MusicManMike - Posted - 01/24/2015:  05:39:31

Any other clawhammer players out there use acrylic nails to get their desired tone? I have heard of this from a couple of people but haven't tried it. Does it really make that big of a difference? I have really thick nails anyway and Im not sure it'd be worth the trouble 

avesbanjo - Posted - 01/24/2015:  05:47:56

quote:

---

Originally posted by MusicManMike

Any other clawhammer players out there use acrylic nails to get their desired tone? I have heard of this from a couple of people but haven't tried it. Does it really make that big of a difference? I have really thick nails anyway and Im not sure it'd be worth the trouble 

---

I saw a few videos on youtube of people discussing their acrylic nails and then demonstrating the sound..I have no experience myself. It has always been one of those "if old time players out in the hills knew we were putting on fake nails to play the banjo they'd be turning over in their graves" type thing. 

I've been trying to be patient and grow my nails longer (I have bitten my nails consistently for 26 years and stopped just for the banjo..I must like it or something ), but that takes some time. Let us know your results. 

MusicManMike - Posted - 01/24/2015:  05:52:51

Lol, I hear ya on the rolling over in the grave thing. I try to keep things as natural as possible but I usually really dig the timbre of these people using these things. If I end up trying it out it'll probably be after my next gig in a couple of weeks. If I do it I'll post a video of playing a tune with and without them on

JoePasko - Posted - 01/24/2015:  06:01:26

I know classical guitar players use artificial nails.   But I would expect most banjo players are too rustic for such preening.

Bunkie - Posted - 01/24/2015:  06:42:43

I play Seeger style and used to use a fairly long index finger nail for up-plucking, 2nd and 3rd finger nails for the down strum, longish thumb nail too especially the left edge of the nail.  

I also do a fair amount of tinkering on the car and house, and would occasionally catch the (usually index) nail one way or another, necessitating cutting or grinding it shorter to avoid catching it and messing it up worse on some project or other, or tearing it worse on the banjo.  Ouch!

One time this happened right before a performance, and I can't get any decent volume or timber without at least a little overhang of that index nail.  Went to the drug store and bought a set of nails.  I have pretty fat fingers and nails so I think I may have used the nail that was supposed to be for a thumb, on the index finger trimmed down a bit.  Worked great but one bright shiny nail looked pretty goofy next to the rest -- a little steel wool fixed that.  This let me play the gig and when the natural nail grew enough I took the fake one off.

Lately I've adjusted my technique to allow not growing the index nail quite so long.  Have also at my doctor's insistence been eating better and getting more aerobic exercise and by golly the nails are all stronger as a side benefit.  Thanks Doc.

To answer the OP's question, in my case the tone I got with the fake nail was pretty darn good, a little louder with more "ping" than the natural nails I had at the time, but thankfully the stronger nails I've got now worn a little shorter give me just as nice a tone and attack.

On a side note, anybody else discovered how nice a small Dremmel tool like the Mighty Mite will shape nails?  Quick and easy, beats the crap out of clippers, and once you get used to it the results are on a par with a good file.

leadbelly - Posted - 01/24/2015:  06:57:20

I've had to use fake nails for the last ten or twelve years, simply because my own nails started getting brittle as I aged.  They work fine, but are enough of a pain in the keister that I would happily do without if I could.  I'm speaking mostly as one who fingerpicks steel string guitar.  I've just started learning clawhammer, so I don't know if I'd need them if I didn't play guitar.

George Flink - Posted - 01/24/2015:  06:58:47

If my nails were heavy and strong I wouldn't use any artificial nails. However they are not. Check out Rico nails. They can be easily removable. A little fussy to use but well worth the fuss.

BDCA - Posted - 01/24/2015:  06:59:32

I play enough so that my index finger was never long enough. I hit the salon once a month or so and I am thrilled with the results. I let the nail grow out almost completely to allow the nail bed to recover. It's also a help with my guitar playing as I sometimes use my index nail for a percussive effect. I do have to be careful about it being too long which interferes with my tenor banjo playing. Definitely worth the $3 and sounds great and doesn't wear at all.

Cya!

Bob

Crusty - Posted - 01/24/2015:  07:14:20

I used to go to a nail salon to have a new nail applied about once a month (usually when my natural nail had grown enough that there was a gap between the cuticle and the acrylic nail which caught the strings) but I became concerned about the (lack of) hygiene at the salons, and I then learned about full size nail covers. 

