What finger and thumb pics is everyone using?

[Lee Baucum]

Vintage National Fingerpicks

Fred Kelley White Delrin Slick Pick Thumbpicks
I do also like the White Delrin Fred Kelley Speedpicks.

Fred Kelley makes colorful Slick Pick Thumbpicks made of a polycarbonate material. These thumbpicks produce a little brighter tone; however, once you start noticing stress lines in the area that wraps around the thumb, throw it away. It will be breaking soon. Buy a bag full of them.

[Tim Rose]

No one has mentioned black mountain. Game changer for me. (thumb pick tele too) Had the same 3 for 3 years now and still going -- the hecos didnt last 2 weeks with me.

[Jon Irsik]

Herco thumb pick, but I have used the white Fred Kelly slick pick which I use on guitar. National fingerpicks but I just ordered some PF signature picks. Of course I'm expecting miraculous advancement in my playing.

[Mike Vallandigham]

Jeffran picks and Blue Herco thumb pick. Never changed really.

[Phillip Leggett]

Thanks so much for your reply’s everyone its much appreciated!

Especially Dave for the extra info, what a legend!

[Larry Dering]

I have some Black Mountain thumbpicks and they were OK for Travis style guitar playing but not for pedal steel. Everyone has to find what suits them.

[George Seymour]

Outside of the box..Hoffmeyers and BlueChip JD Crowe blade thumb pick..
Interchange easily when gigs require switching between steel and banjo..

[Jimmy Moreland]

Everyone will make fun of me, but I use these "open" fingerpicks. The open shape lets me feel the strings, while still getting a proper pick sound. They're stainless steel, so they stay put exactly how I shape them - no more slipping off. I got addicted to these when I picked up banjo, and the transition to steel was pretty straightforward.

For thumbpicks, everyone will again make fun of me, but I use these cheap Hercos. However, I modify them - I play guitar/mandolin with a standard guitar pick, but I play with the blunt end a la SRV, Ricky Skaggs, etc. I file down my thumbpicks to have the same profile as the blunt end of a guitar pick.

I've tried a half dozen other thumbpicks, and my biggest complaint is that I guess I'm setting my thumb too deep in the strings when blocking, and the loop will often snag the string below the one my thumb is resting on. That doesn't happen with the shape of these cheap Hercos. I'm sure I could fix my technique, but at this point I'mma keep on with my silly combo.

[Tony Edwards]

I prefer (and highly recommend) the Bumblebee Thumb Pick and Hoffmeyer finger picks. A little bit higher priced, but a whole lot of quality! As the old but true saying goes, “ you get what you pay for.”
Hoffmeyer picks fit my fingers the first time I put them on.

[Jerry Van Hoose]

I’ve been using Jeff Newman’s, JF finger picks since 1994 and Golden Gate thumb picks for several years. Most recently, good friend and 5 time national champion banjo player, Gary “Biscuit” Davis (Herby Wallace’s son-in-law), gave me a new “Blue Chip” thumb pick to try however, I’ve become too accustomed to the Golden Gates. Those Blue Chip’s are about $40 each, going to return it with my thanks.

[Richard Sinkler]

I have some Black Mountain thumbpicks and they were OK for Travis style guitar playing but not for pedal steel. Everyone has to find what suits them.

I tried them for steel and dobro and couldn't throw them away fast enough. Way too bulky and would start to turn around my thumb.

[Larry Dering]

Richard, mine were a gift that I didn't ask for. Family gets the idea that we would like something and buys it. Same with the Landis silver fingerpicks. I tried them and while I can play with them on the feel is all wrong and tone was nothing special. These gifts stay in a sealed package waiting for the next generation to discover the tools we once used. Lol.

[Jerry Overstreet]

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Guess I'll show mine too. I have used for over 30 yrs. and still have a few sets of JF's finger picks, but for the last few years I'm using some no name picks that came in a gear bundle. Have no idea the composition, but they are thick, probably .025, same a JF's etc.

These are very comfortable and the rings bend to size without crimping at the holes like some do. I have figured out that leaving the blade a little straighter, without so much curve, helps my execution.

For thumbpicks, for several years I've been using Dunlop Ultex Large that I modify by trimming down the blade width and working it to make the blade longer. I find with my JN right hand technique, the longer blade works better for me. These are also tougher than most and last a lot longer.

This set is the one in the first pic.
Posted a better pic of the no name finger picks. Like to find a couple more sets if anyone knows the maker. The smears you see there are from rosin that keeps them tight on my fingers.

The second set shows an original Ultex before shaping and a National thumb that I have shaped to have similar blades as the modded Ultex...also have a couple others the same.

