Beginner Thumb Pick Recommendation!

James Detloff · Post by **James Detloff** » 25 Jun 2012 6:51 am

Hey!
I'm moving along with the beginning phase of the wonderful world of Lap Steel. I'm hoping I can get some good recommendations re a comfortable, usable thumb pick. I started out with a heavy large golden gate which felt really clunky. I've been trying a Propik, which is REALLY comfortable...and I like the gauge of the pick, but I occasionally get the steel back band caught on a string if I dip a little low. So...
What would have the comfort and lighter gauge of the Propik with a better back-wrap system? Thanks!

---Jim

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 25 Jun 2012 11:21 am

I like National thumbpicks and Zookies (by Jim Dunlop).

G Strout · Post by **G Strout** » 25 Jun 2012 12:35 pm

I love these!!! Be careful not to lose it though $:\$

http://www.jdmc.com/product/BCT-1L.html

gary

James Detloff · Post by **James Detloff** » 26 Jun 2012 12:56 pm

Thanks!...
Anyone else have a thought?

Roman Sonnleitner · Post by **Roman Sonnleitner** » 26 Jun 2012 1:40 pm

I like Fred Kelly Slick Picks - they are much smaller, don't protrude so far from the thumb, makes you feel more "connected" to the strings...

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 26 Jun 2012 2:49 pm

I really like Golden Gate thumb picks. I am using a Blue Chip for dobro an Weissenborn these days, but the GG's are really good and much much cheaper. Available from Elderly and lots of other places.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 26 Jun 2012 5:21 pm

I do believe 'the best pick'is merely a matter of personal preference.

I've stumbled around for years with clear Dunlops, Fender and misc. others of varying weights and flexibility.........

SGForumite Dave Kolars steered me to the Golden Gate thumb picks that he found to be really great and allowed me to try it out. It was a perfect fit with a great feel when I first slipped it on but try as I may, he refused to loan, rent, lease, sell or gift me with it.

I had to search all over the country to find a source and finally got a mail order shoppe up in Toledo, WA, to send me a dozen.

I selected the medium weight,CLOWN BARF, multi-colored, pinkish pick. It's a great thumb pick.
You might care to give them a try.

Frank James Pracher · Post by **Frank James Pracher** » 26 Jun 2012 6:37 pm

Roman Sonnleitner wrote:I like Fred Kelly Slick Picks - they are much smaller, don't protrude so far from the thumb, makes you feel more "connected" to the strings...

+1

Kirk Eipper · Post by **Kirk Eipper** » 27 Jun 2012 9:00 am

Herco blue.

John Faulkinbury · Post by **John Faulkinbury** » 27 Jun 2012 9:47 am

I just recently switched to Fred Kelly speed picks. I really like them alot.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 27 Jun 2012 9:57 am

James I just re-read your first post. Somehow I missed the fact that you had already tried the Golden Gate and found that it did not suit you. Sorry about that.

For pedal steel I used to really like Dunlop mediums, and have only recently switched over to Golden Gates. The Dunlops are a little more compact and usually easy to find - you might like them. For some reason I liked the calico Dunlops the best.

Hercos are great too and I found them comfortable - for some reason though they just did not stay put on my thumb as well.

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 27 Jun 2012 11:12 am

Another +1 for the Fred Kelly slick pick. I wont use anything else.

Jim Newberry · Post by **Jim Newberry** » 27 Jun 2012 12:14 pm

I've been using the Fred Kelly slick picks and I also like the all-metal Propick (medium).

Steve Ahola · Post by **Steve Ahola** » 28 Jun 2012 12:51 pm

Bob Blair wrote:I really like Golden Gate thumb picks.

I bought some huge ones a few years ago and cut them down to the size I wanted with a pair of diagonal cutters and sandpaper. When I looked for more all I could find were small ones which were too small for me. I'll have to see what Elderly has.

Meanwhile I have been using the National thumbpicks, starting out with the white ones until I discovered the tortoise shell ones which work much better for me- IMO it is a softer and more resilient plastic. You can get a bag of 12 for about $10 from MF or GC.