I bought a bag of 500 nail covers for about $5 on Amazon (not all of them are a useful size however) and I've been applying them myself with a spot of nail glue (a weak cyanoacrylate) and I like them better than the built up acrylic nails from the salon because they're lighter and thinner.  I apply a clear nail topcoat each night to protect the nail cover from wear and then polish it completely smooth with a nail buffing block.

This is an ideal solution for me because I can pick cleanly with little pick noise just like using a natural nail (that I'll never have) and if I break one it takes literally just a few minutes to be picking again.

Scott Barnbilly56 - Posted - 01/24/2015:  08:46:03

I use the salon applied acrylic nails and have them put them on kind of heavy so I don't crack them off . Some times when I get the nail grow out gap I have them fill the gap . If it doesn't catch the strings I just let them go till almost grown off then they start to break up anyways . I love having them myself and saves my nails from wear down and sore finger ends problems . I have to keep my nails short because I also am a bluegrass picker and longer nails will get in the way of picking . The stick on nails I never had any luck with myself . Put my vote in for acrylic nails .
Scott

MusicManMike - Posted - 01/24/2015:  08:54:49

Thank you all for the input folks, its been a wonderful help! =)

leadbelly - Posted - 01/24/2015:  09:35:49

quote:

---

Originally posted by Scott Barnbilly56

I use the salon applied acrylic nails and have them put them on kind of heavy so I don't crack them off . Some times when I get the nail grow out gap I have them fill the gap . If it doesn't catch the strings I just let them go till almost grown off then they start to break up anyways . I love having them myself and saves my nails from wear down and sore finger ends problems . I have to keep my nails short because I also am a bluegrass picker and longer nails will get in the way of picking . The stick on nails I never had any luck with myself . Put my vote in for acrylic nails .

Scott

---

How do you fill that gap at the cuticle?  It was never a problem (up) picking on guitar.  It drives me nuts trying to play clawhammer.

BDCA - Posted - 01/24/2015:  10:35:41

I just make sure it is sanded smooth to the nail with no edge to catch.

Cya!

Bob

leadbelly - Posted - 01/24/2015:  10:59:11

quote:

---

Originally posted by BDCA

I just make sure it is sanded smooth to the nail with no edge to catch.

 

Cya!

Bob

---

Yeah, I do that.  It lasts about five minutes of playing.  I'd like to find something smooth and removeable that would actually FILL that area at the top of the artificial nail that appears as the natural nail grows out.

BDCA - Posted - 01/24/2015:  11:23:09

Never had that problem. I like to let the nail grow out uncovered . Sounds like the acrylic at the edge is not hard enough to hold up. Once mine is grown out a bit and filed smooth I never have to touch it!

Cya!

Bob

Jim Yates - Posted - 01/24/2015:  18:45:18

When mine grow out, I like to file them smooth like Bob does, then I apply a coat of Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails to further smooth the transition between my own nail and the acrylic.



Michael, If you have really thick, strong nails, then forget about using acrylic.  It's for us players with very thin weak nails.

pickincat - Posted - 01/25/2015:  00:00:10

For those with weak or thin nails I would suggest gelatin or even hair/nail vitamins. Get yer protein and don't eat ramen noodles. Weak nails is sometimes an indicator your diet is lacking.

hbluffbanjo - Posted - 01/25/2015:  06:39:00

quote:

---

Originally posted by Scott Barnbilly56

I use the salon applied acrylic nails and have them put them on kind of heavy so I don't crack them off . Some times when I get the nail grow out gap I have them fill the gap . If it doesn't catch the strings I just let them go till almost grown off then they start to break up anyways . I love having them myself and saves my nails from wear down and sore finger ends problems . I have to keep my nails short because I also am a bluegrass picker and longer nails will get in the way of picking . The stick on nails I never had any luck with myself . Put my vote in for acrylic nails .

Scott

Ditto for me: I keep a thick acrylic nail on my index finger. I keep it filed down short to clear my bluegrass picks. I go back to salon every 2-3 weeks to get a "fill-in" done. Works perfect!

---

BDCA - Posted - 01/25/2015:  06:51:08

I am usually a walk in so I have to wait a while. The wait is usually entertaining as most women are not expecting a man on the premises. I don't get to sit in the Shiatsu chair and no foot rubs for my $3.

Cya!

