Fingerpicks anyone?

I been experimenting with a thumbpick to get a bit more attack and volume, and I'm finally getting used to playing with it. I've been thinking about getting fingerpicks too, so I'm curious to see the responses.

I'd like to add an additional question: what style and type of material do you prefer - plastic? steel? pro-piks? alaska picks? other?

If there is such a thing as a "standard" I'd say it's plastic thumbpick and two metal fingerpicks,- that's the most common to use. But there are no set rules here, some players play barefingered, some use thumbpick only, some use three fingerpicks..
Fingerpicks can take a while to get used to, but in my experience it's worth it. I feel have have a much better control of dynamics and tone when I use fingerpicks, though I still consider them 'instruments of torture' and can't say I enjoy wearing them. But as long as your fingertips don't fall off during a gig there's no danger........ :wink:

Steinar

Fingerpicks can take a while to get used to, but in my experience it's worth it. I feel have have a much better control of dynamics and tone when I use fingerpicks, though I still consider them 'instruments of torture' and can't say I enjoy wearing them. But as long as your fingertips don't fall off during a gig there's no danger........ :wink:

Steinar

I'll take your word for it Steinar. What kind of picks are you using?
I love to use my fingernails because I like to hook the strings and snap them sometimes for a emphatic attack, putting some feeling into those strings, also going to put higher guage strings on my Tricone (12-56 now is a bit too light) however the fingernails don't hold up too well. I can't do that with standard fingerpicks, those picks are for sissies, LOL.

I am going to order some ALASKA picks today to experiment with, but HEY, check these out! I would like to have some like these, but at the time this webpage was created these picks were nowhere to be found.

Does anyone know where we can get some like this? The long tab on the pick in this photo is broken off- actual configuration is drawn in on the last photo:

http://www.maxwellplace.demon.co.uk/pandemonium/clawpicks.html

If there is such a thing as a "standard" I'd say it's plastic thumbpick and two metal fingerpicks,- that's the most common to use. But there are no set rules here, some players play barefingered, some use thumbpick only, some use three fingerpicks..

When I played pedal steel, I used a plastic thumbpick and two metal fingerpicks. For lap steel, I use either bare fingers or a flatpick, depending on what I'm trying to play.

I'll take your word for it Steinar. What kind of picks are you using?
I love to use my fingernails because I like to hook the strings and snap them sometimes for a emphatic attack, putting some feeling into those strings, also going to put higher guage strings on my Tricone (12-56 now is a bit too light) however the fingernails don't hold up too well.

I use a heavy Dunlop thumbpick and ProPick fingerpicks,- pretty standard straight forward stuff. I have ordered some coated fingerpicks from Chuck Brattain (the guy who makes the Black Phoenix and Red Rajah bars), they're supposed to sit better on your fingers. I hate that, when the fingerpicks start coming loose in the middle of a tune.

If it hadn't been for my bass playing I would probably have used fingernails, I have pretty strong nails but hate the sound of them when I play my fretless bass, so I keep them as short as possible......

Steinar

I have ordered some coated fingerpicks from Chuck Brattain (the guy who makes the Black Phoenix and Red Rajah bars), they're supposed to sit better on your fingers. I hate that, when the fingerpicks start coming loose in the middle of a tune.

Steinar

I was just reading something earlier that mentioned a woman who uses surgical tape to hold them in place, I assume it is that tape that is sticky on both sides and I assume the tape is inside the pick.

If I had claws like a big dog it would would be just right for me, I wish I could wear those standard fingerpicks upside down, like nails but they don't stay in postition at all that way, and yeah they don't stay well the other way very well either. With only several sizes manufactured you'd have to be very lucky to have one of those sizes fit perfectly. They probably only fit every one in 50 people 'perfectly' if that. THIS is why they are all open with tabs instead of going all the way around the finger, which is a very sub optimal design and it sucks. It's basically like 'one size fits all' or 3-4 sizes fit all and that just is nowhere near close.

Ideally if you could figure out a way to make a casting of your fingers and have them custom molded to fit perfectly that would be great.

Here is an idea: A finger pick that goes all the way around the finger and the top part, above the nail is moldable in an UNCURED state so it can be press molded exactly to the top of the finger and then CURED (hardened) maybe by emersing it in a liquid or by heat. THEN the damned thing would stay in position!!

Manufacturers don't give a shit, they just want to chunk out a million 'one size fits all' damned things at a cost of 2 cents each because all they care about is profit. Same old capitalist bullshit.

