I have a problem with my nails. I like my bass tone to be warm and round, even my pick (when I play with one) is some slab of softish plastic that gives a much warmer tone than a guitar pick.
I am also a guitar player, but I use my nails for playing once every 6 months or so, therefore I prefer to keep my nails as short as possible to get my preferred bass tone.
The problem is that no matter how short my nails are they hit the strings unless I bend my hand in a very unnatural position. Even with my nails at the shortest, occasionally my nail hits the strings and I get this bright unwanted sound in the middle of an otherwise warm tone.
My (very few) bassist friends don't have this problem. Their cuticles conveniently wrap around their nails, but mine don't.
I tried letting my nails grow (not classical guitar length but some) but that too doesn't work. The sound is too bright and, funny enough, sometimes the nails don't catch and I get my preferred tone in the middle of bright ones. Essentially the opposite of what happens now, with my nails as filed down as possible.
I even purchased some "finger gloves" on Amazon and they work really well, except that they are tiring to wear. If I make them loose enough so I can play longer (and not induce gangrene) they move around and fall.
In fact, I found two kinds: one that has a very smooth surface (but it's very thick to the point of being uncomfortable), and another that is more like the rubber they make dish-washing gloves with, but they are tight and they are textured.
I also tried dish-washing gloves. Again they are textured and they make my hand sweat.
Surgical gloves fall apart too easily and the sweating is a problem as well.
Obviously, this is not a life and death situation. I am not even playing in a band right now and I only record as a hobbyist, but still I'd like to find some kind of solution.
I figure someone else must have the same issue and they are smarter than me or know of some product that could help.
Anybody?
Thank you for reading.
I am also a guitar player, but I use my nails for playing once every 6 months or so, therefore I prefer to keep my nails as short as possible to get my preferred bass tone.
The problem is that no matter how short my nails are they hit the strings unless I bend my hand in a very unnatural position. Even with my nails at the shortest, occasionally my nail hits the strings and I get this bright unwanted sound in the middle of an otherwise warm tone.
My (very few) bassist friends don't have this problem. Their cuticles conveniently wrap around their nails, but mine don't.
I tried letting my nails grow (not classical guitar length but some) but that too doesn't work. The sound is too bright and, funny enough, sometimes the nails don't catch and I get my preferred tone in the middle of bright ones. Essentially the opposite of what happens now, with my nails as filed down as possible.
I even purchased some "finger gloves" on Amazon and they work really well, except that they are tiring to wear. If I make them loose enough so I can play longer (and not induce gangrene) they move around and fall.
In fact, I found two kinds: one that has a very smooth surface (but it's very thick to the point of being uncomfortable), and another that is more like the rubber they make dish-washing gloves with, but they are tight and they are textured.
I also tried dish-washing gloves. Again they are textured and they make my hand sweat.
Surgical gloves fall apart too easily and the sweating is a problem as well.
Obviously, this is not a life and death situation. I am not even playing in a band right now and I only record as a hobbyist, but still I'd like to find some kind of solution.
I figure someone else must have the same issue and they are smarter than me or know of some product that could help.
Anybody?
Thank you for reading.