Steve Ahola

P.S. Elderly sells 3 different sizes- which do you use? (I think it was the extra-large extra-heavy ones I had before.)

Joseph Meditz · Post by **Joseph Meditz** » 28 Jun 2012 8:53 pm

I love my cheap and cheerful Dunlop medium thumb picks. I like a pick with a short tongue (Is that what it's called?) and like to have my thumb very close to the strings.

As for a $40 pick all I can say is, "Yikes!"

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 28 Jun 2012 9:30 pm

My current favs are the "clown barf" colored thumbpicks that Ray M told us about.

William Hoff · Post by **William Hoff** » 29 Jun 2012 3:13 am

I agree with Roman, I've gathered about 50 different thumbs picks over the past 40 years and the Slick Pic is my favorite. I use the yellow ones.

Peter Jacobs · Post by **Peter Jacobs** » 29 Jun 2012 4:44 am

I like the material that the Golden Gates are made of, but they don't fit me well (even with steaming and reshaping them). So, I stick with large white or tortoise Dunlops or white Nationals. My favorites were the black Gibson thumbpicks, but they aren't made any more, although Janet Davis Music is reproducing them now.

Here's a page with lots of selections (no affiliation, just linking):
http://www.jdmc.com/category/accessorie ... r-thm.html

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 30 Jun 2012 9:13 am

If a plastic pick is tight enough so it doesn't slip, the end of my thumb gets blue and goes numb. I don't like the sound of a metal thumbpick so the answer was the ProPik. The metal can be bent for an exact comfortable fit and the blade is plastic for the sound I like. I use the same pick for steel, dobro and banjo.

James Detloff · Post by **James Detloff** » 30 Jun 2012 11:02 am

Ok...
First off, thanks for all the GREAT suggestions! There's a great little mom & pop store just south of Minneapolis called Homestead Pickin' Parlor. They carry a HUGE variety of thumb picks. I picked up a medium(orange) Slick Pick, a large white National and a large ivoroid Golden Gate. I really like them all! The slick pick is tiny and only fits on the very end of my thumb. The National and Golden Gate are very comfortable and fit my thumb very well. Turns out the first Golden Gate I tried was a "heavy". I'm leaning toward the National though because the plectrum portion of the pick is shorter...helping to create a better sense of connectedness with the strings... much like the slick pick. If the slick pick came in a larger size..it would probably be my fave!
Thanks a lot to all who have posted! Have a great weekend!

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 30 Jun 2012 2:27 pm

James Detloff wrote:(snip)
I'm leaning toward the National though because the plectrum portion of the pick is shorter...helping to create a better sense of connectedness with the strings... much like the slick pick.

It's quite common to file on the pick part... in fact, melt, bend, mutilate however you like, to get the feel you like.

James Detloff · Post by **James Detloff** » 30 Jun 2012 4:24 pm

Stephen Cowell wrote:
James Detloff wrote:(snip)
I'm leaning toward the National though because the plectrum portion of the pick is shorter...helping to create a better sense of connectedness with the strings... much like the slick pick.
It's quite common to file on the pick part... in fact, melt, bend, mutilate however you like, to get the feel you like.

Sure...
I might try that at some point. But since the Nationals work well...why bother filing the Golden Gates?

Tim Fowler · Post by **Tim Fowler** » 22 Oct 2012 5:21 am

I saw that some folks complained of picks being too tight. I am a longtime fingerpicker on guitar and love Fred Kelly's products. What you may not know is that they come in large sizes. This makes a huge difference in your comfort level(and ability to play!) Elderly.com usually has a great selection. I use the speed pick on guitar and slick pick on steel.

Joe Snow · Post by **Joe Snow** » 22 Oct 2012 6:13 am

I'm another happy user of speed picks. I'm sure they're not for everyone, but I find them very comfortable and accurate.

Mike Harris · Post by **Mike Harris** » 22 Oct 2012 6:14 am

I can't use anything but a John Pearse thumbpick--just right in every way. All the others seem way too big for me.

FWIW, I think Cindy Cashdollar also uses these. But don't trust my memory on that.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Beginner Thumb Pick Recommendation!

Beginner Thumb Pick Recommendation!

About those thumb picks...............

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