As you all know by now my guitar playing style relies heavily on the strength and durability of my finger nails on my right hand for picking the strings when I’m playing the guitar. I’ve tried tons of nail hardener products over the years and I have yet to find the right one for me. In this post I want to hear about your personal experiences with any of the products below and find out what you think of them. Every bit of detail that you can share with us will be important to us. Learning is what drives this post!
Hard as Hoof is one product that I hear about but I personally don’t know anyone who has used it. I did find this ringing endorsement from a classical guitarist named Perfecto De Castro who uses it. When viewing a youtube video of him playing shows you the stress that he puts on his nails. He’s not a spokes person for the company and that fact makes me feel a little more comfortable about his statement. There is another guitarist named Rico Stover who wrote a book called The Guitarist’s Guide to Fingernails
Sally Hanson, Hard as Nails Extreme Wear is another one that keeps creeping up in my searches. According to the company, they have removed all 3 of the unhealthy elements that are considered dangerous to our health that is found in most nail salon products. The three ingredients are toluene, DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and formaldehyde. The effects of these ingredients are something that I did not know about until I was doing my research.
I’ve tried this product for around a week but I then found myself way too busy to get back to using this one. This was because we had just bought our home so renovations and nails don’t mix, trust me on this one! I think I might re-visit this product later on.
Nailene, Acrylic Strong is a product that I was introduced to by a nurse at work. I am so envious of this woman’s nails that it drives me crazy! When she let me take a closer look at them, they looked like you could use them as screw drivers! She says that it’s idiot proof, ah she was thinking of me, and that it is a low maintenance product. Ah, gotta put that one on the list too!
A guitarist on a guitar forum said some good things about a nail hardener by Barielle. Nail Strengthener Cream is the line that he was talking about and I really wish that I saved that article damn! As some products proclaim, this stuff was originally designed for the hoofs of horses around the world, really?
Last is this product by guitar players, for guitar players. It’s called Guitar Player Nails. This is something that has been on the market for a while but I’ve never heard of it before. It doesn’t mean that it’s no good but … well I haven’t heard of any other reviews of this one. Now this is where you guys come in!
I am pleading to you, my good readership, to help me out in the quest for the ideal nail hardener product! Has any of these concoctions, that I have just posted about, worked for you? If not then please inform me/us about the ones to avoid!
Keep on Jammin’
and 
. Both of these picks are designed to be flexible enough to mold slightly to the guitarist’s fingers. If you look at getting the plastic ones, I boil them in hot water before molding them to each finger.
. Give them one and place the other one in the car just in case an emergency comes up. If you don’t know which one they use invest in 2 or maybe even 3 different types of Capoes. This will allow then to figure out which one suites them the best.
. I have used these cords for years and with good up keep, they might be around a few more. This type of guitar cord will provide long use and pay for itself over the long haul. Pick up 2 lengths if possible.
is one guitar related magazine that I’d love to get (just in case you listening Santa). 
is the other one. Both sites provide a wealth of guitar info that any guitarist will use! The lessons that they have in their video section will knock their socks off. Remember, the worst thing they can do is learn something right?!