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Post by raggy on Feb 19, 2016 17:26:47 GMT
Anyone use thumb & finger picks?
I am considering trying them and would appreciate some advice on size and how best to use
All advice gratefully received
Raggy
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Akquarius
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Post by Akquarius on Feb 19, 2016 17:46:40 GMT
Thumb only. I tried quite a few and finally got stuck with these I tried several finger picks, too. I don't feel happy with them. If I had to use some I would go back to Alaska Picks, because they felt closest to using my own nails.
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andrewjw
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Post by andrewjw on Feb 19, 2016 18:21:42 GMT
Plus one to Bernd's choice of thumbpick... I use these fingerpicks [ the brass angled variety as they sound more mellow ].. www.eaglemusicshop.com/prod/guitar-finger-picks/Pro-Pik-Sharpie.htmOnly as a result of a mispent youth trying to make myself heard in the days before K and K's etc.. The big advantage is that once you have adapted to using them [takes a while] you can forget about worrying about your nails...
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Feb 19, 2016 18:25:26 GMT
Never could get on with any sort of fingerpicks but fortunately have reasonable nails. (Though I did break one on a gate yesterday! ) But I do like thumbpicks and use Fred Kelly Speed picks, the first ones I've tried that don't need radical surgery to length, width and thickness before I can use them. Experiment with various types raggy - but be prepared to persevere a while with each sort - it can take a while before you get the hang of them. Keith
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2016 20:48:39 GMT
I used picks for a while and like the sound for some music. I have a nice collection of various finger and thumb picks that I rarely use, having gone back to natural nail. The trickiest thing to my mind with picks is getting the angle of attack right to avoid horrible scraping noises. Pro piks come in straight and angled versions and in different widths and metals, and might be a good place to start your experiments!
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Post by raggy on Feb 19, 2016 21:27:18 GMT
I have ordered a small selection to be getting on with. Thanks for all the input
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Post by scripsit on Feb 20, 2016 4:34:29 GMT
I'm a bit late to this discussion, but put me down as another person who uses and likes Fred Kelly slick picks (the orange version). Previous to discovering these I always had to muck around with trimming the blade length or tightness of the wrapping bit (Dunlop thumbpicks seem to be the easiest to find in music shops, but the blades are far too long for me). Finger picks have never worked for me; they always seem to grab or put their own sound into a strike, and I like being able to downstroke with the back of the nail, too. My nails have been fine for steel string use since I began cutting the length of them down considerably compared to classical guitar use. I found this to be a very good guide: www.alandamy.com/tech.html(Scroll down to near the bottom of the page for a soundhole view of Al Petteway's fingernails in action.) By the way, if you've been playing with bare thumb and fingers, I'd put six or so weeks aside to get used to a thumbpick. That's how long it took me when I swapped from being a purely plectrum player. Kym
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Post by solidtop on Feb 23, 2016 22:12:33 GMT
i tried the plastic ones and didn't get on with them. i liked the metal ones until i got my "proper guitar" at christmas. I now prefer the warmer sound of my finger / thumb doing the picking. I have heard that most picks need adjustment to fit right like heating in hot water to soften them to shape or cutting the length back.
I think it's best to get a selection and see what works best for you.
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Post by vikingblues on Feb 26, 2016 8:15:42 GMT
The selection is a good idea raggy - it's really horses for courses and it's impossible to know which type and brand will best suit. I've never got on with finger picks as they just produce huge amounts of clatter with my clod-hopping technique. But I'd also been totally unimpressed with thumb-picks until, problems with my thumb demanding the use of one for several months, I stumbled on the Fred Kelly slick picks mentioned by Kym. They immediately felt comfortable (which was a revelation ) and the sound produced by the delrin material was so much more like the sound from a real thumb than any plastic picks had managed. I now find I only use delrin plectrums too when the need for such an implement arises. Mark
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Post by Andy P on Mar 1, 2016 16:21:15 GMT
Another vote for Fred Kelly slick picks. I usually use my thumb-nail but I prefer the sound I get from an orange Fred Kelly with about half its protruding bit cut off then sanded smooth. There's significantly less surface area than with most conventional thumbpicks so more chance of getting a quick clean strike. My problem is trying to prevent the thumbpick-struck notes being significantly louder than finger-nail struck ones. I can't get on with finger picks.
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Post by raggy on Mar 1, 2016 20:21:58 GMT
I now have a selection of picks, including the Orange Fred Kelly Slick pick. I also got a couple of metal finger picks.
I am busy learning another piece of music at the moment so I haven't put much effort into using the picks yet.
I also have to pluck up the courage to trim my nails if I want to give the fingerpicks a good go
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Post by gekko on Mar 6, 2016 11:27:49 GMT
I'm using a yellow (light gauge) Fred Kelly Slick Pick at the moment. I'm trying to get back into playing and am determined to get used a thumb pick this time. I have quite a light touch and struggle to make a decent sound with just my thumb. I quite like the Slick Pick but have just ordered some Speed Picks too for comparison. The Dunlop ones are way too long and feel clumsy. As for finger picks, I can't stand the things - it feels like I'm Edward Scissorhands trying to play the guitar. Besides, the joy of fingerpicking for me is the intimacy between fingers and strings. Picks just feel like a barrier to that so I'll draw the line at a thumb pick.
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Post by andrewjw on Mar 6, 2016 14:40:43 GMT
I'm using a yellow (light gauge) Fred Kelly Slick Pick at the moment. I'm trying to get back into playing and am determined to get used a thumb pick this time. I have quite a light touch and struggle to make a decent sound with just my thumb. I quite like the Slick Pick but have just ordered some Speed Picks too for comparison. The Dunlop ones are way too long and feel clumsy. As for finger picks, I can't stand the things - it feels like I'm Edward Scissorhands trying to play the guitar. Besides, the joy of fingerpicking for me is the intimacy between fingers and strings. Picks just feel like a barrier to that so I'll draw the line at a thumb pick. Great to see you back on the forum, getting back into playing and that you still have the Alchemist... Getting used to any sort of pick seems to take forever but is worth the journey IMVHO!
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Mar 6, 2016 15:16:40 GMT
I'm using a yellow (light gauge) Fred Kelly Slick Pick at the moment. I'm trying to get back into playing and am determined to get used a thumb pick this time. I have quite a light touch and struggle to make a decent sound with just my thumb. I quite like the Slick Pick but have just ordered some Speed Picks too for comparison. The Dunlop ones are way too long and feel clumsy. As for finger picks, I can't stand the things - it feels like I'm Edward Scissorhands trying to play the guitar. Besides, the joy of fingerpicking for me is the intimacy between fingers and strings. Picks just feel like a barrier to that so I'll draw the line at a thumb pick. Hi Mel, and so good to see you around again! I could never get on with Dunlop thiumbpick even when I'd chopped off most of the length and reprofiled the things. What a faff! I do love the (heavy) Speed Picks though - I found them a lot easier (more flexible) than the Slick Picks. I'd be interested to hear how you get on when you've tried both. Keith
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Post by gekko on Mar 6, 2016 16:57:23 GMT
Thanks guys. It's good to be back here. I've had a few false starts though so hopefully I'll get my mojo back this time. I've signed up to Jamplay and am doing the Don Ross fingerstyle lessons to get back in the zone.
I've ordered a few different thumbpicks to try out. I figured that if I'm going to go down the thumbpick route, now is a good time to do so as I'm a bit rusty and having to slow down to get back up to speed. Will let you know how I get on.
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