Fingerpicks, post 'search' function Qs

Greg Pettit · From: Ontario, Canada

So,

In accordance with the edict, "thou shalt not ignore the search function," I've spent the past 1hr+ reading various threads related to fingerpicks, and I still have a few small questions-- some of which are probably rhetorical questions and are therefore really more like comments.

Dunlop Style Picks: these are what I'm using, and I'm instantly comfortable and happy with the "feeling" I get. Well, OK, not "instantly", but after several hours mucking around I can see how I'll adjust to them quite easily and quickly.

But they're sure uncomfortable. Those "grip" circles are digging in, and as per some of the posts I read after my "search", it seems that cuticle cuts (ouchie!) like the few I've sustained are common and considered 'part and parcel' of the experience. A trade-off for relatively good touch sensitivity.

Even worse, for the pick to fit on my forefinger, which is strangely 'delicate' compared to my other fingers, the bend-around tabs have to overlap. Not a comfy situation because with the "lift" of one over the other, the area with the "grip" circle is doing even MORE duty than on the middle finger.

How can it be that nobody has come up with a more comfortable and effecient alternative to this style of fingerpick (whether it's an actual "Dunlop" brand or not)? The Red Raja picks that I've seen mentioned are allegedly a bit of a step up in terms of 'non-slipperiness', but they dont' appear to be all that cuticle- or pain- saving.

A few recommendations I've seen that I'm not sure about:

- Spit, rosin, Gorilla snot: don't address 'pain' issues
- Shrink Tubing: opposite; addresses 'pain' but I'm not sure that the smooth plastic will keep its grip under sweaty conditions
- Bandaid adhesive (cut away the gauze part) seems like a good all-arounder, but man, that's a lot of Bandaids to go through for home practice.
- Eyeglasses nose cushions from Walgreen's: I just can't picture how this would work, so if anyone has a photo I'd sure appreciate it. I know what the pads are, but how can they stay attached to the fingerpicks, and aren't they usually a pretty hard little oval of silicone/plastic?

I ramble. My main point:

Why aren't there more comfy fingerpicks out there? Maybe there just aren't enough steel players for any companies to make the investment in research and production.

Greg

Ron Bednar · From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA

Greg,
There's a gazillion finger picks out there...it's like the better mouse trap thing. The long and short of it is go for the sound and then deal with the comfort. For me, I've found that the Dunlops are what I really like for the sound but ProPiks for comfort. Sound,comfort,sound,comfort...I went with sound. So here's what you do, get yourself a pair of those little round needle nose jewler's pilers at your local hobby store or the internet. Take the time to adjust the picks to your fingers...none of them fit everyone right out of the box. Try to take the time to make them fit you. If you find that to hard to do, take the whole lot to a local jewler and have them fit them for you...it works. I'm happy with the Dunlops after fitting them myself. Hope that helps.

Cheers, Ron

Greg Pettit · From: Ontario, Canada

Thanks for the speedy reply, Ron. I've been working at them with some small needlenose pliers right from the get-go, and the fit certainly becomes better than 'out of the box', which is an impossible fit as you know. However, the pliers I'm using aren't likely the same as the "round" ones you refer to.

Great tip about the jeweler, and it makes sense. As it happens, my girlfriend's sister and her boyfriend (the sister's, that is!

) work at a jewelry retailer. They may have a jeweler at the store that could have a look for me.

Back to the regular pliers: I can't seem to get a proper shape on the fingerpicks. I need them to be a bit irregularly-shaped, but I can't seem to accomplish the feat. One of the obstacles is the forefinger pick, which needs the "wraparound" parts to overlap; the side-effect being that it no longer fits smoothly against the finger.

I'm also slowly destroying the elegant and comfortable curve on those "wraparound" bits, while at the same time leaving slight marks from the needlenose's gripping-surface ridges, which I'm beginning to suspect will cause "saw-like" damage to my fingers over time.

Another question I totally forgot to ask that was a major one:

I got a set of thin Dunlops (0.015) and a set of heavy ones (0.025) to test the difference in feel and tone, and I prefer the thin ones so far. However, during my forum search, a lot of people indicated that it was best to stick with the heavier ones. At first I thought it was because of their relative flexibility... as with guitar picks, a too-thin one doesn't give you the right attack and speed. However, in the case of the fingerpicks, I found that the 0.015 was sufficiently "rigid" that it didn't flex during playing at all, and therefore retained the same sound and feel. The advantage of the thicker ones was that the smooth "wraparound" band somehow felt more comfortable.

