My mistake about the nails..I had read that in a magazine (magazines dont lie do they)but found this out today.....................*John uses a hybrid picking technique, which doesn't fall under any traditional style. His lengthy nails allow him to fingerpick as well as pinch two fingers together to act as a guitar pick. How do they not break, you ask? He uses a product like Malava, which hardens nails and prevents them from flaking or cracking. For a rabid player like John, this product has to be reapplied every week or so to maintain the integrity of the nails.

9.2 - Why does John only have 11 strings on his guitar? Which one is missing? The missing string is the high-octave G string. John has said in the past that the string sounded "twangy." Also, John found that string snapped quicker than the others when using alternate tunings*