Re: Flexinail
I remember Chet saying that he tried the horse hoof cream for a while. He said he had to stop using it because out made his nails start curling under like hooks. If I remember right he that was said in a Guitar Player or Frets magazine interview.
Thanks,
Chuck Schwickerath
http://guitarchuck.fourfour.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chuck-Schwickerath/508226169273145
Chuck Schwickerath
http://guitarchuck.fourfour.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chuck-Schwickerath/508226169273145
- guitarchuck
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:28 pm
Re: Flexinail
I have not tried Flexinail and do not plan to, but am interested in products that might strengthen my nails. When I asked my pharmacist about this recently, she said that Biotin is somewhat helpful (and that Gelatin is not), and I have since done some googling which suggests that Biotin is "somewhat helpful" (while Gelatin is not). My googling also turned up some suggestions for Glucosamine.
I think George Beasley hit on an important point about keeping the nails to the right (short) length. I was reading in Parkening's Guitar Techniques, Vol 2 a little while ago, and he mentioned keeping the nails at 1/16 to 1/8 inch beyond the tip of the finger. He also mentioned using a clear nail polish for the nail, with the polish removed from the last 1/8 inch of the nail. He also talks about proper filing techniques ... to me, this one little appendix was worth the purchase of the both volumes (about $15 from Amazon).
I know my playing is much, much better when my nails are the right length (about 1/8 inch beyond the nails). All too often I let them get a good bit longer than that, partly because the index finger wears down when I use it "too much" on the fourth string (easy to do when playing much of Reed's stuff).
I think George Beasley hit on an important point about keeping the nails to the right (short) length. I was reading in Parkening's Guitar Techniques, Vol 2 a little while ago, and he mentioned keeping the nails at 1/16 to 1/8 inch beyond the tip of the finger. He also mentioned using a clear nail polish for the nail, with the polish removed from the last 1/8 inch of the nail. He also talks about proper filing techniques ... to me, this one little appendix was worth the purchase of the both volumes (about $15 from Amazon).
I know my playing is much, much better when my nails are the right length (about 1/8 inch beyond the nails). All too often I let them get a good bit longer than that, partly because the index finger wears down when I use it "too much" on the fourth string (easy to do when playing much of Reed's stuff).
- keener
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:16 pm
Re: Flexinail
I read somwhere once that Sabicas painted his nails with Duco Cement.
Doesn't sound too out of line when you realize that the acrylic nails as we know them are a fairly new application.
Doesn't sound too out of line when you realize that the acrylic nails as we know them are a fairly new application.
- thenorm
- Posts: 482
- Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:29 pm
Re: Flexinail
I like the part about keeping them filed smooth. It makes a difference.
Richard Hudson
http://richardhudsonmusic.com
http://richardhudsonmusic.com
- Richard Hudson
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:24 am
Re: Flexinail
What I miss the most about my regular nails is the flexibility. I've been using acrylic nails for going on 12 years. They no longer break and I love my tone, but the lack of flexibility has a strong negative effect on many of my rolls, such as banjo type rolls and rolls like on the ending of "Blue Angel". I used to pull that one off much better than I can now.
If I could get that flexibility back and still preserve my nails in the process, I'd do just about anything.
If I could get that flexibility back and still preserve my nails in the process, I'd do just about anything.
Rande
- RandeDager
- Posts: 646
- Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:02 pm
- Location: Battle Creek, MI
Re: Flexinail
On the Flexinail website, there is a short video that shows a guy with pretty long nails that are strong enough to cut a greenbean and a small carrot. Yet they are flexible enough to bend considerably. Maybe this product will work for some people and not for others.
- Paul Rauch
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:51 am
Re: Flexinail
Maybe this product will work for some people and not for others...."
You may be right, Paul.
That and following the directions.
You may be right, Paul.
That and following the directions.
- thenorm
- Posts: 482
- Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:29 pm
Re: Flexinail
There are some are some flexinail videos on Utube. I had not seen one of them. Maybe this qualifies as an over-the-counter medicine. Some work great for me. Others seem to have no benefit, expecially when it comes to cold medicine.
- Paul Rauch
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:51 am
Re: Flexinail
I wasn't even considering this, but though I'm not as busy here in Michigan as I was in California, I'm not sure that I'll have enough time between performances to wait for the transition from my present nail situation to a new one.
Rande
- RandeDager
- Posts: 646
- Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:02 pm
- Location: Battle Creek, MI
Re: Flexinail
I agree with Norm that you have to give products like this several months to see if they work for you. I have had good luck with a product called Nutra Nail 5 to 7 Day Growth formula. It really does speed up nail growth tremendously when you break a nail. I use it twice a day and also use hoofmaker every day. I get good results with these two and have been using both close to 2 years. According to flamenco guitarists on the forums, Onymyrrhe is a great product to thicken your nails.
Flamenco guitarists seem to put the most stress possible on nails. I purchased a bottle of Onymyrrhe and will let you know how it worked after about 6 months. The instructions say you need to let your nail grow from the base to the tip. You put a small dab at the base of the nail every day and work it in.
White iodine (decolorized) mixed with olive oil is supposed to really thicken your nails although I have not tried it. You have to add the olive oil because the white iodine by itself will make the nails brittle.
Flamenco guitarists seem to put the most stress possible on nails. I purchased a bottle of Onymyrrhe and will let you know how it worked after about 6 months. The instructions say you need to let your nail grow from the base to the tip. You put a small dab at the base of the nail every day and work it in.
White iodine (decolorized) mixed with olive oil is supposed to really thicken your nails although I have not tried it. You have to add the olive oil because the white iodine by itself will make the nails brittle.
- billhodges
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:26 pm