Thread: Acrylic Nails?
View Single Post
  #9  
Old 10-16-2012, 08:52 PM
Bill Reid Bill Reid is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 290
Default Like acrylics: advice

What a relief when I finally started going to a nail salon and getting acrylics on my thumb and three fingers (omitting the pinkie in my case)! It works for finger-picking & strumming, and the acrylic is nice and hard for strumming with the back of the nails as well. They take a little care between visits (about every 2-3 weeks for me, and most shops charge $10-18), but they're much better than bare nails or finger picks.

Many manicurists in large shops have more than one guitar player customer; in small nail shops of small towns (I've been in many on the road) you're an anomaly. The first time you do it, they will put on plastic extensions. After that, a brush-on acrylic of some kind will be used to "fill" in the back as the nail grows.

Some pointers that work for me:

(1) Don't let them become too long. Very long nails on acoustic-electric metal strings often cause a metallic, "hot" sound on direct-in. If that happens, try filing the nails back a bit so that a little "meat" blends with the sound.

(2) Very long nails tend to bend in at the sides, causing the nail (particularly the "thumb side" of the index and middle fingers) to dig into the quick. That gets worse as the nail grows out with thinner nail behind it. Ouch.

(3) As the nail grows out, bare nail sometimes appears under the quick at the sides (especially the "thumb side"), and can tend to dig under the quick (as above, with the same "ouch"). If you feel that, the first thing to do is gently push back the side cuticle and see if there's a bit of bare nail cutting in. If so, put some alcohol or other antiseptic on it, slip a nail file underneath it, and gently push it upward out of the irritated area. Filing it back helps a lot for me.

(4) Be sure the underside of the nail is smooth, especially at the sides where a slight burr can catch on the string.

(5) For shaping acrylic nails, get good coarse emery boards (not a metal file), since thick acrylic nail is hard to grind down. The black-surfaced ones are just right for me. Some players pluck the strings with the very tip (as classical players should for the most part); others, like myself, pluck mostly on the side of the nail. Ironically, IMHO that side should be gently rounded, not protrude like a claw.

(6) Don't let the manicurist push your cuticles too far back or grind too much near the quick on the sides of the nail. That can start an irritation that gets worse with lots of playing.

(7) If you see the nail separating from the acrylic, or discoloration beneath the acrylic, get the nail redone. Discoloration can be mold on top of the nail (the manicurist should sterilize the nail before applying a fresh tip).

(8) Once you get the nails the length and shape you want, tell the manicurist that you want "fills" but not to mess with the tips. Adjust the shape yourself later.

Long post. Sorry.
__________________
"I'm what's left of Bill Reid and this is how we start the show." (Friendly plagiarism from Hoyt Axton, who died 'way too soon)
======
Martin Steve Miller Pegasus #299/383
Taylor 14 body BTO ("The Junebug Special")
414ce
National Rez O-14
1971 Tak 12

Reply With Quote