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Matteo Mancuso, the sensational electric guitar player, is defined by his out-of-this-world technical skills and his flawless fingerpicking tone that exudes clarity and precision. Of course, there’s much more to his playing than just that – his elite phrasing! It was this remarkable skillset that grabbed the attention of legendary musicians like Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa and Al Di Meola.
In the latest issue of Total Guitar, Mancuso reveals the secret to his pick-less tone, and talks about how he achieves his impeccable fingerstyle sound.
Mancuso uses both the fingernails and fingertips of his picking hand when playing – a technique he has been open about in the past, emphasizing that his sound is a combination of nails and flesh. However, it turns out there’s more to his unique tone: Mancuso also uses fake nails.
When asked about his nail usage, Mancuso admits, “It’s a mix of both and, actually, I mostly use gel nails. I used acrylics some months ago, but I like the sound of the gel better because it’s a little bit softer and you get a different attack.”
He goes on to explain the specific tonal advantages of this approach, highlighting the darker tone and different attack. He also encourages aspiring musicians to begin with hybrid picking before delving into Mancuso-style fingerpicking.