Clytemnestra - “What nails thee, raising this ado for us?”(Aeschylus, possibly mis-heard). I can say with exaggeration that I’ve suffered for my music. And now it’s your turn. Because this month we turn to a critical question, one that wielders of ’59 Les Pauls cranked to 11 through Marshall JTMs rarely ask. But should. And that enquiry, my aurally challenged friends, is: “Hey Mitch, how do I produce a mellifluous tone from the Korean Spanish guitar languishing unloved in my boudoir?” The great virtuoso Andre Segovia, godfather of modern classical guitar, is frequently quoted as saying - “If you don’t possess good nails, then give up.” Mind you, his namesake Tony, who runs the hardware store in my village, begs to differ.
No matter. I must admit that my nylon-strung sensibilities are often offended when I stumble upon examples of scratchy acoustic renditions on TV and movie soundtracks. And my irritation is compounded when the instrument is clearly being given a thrashing by a plucker with a plastic plectrum.Having spent a number of decades attempting to acquire a serviceable classical guitar technique, I recognise that it’s outside the scope of this wee article to cram in a conservatoire’s worth of fax ‘n’ info. However, allow me to point you in the general direction of your local branch of Boots, an unlikely Mecca for guitarists' perquisites. Within this emporium you will discover the aisle marked ‘Nail Care’. Place three packs of ‘Salon Smooth Nail Files’ in your basket, followed deftly by three ‘Four-Way Blocks’ and a bottle of Nail Hardener (Patented Hardening Formula With Hexanal).