Bill Sinclair wrote:Hi Ron,
Is the top picture in your post the "Classic" blade shape and the 2nd picture with the more spoon shaped blade the "Landis" blade shape? I get the impression from a previous thread that steel players tend to prefer the classic shape after trying both. Has that been your experience thus far? Can I shape them myself with some non-serrated pliers like I do my Dunlop 025's or should I leave that to you? I could send you a picture of a pair of the Dunlops on my fingers if that is any help. My birthday is coming up.
Yes, I like the classic shape more for steel guitar and banjo. The paddle shape is really more suited for Dobro and underarm guitar, although some people prefer it for steel as well.
Those blades look clumsy and not as sexy (for lack of a better term) as the classic shape, but the way they work is that if your hand is not perpendicular to the strings, that paddle shape will still have a tighter radius coming off the string than the wide part of a standard shape. They work the same way that angled blades do, except they work for any angle of attack.
Yes. photos help. If your regular picks overlap a bit, that will give me a good idea how much to cut off the ends. These bands are thicker than standard and work best when they make full contact all the way around to allow the teeth to grap your finger. No need for sizing if you have a gap between the ends of your regular bands. I've found them all to have bands 2" in length, same as mine.
Thanks for your interest!
