Dear Franz, I went back to the classical guitar after many years, but also wanted to continue to play the lute. I grew my nails out, but found that it was too difficult to play the lute with nails from a tone perspective as well as concern about damaging the soundboard. So, I filed my nails back and adopted a system used by my guitar teacher when he breaks a nail. I buy a pack of false glue on-type plastic nails from either the drugstore or beauty supply store and file and polish a set to the preferred shape for the p, i, m, a fingernails and attach them to my real nails when playing guitar using 0.5 inch round permanent glue dots that can be found in stationary supply stores. It helps to wash your hands before attaching them to remove natural skin oils so they won't peel off easily during playing. Tonally, the sound using the plastic nail is, in my opinion, just as good as with the real nail. Also, they won't come off unless you are playing rasgueado with your thumb nail (then just use a piece of first aid tape for the thumb nail). I can tug on the plastic nail and it actually feels like my real nail when it's attached with a fresh glue dot When you're ready to remove them, just rotate them gently away from the real nail. Running your hand under warm water helps to soften the glue dot and remove the plastic nails easily - the glue dot will stay on the back of the plastic nail. Because the plastic nails last basically forever, I find it much easier to play classical guitar with these nails than having to continually shape and polish my real nails. I also never have to worry about breaking a real nail. The glue dots last a couple of weeks before they dry out and need to be replaced. That is easily done by using a large diameter needle (I use something called a bodkin used in fly tying) to skewer the glue dot and rotate it around the needle until it is removed from the back of the fake nail. While not in use, I keep them stored in a seven-day pill box with the lids labeled p, i, m, and a, along with extra nails and glue dots. This system was actually invented by Rico Stover and if you don't want to pull the supplies together individually, everything can be ordered as a package via Rico's web site: www.ricoguitarnails.com. He calls it the "Emergency Nail Kit." I don't know Rico, but I believe my teacher got the idea from him. Hope this helps. Best regards, Bill Eisele > Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:13:56 +0100 > To: chriswi...@yahoo.com; lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > From: franz.mechs...@northumbria.ac.uk > Subject: [LUTE] Lute and guitar > > Dear Christopher, > (and dear lute wisdom), > > I just see that you are playing and teaching the guitar as well as the > lute. How do you manage to play both instruments regarding nails (and > maybe other problems)? I am juggling between having the nails long when > focusing on the guitar, thereby neglecting the lute, having > "intermediate" nails while playing both instruments and short nails > while playing the lute and vihuela, thereby now and then playing my > guitar with finger tips. > > I would be interested how other people manage the problem(s) of loving > instruments of both types. > > Best > Franz > > > > -- > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
--
