Since I just lost a nail and can't go to the nail salon during lockdown, I'm finally trying out a set of stick-on nails designed for guitarists, a product called TipTonic.
I lost my acrylics around the same time, found Tiptonic and am never going back to the nail-bed killing acrylics again. Tiptonics sound amazing and I've NEVER had one come off. I play percussive fingerstyle and these nails have weathered aggressive playing. Note: Finding the right size and shape can be frustrating and exhausting, but you WILL find the right fit. Tiptonic offers a dizzying inventory of options. I was impressed with how helpful the folks at Tiptonic were. They sent me a variety of sizes that approximated those I ordered. I found two sizes that fit beautifully. Like Doug, I was so relieved to find an option that weaned me of my ten-year addiction to acrylics.
Hi Doug. Thank you so much for this. I’m a former Nashville session picker who now does finger style and classical. At my age, my nails are splitting, chipping which makes it very hard to play. I’m going to give this a try.
Hope it works for you! it's an interesting solution. It worked well for me during the pandemic, tho I've now returned to just getting acrylics done at the salon. Yet another solution, that I have not tried is a product called "Guitar Nails". A bit more involved from the looks of it.
Thanks for this. Very interesting, as per the other comment, I always enjoy your videos. I’m not sure I’d want the daily removable if them though. I need to think of something though as I have near flat nails which bend and brake with a light breeze. That is a nice guitar. Is it cedar and koa? What make?
They do make different curvatures, with a goal of fitting various nail types. My nails are quite thin at the moment at the ends, where they were sanded down for the acrylics, so one thing I'll be watching for is how the underlying nail holds up. So far, so good. I now have 3 fingers on. I will see how much hassle the daily removal becomes... The guitar I am playing is a Ryan Mission Grand Concert, Cedar and Koa.
Thanks for the review, Doug. I've been looking at these for a while. I wish I could play with just the flesh but I don't think I can. How much natural nail do you need for it to hook on to?
You do need a bit of nail, and that's a problem I ran into with the other fingers after making this video. One nail was both short and very weak, giving me a bit of trouble. I think it will take some experimenting to find the right nail length.
@@DougYoungGuitar Interesting. I got some Alaska Piks at one point but they required SO much nail that I may as well just use my nails. They also didn't stay on too well. I've also tried acrylics, which work GREAT, but there's the whole issue of having to constantly maintain them. Kind of fun to do once you get the technique down, though. I'll give these a try at some point.
Thanks for another great video. I have very thin nails and need to cut them very short not only for guitar, but everyday life. If I don't they tear very easily. I would really like to hear the difference between these nails and without any artificial nails at all as I much prefer to play without. It appears you do not like to record without artificial nails of some kind. I would be curious to know more about your thoughts on with/without. Could you also recommend a shape (A,B,C,etc...) for the Tiptonic nails for fingerstyle? I play a Martin 000 and like to play fingerstyle similar to your music. Love your playing and songs. Keep the vidoes coming!
I have had acrylic nails for so long, I have little memory of what it's like without them, but I know it was a big leap for me in tone and volume when I first got them. I did do a short video a while back when one of my acrylics came off, comparing with and without: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZyYNlOGyKRE.html. Now that all 3 have fallen off, I'll definitely explore playing without and see how that works for me, but I suspect I won't like it as well as nails. Nearly every fingerstyle player I know, whose sound I like, uses nails, tho there are exceptions. As far as shape of the Tiptonics, it really depends on your nail/finger shape. The guys there are helpful, I even emailed them a photo of my fingers while I was placing my order, and they made some suggestions.
@@DougYoungGuitar Thanks Doug! I suspect that is why my recordings sound so dull and flat. I have ordered the Sampler pack. I am anxious to see how I get along with them. I really like the fact that they are removable. Even without the acrylic nails it looks like you at least have some pretty thick natural nails. Mine are so short and thin I can only play with the flesh of my fingertips.
Great video, thanks for the insight! I'd be curious what your thoughts are after a week or two (follow-up video?). Is the process of taking them off and putting them on each day obnoxious? Do they degrade in shape and tone from that process? I've been playing steels stringed guitars with natural nails since I first grew them out about a decade ago, and I have been curious about options to enhance the tone I could achieve after some experimentation.
Taking them on and off is definitely a bit more of a hassle than having acrylics. Not that it's hard, but you have to decide you're going to play and put them on. I found that leaving them on all day, they tend to come off, just doing stuff around the house - I just found one I lost several weeks ago :-). The tone and shape doesn't seem to degrade, but the glue does give out after a while.
@@DougYoungGuitar Thanks for the reply! That was kind of my worry -- I'm a very unstructured person and if I have no barriers to playing guitar (it's sitting right by my desk, nails in good shape, etc.) I'll play often, but if I have to do something ahead of time like putting on fake nails, I just won't play as often as I'd like.
hi Eric, glad you like it! Yes, that is my tune "Nowhere to Hide", from my first solo CD. There's another full performance of it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-juBhpOdDmRA.html
Any update, Doug? I've recently chopped off my nails and attempting to play bare flesh ala Tommy Emmanuel et al. It's tough, though, after a lifetime of nail playing. Did you decide to keep using these or did you go back to acrylics?
Now that the salons are open again, I'm back to acrylics. The tiptonics work, but when possible I prefer to be ready to go at any time, and not have to remember to put my nails on :-)
This is interesting... after 25 years of superglue and fake nails, my thumb nail completely separated, leaving me with no nail at all on my thumb. I've had to adapt to a thumb pick. Finding a nail that doesn't require the nasty superglue is a priority for me... I don't want to lose the rest of my nails.
Hi Thomas, these are worth a try - the one red flag I see is how bad your natural nail is. These have a little groove, sort of a hook, that seats over your natural nail. One of the challenges is keeping the underlying nail the right length and shape for the tips to fit. The company is a small business, just one or 2 guys, and the inventor's a guitarist, so you might reach out to him for advice, maybe send a photo of your nail even. Hope it works for you!
. @DougYoungGuitar Hi Doug! It will be a very long time before I have a thumb nail, if ever... I've pretty well adapted to a thumb pick, and with practice that will probably work for me. I am interested in these for my other nails, so I can get awy from acrylics and superglue before I lose those nails as well. My natural nails are thin, soft and won't stand up to the abuses of my job, so something is needed. The stronger sound of these nails might help me balance the sound of the thumb pick, and that would be a great help.
@@thomasmiller1804 Ah, I see. That sounds like it should work! I also use a thumbpick. I'm back to acrylics now that the pandemic is over and I can to the salon, and indeed the nails balance out the thumbpick. The tone and heft to these tiptonics was nice, and not unlike the thumbpick, which worked out well.
@@DougYoungGuitarI play a classical guitar, and with the nylon strings it's very hard to balance the acrylics with the thumb pick. The thumb comes out stronger. Experimenting with different brands of nails, and altering my playing I've come fairly close. A stronger nail might get me closer.
I have one mangled nail from an accident long ago. Do thing the adhesive will hold on this irregular surface? It is ridged, of course the index finger!
Hi, I'm really not sure about that. The glue is fairly thick, so it might work. You might reach out to tiptonics and see if they have any thoughts or suggestions.
