I started learning barre chords on a classical and found it to be a pretty painless procedure. When I did finally get a steel string acoustic (32 years after I picked up a classical), I had the mechanics down pretty well, but there was a short period of tenderness, anyway. Only after I had played a steel string for another 2 years did I get an electric.

Having never really experienced the phenomenon Ted and Shiner mentioned, I suspect my fingers were pretty well toughened up by all my playing on that classical. However, now, when I want to learn a new lick or chord, and particularly a barre chord, I go for the steel string dreadnaught with medium gauge Dean Markley Alchemy strings. I find that if I can barre a chord on that one, I can do it on any of my other guitars. Sometimes it amazes me how much easier it is on the other guitars after I have mastered it on the dread--I wonder if it would be as easy if I followed the reverse sequence.

Just goes to show there is more than one way to skin a cat, eh?

Dugly