--

As for variety, I'm surprised there are so many! In addition to the Pro Picks you mentioned, are there other alternatives? At my local stores in Ottawa, there isn't really any selection to speak of. Plastic ones (which I've tried), metal Dunlops, and those under-the-fingernail ones.

Thanks again!
Greg

[This message was edited by Greg Pettit on 10 May 2006 at 09:43 PM.]

Howard Tate · From: Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.

I don't know if this will help, but since I've started licking my fingers I don't have to keep the picks as tight. I try to do it when no ones looking tho. Also, the bottom part of the wrap around that goes over the nail, I bent away from my finger slightly. That helped me. Good luck.

------------------
Howard

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

Seek and ye shall find.
I find the .0225 Dunlops have the best feel for me, and are not so stiff. Makes fitting easier.
I recommend round nose pliers, small, smooth. They are used to bend wire with. Fishing tackle shops or catalogs, Electronics catalogs.

Elmers Glue Stick. School supplies. A little dab for each finger. Too much and you will have that junk on your strings. This way the picks don't have to be as tight.

Often I use those little alcohol pads to clean my finger tips and get the grease off my bar.

Kyser pics are mighty fine.
ProPiks have huge selection. See Elderley Instruments.com

Good luck.
Ron

------------------
Ron
MSA M3 SU12, Standel. Stringmaster T8, Fender Custom T8, Fender Dual Pro

Greg Pettit · From: Ontario, Canada

Thanks for the replies, particularly since I'm sure it's a very "tired" topic!

Thanks also for the tips, and for the link to Elderly. Elderly has the most comprehensive listing that I've seen on the net, though it would've been handier for viewing by "type", it's still easy to look around.

Can't believe the price of some of these! The Cobalt ones... Man, I can't imagine ordering them sight unseen and then not liking them. The mind boggles.

I don't generally like ordering from the states, but I'm thinking that a couple different picks wouldn't hurt... best to find out as early as possible what works for me. It may very well end up being the Dunlops in the end, but it seems to me to be a wise investment in time and money to be a little more sure so that I'm not always wondering.

With any luck, one of the local stores will be able to order them in, which will likely save a bit of time and money. It just occurred to me that the Ottawa Folklore Centre (also a major music store, not just a learning centre) may carry some of these, so I'll get on the phone and shout them a holler tomorrow.

Thanks again for the replies and ideas.

Greg

Fred Kinbom · From: Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.

Hi Greg!

For comfort (and sound) I would recommend the "Showcase 1941" fingerpicks. I got some cobalt plated ones from Elderly, and I've used nothing else since. I believe they are a "re-issue" of the pre-war Dunlop or National picks. ProPiks are comfy too.

I am used to "buying the pig in the sack" (that's a Swedish expression

) when it comes to steel guitar - I've bought everything I own steel-wise from eBay, Elderly and other US-based sellers. Elderly only charges a $7 flat rate international shipping for small orders, so my tip is to buy a bunch of stuff in one go.

[This message was edited by Fred Kinbom on 11 May 2006 at 03:41 AM.]

David Doggett · Posted 11 May 2006 6:00 am

Greg, your list of solutions is a mix of things designed to keep the picks from slipping off (rosin, Gorilla Snot, etc.), and things designed for comfort (nose pads, etc.). I have a solution for both. First shape the picks as best you can with two needle nosed pliers. Don't worry about overlaps. Then put a couple of wraps of friction tape around the back where the prongs come together over the cuticles. This greatly improves comfort and keeps the picks on. Some of the black adhesive comes off on your fingers the first several times you wear the picks. If that bothers you, try regular white adhesive tape.

------------------
Student of the Steel: Zum uni, Fender tube amps, squareneck and roundneck resos, tenor sax, keyboards

Greg Pettit · From: Ontario, Canada

Fred:

The "pig in the sack," eh?

I guess I'll have to give'er a go, as some of those ProPiks look nice and aren't too expensive. Anything out of that price range and I'll think twice.

I stopped by the Folklore Centre, and they only had the Dunlops and the Alaska picks, which weren't to my liking. HOWEVER... they had the Dunlop "mini" pick, which might work out better for my forefinger at least. When the total was $9 CDN (3 Dunlop picks, plus 2 Golden Gate thumbpicks of different shapes) the clerk said, "Man, I'm glad I don't have to buy picks." I didn't have the heart to tell him that I've seen them go for $20 US.

David: thanks for the suggestion! I never thought of Friction tape, but it makes good sense. I'll give'er a go if "round 2" doesn't work out. Round 2 will consist of: shaping the fingerpicks, then trying the shrink-tubing. If it's too slippery (the main goal would be comfort, but if it's slippery that's not good either!) then I'll give the friction tape a try.

