[ethanay]

In addition to the other issues mentioned (which arguably I could have adapted to), the biggest issue for me was always it put technological limitations what was technically possible to do on the guitar while I was wearing them. The biggest one was I could no longer do flams with the back of my fingernails while doing strong rhythmic strumming accents (although I'm sure any moderately-accomplished flamenco guitarist would cringe at my "technique").


I really wanted them so I could just keep my nails short. But a few things changed so that I just use my nails now:
1. I do keep my nails pretty dang short compared to a lot of folks who play with nails, so they really aren't in the way at all in the "rest of life" and are less likely to break.

2. I've learned to make do with just one nail file, and use pressure variation to reach different levels of "polish." I also don't bother with a super-high level of polish, either. I almost always have the file on me

3. Getting my nutrition/general health sorted has made my nails a LOT stronger and less resistant to breaking (either excessively brittle or thin or just weak). That said, if I go through a period of stress or sleep deprivation, then my nails will break much more easily.
4. It took years for me to learn how to shape my nails, not by how I (or anyone else, for that matter) thinks they should look, but according to how the "string see's them" (that concept courtesy of Pumping Nylon), so that I get a ramp that feels great and very effectively sets strings into directional vibration perpendicular to the top (vs parallel to the top, which produces a very thin and weak tone...has it's place, but it's a niche thing, IMO) without any catches.