Re: Acrylic Nails

Thomas wrote:
Well after talking about it for a year or so I finally had nails put
on my picking hand. I did the thumb and the next three fingers and
left the little finger out of the mix. They feel pretty good but I'm
wondering if they are a little too long. Not much just a bit and if
anyone would know the best thing to use to file them down a little,
if they can be filed?...

Normal nail files and emery boards don't do a thing
to acrylics. You need the boards made for acrylics.
They sell them at grocery stores, wal mart, drug stores etc.
They're sometimes called "grinders". Very agressive abrasive
paper or diamond stuff on padded boards.

If you're squeamish about buying "girly stuff" tell the
clerk they're "perfect for filing flux capacitor
terminals on my 4x4"


... The next thing is that I noticed that
sometimes the get hung up on a string and that's because my fingers
are not coming up parallel to the string but at an angle, almost a
45. I seem to be able to change my hand position and come up
parallel without it feeling to foreign to me. Is that the best way
to attack that problem or would it be better to file the left side of
nail down a little...

Put the board (the filing board) UNDER your nail, like
where the string hits the nail. File there and it will
take some of the curve out of the talons. The normal way
most ladies have them put on they're almost a half circle.
Not a good shape for guitar. Strive to make the nails resemble
something nearly flat, like...a guitar pick.

When you get it sort of flatter, use the same grinder to
round off all the edges. It's a solid piece of acrylic
glued to the end of your finger. It will cut like glass
if you sharpen it. So dull it down. I smooth mine with
2400 grit micro mesh abrasive paper once I'm done grinding.

Don't make them too long, especially at first. If you do,
you have a lot of leverage pulling on your nail beds. That
can make your fingertips sore.

If this ascii diagram comes out right,
view it in monospaced font.

_______
| |
| | - Nail "Grinder"
Finger | |
---------------| |
====\ |
| | | ....... Nail
| | |
====/ |
--------------- |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|_______|


Lumpy

In Your Ears for 40 Something Years
www.LumpyMusic.com


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Tashi, this is what I was talking about.
    ... John's hand position is basically no different than any other 6 string ... That's true, you make a good point, but I see Barto's fingers swinging ... a clean nail sound on the basses, not that raspy flesh nail sound like ...
    (rec.music.classical.guitar)
  • Re: Stacatto=No Slurs?
    ... RH-fingers* during scale passages. ... strange buzz as your fingers *stop* the string from vibrating. ... means that your catching the string with too much nail. ...
    (rec.music.classical.guitar)
  • Re: 4 notes to a beat at 150
    ... As far as P-i on one string, ... P in conjuction with the fingers hardly at all. ... Well it seems to add to the complexity, the nail shape affects how fast ... thereby lessening the string travel and offering a quicker ...
    (rec.music.classical.guitar)
  • Re: String Bending Question Plus+
    ... but 3 or 4 string still catches under the nail ... I have thin fingers. ... any advise as to whether I should point my finger straight ...
    (alt.guitar.beginner)
  • Re: Acrylic Nails
    ... on my picking hand. ... sometimes the get hung up on a string and that's because my fingers ... where the string hits the nail. ...
    (alt.guitar.beginner)