Back again. As I mentioned, I transferred skills and techniques from my classical guitar studies to the steel string guitar -- some conciously, some as a natural outgrowth of trying to play a new instrument with the same old hands. It has worked well for me. However, I think it's only fair to say that there are many ways to play the guitar, and the minute someone claims to have found "the" best way, someone else will come along and break all their rules, yet still play beautifully. So I can only say what has worked for me, not what will work best for everyone.

The study of classical guitar technique is largely the study of ergonomics. When I first began classical guitar studies at the age of 11 or so, I wasn't necessarily aware of all the thought and experience that had gone into the development of classical guitar technique. Hand positions are worked out so as to provide free movement with minimal stress, ample volume, good tone production and versatility, etc. And whether you're playing classical, folk, jazz, blues, or other styles, playing with free and natural movement, good tone and low stress is desirable.

An example of this is the position of the guitar when held by a classical guitarist: typically it's held on the left leg (assuming you're right handed), with the guitar at roughly a 45-degree angle across your body. This puts the neck in a position where your left hand can fret (from underneath the neck) freely, without hyperextending the wrist, and the right hand falls in a natural arch over the strings. Again, this allows you more flexibility with less effort, and helps prevent muscle cramps, carpal tunnel problems, etc. When I play steel-string acoustic, I generally hold the guitar at more of an angle than someone who started in folk/blues, who might tend to hold the guitar more horizontally (parallel to the floor).

The strings feel different under your fingers, with respect to tension, action, spacing, and so forth, so you do have to adapt, particularly in the right hand. I find that I fingerpick with a combination of flesh and nail similar to how I would pick a classical guitar, and because of this I have a wide variety of tones at my disposal (and I know how to get them). Classical guitarists learn to angle the plucking finger differently to produce different tones, and much of this is still valid on steel strings. If you're going to be playing wiht your nails, nail shaping and maintenance, which classical guitarists learn, is essential to being able to play on steel strings with adequate volume and tonal flexibility, and without chewing up your nails on the strings. [Note: My nails are not inherently stronger than the next person's, but I can play for hours on medium gauge phosphor bronze strings with no ill effects. It's not the strength of the nail that matters, it's the shape, length, angle of attack, and smoothness. If your nails get chewed up by steel strings, the solution is not to harden your nails, but to really study how they strike and glide off the string, adjust your hand position to get a good angle, shape and smooth the nails appropriately so they won't get hung up on a string, and rigorously maintain them.]

There are some things that are definitely against the rules for classical guitarists, but seem to work well for some others. Wrapping your thumb over the neck is one; with apologies to the Rev. Gary Davis, it so drastically restricts the movement in your hand that it would never be considered an appropriate technique by the classical guitar world (especially if you have the "neck high" position that allows the fretting hand to more more freely and naturally). It is also a recipe for cramping. And those of us who play with a "proper" hand position coming in from under the neck would maintain that there is little you can do with the thumb wrapping over the top that you couldn't do better from underneath, assuming you put an equivalent level of effort into learning it. If you're playing in more of a rock and roll posture (picking around the crotch area, neck low, maybe a few Pete Townsend windmills), wrapping your thumb around the neck may make sense, but you'll probably lose more than you gain.

Anchoring a finger on the face of the guitar is another taboo; not only does it dampen the sound, it also restricts movement. And if your hand is positioned "correctly," it should be able to fall in the right place over the strings without an anchor. Also, to answer your specific question, it is generally frowned upon to "pre-place" your fingers on the strings; there are some exceptions (tremelos, for example, where you may anchor the "a" finger before plucking with the thumb), but for the most part you should have your hand positioned correctly, and be familiar enough with your instrument (practice!) so that your fingers will know where to go without being pre-positioned.

With some adaptation, most or all classical guitar techniques and principles can still apply on a steel string, with qutie satisfactory results. Some things have to be adjusted; you will probably play fewer rest strokes on steel strings, you may keep your nails a little shorter, you will need to get used to tighter spacing between strings, etc. But I think it's a great foundation, whatever style you want to pursue. I'll check back on this thread, so let me know if there are other aspects of this you want to explore. Good luck -- Whistle Stop