Fake nails

Why not try these finger picks:

http://www.tonetoys.de/de/Finger-Tone.html

I know the site's German, but I'm sure that you can get them in the States.

Better than ruining fingernails.

They look quite cool, I would like to give them a try. They would need to be tough or they may just flick off halfway through my first song. Also Im in England, where if you can get a product you normally have to sell you car to be able to aford it. Thanks for the link though, i'll have to practice my german.

Joe,

I live in Germany - so that would be no problem ordering from ToneToys. I would imagine that they will deliver within Europe, though. The price is about £10 for a set of 3 plus, I assume, P&P. Postage should not be much more than a couple of quid.

Thanks I'll look into it.

Yeah some of the finger picks you can manicure down to perfect size and shape

I actually have used fake nails for the same reasons. My regular nails break all of the time and I have trouble playing the guitar. They work pretty well for me. If you use the at home, do it yourself ones, they will last about a week and you're looking at probably around 5-10 dollars. Beware, though - they will ruin your natural nails, so unless you are willing to use them long term, you might consider another option.

I have actually been heavily considering the same thing as joe with the fake nails. I play mostly electric shred guitar, but when i pick up that accoustic, its all fingerstyle, and my nails are very soft and rip alot. Nail hardener just doent work, and i love the tone my nails give while playing. Maybe i'll ask this in the guitar player's discussion forum, so it gets more veiws.

any replies would be highly apreciated by me, also.

I have a similar problem to Joe - the nails on my right (picking) hand tend to split really easily -

Index finger - seems to be paper-thin and breaks so easily.......
Second finger - here's the weird one - my dad once caught his finger in a lathe and the nail split, one side used to grow over the other....since he died, it's like my finger was posessed - there's a pink streak down the midlde of the nail and it tends to split in the middle and break easily....
Ring finger - not as bad as the other two but just when it's geting to a decent length tends to break right at the bottom of the nail and I have to cut it right down.........

For some reason my left (fretting) hand seems to be able to grow strong thick fingernails with no problem whatsoever.....I have to cut and file them regularly.......you'd think the hand you finger-pick with would become stronger in time - like the hand you fret with gets calloused - believe me this is not the case!!!

So what, if anything, can I do to strengthen the nails on my right hand?

Hey Guys,

I am actually blessed with fairly strong nails and I have never used fake nails, I have just seen the consequences of them before from people I know. I would strongly recommend not getting fake nails. When they are applied proffessionally, they file down your nail. I don't mean file to make shorter, I mean to make thinner and then glue the fake nail into place over the thin nail remaining. Then when the nails start to grow out, girls usually go back and have the new part filled. I don't recommend it because it leaves your natural nails in worse state than they are. The press on home type ones, as Portia says, do the same thing but you don't file down your current nail. Fake nails can lead to infections and fungus, especially the home applied ones. If and when you decide to stop using fake nails and can take awhile before your nails go back to normal. I think you are better off just trying to strengthen them.
Instead of using the enamel nail strengthener stuff or whatever it is, try clear nail polish. It is not as strong as the other stuff but still helps. I read once that buffing your nails can make them stronger because it gets more blood circulation to your nails, maybe try massaging them and lotioning them. Vic -maybe your left hand nails are stronger because they get manicured more regularly?

I just found this and it is from CNN
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/WO/00020.html

hope this helped

OK so those work for guitar but how about for bass? I have weak fingers and noone around seems to play or know how to strengthen fingers. Have any advice for me?

I was having the SAME PROBLEM.. and i bought fake nails and ... im not veyr smart about how to take them off lol.. and i had to go to a family thing with fake nails on.. :oops: .. but OOO WEll.. i just told them im a guitarist and if they make fun of me i will make song makin fun of them and make fun of them on stage once i get famous! 8) :lol: :wink: :!: :!:

BUt now i got finger picks.. i got from the local music store and they work just as good ANNNNDD i know how to take them offf haha

I dont think u can us any sort of a pick for bass??? well thats what i was told from a friend of mine.. well im sure u can but i dont think it sounds as good.. But i could be wrong i never played a basss or anything.. But Good luck finding out!... from somone that plays a bass.. sorry! :( i cant help

wish i could

You could try fingerpicks, but I don't recommend them. Try playing with bare flesh. That's what I do and it works for me. Picks and artificial nails and stuff just kind of get in the way for me.

OK, this might seem odd, but I swear it works! Find a feed store or a tack shop and ask for hoof cream. Doesn't really matter what brand. It is used on horses hooves to keep them from cracking. Rub it into your nails once or twice a day and in a month you'll notice that your nails are much stronger! If you live in a totally urban area where there aren't any feed stores or tack shops you can probably order something from the internet.