Nail lenght

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Fretless Banjo Players

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A group for fretless players to exchange information and ideas.

308 Members, Created 1/28/2011 -

Administrators: Marc Nerenberg (owner)

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From Tero on 4/11/2014 11:09:27 AM

I have only played fretless banjo with nylgut or nylon strings, but I do like the sound of steel strung fretless also. I know that the fretting hands nails are an important factor when playing with steel strings. My problem is that I cannot grow long nails because of my professional life. So my question is, how long nails do you need to be able to play well.

since here in Finland we dont have banjos, at least fretless banjos, in music stores, I cannot try and find it out myself.

does the metal plate on the fingerboard make a difference?

4 Comments
	banjoboyd says: 4/11/2014 4:36:05 PM Normal length should suffice. You should be able to control flesh vs. nail by angling the fingers. It's certainly not necessary to use any nails on steel strung fretless; the only place it really matters is slides and stops on the 1st string, and depending on playing style that may not even be an issue.
	Tero says: 4/11/2014 11:00:03 PM Wthanks for the response! What about the metal plate on the fingerboard, does it add clarity when not using nails?
	banjoboyd says: 4/12/2014 11:23:59 AM I haven't played on a metal plate banjo, only listened to them. My impression is that the metal plate sounds really "zingy," if I had to pick a word. I think it's more a change in tone than in clarity. A hard wood like ebony will give a clear enough sound, but the tone is a bit thicker and (as you might expect) "woodier." My understanding (and somebody correct me if I'm wrong) is that originally metal/formica plates were put on old fretless banjos when the wood became too gouged out and rough. These banjos were produced in an era before producers were using ebony/walnut/maple/other true hardwoods as fingerboards.
	Tero says: 4/13/2014 2:06:51 AM Thanks! That confirmed my own thoughts about the theme. I will start looking for a new banjo!
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