[Ricky Davis]

Pre-War National Finger pics and white Dunlop Thumb pic.
Ricky

[Thornton Lewis]

Fred Kelly speed pick for thumb. Just switched to Paul Franklin signature finger picks because I wanted the flat blade/ no hole thing and am very happy with them. Even I can spring for some fancy fingerpicks. I mean I change my strings and they didn't cost much more than that. My last set of nationals lasted seven years and were going strong. Picks and bars are picks and shovels in the steel guitar mine. It's worth experimenting with a few because you're going to be spending a lot of time with them.

[Cappone dAngelo]

For context, I've only been playing a couple of years ...

I use Dunlop fingerpicks with heatshrink on the parts that grip around the finger - I have very sweaty hands and the heatshrink helps them stay on securely without being too tight. Thanks to whoever suggested that in another thread here!

I tried several different thumb picks, and found most of them very uncomfortable, even painful - perhaps because I have wide and flat thumbs? The blue Herco was the best, until I tried the Black Mountain (which I acquired after my banjo player recommended it for other purposes ...) and when I tried it on PSG I really liked it - it stays in place well and is very comfortable. It's unconventional, but it's working for me so I'll stick with it unless I find something better.

Beyond PSG, the Black Mountain is the first pick I've found that can transition seamlessly between thumb picking and regular (between thumb and finger ...) picking - something I've wanted for decades, given the 'hybrid' technique I use on 6-string and other instruments - so it will get used even if I find something better specifically for PSG.

[Dale Rottacker]

I really like the Showcase 1941's, but recently I tried the new PF Nationals from D'Addario ... I'm liking them a lot and the thing I like most is the "NO HOLE" blade. I think I tend to go too deep and if there's a hole there, I'll tend to occastionally catch the edge of that hole on the string and I don't like that.

For thumb picks, I once liked the Blue Herco's but think they're just loose WAY too fast. I'm sure it would be too expensive to manufacture, but if the blade was the way it is and the thumb hole made of stiffer "hold their shape" materiel they might be perfect. So, most of the time I use a regular White or Green Fred Kelly thumb pick. NOT the speed picks though, mainly because of how deep I go and I kept catching the two outside fingers on the strings as well as the center blade.

[D Schubert]

National calico thumbpicks, dunlop brass 0.25" fingerpicks. For everything, not just pedal steel.

[Bobby D. Jones]

The type of pick used is important, Proper fitting is more important.
Especially if you have damaged your index or middle finger.
The holes in the pick wrappers, Weaken the wrapper. And when the pick is bent the hole acts like a hinge, Making sharp bends and forming sort of a hex.
If the bend on 1 pick catches on a bend of the other pick, One is going BY BY.
These pick was give to me by a friend, They flew off real often.

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These picks, I hammer formed around the shank of a drill bit to a smooth oval, The picks pass each other without catching on each other.

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On the inside flat of each thumb pick pictured is a small piece of 3M Stair Safety strip. The thumb picks are not tight, The thumb picks do not move.
(PS Rub safety strip on stone or brick to remove long sharpies, Before placing in pick.)

[Sam Inglis]

I'm curious to know whether anyone cuts down their thumbpicks to make them shorter. This is definitely a thing that some acoustic guitarists do. I prefer the Fred Kelly Bumblebee picks on acoustic partly because they don't stick out too far. I find most others are too long. The ideal thumbpick for acoustic guitar would only extend a couple of millimetres past the thumb itself. But is that also true on pedal steel? I haven't done enough experimenting yet.

[Bobby D. Jones]

A thumb pick is a very personal piece of equipment. Some people say use a short thumb pick. I hear that for years. I noticed on videos of Mr. Green, His white thumb pick looks like a cement trowel, Instead of a guitar pick. I buy my thumb picks from local music stores, So I can check the fit of the thumb pick.
I bought 2 or 3 large long thumb picks. Figured I could always shorten them. Wrong. Something about the arc of travel of my thumb, The long picks make good contact with strings. That was one problem with short picks on fast tunes I would miss hitting string with thumb pick. With long thumb pick, No more problem.

[James Wishart]

I only use a thumb pick. All I know about it is that it is blue. No picks on the other fingers.
I mean, hey, Jeff beck did not use a pick. His sound and approach were amazing.

[David Wisson]

Hi All I use a Dunlop XL Thumb pick and Dunlop Gold finger picks. 13 & 15 Thou Dave

[Avery Bradshaw]

I was gifted a set of JF fingerpicks several years ago and wore them out so I set out to find a decent replacement that I could live with. I settled on Hoffmeyer finger picks because they are the most comfortable. I have always used the blue herco thumb picks. I’m considering finding a new thumb pick because the hercos change shape after they heat up on my fingers.

[Colton Stokley]

I switched to the brass Acri finger picks awhile back and im really happy with them.