Fingernail wear

Snags

I mostly play with a pick, but use fingers for a few songs, particularly on acoustic.

Whenever I do a lot of finger-picking, particularly if it involves some strumming as well, I find the nail on my index finger gets worn down really quickly, at a rather jaunty angle.

Short of having acrylics put on by a beautician every couple of weeks (not worth it for the amount I do, and also not possible right now) are there any other cunning solutions, or even a technique change?

stickyfiddle

Finger- and/or thumb-picks? 

Strangefan

I pop a bit of super glue on, works a treat

Snags

I've always assumed that I would make a hash of things with finger-picks, but I could give it a go. Up my Freddie Krueger game.

Super glue is the kind of bodge that I couldn't possibly come un-stuck with (ba-dum), I'll give that a go until Mrs Snags catches me and complains. Despite it being developed to seal wounds she gets the right hump when I use it for things like this.

Jalapeno

I get that when I do a Gypsy Jazz gig with a plectrum - the trailing corner of my index fingernail wears a lot.

Clear nail polish, a bit less drastic than superglue - unless you're a goth, having polished nails looks a bit odd for a bloke, but in these days I suppose it's not so much of an issue

smoore

Neem oil every night, and clear nail varnish as mentioned earlier.

I focussed on classical and flamenco for a few years, by doing the above I had no problems.

Now I am playing more electric again with plectrum, and have stopped doing the above, my nails are pathetic!

Roland

Jalapeno said:

I get that when I do a Gypsy Jazz gig with a plectrum - the trailing corner of my index fingernail wears a lot.

I get that, but more on my third finger nail.

smoore said:

... clear nail varnish

I’ve been using Sally Hansen nail hardener on and off for years. The wear has got worse as I’ve got older. The pharmacist told me it’s calcium deficiency from being dairy intolerant.

Snags

Thanks all. I have no problems with using nail varnish, so I'll try that and the Neem stuff.

Finger picks: lots out there, any recommendations as a taster (i.e. not too heavy an investment if I turn out to find them impossible)?

Revolting1

I cant get on with fingerpicks but I've found eating gelatine as a diet supplement helps a lot,

 without it my ring fingernail wears much faster and tends to split .

 Using extra thick (viscous) superglue works well for me too.

GTC

To build up nail strength, Barielle Nail Strengthener has been a wonder product for me (can be found on Amazon). However, if a nail split does occur then superglue is effective whilst it is growing out. I've also used the Orly Nail Repair kit effectively - which is basically Superglue and nail repair resin powder. 

Regarding fingerpicks - see my earlier post on Alaska picks.

artiebear

You don't need to go the whole hog with nail bar acrylic nails to get the benefit of the strength they bring. A tub of acrylic powder, acrylic liquid and a nail brush allows you to just put a coating over the very tip of the nail. It sets rock hard in 15 mins and you can buff it and file it. Way less messy that superglue, lasts until it grows out or can be removed with acrylic brush cleaner. I buy supplies every 18 months or so and can do the whole job in 20 mins including the acrylic drying hard ( I have even done it in an emergency just before going on stage ). Done sparingly and keeping your nails normal length you can't see it, but you have a massive boost in volume and consistency. As well as acoustic players, it has become quite the thing amongst the Nashville guitar players who play either pick and fingers or thumb pick and fingers on electric. There are a few youtube demos to show you the DIY process as well as what you need.

Revolting1

@artiebear

 Could you let us know which brands have worked for you please.

   Sorry for the thread hi-jack.

artiebear

Revolting1 said:

@artiebear

 Could you let us know which brands have worked for you please.

   Sorry for the thread hi-jack.

I just get the stuff from amazon, the one one the left is a primer which helps acrylic stick (I have had the same bottle for about  4 years and still am nowhere near running out. The rest are all readily available on Amazon. The other things to get are good graphite based files ,really cheap for a pack of ten (they do wear out pretty quickly and a decent brush ( Amazon again ). 

Primer brand TNBL
Liquid brand The Edge
Powder brand Had a few, they all seem to do the same job
Brush cleaner Acrylux

TBH i suspect that any brand would do the job for the sake of guitar nails.

The hardest part was learning to be accurate getting the liquid and powder onto the brush then applying it with my left hand. That being said, you can either wipe off and start again or just file away any excess.


<a href="https://imgur.com/nKm4HP9"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/nKm4HP9.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Roland

@artiebear’s image didn’t work for me. 

ToneControl

GTC said:

To build up nail strength, Barielle Nail Strengthener has been a wonder product for me (can be found on Amazon). However, if a nail split does occur then superglue is effective whilst it is growing out. I've also used the Orly Nail Repair kit effectively - which is basically Superglue and nail repair resin powder. 

Regarding fingerpicks - see my earlier post on Alaska picks.

+1 for Barielle, noticeable difference in 3-4 days!!

Snags

Some Alaska picks and Barielle arrived today. Unfortunately I took the sizing from the Alaska site, and it didn't tally with the sizing from Amazon so I'll be ordering some more from Strings Direct.

GTC

Snags said:

Some Alaska picks and Barielle arrived today. Unfortunately I took the sizing from the Alaska site, and it didn't tally with the sizing from Amazon so I'll be ordering some more from Strings Direct.

I got mine from Strings direct. I ordered a variety of sizes to be sure - and so I could safely mess around experimenting with trimming them to size (the instructions to do so are on the Alaska website)

SteveF

Snags said:

Some Alaska picks and Barielle arrived today. Unfortunately I took the sizing from the Alaska site, and it didn't tally with the sizing from Amazon so I'll be ordering some more from Strings Direct.

Is that the braille strengthening cream or the brush on polish?  Did you find one that wasn't hi-gloss?

Snags

@SteveF the strengthening cream. I'm sufficiently secure in my sexuality that I'd cope with high gloss if I get to the polish stage

SteveF

Snags said:

@SteveF the strengthening cream. I'm sufficiently secure in my sexuality that I'd cope with high gloss if I get to the polish stage

Haha, me too, but would still prefer matte if it's a thing. Keep us posted with how you get on with the cream. 

Snags

Initial update at around two weeks in.

I've been using the Barielle cream twice a day (mostly - there's the odd night/morning I've forgotten). Only using it on my right hand, because i still bite my nails on my left hand as a bad habit that doesn't matter for fretting.

Completely subjective and non-scientific results to date:

• the nails on my right hand feel thicker/more substantial than the ones on my left when you just poke/prod them with the other hand. They may always have done so, not something I used to check, and it may in part be down to having longer and better maintained nails on my right hand anyway, but ...
• I'm still, unsurprisingly, getting some wear, particularly on my index finger, when strumming with nails instead of pick but I've been playing without pick a lot, lot more than normal, and the wear is a lot, lot less
• so far I haven't had one of my dread "nail decapitation splits", where a small nick or fault develops at the base of the white bit and then the whole white part of the nail just tears off

The last two might just be coincidence, or they might be because I'm more aware of my nails because of faffing with them twice a day, so am putting more effort into looking after them, and getting the glass file out and keeping them at a more appropriate length (I have a tendency to let them get too long, really, which is when the tearing occurs), or it might actually be the cream.

So right now jury's out as to whether it's coincidence, a side-effect of generally improved maintenance, or an actual change in the strength of the nail. But early indications are good either way, and it's a pretty cheap investment, even if the benefits are from seconday causes (which they may not be).