Nail length

[Shroomy726]

Ok, now that my nails have actually grown, I am feeling like they bother me. SO yesterday i decided toc ut them and it felt much better. But now i feel like they are too long again. I know the thumb one is supposed to be long, and it is, but what about the other nails? Could anyone be so kind as to tell me how long they should be?

[keith]

it is probably not advisable to cut one's nail, rather, use a file and then 600 or higher sandpaper to buff and smooth. cutting puts stress on the nail which could result in micro fractures (which can lead to breakage, weakening, etc.).

many folks say the fingernails should be 1-2mm above the rim of the fingertip. for flamenco folks, the thumbnail is about 5-7mm mm above the rim of the fingertip--classical folks i hear go with a much shorter thumbnail (length:???). but with everything, these are ballpark figures and you gotta work this out for yourself. what you do not want are nails so long they impede your strokes.

[guitarplayer12217]

there isnt any set standard that nails should be. just choose whatever length feels fit for u rather than anyone else setting the standard.

[dap22]

Hey,
as guitarplayer12217 said, there isn't any set standard for the length or shape of the fingernail. Some suggest the shape should follow the figure of the finger, others shape the nail a little bit like a convex ramp (see pictures in scott tennants pumping nylon to understand what I mean by ramp). As far as length goes...keep the nails short enough to do rest strokes, but long enough for tremolo...it takes some playing around with and time to figure out what works best for you.
As far as using a higher grade of sandpaper than 600..I really don't know about that. The 'grade' (number) of sandpaper is defined by the average number of 'grains' per square inch...therefore a low grade, lets say 200 which would most likely be used for smoothing a wood surface, is quite coarse..it has bigger grains. When you go into the higher grades, lets say 500 or 600, the 'grains' are very small and smooth, and while the paper is still a bit coarse, it is perfect for fingernail shaping. Guitar Solo Publications (www.gspguitar.com) offers the best sandpaper for filing. Be sure to file with an open coat sanpaper (often light or blue in color) as opposed to a close coat. An open coat simply means that there is more space between each grain...this allows for a smoother sanding finish. With more space, debri collects in between the grains instead of ON the grain, so you will always pretty much be filing on a flat surface. If you were to use a closed coat sandpaper the dust/debri would cllect on the surface of the grain, as opposed to inbetween the grain, this disturbs the flatness of the surface and you might not end up with the smoothest nail.

Finding the right length and nail is a tricky thing. After a year and a half of playing around with different shapes and lengths, I think I have finally settled on something that fits me. We each have different nail shapes, and more or less skin under our nails, so the 'spot' that we play the string to get that good tone is a little bit different for everyone to get to. Good luck with this...and remember..if a nail breaks...use ping-pong balls to replace!

Cheers,
Doug

[knucklebrain1970]

I'm having a tough time with the nails. My nails are waved and I have no idea how to shape them. There are thousands of descriptions on the net but no pictures. I have the pumping nylon book and I still can not figure out what I'm doing wrong, so I've filed them no much I have to wait another month for them to grow back, only probably to screw then up again. :cry:

[Jubilee Valence]

I'm having a tough time with the nails. My nails are waved and I have no idea how to shape them. There are thousands of descriptions on the net but no pictures. I have the pumping nylon book and I still can not figure out what I'm doing wrong, so I've filed them no much I have to wait another month for them to grow back, only probably to screw then up again. :cry: :? If I can sit in the front %&#@* window of the @#$*&$ beauty parlor then SO CAN YOU!! :P LOL

[knucklebrain1970]

NOT GONNA HAPPEN

[dap22]

Knuckle-
Use ping-pong balls. Cut them out to the shape of your nail, and make a groove in them so that you can slide the piece of ping-pong ball underneath your nail and have it fit comfortably. Make sure the edges go all the way back to the flesh so that the string doesn't catch on them. Use superglue to glue the cut out ping-pong balls under your nail. Essentially, the ping-pong balls are like a fake nail...except a ping-pong ball is extremely close to a perfect shaped sphere...so you get a perfect curvature of a fake nail. Sounds the same on the strings as a regular nail. After about a week or two, the superglue will become loose and you just put on another ping pong ball.
They work great, this way you don't need to worry about the curve in yoru fingernail, and if one breaks, you can immediately replace it.
Good luck with the nails and tone!

Doug.

[knucklebrain1970]

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

[JerryO]

Nail problems!! I think we all have them in some form or another. My problem is that I'm always breaking or splitting them. I've tried just about everthing and think I have come up with a solution for a decent artificial nail. It can also be used to repair a nail. Its called a "silk wrap" with a little modification. Saverez sells a nail repair kit based upon the same thing. I tried one of their kits and found it to be OK but very expensive. You can obtain a product known as "swedish silk from a beauty supply place for about $3. It has pre-cut, adhesive backed, very fine weave silk peices (enough to last a couple of years). You will also need a brush-on super glue made by Loctite (Walmart sells it fo about $3). Don't use the one made by "Crazy Glue" -- its not as good as the Loctite product. Clean the nail. Take one of the silks that matches the width of the nail, remove the backing, and stick it on the nail making sure that it is smoothed out nicely and extends about a centimeter past the end of the natural nail. Trim the end if necessary. Apply the super glue smoothly and let dry completely. Smooth it out a little with a fine file (one of the soft back ones like the one seen in the Pumping Nylon video). Repeat the process until the desired thickness is achieved. ( I use 2 layers for I,M,& A and 3 for P). Now take a good set of clippers and cut the hardened silk end little longer then the desired final length and use files toshape and smooth the silk nail as desired. Now here's my little modification to make the silks more durable. Get a product made by Sally Hanson or Nutranail (drugstore or beauty supply place) for hardening natural nails (about $8.00). It consists of a three part kit: Gel, Activator, and Cleaner. Follow the instructions and put one coat on top of the silk nail. Let dry and buff with a fine file to smooth out the top and remove the sheen. You now have a nail which you can drive screws with! (kidding, of course but really strong!) I use the same process to repair a split or cracked nail. You can also use the process to reinforce a natural nail. Just use one layer of the silk. Works for me, anyway!

[Shroomy726]

well, thanks everyone for their oppinions. I am gonna try to experiment on my own. They problem is that I have been biting my nails ever since I was born, so they are very weak and fragile. So that is why I don't want to cut them TOO short, cuz if i do then it takes weeks to grow back. I started using that Hard As Hoof creme, but i dont think it helped. But now it's ok, i'll just see what is more comfortable for me.