It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!
Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
Comments
I would also echo the advice above of keeping them fairly short and developing your technique to use some flesh and just a bit of nail to add some definition to the note. You can also increase the variety of tones (timbre) by varying the attack and decay of the notes depending on how much flesh or nail you use.
Similar to your fretting hand you will develop calluses, but much lighter, on your picking hand.
I keep my nails shorter than I used to, now just a little longer than the fingertip. Seems to improve tone, accuracy, and reduce breakages. Also I use a full set of graded nail boards, starting with a glass file to ensure there are no rough edges, because rough edges snag and tear
I've tried everything over the years and recently, following a very busy spell of gigging, turned to acrylics out of desperation.
It's been a revelation! I need to modify and refine the shape and thickness a little after leaving the nail bar but they've been excellent.
Back in August I discovered Barielle nail strengthener cream (obtainable through Amazon) and haven't had a problem since. I believe it is supposed to contain the stuff used for strengthening horses' hooves. I found it recommended on a classical guitar forum.
The result after a short period of time has been stronger but more supple nails less prone to breakage - without the "clickiness" of hardened nails or fingerpicks.
Prior to using Barielle, I also used the Orly nail rescue kit for small repairs - which is easier and neater to use than the tea bag / superglue method.
That is of course 'pre-nail bar' days.
I think the main nail to focus on is the thumb. That's if you use a your index finger nail as the plectrum on down, and thumbnail on upstrokes.
Red meat and functional mushrooms.
Persistent and inconsistent guitar player.
A lefty, hence a fog of permanent frustration
Not enough guitars, pedals, and cricket bats.
USA Deluxe Strat - Martyn Booth Special - Epi LP Custom
FX Plex - Cornell Romany
My acrylic nails are very short. I only need a few millimetres of nail edge, this also allows me to use a little flesh if required. Like you, I cant cope with long nails but I need to be able to take a hard swipe at the strings occasionally and need to know there'll be something left on my finger ends at the end of the song.
Someone mentioned the "clickiness" of acrylic nails on strings. I've found that this is much reduced by applying less acrylic to the nail. For some reason the nail bars like to apply the stuff in a mound onto the nail, making a bulge near the cuticle. I found by filing this down and shaping the nail edge so there is a thin, but hard, coating, the sound of the nail on the string is quite natural and my nail bar now knows how I want them.
If I hadn't already committed to acrylic nails (you'd need a decent spell of not gigging to get them grown out and your own nails back to something like usable) I'd certainly be looking at the Biotin option but I can't see it ruling out broken nails completely.
Collagen supplements work for me.