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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 12/14/2009 12:02:14 PM
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I have bought many lessons from Happy over the years and he has pretty much always used finger picks. I myself don't really care for them and have been thinking about getting acrylic nails put on a couple of fingers. On the mini lesson out front "Masters Of War" that Happy teaches it seems to me that he has some very nice nails there. My question to happy is did you quit fingerpicks and get acrylic nails put on or did you grow a nice set of nails. Thanks.
Cobalt
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President For Life
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Very observant of you.
I have always preferred using my nails to picks, but I have the kind that break easily. When I perform I usually wear fingerpicks to give me volume and speed, but in quieter situations I don't use them.
A couple of months ago, after more than 40 year of playing, I decided to try acrylic nails. So, I went to the nice Vietnamese lady at the mall and got them done. From what I hear it's not the healthiest thing for your "real" nails, but I've been loving the strength and reliability of the acrylics and will probably keep using them for a while. When I play this weekend, though, I'm going to go for my tried-and-true Acri picks.
Musically yours,
Happy
------------------
Happy Traum
Homespun Tapes
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Supreme Being
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Last Login: 8/26/2010 3:50:25 PM
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| Before you go the acrilic route for your nails you might try polish. My nails don't hold up well by themselves to the steel strings, but I found a clear polish that works great. I shape my nails then clean them with polish remover. The last step is to apply a clear coat polish. I use a product call "Hard as Nails". It is very cheap and you can get it at any Walmart or Walgreens stores for about three bucks. A small bottle will last six months to a year. Give it a shot. You might discover an inexpensive cure for brittle nails.. Oh ya, I get funny questions and weird looks all the time. Get used to it..
Warren MayoSioux Falls, SD
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 5/21/2009 7:55:01 AM
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Like Warren Mayo, I have used some sort of clear nail polish (a bottle my mother got as a present...). It said on the bottle it made your nails stronger, and it seemed to work.
But nowadays I just try to find a compromise: nails long enough to pick, but short enough so that they don't break. With some practice, you'll find your nails don't have to be all that long to get a good sound.
Something else: can you put on acrylic nails yourself? I remember seeing Harry Sacksioni, a great Dutch guitar player, break a nail during a concert. He just started to chat, tell some funny story, while at the same time glueing on a nail. I assume this was an acrylic nail like Happy's?
Tom
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Forum Guru
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| I've used acrylic nails for years (i, m, a, only - just a good callus on p) and love them! One caution though - when trimming them back to proper length (they grow out with your nails) don't use a nail clipper or you will break them in ways you don't want. You can file them back. I use a little grinding wheel on a drill motor to take them down and then finish off with a file. Rick
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Forum Newbie
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cobalt1254 (5/15/2009)
I have bought many lessons from Happy over the years and he has pretty much always used finger picks. I myself don't really care for them and have been thinking about getting acrylic nails put on a couple of fingers. On the mini lesson out front "Masters Of War" that Happy teaches it seems to me that he has some very nice nails there. My question to happy is did you quit fingerpicks and get acrylic nails put on or did you grow a nice set of nails. Thanks.
CobaltHave you looked at the new polymer nails? There is a new product that replaces acrylic nails and uses a much safer technology, called protein bonding. Their product bonds an inert polymer (strong - think steel vs pure iron) to your nail using a protein bonding solution (See http://www.PersonalSalon.com). Their stuff will help make your nail much stronger, and you can even add length. It doesn't have any of the pitfalls of acrylic nails, because they don't use any harsh primers or acids in their process (acrylics use some nasty chemicals). The best part is that you can do it yourself at home (because all the ingredients are safe). So its cheaper and no funny looks.
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Supreme Being
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Last Login: 8/26/2010 3:50:25 PM
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Very interesting, I may look into this Polymer material myself. I use my natural nails with a clear hardener/polish. But, I find that when I play claw hammer banjo my nails rapidly wear away on one side. If this polymer material is stronger then it might be just the ticket.
Thanks for the tip..
Warren MayoSioux Falls, SD
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Supreme Being
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OK, I took the bait and went to the web site. Holy Cow! That's way too much freeking work for me to do.
Acrylics will be what I go to if I ever decide to get away from my natural nails.
I just don't have the patients for all of that work on just one nail....
Warren MayoSioux Falls, SD
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Forum Newbie
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When I was younger, I had nails that could scratch sparks off the pavement. As I got older, they became weaker and more fragile, and they seem to grow back slower.
Taking a daily dose of gelatin was once a trick I used to get stronger nails, but then I discovered a daily dose of biotin. Biotin is a supplement that is available at most places where they sell vitamins. It is cheap, and you only need to take one little pill a day.
It will take several months to notice a difference, but it sure has helped me--but I still use my Pro-picks a lot, just to save wear and tear on the nails and fingertips, but the nails are there and much stronger when I need them.
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Supreme Being
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This is a great discussion. I've been struggling with aging nails lately as well, but mostly I think the problem is that I'm playing the blues a lot harder than I used to. Those steel strings can be rough.
I didn't want to get picks, but decided to try. I got Acri picks. They're very heavy gauge. I found the cheap, generic, light gauge picks slip way too easily. I'm still getting used to them, but so far I like them a lot and would recommend them highly.
When I pick lightly, I can still use my natural nails, but these days I don't quite trust that they're strong. And I have been very curious about supplements. I heard gelatin was good, and had heard of biotin. I assumed, but didn't know, it would take a while to see an effect so I appreciate that info. I'm going to look for some biotin, thanks!
Brooklyn Mike
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