Hoffmeyer Picks

[Brian Gattis]

Jerry, I figured people should know. I wish I knew sooner Someone on the forum turned me on to them. Cant remember his name?

Stu, PM me your address and I will send you a pair. You can try em out!
I know Dunlops do the job. I have some as well, but there really is a difference in comfort and sound

[Brian Gattis]

Erv you calling me ignorant?

I don’t think they’re better because they’re more expensive son!
I’ve tried new national old nationals dunlop Jeff Newman Showcase Pro pik brass nickel you name it These are the best I’ve used. And yes they make Dunlops look bad.

Give em a try.

[Tucker Jackson]

While we're on the topic of Hoffmeyer picks, nobody has mentioned that they not only make a great reproduction of the pre-war Nationals, they also make a modified one called the "Custom."

The Custom is just like your standard National, but the band is slightly wider and the holes are smaller. With more material to grip your finger, they are more solid and secure than the standard band-shape.

Recommended! Especially if you use Nationals and like the tone but wish they were more comfortable and gripped better. It's a pretty subtle thing -- but still a thing.

Yes, they're expensive for picks, so not for everybody.

[Erv Niehaus]

Brian,
I never said you were ignorant, just gullible.
And for you to call me son, you must be at least a 100 years old!
Erv

[Brian Gattis]

While we're on the topic of Hoffmeyer picks, nobody has mentioned that they not only make a great reproduction of the pre-war Nationals, they also make a modified one called the "Custom."

The Custom is just like your standard National, but the band is slightly wider and the holes are smaller. With more material to grip your finger, they are more solid and secure than the standard band-shape.

Recommended! Especially if you use Nationals and like the tone but wish they were more comfortable and gripped better. It's a pretty subtle thing -- but still a thing.

Yes, they're expensive for picks, so not for everybody.

Yes I use the custom ones. I also have a pair of the standard ones. Both are great but I do prefer the custom ones!

Erv im not sure you understand the meaning of gullible

[Erv Niehaus]

What is your definition of gullible?
Curious minds want to know.
Erv

[Dave Mudgett]

I know that I find old Nationals and especially the newer "Nationals" quite uncomfortable on my cuticles. I have quite a few from different eras (sorry, I'm not selling them), and I've tried to get used to them, but it just doesn't work.

So to the extent that these Hoffmeyers are, paraphrasing, 'just like the old ones', then I'm not interested. I've been using Dunlops and, sometimes, Pro Piks with the single band - I find the double band version not to my liking - and I'm fine with them.

But one thing missing from this discussion is that there are two types of Hoffmeyers - from their website:

There are two types of Dean Hoffmeyer Fingerpicks available: Standard, which has a regular vintage-style band and holes, and Custom, which is my original pick design with a wider band and slightly smaller holes for more comfort and stability. Both types are made from identical metal and feature the same blade size and shape.

So which one are you guys using? Standard (narrow-blade like vintage Nationals, or the wider-blade Custom? I might be interested if the Customs really address the problems that I have with the standard National band. If you want to really inform as to what's up with these, you need to give obvious details like this, rather than the usual "hey, these are way better, the others are just crappy".

The other thing I'll say is that saying that Dunlops are "crappy", or even saying the Hoffmeyers are "way better", is just asking for dissent, and not necessarily polite dissent at that. Dunlops, JFs, and many others work fine for, and are in fact preferred by, a lot of players, both steel and other instruments. This stuff is way too subjective and subject to personal differences and preference to make blanket and even denigrating statements like this sound remotely legitimate.

Edit - After I posted I saw Tucker address same Standard vs. Custom question I asked. But again - I think my questions is, "What makes these so much better, especially considering the large price differential, in your opinion?" I can afford any bloody picks I want and if they're really that much better, I'm open to trying them. IMO, the Pro Piks successfully address the comfort problems posed by the standard Nationals but still retain a similar blade feel to the best of them I've tried, and at a pretty reasonable price and they're easily available. I step on or lose picks occasionally, not that thrilled about buying tons of them at $25/pair. Plus, I use 3 picks.

[Brian Gattis]

Dave,
Yes the custom Hoffmeyer’s have a wider band than the standard Nationals! I have some vintage Nationals as well and I have the same cuticle discomfort problem as you describe.

[Tucker Jackson]

Dave, if you've solved the comfort/stability issue with Pro-pik, I would say you won't find enough extra in the Hoffmeyer to justify the expense. The upgraded Hoffmeyer band is a very subtle change.

I would be using Dunlops if that wide, flared, ultra-comfortable band didn't snag the next higher string so often. I had a little of that with Pro-pik too -- but almost never with the Nationals, so my hand shape sort of forced me to go in that direction. I used NP2 for a long time and yes, they did mess with my cuticles but the picking problem was solved.

Once I discovered these wider-band picks, I squinted and bit the bullet on the Hoffmeyer and I'm happy. They are still hard on my cuticles, but it's definitely better.

[Erv Niehaus]

Tucker,
I don't quite understand.
You didn't like the Dunlops because of the wider band but you DO like the Hoffmeyers because of the wider band?
Please explain.

