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Has anyone tried "Hard as Nails" to strengthen nails on picking hand?

onewilyfool

By onewilyfool
in Gibson Acoustic

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duluthdan

duluthdan

Posted
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I'd try to take some vitamins or eat some food that might help strengthen nails as opposed to putting chemicals on my fingers.

 

http://www.webmd.com/beauty/nails/healthy-fingernails-clues-about-health

I would agree. Try to find out what kind of vitamins pregnant women tke - I know it may sound ridiculous, but the women I have knob ho were pregnant and taking vitamins had rely hrs and strong nails. Don't ask me how I know that. [biggrin]

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capmaster

capmaster

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Two bandmates of mine are pros playing guitar for a living. They file their fingernails just one direction, from thumb side towards little finger side. Works for them since decades even when fingerpicking steel strings six hours per day.

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Kaiser Bill

Kaiser Bill

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Since I stopped smoking some 13+ years ago, my nails on both hands tend to split in the middle. Mostly the last three fingers on each hand. I used hard as nails for quite a while with mixed results. I used it on both hands of course, and if nothing else my fingernails had a nice clean manicured look

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duluthdan

duluthdan

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How many whiskeys has Dan had ?

 

 

and...

 

if you start taking stuff pregnant women take aren't you scared youll suddenly look at your guitar and start thinking 'that could be sold for a nice kitchen'

Ha, I don't drink, I just can't see worth a darn anymore. Pregnant women ... well, like I said, don't ask...

 

OWF - here's James Taylor on Finger Nails: http://www.jamestaylor.com/guitar/lesson-one-bonus-video/

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Morkolo

Morkolo

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I used it for a few months but in the end I found the chemicals in it just made my fingernails brittle. I've had the best results by eating better and filing them on a regular basis. Keeping the edges of the nail smooth seems to go a long way towards preventing cracks and breaks.

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Wetdog

Wetdog

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I play both flatpick and finger pick style jazz so I let my nails grow on my picking hand. As it so happens my wife is an expert at applying acrylic nails so one day when I broke a nail (I am also a carpenter) she fixed my nail with acrylic. She finally re-did all my picking nails with acrylic. This has absolutely changed the way I play and I will always have acrylic nails on my picking hand. It not only makes my nails stronger but consistent. And if one breaks, no sweat. She touches them up about every two to three weeks. Imagine having great natural nails then right before a gig you break one, eek! So if you are a finger picker, take it from James Taylor and do acrylics. If you can't afford a salon, do it yourself like JT [thumbup] .

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onewilyfool

onewilyfool

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I play both flatpick and finger pick style jazz so I let my nails grow on my picking hand. As it so happens my wife is an expert at applying acrylic nails so one day when I broke a nail (I am also a carpenter) she fixed my nail with acrylic. She finally re-did all my picking nails with acrylic. This has absolutely changed the way I play and I will always have acrylic nails on my picking hand. It not only makes my nails stronger but consistent. And if one breaks, no sweat. She touches them up about every two to three weeks. Imagine having great natural nails then right before a gig you break one, eek! So if you are a finger picker, take it from James Taylor and do acrylics. If you can't afford a salon, do it yourself like JT [thumbup] .

I agree, but having to shell out $12 + tip every three weeks, gets old really fast if you don't have a wife that can fix things…….

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EuroAussie

EuroAussie

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Since I stopped smoking some 13+ years ago, my nails on both hands tend to split in the middle. Mostly the last three fingers on each hand. I used hard as nails for quite a while with mixed results. I used it on both hands of course, and if nothing else my fingernails had a nice clean manicured look

 

You clearly need to start smoking again !

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BluesKing777

BluesKing777

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I've given up on nails and play mainly with the finger flesh pads - absolute agony for a few weeks until the callouses harden! (Like sitting here thinking: "my fingers are just throbbing".)

 

 

 

Worth it! My thumb almost sounds like a soft pick now.

 

 

It was too hard keeping the nails consistent and I want to live a normal life.

 

 

 

Next problem - I scratched the same area of my thumb with a string end yesterday, bandaged now! Yi Yi Yi!

 

 

I guess if you drive buses, you get bus foot?

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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