Use instruction

The nails in the kit are of three types:

soft: Very ductile, it has a sweet and round attack sound, a high adaptability to the natural nail and requires no special devices for the application.

natural:Rigid but also ductile, it has a sound of medium intensity attack and a good adaptability to the natural nail and is moldable even when cold.

Hard: Very hard, with a strong and brilliant attack but also round, it has a low consumption and is moldable with hot water. (Video Tutorials 3)

Thumb: It's a "Soft" type fingernail but Extra Large size, suitable for the thumb or for very flat nails and flat and large fingers.

 

Notice

All the nails have a small number on the tip indicating their breadth: n° 0 = extra large, n° 1 = large, n° 2 = medium, and n° 3 = Small.

In the box there are the three types of nails and for each of them the different size: 2 nails size 1, 1 nail size 2,  1 nail size 3 and 2 nails size 0.

If you need to thicken the thumbnail you can apply some superglue or gel on its surface. (Video tutorial 5) You can have the different types and sizes of nails  purchasing the Refills writing to:gnkusers@gmail.comThe double sided tape  causes no problems on the natural nail; after 3 days it's advisable to take off the synth nail and let your nails rest naturally for at least one night, so that humidity can dry on its own.

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Preparation

Remove the excess film by pushing it towards the cuticle. (You can use a synthetic nail).

Choose a size of the synthetic nail that fits the anatomy of your fingernail (1, 2 or 3) checking it with the amplitude of the back of your natural nail.

Lay the synthetic nail on yours, press softly and verify whether there's space between the two nails. If there is you have the following options:

Soft nails: there is no need for special care; we recommend only to reduce the length of the nail from the soft side, in order to have more moldable margin by the thick side. Natural nails: it is possible to model the nail forcing longitudinally slightly the basis in order to extend the radius,  as shown in the photo, or shaping one or both sides, reducing the edges so that the center of the synth nail  match the back of that natural one. Hard nails: to model hard nails, prepare a cup of hot water (100°C), soak the nail for a few seconds, remove the nail and shape at will by expanding or reducing its radius. Now the synthetic nail will fit well both to the sides of the nail and to the side of the cuticle. This will ensure that the synthetic nail and the natural nail are well adherent, in order to avoid the formation of a step between the tip of the nail and cuticle. This is important to prevent the hooking  between the ropes and the synthetic nail in particular in the strumming and rasgueos techniques.

 

 

                                                                                                             

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Application

Separate the tape from the stripe and apply it on the natural nail. Press on all sides stressing in particular the area near the tab. Lift the tab to detach the protective film. (If the double-sided adhesive is too large, before detaching, you can reduce its shape using a scissors). Place the synthetic nail on the finger starting from the side of the cuticle towards the edge, making sure there is a perfect adherence between synthetic nail and natural nail. Push for at least 10 seconds: the longer you press, the better. To shape the fake nail, use the coarse-grained side of the file. Clean the leftovers with the fine-grained side and use it to shape the edge of your nail to get a smooth surface; the smoother your nail, the better your sound performance will be. Now youre ready to play!

 

Removal

The synthetic nail can be removed by applying on its sides a drop of a common hygiene hand sanitizer gel or a solution of 50% methylated Spirits and 50% water, that you can put into the dispenser supplied with the kit.  After a few seconds,  gently lift the synthetic nail until you feel the bonding with the natural one loosen. As an abrupt removal could cause micro-traumas on the nail it is recommended to perform this procedure carefully. Once the synthetic nail has been removed clean the nails using a remover and washing with soap and water. Usually the tape remains on the natural nail and to remove it is enough to use the other hand thumb (or the special stick) but if it still adheres firmly just apply another drop of hand sanitizer gel, wait a few seconds, and proceed to remove the it completely. By following these simple instructions your nails will be protected from excessive stress that could modify the natural growth of the nail itself.

 

FAQs:

If the nail doesn't stick well:

Before the application, shape the sides of the synth nail until it fits, or alternatively lightly force the shape of the nail at its base to widen its radius as shown on the tutorial video and on the description regarding “The nail preparation”. Make sure every trace of the previous application has been removed or having washed the nail with soap and water before the next application.

 

If the sound doesn't satisfy you:

Although synth nails, thanks to their materials, tend to keep a good roundness and precision of sound, time and strings can damage the nail and its irregularity can cause a bad sound. If you file the nail with the fine-grained side you can get the nail to its best fluency on the string, recreating the initial sound. Possibly after filing, clean the nail with a cloth to remove any dust.

 

If the nail hooks to the string:

Hooking happens above all to guitarists that use strumming and rasgueos: techniques that hit strings with the back of the nail: when the hand falls onto strings, it's possible that the edge of the synth nail hooks to the string. This is due to the gap between the cuticle and the edge of the synth nail, often caused by rushing and not checking if the adhesion was right in the application phase. You can use the finishing tape included in the kit: tear a strip of 1 cm and apply it lengthwise so that you cover the gap.  If your natural nail has an irregular surface, after you apply the fake nail you can use the grain-side of file to flatten the bouncy part and finish it with the fine-grain side of the file. The use of  "finishing tape” is recommended to all guitarists who usually  use the nail back or specific techniques. Videos 7-Finishing tape

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