Nailcare: How to achieve the right edge on coated fingernails

 
Sometimes I thought to myself: This guitar does not sound, I need annother one. Sometims my impression was, that my guitar sounded too harsh, sometimes I thought the overtones were missing. All wrong, it was my fingernails. After having them treated by a manicurist the guitar sounded just right so it had to be the nails. I began experimenting and now I can call myself seasoned enough to shorten my nails and forming the edge to a great sounding tool.

Form and consistency of the fingernail have an enormous impact on the sound. It the edge is too keen, the high notes will sound harsh and tinny. Sharp edges are weaker and are more likely to break. If the edge is too thick and round the tone will be dull. If the edge of the fingernail is not perfectly smooth, there will be annoying sidenoise.

You will have to mind some tricks if you want so succed in getting your nails shorter while a good sound is maintained.

Nails with an UV-cured finish on them will be quite thick. So it is not enough just to shorten them with a file once they have grown too long. The edge of the nail has to be newly formed after grinding them shorter.

This is a nail after having grown some weeks: Way too long over the fingertip. So I file the nail down to the right lentgh.
For this purpose I use a 200 grain nail file. Having the legth in mind I don't care for the edge for the time being. I grind straight across the cross section of the nail.
I don't mind how thick the nail is and the resulting edge will be, but  on the other hand I already form the nail's curve from side to side.
After having achieved the right length the edge almost looks like the edge of a table top. For that reason I bevel the edge with the 200 grain nail file like indicated on the picture to the right.
In the end there still will be a tiny 0.5 mm edge remaining. The rest of the edge is bevelled, showing an angle roughly  between 30 and 40 degrees. 
Finally the whole working area gets a treatment with a three stage nail file combo. These are available where manicure products ore cosmetics are sold. Usually they incorporate two nail files with fine and extra fine grain on one side and a buffing surface on the other. The edge of the nail gets smoothened and finally buffed - almost a guarantee for optimum sound. If the sound is dull, the edge has to be worked keener, if the sound is tinny, it shoud be rounder. If there is  sidenoise, get the nail surface and the edge smoother.