Bob

Edited by - BDCA on 01/25/2015 06:51:48

maryzcox - Posted - 01/25/2015:  13:53:06

I have to have one on my middle nail right hand to protect the nail--right now I'm resting it--no acrylic--no polish--but even with light play just trying to work on the new tab book--it's already bruised and breaking after only a week--I'm going to have to go and get it put on again next week as have quite a bit of playing to do :)

Best wishes,

Mary Z Cox

maryzcox.com

MusicManMike - Posted - 01/25/2015:  16:08:25

Thanks again for all your input folks. Its greatly appreciated =)

BDCA - Posted - 01/25/2015:  16:12:11

So Mary, do you get to sit in the Shiatzu chairs and get a foot massage?

I always get "Why you only want one finger?" Then she gives the rest of my nails on that hand  a an oiling and a buff, then goes to my left hand "Huh..Nails too short!"

Nice thing about the acrylic, you never lose it!

Cya!

Bob

Edited by - BDCA on 01/25/2015 16:12:55

Jim Yates - Posted - 01/25/2015:  16:31:06

Mary, I used to have only my middle right finger done, but 5 or 6 years ago I realised that my guitar finger-picking was unbalanced, so I now get the index, bird and ring fingers done.  It's less likely to cause offence than waving my middle finger would too.

Bob, Since I've been going to the same place for 6 or 7 years, the good folks at Lily's Nails no longer ask why I only want 3 nails done since they know exactly what I want.  I sure hope they never close so I won't have to train someone else.   I must admit that Susan, who does my nails, always asks what colour I'd like them.  After 6 years it's getting pretty old, but she's such a sweetheart that I just smile.

A few of my students and a couple of friends now go to Lily's too.

The shop is named after Susan's daughter who is was a student at Queen's when I started going in, but is now a lawyer.

BDCA - Posted - 01/25/2015:  17:18:06

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jim Yates

Mary, I used to have only my middle right finger done, but 5 or 6 years ago I realised that my guitar finger-picking was unbalanced, so I now get the index, bird and ring fingers done.  It's less likely to cause offence than waving my middle finger would too.

Bob, Since I've been going to the same place for 6 or 7 years, the good folks at Lily's Nails no longer ask why I only want 3 nails done since they know exactly what I want.  I sure hope they never close so I won't have to train someone else.   I must admit that Susan, who does my nails, always asks what colour I'd like them.  After 6 years it's getting pretty old, but she's such a sweetheart that I just smile.

A few of my students and a couple of friends now go to Lily's too.

The shop is named after Susan's daughter who is was a student at Queen's when I started going in, but is now a lawyer.

---

Nice! I stopped at a different salon last year on my way to a gig and I told them I was a musician and need only 1 nail. They offered to trade a nail job for a few tunes. When they saw it was a banjo they weren't interested so I paid...Maybe a banjo has a different meaning in Vietnamese culture..then again, maybe not.

Cya!

Bob

ChiefBrody - Posted - 01/26/2015:  03:00:53

Thought I'd give my experience as a new player. I found my nail would break every now and then when I started playing properly back in September. I've tried a few things. Firstly, I don't let my nail get too long. That seems to help. Secondly, I keep it in good shape with a file. Thirdly, my second banjo has nylgut/nylon strings and I've never had a nail related problem with these strings. Finally, as a back up, I made one of those ping pong ball picks that have been discussed around here in the past. Takes 10 minutes to get accustomed to it then you're good to go. Great for a back up in the event your nail splits.

mbuk06 - Posted - 01/26/2015:  05:45:15

quote:

---

Originally posted by pickincat

For those with weak or thin nails I would suggest gelatin or even hair/nail vitamins. Get yer protein and don't eat ramen noodles. Weak nails is sometimes an indicator your diet is lacking.

---

That's a good point.  Especially for older pickers. It's rarely due to poor diet; more that the body is slightly less efficient at processing.

I'm lucky that I have strong nails. But as I only play steel strings the tip of my pickin' nail will wear a concave indentation. Trying to 'harden up' the natural nail to counteract this is futile. Steel wins every time. I don't like the tone from artificial alternatives. Improving natural nail growth is the solution. Through a combination of age-related less-efficient processing of vitamin D from sunlight, indoor workplaces and low light levels in winter we may unknowingly be depleted of this important vitamin and our nails do not grow as fast.

What does work for me is taking a Vitamin D supplement during the winter months to ensure that my nails grow as fast as they do in summer. Out-pace wear instead of attempting to 'resist' wear. 

Edited by - mbuk06 on 01/26/2015 05:55:33

Explorer - Posted - 01/26/2015:  11:43:51

Since the conversation has moved beyond just artificial nails...

I originally played only guitar. It was hard to strike a good balance between what was needed for claw and for guitar.

I started using Fred Kelly Freedom Picks on banjo, thanks to many Hangout members who have liked them, and they work like a charm.

