Thump pick use on regular guitar?
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- Joachim Kettner
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- Location: Germany
Thump pick use on regular guitar?
A few weeks ago I played with a plectrum and what happend was, because of my rather long thumb nail was sticking out, it was cut at the sides. So everytime, like I used my right hand for something, it got stuck on the cracks.
To avoid this I put a small bandage on it, but then I couldn't use a pick because it slipped. So why not use a thump pick.
I've seen Johny Winter, Freddie King and Sue Foley use it and also Forum member Jerry Hayes going for it.
When playing solos is it advisable to grab the round of it that it don't come off?
Any advice is welcome.
To avoid this I put a small bandage on it, but then I couldn't use a pick because it slipped. So why not use a thump pick.
I've seen Johny Winter, Freddie King and Sue Foley use it and also Forum member Jerry Hayes going for it.
When playing solos is it advisable to grab the round of it that it don't come off?
Any advice is welcome.
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- Tom Jordan
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Joachim,
I like the Herco Heavy thumbpick. It allows for a decent mix of strumming or single note picking. Having said that, it's hard to beat a flat pick for "heavy" strumming, like the intro to Take it Easy.
Tom
I like the Herco Heavy thumbpick. It allows for a decent mix of strumming or single note picking. Having said that, it's hard to beat a flat pick for "heavy" strumming, like the intro to Take it Easy.
Tom
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- Joachim Kettner
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- Jack Stoner
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I mostly use a thumb pick. Same type that I use for steel. 60' I did some lead guitar and some "Chet" with a thumb pick.
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- Larry Dering
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Picks
I play double duty, steel and Tele.I use my steel picks to play Tele, dobro and Steel
I’m always polishing the pick guard. lol.
I’m always polishing the pick guard. lol.
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- Dave Mudgett
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Quite a lot of relevant discussions about thumb picks -
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=376626
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=355900
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=362141
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=371316
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=149841
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=376029
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=316077
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=374934
I mostly hybrid pick standard guitar - flat pick + fingers or finger picks. But I play steel and slide guitar with thumb pick + fingers or finger picks. So I've looked long and hard over the last 30 years to find a thumb pick that will double as a flat pick.
I wind up using my Fred Kelly Regulars for this sometimes. I also have been trying to get used to the Fred Kelly Bumblebees, and just the other day I got 3 of the Black Mountain flat-thumbpicks with jazz flatpick and extra-strong spring. All that discussed in the first two referenced threads. The latter two are both flat-thumbpicks in a similar vein to the Herco flat-thumbpicks, but have different ergonomics that I prefer.
I bought several of the Herco flat-thumbpicks 30 years ago. Way too loose for me, and I broke them rapidly at the intersection of the band and the flat pick. I also find the Herco blues way too loose for me. The blade on the blues feels good, and actually very good for flat picking when choked up with the index finger. But they just don't stay in place enough for me as a straight thumb pick. I know lots of players like these, so YMMV.
BTW - have you thought of trimming your thumb nail down shorter so it doesn't interfere with your flat picking? I definitely have to keep my thumb nail fairly short for flat picking. To me, nothing truly substitutes for a flat pick when what I want to do is rapid alternating flat picking.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=376626
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=355900
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=362141
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=371316
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=149841
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=376029
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=316077
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=374934
I mostly hybrid pick standard guitar - flat pick + fingers or finger picks. But I play steel and slide guitar with thumb pick + fingers or finger picks. So I've looked long and hard over the last 30 years to find a thumb pick that will double as a flat pick.
I wind up using my Fred Kelly Regulars for this sometimes. I also have been trying to get used to the Fred Kelly Bumblebees, and just the other day I got 3 of the Black Mountain flat-thumbpicks with jazz flatpick and extra-strong spring. All that discussed in the first two referenced threads. The latter two are both flat-thumbpicks in a similar vein to the Herco flat-thumbpicks, but have different ergonomics that I prefer.
I bought several of the Herco flat-thumbpicks 30 years ago. Way too loose for me, and I broke them rapidly at the intersection of the band and the flat pick. I also find the Herco blues way too loose for me. The blade on the blues feels good, and actually very good for flat picking when choked up with the index finger. But they just don't stay in place enough for me as a straight thumb pick. I know lots of players like these, so YMMV.
BTW - have you thought of trimming your thumb nail down shorter so it doesn't interfere with your flat picking? I definitely have to keep my thumb nail fairly short for flat picking. To me, nothing truly substitutes for a flat pick when what I want to do is rapid alternating flat picking.
- Fred Treece
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- Location: California, USA
Re: Thump pick use on regular guitar?
