nails and playing classical and steel string guitars

[Paikon]

i break my nails a lot because I work with my hands so when that happens I use these http://guitarplayernails.com/

[mc1]

Originally Posted by Paikon

i break my nails a lot because I work with my hands so when that happens I use these http://guitarplayernails.com/

when i was younger i would use products like that, then i found it too much work, so switched to nailless, which is definitely easier to maintain, but harder to play and not as toneful.

one problem i had with glue on nails was transitioning back to my natural nail. in other words i'd have a hard time growing my nail back out and getting rid of the fake nail. i don't know if it was the glue, or not taking them off enough to let my nails breath, or what, but i seems locked into using the fake nails. is that a problem for you?

[Paikon]

Originally Posted by mc1

one problem i had with glue on nails was transitioning back to my natural nail. in other words i'd have a hard time growing my nail back out and getting rid of the fake nail. i don't know if it was the glue, or not taking them off enough to let my nails breath, or what, but i seems locked into using the fake nails. is that a problem for you?

No ,I have no problem using my natural nails after fake nails but I only use fake nails occasionally for a short period of time

[mc1]

Originally Posted by Paikon

No ,I have no problem using my natural nails after fake nails but I only use fake nails occasionally for a short period of time

to clarify, can you put the fake nail on and leave it until your natural nail grows out, then remove the fake nail and carry on?

my natural nail seemed to soften a lot under the fake nails, so there was a period (days - a week) after removing the fake nail before i could use my natural nail again.

also, it's been many, many years, so i may be misremembering or have used inferior products.

[Paikon]

Originally Posted by mc1

to clarify, can you put the fake nail on and leave it until your natural nail grows out, then remove the fake nail and carry on?

.

yes I leave the fake nail for about a week...if I leave it more then I should file the natural nail because it interferes with the fake so its better to remove the fake

[Bern]

Originally Posted by mc1

what specific nail hardener do you use? i've bee using nutra nail bullet-proof strength kevlar fiber formula (yes, i can now deflect bullets with my nails!).

Sally Hanson 'Hard As Nails' / Acrylic Gel + Nylon

[Bob Womack]

I've always had thin, brittle nails. About ten years ago my wife dragged me down to her salon where they applied acrylics (micro beads and resin) on the right side. I haven't looked back. I use them for classical, steel, and electric. It has done three things:
1) My sound is fuller than it was with the thin natural only.
2) I don't break nails as often when doing manual labor and I don't worry about it as much. If I break one before a gig I can hustle down to the salon and get it repaired.
3) I have more volume and greater dynamics because I am no longer thinking, "If I push any harder I won't have any nail left at the end of the gig."

Bob

[Alter]

maybe the problem is technique. many people play acoustic with long fingernails without problems. i actually had the opposite problem. i was used to playing fingerstyle with the acoustic, and when i started spending time on the classical my nails started breaking, despite nylon strings being softer. It was bad technique of course, forcing the string and the tone. Now, after some time, the problem is gone.

So try reinforcing the nails cause it will definitely help. but also try to be aware of technical issues and shortcomings

[jmiked0]

My best results have been using layered silk bonded to the nail with cyano-acrylate glue (a kit obtainable from Savarez, as ell as other places). I generally use a double layer of silk on the i-m-a fingernails, and a single layer on part of my right thumbnail that has a perpetual split very near the right side of the nail. This stuff lasts longer than any acrylic nails I've tried, which don't seem to want to stay bonded to the nail for more than a few days.

Another advantage to this method is that it allows more control over the thickness of the reinforcement. One layer will leave my nail with a bit of flexibility, and three layers will make it pretty rigid without the brittle sound I sometimes get from acrylics.

It doesn't work well for extending the nail, only for reinforcing what is there.

[SteveHung]

I'm primarily a steel string player who recently decided to explore the world of nylon string playing. Although I love nail tone, having nails can be a pain sometimes and break easily, especially since I do martials arts /grappling where nails are prone to break. I compromise, I found that it takes me 2 weeks to grow out and shape my nails to my ideal length of performance. I only grow out my nails before a gig in which I primarily play classical guitar (usually wedding gigs) and refrain from any physical activity that would damage my nails in that time, and keep them trimmed other times so I can carry on with life's normal activities without having to worry about breaking my nails.

[Special B]

Originally Posted by Garthman

I fingerpick probably 95% of the time and I do so on all my guitars: steel string, nylon string and electric. I don't find any problems - no increased wear or breakages - when playing steel string rather than nylon.

Perhaps I have strong nails but I think it's more down to regular and frequent nail care - I keep them on the short side - fingernails approx 1mm longer than fingertips, thumbnail 2mm to 3mm longer - and I polish the edges of the nails every day with a very fine emery board (I use the ones my wife throws away because they don't work any longer). It's those little nicks in the edges of the nail that lead to breakages.

I am in the same boat as you. I *only* fingerpick, and I play steel string and even electric bass and have no issues. But my nails are very thick and strong. I couldn't bite my nails if I wanted to.

I also keep them short so I can play with my nails or the fingertips/flesh. But my nail tone isn't the same as someone with long nails (especially if they have ramps on their nail).

BUT, someone wanting nails specifically for classical guitar may want them longer. And that is the problem. Even with my thick nails, I can't keep them as long as many purely-classical players while also playing steel strings and bass.

With shorter nails like you and I use, you can't really have ramps. And ramps can be important for a performing classical guitarist. We have less nail surface area contact with the string. Long nails with ramps wouldn't work as well on a bass.... so a compromise must be made.

I think the topic-poster wants longer nails than we might use, so a hardening agent or acrylic coat could help him.

[iswas]

It is called red carpet manicure she gets it at target .

[Jeff Scott]

Hmm, now I know why it is called manicure!

[Trevor B.]

Originally Posted by Bern

I use a nail hardener and just brush it on about 3/32 wide on the nail tip. Works for me...

Hey Bern,
Can I ask what brand of nail hardener you use? Like mc1 I find that the steel strings wear down my nails (especially on the left side where the contact point is string against both nail and flesh).
So far the solution has been to practice on nylon strings (classical guitar) until the piece I'm working on is fully assimilated then run it far less on steel string guitar. BTW - I'm strictly a finger-style/classical technique guy (because I'm really, really, really old (lol).

[Trevor B.]

Ah! Already answered in post #21. Like I said above, "I'm really, really, really, old".