crying beautiful, because you can feel that.