If that option isn’t convenient or affordable, you can file the edge off the bottom of the fake nail until it ramps down smoothly to the natural nail. If it’s not properly maintained, the nail can get hooked on a string and even be torn off.Ī new backfill can extend the life of the acrylics by several weeks. This area grows larger over time as your nail grows out.

The backfill is the area between the bottom of the fake nail and your natural nail.

James Taylor, this issue’s Frets artist, has his own method for creating nails, and his “Nails 101” instructional video is comprehensive. More recently, online sites such as Guitar Player Nails (opens in new tab) and Tiptonic (opens in new tab) have sold kits designed specifically for guitar players, which offer oodles of shape and style options as well as all the requisite accessories. Other players have had success using tried-and-true commercially available nail kits, like the venerable Lee Press On Nails. While the latter solution looks kind of creepy, I’ve seen it work well. While the latter solution looks kind of creepy, I’ve seen it work wellįor ages, guitarists have created fake nails using everything from cut-up ping-pong balls to layers of paper tissue glued together. Guitarists have created fake nails using everything from cut-up ping-pong balls to layers of paper tissue glued together. Many kinds of non-salon options are available to reinforce and/or extend your natural nails. As D’Agostino discovered, alternatives to acrylic nails do exist. Luckily, an “acrylic angel” came to his rescue, but not before he’d started researching backup options. In last month’s Frets feature, Peppino D’Agostino said the closure of nail salons during the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to order a do-it-yourself acrylic nail kit, only to make a mess of his fingertips. Press Your Advantage With Extensions and Glue Acrylic also has a bright sound, so you’ll need to keep your nails filed or you’ll notice significant tonal difference over time.

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