But then, it doesn't take much to get me confused.
Erv

[Tucker Jackson]

Good question.

Dunlop: Wide band (and it becomes even wider as you move from the blade out to the two ends).

National: Narrow band.

Hoffmeyer 'Custom': Goldilocks. It's slightly wider than National... but still a lot narrower than Dunlop.

I'm jealous of anyone that can play well with Dunlops. They are the most comfortable pick I've seen, but my curled up hand shape takes them out of the running for me. I end up playing a lot of unintentional harmony when I snag the next higher string. That fraction of a millimeter difference in the band width messes with me. I blame Jeff Newman's influence by starting me off on that type of highly curled hand shape. I've since migrated away from that so maybe I should break out some other picks and see how it works out. Hmm...

[Brian Gattis]

The Dunlop band is comfortable, but it is flared and will catch on the above string.
Jeff Newman advised against Dunlop. Or maybe he was just trying to sell his diamond picks

[Dave Mudgett]

I get the part about the flared band on the Dunlops. I assume they flare it to make it more comfortable, but my issue is that it makes them fall off more easily - I don't find myself snagging adjacent strings. I generally just straighten out that flare some with a set of needlenose pliers. In fact, on the .020 gauge I prefer for Spanish guitar, it's actually a lot easier to shape than with heavier picks like Nationals, and not really tough with the .025 that I generally prefer for steel either.

You may be right about not finding that much difference in moving from Pro Piks to Hoffmeyers. The Pro Piks are pretty much as comfortable as the Dunlops, to me, and I'd say I prefer the blade by a bit. It's not a huge difference from the .025 Dunlops, but I find the attack just a bit firmer.

[Erv Niehaus]

I've heard stories that if Jeff caught you playing with picks other than his, he would take them off, throw them on the floor and stomp on 'em.
Erv

[Bill Miller]

Lol!! Interesting marketing ploy.

[Erv Niehaus]

Yes, he sold a lot of picks that way!
Erv

[Stu Schulman]

Brian,I appreciate your offer of sending me a set of picks but I'm gonna have to decline because I have very dry skin and every pick except Dunlop slice into my cuticles,The band's on Dunlop are tapered so that my fingers fall into a place that doesn't cut into the sides of my fingers,I have one set that I've been using for years and a few backup sets around my place.Thanks for your kind offer.

[Bobby Nelson]

When I first got into steel, almost 2 yrs ago, I tried many different pics, gauges etc, and finally spent the $$ on Hoffmeyers, and they are just the most comfortable, and fall off the least for me. I went to order a spare set about 4 moths ago, but forgot to say I wanted standard, so I emailed Doug, and asked him to make sure it was the standard pic. He'd already mailed them, but emailed me back saying that he missed my email, so he was putting a set of standards in the mail to me - good Guy! So, my customs came first, and I like them better. I also found, after trying about 15 different varieties, that the small Golden Gate thumb pics give me the fit I want as well - I guess I have expensive taste haha!

[Brian Gattis]

Brian,I appreciate your offer of sending me a set of picks but I'm gonna have to decline because I have very dry skin and every pick except Dunlop slice into my cubicles,The band's on Dunlop are tapered so that my fingers fall into a place that doesn't cut into the sides of my fingers,I have one set that I've been using for years and a few backup sets around my place.Thanks for your kind offer.

Stu,
No worries man. No sense in changing what has worked for you for years

All the best,
Brian Gattis

[David Donn]

I like Hoffmeyers - Custom preferred as the wider band offers a bit more stability but Standard is also good.

I like them because the band is right, the thickness is right and the finish is great - very well polished!

[Craig Bailey]

Where do you get the Hoffmyer picks from?

[Charley Bond]

I bought some Pro-Piks a long time ago & I've never looked back. They are great.

I have some nickel-silver & some brass ones too...

I like the Vintage style...

[Jerry Overstreet]

Where do you get the Hoffmyer picks from?

https://hoffmeyerpicks.com/HoffmeyerPic ... Picks.html

[David Peirce]

FWIW - Just got a pair of Hoffmeyers - I've been alternating between a set of Showcase 1941"s and a set of Jeffran Diamonds and I find that, out of the box (actually, out of the ziploc bag), these Hoffmeyers fit perfectly, don't abrade my cuticles, and are shaped and curved to just what I need for a proper attack on the strings. I needed to shrinkwrap both the 1941's and the Jeffran picks in order to make them comfortable enough - not so with the Hoffmeyers. That said, no appreciable difference in tone between the three brands. YMMV.

[Jamie Mitchell]

In the bluegrass world most acoustic lead players are using the Bluechip picks, and most of the mandolin players as well. $35 each.
If you play real hard they wear down in about a year. Compared to a Fender extra heavy which may last a set.
I think its worth it if you get your sound and feel right.
John

I have three of 'em. I picked the first one up because it was the closest thing I had heard to shell. essentially the only pick i use onstage, for electric or acoustic. the first one I used for two-ish years. got a back up.

then I switched to a tear-drop shape one about three years ago.

hundreds of gigs on all of them, essentially no wear. it's pretty wild!