MARS CLOSE TO EARTH

[keith]

i do not recall seeing/hearing so many discussions going on about nylon string guitars without the ubiquitous subject of: FINGERNAILS

WHAT GIVES? IS IT MARS BEING SO CLOSE? what do folks do to keep their nails in playable condition? what protection is used? i personally use a kevlar based nail solution.

:mrgreen: yes, you got it, those little green men from mars

[stubthumbs]

i was thinking the same thing! i didnt come across a single thread about nail care. anyways, first off, i keep a fil at hand whenever i start practicing. i prefer ones with two different sides, one for shaping and one for finishing, so that i can fil down some nails that are too long. once in a while, when im just standing around, or sitting, i would feel the tips and edges of my fingernails, to make sure i dont have any nicks or dents in them. if i do, i fil them out right away, until its fairly smooth. even if theyre slightly rough, id fil it until i dont feel any bumps along the nail.

then, i use this one paper to smooth them out completely, under and around the nail, its crazy how well it works. i was given this paper by one of my teachers at my school who majored in classical guitar. i keep forgeting the name of it, but if i find out, ill post it up right away! this stuff comes in handy. it dramatically changes ur tone.

as for protection, i just use ordinary clear nail strengthener. id put this on after taking a shower. the only time my nails chipped was when i picked up a bass and just messed around on it(slapping is fun) :D , or when i accidently bend my nails. this was when i just started playing, and luckly, it didnt chip on the pink area of ur fingers!! :lol: i used to put nail strengthener on whenever i saw parts of my nail exposed, but i guess by taking care of them it has thickened over time, so i dont have to worry much about them, only so that i dont damage them so much that i cant play for a week or so.

yea.....ur nails r important....