I like fingertips and fingernails because the connection from fingertip to brain is direct and doesn't vary whereas with fingerpicks you have an added extension with the pick that is really not connected and that I am not used to- I have enough trouble with concentration as it is- this is why I think the ALASKA picks will be good.
If you look very closely at the random web photo I picked there is a place where the fingernail slides over the pick, which I think is quite innovative and will be good for me. Also the pick can be trimmed to desired shape for the picking edge. Now with luck they will actually fit my fingers. They do have tabs except they are at the bottom of the finger and they do make these in brass but I am going to try the plastic ones first. If I could fill in the top part between the fingernail and the pick with a liquid plastic or rubber that would cure in place to make an accruate mold I think these would definately stay in place. I may be one of the few people who need that because of how I want to play with heavy guage strings.

Now, the bottom line is: all I need to do is learn how to play well and I am about ready to go into hibernation for a long winter to do that.

http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/PK40-L.htm

I got a 'set' of the Alaska picks - 3 large and one extra large (for the thumb), and...they're pretty interesting. Different feel from regular fingerpicks. I was playing 12-string finger-style in our combo and I was starting to wear my nails down quite a bit. I got them (and a set of 3 normal Dunlop metal fingerpicks and the white (lefty) plastic thumbpick, thinking to get into it, but I couldn't get back into fingerpicks fast enough to be ready for gigs.

I've since switched to the bass chair so, like Steinar, I've got my first and second fingernails filed all the way down. Playing both guitar and bass more or less equally, has always given me this problem - nails for fingerstyle acoustic guitar and no nails for bass.

Then I got the lap steel and it's fingerpicks again - but mostly because it's part of the vibe/style of playing the thing; not so much for nail wear issues.

Hey, I think I'll give those Alaska's a try on the lap steel, now that you mention it!

I tried the Alaska picks once and didn't like them. I can't really remember why - this was back when I was desperately seeking out alternatives to metal picks - but I think it may have been because they kept moving around on my fingertips or something. Perhaps I should have spent some more time with them, I like the general idea and design...

I too prefer the natural feel of playing barefingered, and never use picks when fingerpicking regular guitar. But for steel it's something else, too much to gain in terms of speed and dynamic control, at least for me.

Vincent,- players who use plastic fingerpicks do what you describe; Heat them in, or over, boiling water so they get soft, shape them to fit their fingers perfectly, and then dips them in a cup of cold water to 'freeze' them. I tried once and ended up with a strange, smelly soup...... :lol:

Steinar

I'm most used to using three metal fingerpicks and a metal thumbpick (all Pro-Piks from Guptill Music.) Sometimes I use Dunlop plastic fingerpicks, but they're way too tight to allow any blood circulation to my fingertips. I haven't boiled and stretched 'em yet. Sometimes I use a Golden Gate plastic thumbpick, and sometimes I use a Fred Kelly Speed Pick.

I don't do a lot of picking with my ring finger, but enough to want the pick there.

Alaska Picks? Can't stand 'em. They're very uncomfortable jammed under the fingernails, and to make 'em stay on I have to grow my nails longer than I'm comfortable with.

Can´t agree more with ricochet, I tried the Alaska´s too and they were more painful than no picks. a few weeks ago I bought a few dunlop steel picks and just practised everyday for hours,eventually you get used to them. If you turn them slightly so that you hit the strings at right angles it sounds better. Also they should be pushed onto the fingers as far as possible so that they are just a fraction longer than your nails

No luck here either with Alaskas. I've stayed with metal despite pain and fit issues. Since getting a banjo, I had settled on thumb plus two, but the third finger is tempting for lap as I normally use three and even four fingers for guitar fingerstyle (especially if hybrid picking).

Dhodge showed me some interesting metal fingerpicks are somewhat similar to trad metal. But these have a good sized cut-out for the pad of the finger, leaving sort of a curved, flat metal loop that halos the tip of the finger. These look promising -- have to find a place to buy them.

Do let us know... the Dunlop plastic thumb pick that I have is a pain, but the metal one is too big.

No luck here either with Alaskas. I've stayed with metal despite pain and fit issues. Since getting a banjo, I had settled on thumb plus two, but the third finger is tempting for lap as I normally use three and even four fingers for guitar fingerstyle (especially if hybrid picking).

Dhodge showed me some interesting metal fingerpicks are somewhat similar to trad metal. But these have a good sized cut-out for the pad of the finger, leaving sort of a curved, flat metal loop that halos the tip of the finger. These look promising -- have to find a place to buy them.

Are these they?

http://store.gruhn.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=11-104-1112

Yup, they're the ones. Weissenborn great Steve Dawson use those, and I've read good things about them on the Steel Guitar Forum also. Bought a few of them myself and liked them better than the Alaskas, only negative issue I had with them was that I got a scratchy kind of sound when picking the wound strings.

Steinar