Segovia was derided early in his career for using his nails. It gave him a range of tones, and was intrinsic to his mission to bring the guitar into public consciousness as a mini-orchestra. Some of those tones sound a little harsh on his older recordings.
I play without, but that's no guide: you really wouldn't wish to hear me play!
If you don't like nails or picks, develop your own style without them. As you say, it's been done before. Perhaps a bright-sounding instrument would help.

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"Music is a social act of communication among people, a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is."
- Malcolm Arnold.