It's nice to not have to hope that one's nails are exactly the right length, neither too long nor too short.

Hilarie Burhans - Posted - 01/27/2015:  18:40:05

If your natural nails are tough and give you no problems, by all means leave them alone and feel lucky!  However, I have used salon-applied nails on my index, middle and ring fingers for about 15 years now.  Although I don't play every day, when I do play, I play a lot (14 hours over the course of a weekend) and I hit the strings really hard.  My own nails are no match for this sort of abuse. I've also used the stick-them-on-yourself approach by buying nails and nail glue but they look so fakey and fall off when you least expect them to.  

At the salon, I get tips (fake nails that are glued on the tip half of the nail) with acrylic (a brush in a solvent with a dab of powdered acrylic; that's brushed on as a smooth coating) and then, and this is key: "gel" which is brushed on after the acrylic is dry and sanded and shaped.  You then cure the gel by sticking your hand for a few minutes in a UV light machine.  Just say "tips, acrylic and gel" and they'll know what you mean.

A bit of warning, though; in order to make everything stick really well, they're going to rough up your natural nail a bit on top, usually with a Dremel-type tool, before they do anything else.  And the first day or two that you have a fake nail or two, you'll probably be conscious of them on your finger.  If you can't stand them, you can go back and have them removed, or soak them in acetone for a long time after you cut them short and pry up what you can.  After about a month (your mileage may vary) you go back for either a "fill" (more acrylic, to fill the gap near the cuticle where the natural nail has grown out) with more gel on top; or, if the nails are loose or getting ugly, they'll slip a nail tip under the fake nail and pry it off, and start fresh.

I get a lot of people asking about the "tone" I get from my banjo(s) and frankly, some of that is due to my fake nails.  Some people say they hate the sound of fake nails, but then are surprised when I tell them I've always used them.  So go figure.  I like them because I have to use SOMETHING and they feel much more "a part of me" than any of the various clawhammer-specific picks I've tried, though I do recommend those to some folks (banjo students who are massage therapists, for example!)

bryanshepard - Posted - 01/27/2015:  19:26:15

I have one from a nail joint on my frailing finger. When I started playing, just a couple months ago, I didn't have any nail. I've kept em short all my life because I've really only worked labor jobs; any more than about 1/8th of an inch would get snagged and collect a lot of grease/soil under them.

On a whim, after watching an interview with Paul Simon and noticing how long his nails were, I ducked into a nail salon and got my index & middle fingers done for $8 total. What nails I did have were already pretty shredded from practice.

Couldn't believe the difference! It eliminated a variable that I never knew was an issue and I can focus 100% on playing now. Very happy about that!

Jim Yates - Posted - 01/27/2015:  20:56:07

They're also handy for any of you crokinole players.

MusicManMike - Posted - 01/28/2015:  16:35:35

I used to fight professionally so I keep a really good diet and have strong, thick nails. The only problem is that I play so often that the first two wear down and stay worn down. There are times that I need a break for a week or two and when I come back to playing I can notice a big difference in timbre. I'd like to keep my "thick nail" sound all the time

Chris Keefer - Posted - 01/29/2015:  14:38:23

I have never had the problem with wearing my nails out, but my band mate who plays banjo has to put on an acrlyic nail every time, he swears its because we play out of A and D a lot so his strings are tighter, honestly, he just has a heavy hand and plays louder than the fiddle.

maryzcox - Posted - 02/01/2015:  14:12:12

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jim Yates

Mary, I used to have only my middle right finger done, but 5 or 6 years ago I realised that my guitar finger-picking was unbalanced, so I now get the index, bird and ring fingers done.  It's less likely to cause offence than waving my middle finger would too.

Bob, Since I've been going to the same place for 6 or 7 years, the good folks at Lily's Nails no longer ask why I only want 3 nails done since they know exactly what I want.  I sure hope they never close so I won't have to train someone else.   I must admit that Susan, who does my nails, always asks what colour I'd like them.  After 6 years it's getting pretty old, but she's such a sweetheart that I just smile.

A few of my students and a couple of friends now go to Lily's too.

The shop is named after Susan's daughter who is was a student at Queen's when I started going in, but is now a lawyer.

---

Okay Jim--6 years and never any color????? Bah--humbug--go in next time and choose something wild--like hot pink or gold glitter--or have her do each nail in a different neon color--strip off those socks & let her have a go at those toenails too--you will love it--she will love it--go ahead--throw a little happiness & color into the world--its sooooo much fun