installing finger picks

[Ernest Cawby]

After you shape your picks to your fingers, stick your finger in mouth wet them, after it dries you have to pull them off, I do thumb and fingers, my first finger is swollen and wetting them is a must, the opick will not go futher than the end of my nail.

ernie

[George Crowder]

Mark, you can put some adhesive tape on the inside of the finger wrap of the pick. That will ease the discomfort of the pick on the finger. Doug Rolfe sells picks with some plastic on the wraps and I'm sure that works well also.

[Bill Rowlett]

Some of the thicker finger picks like the Jeffran nickel silver ones are hard to shape to your fingers even with pliers. I use the following method to make these picks fit comfortably:

You need a 3/8" socket set and a medium hose clamp.

Start with a socket that has an outside diameter the same as your finger. A deep socket works best, but a regular one will work. Attach the socket to a small extension bar for a handle. Slide the pick on the socket and place the hose clamp over the pick.

Use the ratchet and another socket the correct size for the hose clamp screw to tighten the hose clamp until it compresses the pick tightly against the socket wall.

This produces perfectly round picks that don't hurt your fingers as much.

Bill

[Jan Viljoen]

I took notice of John Billings and copied him with the 'double' finger pick used as a plectrum.
It took a little while to get used to, but in spite of my hurting ankle injury I managed after a while.
It helps with some single string runs, which I play on mandolin as well:-)

The copper one gives a different sound and the National one has one flat side and a rounded side for a different attack.

Here some pics I took, sorry for the quality.

[Michael Robertson]

For what it's worth here is what I use.