My own personal nail thread

[knucklebrain1970]

:lol: Ok here it goes. I've grown some nails. I have Scotts book and I still don't understand why my nails are catching the strings and wonder if anyone can offer some insight. It's tough to get the pic quality good. I think I have a crappy nail shape. I'm not sure how these should be filed to avoid the catching on the strings. Any ideas are appreciated. Ok enough GSI forum, everyone is probaby sick of me today :lol:
Hey, if anyone could post a pic of their hand, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Kevin

http://webpages.charter.net/kfarrelldba/nail/1.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/kfarrelldba/nail/2.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/kfarrelldba/nail/3.JPG

[brian richardson]

kev,
a little hard to tell but, it looks like your m and a nails hook.
mine hook also and it's a constant battle. i file mine not with the file
flat across the nail but more tilted up so it files more the center than the edges and work it from there. also i grow the sides more than you have so as to have more of the side-then middle attacking the string. it's hard to put to words and i hope it helps.(that's if i'm getting the pic right) 8)
p.s. i've no digital camera but if i did it would work out great-ya see almost every photo i take has my thumb in it :lol:

[dap22]

Hey Kevin,
try using a diamond file (the metal ones) and shape it flat across the bottom edge of the nail. If that doesn't work, try using ping pong balls as fake nails. Cut out the pingpong ball to the shape of your nail and use superglue and glue it on. Scott Tennant discuses nail shape in Pumping Nylon.
The reason your nail is hooking on strings is from its shape, as you can see it is kinda like a wave...the lower edge of the 'wave' is where it hooks. file this out and there should be no problem!
Nails are something that you need to fight with and play with and experiment with until you find out what exactly is right with you.

Best of luck.

Doug.

[knucklebrain1970]

Ok, thanks guys, so basically the wave is the problem? Eliminate the wave and all should be good? Is that what your saying?

Kevin

[dap22]

Yes,
as you can see, the string is goign to hook on the part of the wave that curves downward...you don't want a wavy surface..you want it smooth. Since you have it, look at the pics in Scott Tennants Pumping Nylon.
You might also want a little bit more length on the nails to get a clean tone. Be sure to file them properly, gspguitar.com offers some great nail filing paper (its really just a 500 grade open coat snadpaper...which is not easy to find at most hardware stores like Lowes & Home Depot.)
Good luck!

Doug.

[DWPC]

My nails are much like yours. If you're mechanically inclined, think of your nail edge as a cam lobe. It doesn't cross the string all at once like a pick but rather the string follows a path along the nail edge profile. This contact profile is what you need to address; it needs to be smooth and "uphill" from 1st contact to the apex, then "downhill" to the string release.

I looked closely at the way each nail crosses the string, then shaped them to smooth out the string contact path on my nail edge, rather than trying to match a "desired" nail shape. Each of my nails has its own unique profile that, to the eye appears assymetric, but the strings "see" a uniform, smoothly curved edge.

You'll have to add some length to them to accommodate the shaping necessary, but yours don't appear extreme. The hardest part is shifting the contact area away from the hooks.