Greg

Bill Blacklock · From: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

HI greg,

I've found that a tapered marline spike is best for sizing finger picks. I work the pick up up the tapered shaft until its sized to fit me then tip the front in just a little for better saying power. The spike makes for a good fit.

Robert Murphy · From: West Virginia

I use Keyser picks because they are textured on the inside and do not have to fit so tight. Go to your local craft store and purchase a pair of round nosed pliers like the ones for making jewelery. The have two tapered cylinders for jaws and can smoothly bend and shape my .025 picks so they are comfortable. Take your time and get a good fit, flare the ends if need be . BoB

Craig Prior · From: National City, California, USA

Greg, I have good luck with Fingertones. They use a metal loop instead of a solid metal surface so that there is some skin-to-string contract. I feel you can be much more accurate with these pics, though your mileage may vary.

They're very thin and permit you to bend them to your fingers rather than forcing them on, thus avoiding the "cuticle cuts."

Available at Elderly and many other fine retailers.

Craig.

Travis Bernhardt · From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

RE heavier guage picks being better for some reason, I have no idea where that notion comes from although I seem to recall having read that opinion once or twice. Use what you like, what feels and sounds best. (Like, duh.

)

-Travis

P.S. As far as comfort goes, good luck to you. I've spent way too much time on it and still am not satisfied. Some day maybe I'll figure it out, but for now I just make do. If playing bare fingered worked for what and how I play much of the time, I'd do that.

[This message was edited by Travis Bernhardt on 11 May 2006 at 11:06 PM.]

Ron Bednar · From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA

Hey Good Buddy Bill,

What the hell is a tapered marline spike? Now, I know you are a sea faring man...so my guess is that it has something to do with "Way Hay Heave Ho", and I'd probably not find one in my local Big 5 Sporting goods store, am I right?

Cheers, ron

[This message was edited by Ron Bednar on 11 May 2006 at 11:14 PM.]

Greg Pettit · From: Ontario, Canada

Bill: I had the same question as Ron, so I did a bit of searching on the interwebs. Some sort of knot-untying device, is it? I wonder if Mountain Equipment Co-op would have such a thing....

I had to find it as a "Marlin Spike", though once I located the info, they noted that "Marline" is also widely used and acceptable.

Robert: I'll add those to my "sack of pork"

They're the cheapest kind available at elderly anyhow.

Craig: I always play fingerstyle on acoustic and electric (unskilful and "fake" fingerstyle, but there it is...) so I've been looking at those. However, my natural style doesn't include an extended "fingernail"-type extension. Were you a fingernail player before? Is there a strange effect of the string jumping from the fingertip to the metal and then sounding out? In any event, pig sack here we come. Elderly's gonna love me. Girlfriend's going to shake her head slowly and quizzically.

Travis: That was my thinking, too, but on other forums and even on this one, people seem right adamant about it! "Throw out that thin junk and get some 0.025s, you numpty!" seemed to be a common type of message. Weird.

Greg

Fred Kinbom · From: Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.

I'm happy that the "pig in the sack" expression turned out so popular.

Could someone possibly please show some pictures of the mentioned jeweller's pliers and the "tapered marline spike", so that I know what to look for?

Thanks!

[This message was edited by Fred Kinbom on 12 May 2006 at 01:52 AM.]

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

I have been using Dunlop .025 for 20+years, they have always been comfortable and stay on with a little saliva. I used the same pair for ten years then I noticed that I was getting pain around the cuticle area. It seems that the plating on the inside was wearing off and causing a reaction. I tried a new pair ....no problems.. so I tossed the old ones..

Rick Batey · Posted 12 May 2006 3:28 am

Fred, I'll try...

Jeweller's round-nose pliers. Mmm, must get me some of these...

And a Pocket knife with marlin spike. Careful, now!

Bill Blacklock · From: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Sorry Guy's,

I guess you kinda make due with what you have. A marline spike is a long tapered chunk of steel that comes to a point on one end and has a thick head on the other. There used by seaman to splice large ropes and wirers and I've seen them up to about 3 ft. long. They were once very popular with the crews on the lower decks for mutinies in days gone by, an angry seaman with a 3 ft spike is still very much a concern to this day!!

I think the needle nose pliers are a much better way to go, thank for the idea Ron. Im going to try and find a pair with a arounded nose about the same thickness as my fingers, that should roll the sides in just fine. Im due for new picks again

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic