Acrylic fingernails?

Yeah, that's who "Good ol'lovin; man JT" is - James Taylor. It's a line from his song "Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me."
https://youtu.be/b6whyu_3aTU

When I was touring as part of a progressive bluegrass trio in 2014, we made regular stops at random nail salons along the way, as both of my bandmates (banjo and guitar) had their nails layered/reinforced with the acrylic treatment. I was the bassist, so I would take advantage of this time to get some reading done. In any case, they definitely needed it, especially Tim on the steel string guitar. He was a monster player and we would regularly do three consecutive nights of 3hr performances.
Just for fun, here's what those acrylic nails sounded like (on a 1956 Guild X-50 none the less!):

https://guitarplayernails.com/ is an excellent vendor for info and supplies.
If you keep the nails on for a long time, covering the whole nail, your natural nail will soften, and it is not uncommon to develop some
fungal growth between the natural and false nail.
I have had that happen and it is ugly.
I have used acrylic nails extensively, and they are very effective--as said above, I pick quite aggressively, flat pick and second and third fingers.
I tend not to cover the whole nail with acrylic these days, I just reinforce the remaining nail with the CYA glue, or I use GPN's IBD Brush On Nail Resin, which has a strengthener in it.
Good luck.

I would talk to a nail artist (preferably one who speaks English) and see what can be done for you. I went to a nail salon for over a year to have the nail on my right index finger built up, because I wore it down strumming when I was gigging on guitar rgularly. I was always the only man having work done. I got a few strange looks from women, including one old bitty who started laughing. I just said, "It's not funny lady. I wear my nail down playing guitar until it hurts and having it built back up solves the problem. If you don't like the fact that there's man here, too damn bad. Take it up with the owner." That was the end of that.

I have a friend who plays fingerstyle guitar who has a full set of acrylics put on periodically and it works for him quite well.

My nails were quite strong when I was young but they are less so now. And they never stood up to a lot of steel string playing even when they were tough. I tried Pierre Bensusan's recipe of Crazy Glue and baking soda for a bit, but I didn't like it.

In the end, I ended up clipping the nails on my right hand short and just played with finger tips, developing a set of calluses on the fingers there - they are quite hard now and work quite well. This allows me to switch more easily between acoustic, electric and classical guitars. It was also a boon to taking up the lute.

And I got a lot fewer weird looks in stores while handing over cash or taking change - the androgyny of long nails on one hand seemed to greatly trouble some people.

I still use the nail of my index finger sometimes for single note stuff - using the back and sides of the nail like a heavy pick - pinch harmonics, funky attack. I also sometimes pluck down off the back of my nail and stop the note quickly with the tip of my finger for another effect. I need to be careful not to over use the nail, though, or it will wear out.

I find it interesting that two posts from spammers were added to a thread that had been inactive for a year. The posts were deleted and the spammers banned but suddenly it is a topic of interest to several members.

fronobulax said:

I find it interesting that two posts from spammers were added to a thread that had been inactive for a year. The posts were deleted and the spammers banned but suddenly it is a topic of interest to several members.

Click to expand...

I assume that, like me, others may not have looked at the date of the original post! Whoops

fronobulax said:

I find it interesting that two posts from spammers were added to a thread that had been inactive for a year. The posts were deleted and the spammers banned but suddenly it is a topic of interest to several members.

Click to expand...

I assume the first reply's poster was composing their reply while I was deleting the posts, then submitted after the deletion.

mellowgerman said:

I assume that, like me, others may not have looked at the date of the original post! Whoops

Click to expand...

My sense or orderliness would lean towards a new thread after 30 days of silence but that is clearly a preference and not worth enforcing. I do get cranky when there is no new information after the long silence but that is not the case here.

As a bass player I don't use my nails and trim my index finger's nail when when it is long enough to contribute to the sound. The top of my middle finger was severed and restored but what used to be the nail doesn't grow where it effects picking. So I have no need for acrylic nails. Maybe that constitutes new information

I'd say it does!

Dread, I know what you mean. Had those problems, myself. Here's what I know:

Fingerpicks are bad for strumming. They're for fingerpicking. That's why they're call finger picks. Use your thumbpick only for downstrokes, and use your finger picks only for pulling up.

For songs that need strumming, take the picks off. They won't work.

And you're right, they do fall off. I've had 'em fall into the sound hole or attach themselves to strings.

My solutions: I use heavy-weight plastic thumbpicks and wear them safely up from the tip of my thumb. For fingers, I got some heavy brass fingerpicks (can't remember the brand name), and I push them up to where the tips are even with my finger tips. I don't let them stick out.

mellowgerman said:

I assume that, like me, others may not have looked at the date of the original post! Whoops

Click to expand...

Ugh! Got me again! I'll never learn!

I was a bit worried about being the only man in a nail salon the first time I walked to a highly recommended Asian nail salon. But it turned out to be a non-issue as they assigned some guy wearing high heels to do my nails.

He did an excellent job!

On the nails.

Tommy