How to buff finger picks?

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 18 Jul 2002 6:22 am

My Newman finger picks are getting rough edges (what on Earth am I doing to them??). How do I go about smoothing them down? They need to be buffed to a very smooth finish to prevent that awful file-like grabbing on the strings. Do I use some ultra fine grit sandpaper? What grit?

Of course, this may just be telling me that I'm catching the strings with the edges of the picks when I really should be connecting right down the center....

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Bill L | My steel page | Email | My music | Steeler birthdays | Over 50?

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 18 Jul 2002 7:24 am

Bill,
have you ever tried Dunlop picks instead? Mine just seem to last forever...

Regards, Joe

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 18 Jul 2002 8:47 am

Of course, this may just be telling me that I'm catching the strings with the edges of the picks when I really should be connecting right down the center....

You are correct, Bill. Spend some of your practice time working on your right hand technique instead of working on music. I know it sounds awful, but it really pays off in tone when you are playing real music later on.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 18 Jul 2002 9:16 am

When I fit a new set of picks to my fingers, I bend the tips so they hit the strings flat. I've used the same set of picks for up to 10 years or so. They show some wear on the tips, but none on the sides.

Pete Grant · Post by **Pete Grant** » 18 Jul 2002 1:15 pm

I disagree with the idea that you use the tips of your picks and don't use the edge. You'll get really thin tone if you pick that way. Find out for yourself. Turn up your amp to a comfortable level and play a string with your pick as you rotate your hand. I think you'll find that you can get the best tone at about a 45-degree angle to your strings.

Al Miller · Post by **Al Miller** » 18 Jul 2002 2:36 pm

see there gordon!!
how would you like it if you had a widget and tried to sell it to feed your family and jeff came on here telling everyone what a piece of sh#$ it was. what did this man do to you to make you so bitter toward him ?
SHEEEESH!!
BOO

Merle Record · Post by **Merle Record** » 18 Jul 2002 4:01 pm

I agree with Pete. I rotate my hand so that the back of it is about 45 degrees from level. Since my fingers are connected to my hand, this puts my fingers at about a 45 from perpindicular to the strings. One of the most noticable things about T.W. and B.E.s picking, to me, is the angle of their fingers. I'm not sure the angle of the picks is responsible for the burr, however I always carry some 400 grit emery cloth in my seat for polishing a changer finger every now and then. A few swipes across a pick will take care of those burrs too. Although I think a coarser grit would be ok I probably wouldn't go any coarser than 220 or so. B.T.W. I use J.F. picks and like them fine. Merle

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 18 Jul 2002 4:50 pm

Boo ... hopefully this thing never reproduced so he doesn't have a family to feed. regards, fred

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 18 Jul 2002 6:16 pm

220! Jeez, you won't have any picks left!

Try 400 (maximum!), then 600, then 1000. (One sheet of each will last you forever.)
After that make it really smoooooth with Simichrome polish.

Showcase 1941's are nice picks. I believe they are solid nickel silver.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 18 Jul 2002 7:10 pm

I DO NOT HAVE AN AXE TO GRIND WITH JEFF

I guess what everybody's saying is that you coulda fooled us.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 18 July 2002 at 08:11 PM.]

George McLellan · Post by **George McLellan** » 19 Jul 2002 7:05 am

It's starting to look like a "which is the best" pick discussion, at least to me. I've got just about every brand....no wait...I have got a pair of every brand that I am aware of, and my own preferance is the Resco (sp) brass. I have both types but prefer the softer tone of the brass. I've had them for a couple of years, but isn't brass supposed to wear with use????

Just MHO and 2¢

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SUAS U' PHIOB
Geo

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 19 Jul 2002 10:16 am

I have a set of Jeffran picks, and my only complaint is that you can't buy 3. They come in pairs. They do sound really good to my ears. I don't use them much, though, because the old Nationals fit my fingers better.

I think I get my best tone when my picks touch the strings at a 90 degree angle. I get less "scratch" in the attack there. So I disagree with Pete and Merle. Maybe different brands require different angles?

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 19 July 2002 at 11:18 AM.]

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 19 Jul 2002 11:52 am

I think the main reason that Jeff didn't like the Dunlop picks is because of the way they flare out. Not the ends where you pick, but the sides that clamp to your finger. I think in a teaching class I had with him many years ago, he said those flared edges could catch in the strings if you weren't careful. Banjo players seem to love them, though. I guess they grip your fingers better. I will stick to my old Nationals. I tried Jeffs and they just didn't float my boat like the old Nationals. I agree that the picks should show most of the wear on the sides and not the ends. Fatter tone from the sides instead of the ends in my opinion.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 19 Jul 2002 1:49 pm

I think we've gotten off the subject here a little, but I've been using the same pair of showcase 41s for about 5 years, and I buff them with MacGuire's #7. The notes just pop off the pick. And don't tell anybody I learned this from a banjo player!

Skip Mertz · Post by **Skip Mertz** » 19 Jul 2002 2:15 pm

One more reason I don't look at the other topics on the forum! It's like listening to CB radio. When someone asks for help with a problem they have with a particular item, please address that issue! He did'nt ask for opinions about YOUR picks ,just help with his. Then we can scroll thru constructive info and not bickering and BS. Bob has eneough to do Thanks

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 21 Jul 2002 3:33 am

I notice the sound of picks differ much from the nice fat thumbpick, they play the high strings with a sharpness, very metalic, the thumbpick has a fatter tone, when I hit the plain strings with the thumb it is so much better, so I applied solder to the inside end of the metal pick, to try and soften the attack, solder right to the end and then shape it, has any one tried that? or something similar to get even tone, I went up to .015 and .012 strings to help

Post by **Joey Ace** » 21 Jul 2002 5:16 am

Where can I find a Crocus Cloth, Bob L. ??

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 21 Jul 2002 8:25 am

Bill, when I have a problem with my picks, I usually just replace them. They are not worth the effort to try to fix. I use the Newman picks also (have been for a couple of years now)and think they are great (had to offer my opinion too).

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Carter D10 9p/10k
Richard Sinkler

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 21 Jul 2002 10:47 am

Joey, Almost any jeweler has these cloths available. Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish works very well for polishing, BTW.