Yes, hold it like you would a flat pick. It takes a lot of practice and patience to get the tone and attack right for alternate picking.Joachim Kettner wrote:When playing solos is it advisable to grab the round of it that it don't come off? .
Those Herco’s never worked for me either.
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I've been trying to train myself to use a thumbpick on guitar...I've used one on steel
for 40+years...
I've gotten to the point where I can play some stuff that I can't play with a flat pick,
but the rhythmic stuff?Ya can't exactly turn way down and strum"cowboy chords"
with a thumb pick, can ya?
SH
for 40+years...
I've gotten to the point where I can play some stuff that I can't play with a flat pick,
but the rhythmic stuff?Ya can't exactly turn way down and strum"cowboy chords"
with a thumb pick, can ya?
SH
- Fred Treece
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No. If my job was to strum cowboy chords I would never have bothered with a thumb pick. But the value of Fred Kelly Bumblebees and Black Mountain picks is that they actually can do a very believable strum, along with functioning as a trad thumb pick and single-note flat pick. I guess that’s part of why they cost $3-5 each.Steve Hinson wrote:I've been trying to train myself to use a thumbpick on guitar...I've used one on steel
for 40+years...
I've gotten to the point where I can play some stuff that I can't play with a flat pick,
but the rhythmic stuff?Ya can't exactly turn way down and strum"cowboy chords"
with a thumb pick, can ya?
SH
- Robert B Murphy
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- Location: Mountain View, Arkansas, USA
3 to 5$ for a thumbpick? I go through them like Pez. That is until I started using Dunlop tortex. I always used their flatpicks except when I was a kid and epoxied two fender heavies together to kill the flop. I often get cuts in my hands and have the cuticle pull away from the nail from hard use. I use SRV's trick of using superglue and put it on thick. I play an L7 and a D18 and the action on both is stiff. If I get a cut on the inside of the knuckle it sort of restricts me to Mickey Baker style chords and no barre chords. Superglue really helped solve that problem.
Bob, small o.
- Doug Taylor
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- Fred Treece
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Doug, the bumblebee picks are available in 3 gauges, T-M-H. The heavy is pretty stiff, not sure of the exact gauge.
Robert, yes $3 per pick is a lot. It sure makes you keep track of that little bugger! Filing and reshaping can make them last a little longer. I get about 3 weeks out of the Mediums, maybe 4 out of the Heavies. So, $40-$50 a year in thumb picks. Half a gig worth on a bad night.
Robert, yes $3 per pick is a lot. It sure makes you keep track of that little bugger! Filing and reshaping can make them last a little longer. I get about 3 weeks out of the Mediums, maybe 4 out of the Heavies. So, $40-$50 a year in thumb picks. Half a gig worth on a bad night.
- Doug Taylor
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- Dave Mudgett
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Technically, the Bumblebees actually come in 4 thicknesses - Light, Medium, Heavy, and Extra Heavy. I've not seen the Extra Heavies for sale except on the FK website - https://fredkellypicks.com/product-category/bumble-bee/. But I got some Heavy Teardrop versions a while back, and they're a lot better than what I had, which I believe were medium, which I also find too floppy. I got the mediums at the FK table at NAMM a bunch of years ago and that's what they recommended. Anyway, the Heavies are labeled 1.04mm, which is heavy enough for me, even for jazz guitar.
I have found Fred Kelly thumb picks, except the speed picks with the tiny nubs and I only use for banjo, last virtually forever, or at least until I lose one. And I'm pretty obsessive about keeping my picks in a medicine bottle until I use them, and then putting them back - I very rarely lose one. I've given away a lot more to friends who wanted to try them than I've lost.
Yes, the typical street price for Bumblebees is 3 for $12.00, or $4/pick. I've found them occasionally cheaper, but not less than $3/pick. But the FK Regular and Slick picks are in line with the blue Hercos or pretty much anything else, at around $1/pick, with occasional sales for less than that.
I have found Fred Kelly thumb picks, except the speed picks with the tiny nubs and I only use for banjo, last virtually forever, or at least until I lose one. And I'm pretty obsessive about keeping my picks in a medicine bottle until I use them, and then putting them back - I very rarely lose one. I've given away a lot more to friends who wanted to try them than I've lost.
Yes, the typical street price for Bumblebees is 3 for $12.00, or $4/pick. I've found them occasionally cheaper, but not less than $3/pick. But the FK Regular and Slick picks are in line with the blue Hercos or pretty much anything else, at around $1/pick, with occasional sales for less than that.
- Doug Taylor
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