From: scovar@NeoSoft.com (VSI Shell Account)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Any molbio types?
Date: 13 Nov 92 15:53:17 GMT
Organization: NeoSoft Communications Services -- (713) 684-5900

In article <1992Nov11.202512.26769@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> andersmh@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (ANDERSON  MIKE HOWARD) writes:
>In article <1992Nov11.011048.2167@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> gchacko@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (George W Chacko) writes:
>>
>>I work in a molecular biology laboratory which means I have to wear
>>surgical gloves all day to protect myself from the reagents I handle
>>and vice versa. These gloves are dusted with talcum powder on the
>>inside which gets under my finger nails. Excavating the talc from
>>under them and washing my nails repeatedly makes them brittle.
>>Additionally, if I grow them to the length I like to play guitar with,
>>the gloves get lacerated rendering them useless. Has anyone else
>>encountered this problem and if so did you find a way around it?
>>
>>George
>
>This is a problem.  I used to do ceramics and it ate up my nails.  I can't strongly enough encourage you to lo into playing with shorter nails.  They break
>less easily, grow back faster when they do, sound better, and help to develop
>tactile feedback.  Looking at your hands at eye level, the nail should just
>outline the fingertip.  Paco de Lucia (who can blow away Williams and Romero
>with one finger tied behind his hand (just to get into the fray)), plays
>with short nails and so did Segovia, who despite the Segovia bashing that
>has become so popular, was the king of tone.  I don't know about Williams but
>I've always found his tone to be thin and "picky".  
>
>Polish does help for protection against talc and clays.  Also, use hand lotions
>after each washing. I have started using a product by Lajoe, available in
>drug and grocery stores, that covers the nail with a layer of acrylic.  I
>like it.
>
>Its a good thing you're not a surgen.
>
>Mike Anderson 

I tend to chew my nails when I'm not actively practicing guitar,
and my nails also end up soft and/or brittle.  There is a product
called Barielle (available in Houston at Dillards) that makes my
nails VERY strong in only a few days, yet I feel like I'm plucking
the strings sensitively.  Plastic and laquer coatings give me a
plastic, picky feeling.  This product is a by product of the hoof
dressing grooms use to strengthen a horse's hooves, and there are
similar products on the market.  I hope this helps.

On the assumption that others find this group as interesting as I do,
let me thank all the participants for sharing their knowledge
with me.

I have a couple comments concerning the selection of strings....

My instructor made me LISTEN to the sound that various strings
produced on my guitar, and emphasized balance.  My 1st and 2nd
strings were D'Adario High Tension (HT) although the XT also 
sounded very nice.  My 3rd string was a Tomastik, my 4th and 5th
strings were MT Labella Pro-Silver, and my 6th was Augustine (Red).
This balancing of strings was only slightly noticeable on my
Yamaha student guitar with the plywood top, but made a great deal
of difference on my hand-made Yari with the cedar top.  Hard-to-
find strings (like Tomastik) I ordered from:
     Thin String Co
     1508 Webster
     Alameda, CA 94501
     415-521-2613
I haven't played for five years, so I don't know for certain that
the above address is still good.  Maybe someone else knows other
sources.

Lastly, I was wondering if anyone knows the whereabouts of Keith
Nelson, former classical guitar teacher in Alaska, last heard
from in the Denton, Texas area....

Thanks again for this group...Mike Burke