Fake nails. HTF do they work?

singemonkey

(paraphrasing those morons and their "Magnets. HTF do they work?")

I've never investigated this avenue, but real nails just don't seem viable for steel strings. Where do you get these things, how do they attach, and how do you maintain them?

Also, how are they compared to real nails or finger-picks?

nick

AndrewD

Clicks, glue and you just wait for them to fall off or pull them off. Don't ask me how I know this....

singemonkey

Do they feel weird?

Bob-Dubery

Well the very thought pops all my fuses - but people will do it. Including Mr Simpson who sports a fine set of falsies on his right hand (but not the thumb). I have a DVD of John Martyn playing in the 70s and I could swear that even back then the great hard man of folk-rock was using falsies.

Bruce Cockburn doesn't use falsies, but does paint his nails with super glue. Davy Graham used layers of nail varnish.

This is the key issue really - long nails are vulnerable, so you either need to live with breakages (tricky for a touring pro musician), strengthen them or just cut to the chase and use falsies.

pietersaayman

I've used Saley Hanson Diamond Strength nail polish. Got it from Clicks. Works really well

singemonkey

Pieter Saayman wrote: I've used Saley Hanson Diamond Strength nail polish. Got it from Clicks. Works really well

That's interesting. One problem I have in particular is that doing heavy rhythm work with a pick, I tend to damage my index finger nail. It keep striking the strings on the down strokes. It weakens and eventually tears (this conversation is not for sensitive readers).

pietersaayman

singemonkey wrote: That's interesting. One problem I have in particular is that doing heavy rhythm work with a pick, I tend to damage my index finger nail. It keep striking the strings on the down strokes. It weakens and eventually tears (this conversation is not for sensitive readers).

A coating of Saley Hanson should solve that problem

AndrewD

singemonkey wrote:
Pieter Saayman wrote: I've used Saley Hanson Diamond Strength nail polish. Got it from Clicks. Works really well
That's interesting. One problem I have in particular is that doing heavy rhythm work with a pick, I tend to damage my index finger nail. It keep striking the strings on the down strokes. It weakens and eventually tears (this conversation is not for sensitive readers).

I have the exact same issue - I usually end up wearing through my nail and developing a blister - It's something I've got used to now though.

MikeM

A little bit OT but with my right hand being in a cast lots of the time etc.. The nails on my right hand have become extremely hard and strong. Pretty cool, not sure what exactly has caused it but hey, not complaining.

singemonkey

MikeM wrote: A little bit OT but with my right hand being in a cast lots of the time etc.. The nails on my right hand have become extremely hard and strong. Pretty cool, not sure what exactly has caused it but hey, not complaining.

I think you may be turning into a super-hero...

MikeM

singemonkey wrote: I think you may be turning into a super-hero...

This man is already a super hero - COUCHMAN

guitarboy2828

Pieter Saayman wrote:
singemonkey wrote: That's interesting. One problem I have in particular is that doing heavy rhythm work with a pick, I tend to damage my index finger nail. It keep striking the strings on the down strokes. It weakens and eventually tears (this conversation is not for sensitive readers).
A coating of Saley Hanson should solve that problem

+1. I play in church every week and teach throughout the week, so I end up with the same problem, index finger's nail is kaput! However, nail strengthening vanish definitely works and helps. HOWEVER, it makes your nails shiny for awhile, which can look a little.. Well, feminine. ?

I've tried acrylics, got them put on at a beauty salon, they work very well, BUT, what a mission to maintain and all that jazz. It's quite a process and if you don't do it right you can get infections and stuff, so I didn't even bother, I had them removed! ?

singemonkey

guitarboy2828 wrote: HOWEVER, it makes your nails shiny for awhile, which can look a little.. Well, feminine. ?

Once a fella's growing his nails long, that boat's pretty much sailed anyway. ?

Bob-Dubery

guitarboy2828 wrote: +1. I play in church every week and teach throughout the week, so I end up with the same problem, index finger's nail is kaput! However, nail strengthening vanish definitely works and helps. HOWEVER, it makes your nails shiny for awhile, which can look a little.. Well, feminine. ?

Well we're all in touch with our feminine side here.

Aren't we?

guitarboy2828

X-rated Bob wrote:
guitarboy2828 wrote: +1. I play in church every week and teach throughout the week, so I end up with the same problem, index finger's nail is kaput! However, nail strengthening vanish definitely works and helps. HOWEVER, it makes your nails shiny for awhile, which can look a little.. Well, feminine. ?
Well we're all in touch with our feminine side here.

Aren't we?

Next thing we know Bob will be wearing pink crocs :O

Jack-Flash-Jr

Here you go:

Bob-Dubery

guitarboy2828 wrote:
X-rated Bob wrote:
guitarboy2828 wrote: +1. I play in church every week and teach throughout the week, so I end up with the same problem, index finger's nail is kaput! However, nail strengthening vanish definitely works and helps. HOWEVER, it makes your nails shiny for awhile, which can look a little.. Well, feminine. ?
Well we're all in touch with our feminine side here.

Aren't we?
Next thing we know Bob will be wearing pink crocs :O

I'm perfectly secure in my masculinity (or whateverelsinity, it's the security that matters, not the orientation) and a little thing like colour or footwear isn't going to sow a seed of doubt in my mind.

YMMV

Keira-WitherKay

hell yeah .. they work .......

sorry for late responce but i was otherwise occupied for the last few days

i used to use plectrums on steel and my finger pads on nylons for my fingerstyle multipart playing ,

then dispite being happy with this arrangement i got bored and tried the false nail thang ..and wow it opened up new doors and gets me tones i never could before with just pads..........

ok now as ussual with anything guitar orientated i went through a learning curve 1st starting with stick on plastic nails..... yes they work but tend to get unstuck at worst times at gigs.then i was introduced by my nail lady to using the plastic stick ons (tips they call them) and reinforcing with a layer of acylic on the top ..... great they too worked but the tone changed cos now the nails are thicker..so finally i went to a nail boutique ... and the woman said that just acrylic nails on their own were stronger........ at 1st i never believed her, i thought the tips and acrylic would be stronger.but she proved me wrong .......

for ages now i been using acrylic nails just on my right hand and not on my pinkie.....

so i found they last 3 weeks to a month before they come off ....but cos of the amount of shows i do i get a regular appointment every 14 days
it's cheap cos a whole 10 fingers on average costs about R380 as a general price so they divide it by the numbers of fingers used and i pay R140 ..... it takes about an hour maybe 45 min if she's not too chatty but worth it

also you need to experiment with thickness and length..... i did that for about 3 -4 visits cos they just like plectrums the thickness changes the tone and the length makes it easier or harder to play ...... this is not set in stone to how thick or how long you need to find what suits you

so yeah they work BUT using nails forced me to change to another nylon string cos the tone of the guitar changes radically when one uses nails or pads....... so you might need to adjust the tone if you use nails

but it opens up a new world if you never used em.... imaging now 4 plectrums and a great feature is you can't drop em ? and yeah i still use a pick on some electric things so having nails won't stop you using a plectrum ........

so i would recommend it and acrylic nails is the way to go ..... forget the stick on sh&t it don't work half as well

and for those mucho boys worried they may look too "pink" if they use nails ..........no worries cos the nails need not be too long but you'll need to experiment with what you like, and they look very natural so no need for nail polish ect ect

and an added bonus my partner loves me to massage her head/scalp with the nails ....... so it has some non guitar benefits ?

FruitarGeek

Im glad im not the only one growing my nails. I also tried nail strenghthener, and it just made my nails shiny for weeks on end. My house mates even notices and were like. Ummmm :-\