String choice for reduced fingernail wear

[BothHands]

I pick and strum with bare fingernails and avoid glue-on nails. I have another string-choice thread pertaining to a particular guitar, and have received excellent advice there.

Tone/Sustain is my first consideration.
Playability is my second.
Fingernail wear has become my third.

I found THIS WEBPAGE from 2001 that spells out a LOT of the information I've been seeking. The author, Steven T. Boyke conducted his own experiments and reported his findings. Very understandable and helpful.


I've been using Elixir Nanoweb Lights on my Gurian for about a year and I like them. So I tried them on a new (used) guitar, didn't like them and switched to uncoated PhosphorBronze strings. After several days of uncoated PB, I noticed grooves wearing into my fingernails at the string contact points. Uh-oh...

I was all set to buy John Pearse PB Lights (L600) for standard tuning and John Pearse PB New Mediums (710NM) for alternate tunings, BUT...the fingernail wear issue is a problem. The coated strings do seem to reduce fingernail wear, so maybe I'll limit myself to coated Nanoweb after all.


Nanoweb Pros and Cons per my experience thus far:
1. PRO- Reduced string noise (and apparently the John Pearse PBs are pretty 'chirpy')
2. PRO- Exceptionally long string life (the set on my Gurian are frayed at the sound hole but still sound good after a year of daily play)
3. CON- Reduced sustain (new, uncoated PhosphorBronze sustain well, but after several weeks of play...maybe no better than Nanoweb(?))
4. CON- Less resonance and/or attack (middle strings fretted at mid neck seem a bit muted/muffled)
5. CON- Not available in the same string gauges as JohnPearse New Medium (but close, see gauges below)

Elixir Nanoweb Lights ________ .012 .016 .024 .032 .042 .053
John Pearse Lights __________ .012 .016 .024 .032 .042 .053

Elixir Nanoweb HD Lights ______ .013 .017 .025 .032 .042 .053 __ (light set with heavier high strings)
Elixir Nanoweb Light-Medium ___ .012 .016 .024 .035 .045 .056 __ (light set with heavier low strings)
John Pearse New Medium ______ .013 .017 .024 .032 .042 .055 __ (light set with heavier E, b and e)

John Pearse New Medium looks perfect for DADGAD or Open D (DADF#AD). It's a light-gauge set with medium gauge (heavier) Low-E, b and e - the three that get tuned lower.

[DenverSteve]

I never get fingernail wear. However, I would say nylon strings would be best if you want "minimal" fingernail wear.

[Bowie]

If tone was my main concern, I would not have coated strings on my list of considerations.

[piper_guitarist]

I use LED gel nails. It's a bit on the expensive side to get started (the majority of the expense is actually the curing lamp - they can be rather pricey) but they do wonders to reinforce my nails.

These aren't glue-on or even the powder and resin the acrylic nails are made of. You actually paint these on like nail polish and then cure the stuff under the lamp. The downside compared to acrylic is they are considerably thinner, so I do multiple coats of both base and top to build the nail up thick and strong. No wear, no breakage. They're a bit more flexible than acrylics and as such sound more like natural nails (to my ear anyway).

[riffmeister]

Nylon.

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[AndrewG]

As another poster suggested I'd be paying more attention to your nails and reinforcing them, than the type of string. Whichever brand you use it's going to be abrasive.

[tseliot]

Originally Posted by BothHands

Is anybody here using Elixir Elixir Nanoweb HD LIGHTS on a dreadnaught for finger picking in standard tuning?

Yes, I use the Elixir HD Lights (although the 80/20) on my slope dread. I'm going to try the PB too on my square shouldered dread soon.

I usually pick with the flesh of my fingers but I strum with bare nails. My fingernails seem to be fine after hours of playing.

Sustain is amazing, but that might depend on the guitar itself. As for playability, I'd say these strings are excellent.

[815C]

I'm using Curt Mangan Phosphor Bronze medium gauge (12-54), and I practice finger style 3 - 4 hours a day with almost no wear on the finger nails. I do see a bit on my index finger, but not bad.

I use Barielle Nail Strengthener cream and I think that may help a bit too.

[BothHands]

Originally Posted by piper_guitarist

I use LED gel nails. It's a bit on the expensive side to get started (the majority of the expense is actually the curing lamp - they can be rather pricey) but they do wonders to reinforce my nails.

That's a new one on me. Thanks. I'll look into that, though I'd much rather keep things simple. Tommy Emmanuel gets great tone with no fingernails - just finger tips. Does he have major callouses on his right hand, too? I might have to try it.

[fitness1]

A lot of this has to do with technique, of course, but get yourself a good quality nail file and file a little bit every couple of days. If you do this regularly, and hardly ever use clippers, you'll reduce the chances of having problems with your nails (chips and splits).

You can also forget about the coated strings and get the best tone

[BothHands]

Originally Posted by 815C

I'm using Curt Mangan Phosphor Bronze medium gauge (12-54), and I practice finger style 3 - 4 hours a day with almost no wear on the finger nails. I do see a bit on my index finger, but not bad.

I use Barielle Nail Strengthener cream and I think that may help a bit too.

Thanks for the string suggestion and the Nail Strengthener suggestion (and the LINK!). I've been using Hard As Hoof nail cream for months and it seems to help a lot.

In fact, while playing only on Elixer Nanowebs I saw almost no nail wear. I figured the Hard As Hoof cream was the answer to the whole problem. But then was disappointed to see how much wear the old uncoated PB strings caused by comparison.

I guess I'll do one of the following:

1. Stay with Hard As Hoof cream or the Barielle and use only Nanoweb strings,
2. Try the LED baked nails and try any strings I want
3. Cut off all 3 finger nails (leave the thumbnail) and go "Tommy Emmanuel" for a while. Who knows...maybe I'll develop right-hand finger-tip callouses and live happily ever after.

[BothHands]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

As another poster suggested I'd be paying more attention to your nails and reinforcing them, than the type of string. Whichever brand you use it's going to be abrasive.

Maybe, but I definitely find that the Nanowebs cause less nail wear. I'm sick of worrying about fingernails. I build things and do a lot of manual work, so I'm constantly breaking them anyway. This has been going on for decades.

If anybody has details on how Tommy Emmanuel gets his tone sans right-hand nails, please post some information.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by BothHands

I build things and do a lot of manual work, so I'm constantly breaking them anyway. This has been going on for decades.

.

Seems to me the strings aren't the problem then, right?

[815C]

A friend of mine, Tim Thompson (who won the fingerstyle contest at Winfield awhile back) told me that for 14 years he tried everything on the planet for nails but recently just cut them off and is using no nails. Tim is an absolute monster guitarist - I want to play as good as him when I grow up

Here's a vid of him with his son Miles...

[bjstewa]

Originally Posted by BothHands

Is anybody here using Elixir Nanoweb HD LIGHTS on a dreadnaught for finger picking in standard tuning?

Yes. I fingerpick (using my natural nails) about 50% of the time and I have never noticed a difference in how my nails wear using different brands of strings.

I know you want specific answers, but in all honesty, the only thing you can do is try a bunch of different strings yourself. Maybe you'll find a magical match and maybe you won't, but only you can decide.

And it may just end up boiling down to the fact that you don't like this guitar and won't no matter what strings are it.

You may or may not like engelmann, but it's more likely that you just don't like that particular guitar. Generally I don't prefer Adi tops, but there some that sound absolutely amazing. Same goes for every other kind of wood. There is great variability and overlap of tone woods and then it depends on who built it.