The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey!
I'm moving along with the beginning phase of the wonderful world of Lap Steel. I'm hoping I can get some good recommendations re a comfortable, usable thumb pick. I started out with a heavy large golden gate which felt really clunky. I've been trying a Propik, which is REALLY comfortable...and I like the gauge of the pick, but I occasionally get the steel back band caught on a string if I dip a little low. So...
What would have the comfort and lighter gauge of the Propik with a better back-wrap system? Thanks!

---Jim

I like National thumbpicks and Zookies (by Jim Dunlop).

I love these!!! Be careful not to lose it though

http://www.jdmc.com/product/BCT-1L.html

gary

Thanks!...
Anyone else have a thought?

I like Fred Kelly Slick Picks - they are much smaller, don't protrude so far from the thumb, makes you feel more "connected" to the strings...

I really like Golden Gate thumb picks. I am using a Blue Chip for dobro an Weissenborn these days, but the GG's are really good and much much cheaper. Available from Elderly and lots of other places.

I do believe 'the best pick'is merely a matter of personal preference.

I've stumbled around for years with clear Dunlops, Fender and misc. others of varying weights and flexibility.........

SGForumite Dave Kolars steered me to the Golden Gate thumb picks that he found to be really great and allowed me to try it out. It was a perfect fit with a great feel when I first slipped it on but try as I may, he refused to loan, rent, lease, sell or gift me with it.

I had to search all over the country to find a source and finally got a mail order shoppe up in Toledo, WA, to send me a dozen.

I selected the medium weight,CLOWN BARF, multi-colored, pinkish pick. It's a great thumb pick.
You might care to give them a try.

Roman Sonnleitner wrote:I like Fred Kelly Slick Picks - they are much smaller, don't protrude so far from the thumb, makes you feel more "connected" to the strings...

+1

Herco blue.

I just recently switched to Fred Kelly speed picks. I really like them alot.

James I just re-read your first post. Somehow I missed the fact that you had already tried the Golden Gate and found that it did not suit you. Sorry about that.

For pedal steel I used to really like Dunlop mediums, and have only recently switched over to Golden Gates. The Dunlops are a little more compact and usually easy to find - you might like them. For some reason I liked the calico Dunlops the best.

Hercos are great too and I found them comfortable - for some reason though they just did not stay put on my thumb as well.

Another +1 for the Fred Kelly slick pick. I wont use anything else.

I've been using the Fred Kelly slick picks and I also like the all-metal Propick (medium).

Bob Blair wrote:I really like Golden Gate thumb picks.

I bought some huge ones a few years ago and cut them down to the size I wanted with a pair of diagonal cutters and sandpaper. When I looked for more all I could find were small ones which were too small for me. I'll have to see what Elderly has.

Meanwhile I have been using the National thumbpicks, starting out with the white ones until I discovered the tortoise shell ones which work much better for me- IMO it is a softer and more resilient plastic. You can get a bag of 12 for about $10 from MF or GC.

Steve Ahola

P.S. Elderly sells 3 different sizes- which do you use? (I think it was the extra-large extra-heavy ones I had before.)

I love my cheap and cheerful Dunlop medium thumb picks. I like a pick with a short tongue (Is that what it's called?) and like to have my thumb very close to the strings.

As for a $40 pick all I can say is, "Yikes!"

My current favs are the "clown barf" colored thumbpicks that Ray M told us about.

I agree with Roman, I've gathered about 50 different thumbs picks over the past 40 years and the Slick Pic is my favorite. I use the yellow ones.

I like the material that the Golden Gates are made of, but they don't fit me well (even with steaming and reshaping them). So, I stick with large white or tortoise Dunlops or white Nationals. My favorites were the black Gibson thumbpicks, but they aren't made any more, although Janet Davis Music is reproducing them now.

Here's a page with lots of selections (no affiliation, just linking):
http://www.jdmc.com/category/accessorie ... r-thm.html

If a plastic pick is tight enough so it doesn't slip, the end of my thumb gets blue and goes numb. I don't like the sound of a metal thumbpick so the answer was the ProPik. The metal can be bent for an exact comfortable fit and the blade is plastic for the sound I like. I use the same pick for steel, dobro and banjo.

Ok...
First off, thanks for all the GREAT suggestions! There's a great little mom & pop store just south of Minneapolis called Homestead Pickin' Parlor. They carry a HUGE variety of thumb picks. I picked up a medium(orange) Slick Pick, a large white National and a large ivoroid Golden Gate. I really like them all! The slick pick is tiny and only fits on the very end of my thumb. The National and Golden Gate are very comfortable and fit my thumb very well. Turns out the first Golden Gate I tried was a "heavy". I'm leaning toward the National though because the plectrum portion of the pick is shorter...helping to create a better sense of connectedness with the strings... much like the slick pick. If the slick pick came in a larger size..it would probably be my fave!
Thanks a lot to all who have posted! Have a great weekend!

James Detloff wrote:(snip)
I'm leaning toward the National though because the plectrum portion of the pick is shorter...helping to create a better sense of connectedness with the strings... much like the slick pick.

It's quite common to file on the pick part... in fact, melt, bend, mutilate however you like, to get the feel you like.

Stephen Cowell wrote:

James Detloff wrote:(snip)
I'm leaning toward the National though because the plectrum portion of the pick is shorter...helping to create a better sense of connectedness with the strings... much like the slick pick.

It's quite common to file on the pick part... in fact, melt, bend, mutilate however you like, to get the feel you like.

Sure...
I might try that at some point. But since the Nationals work well...why bother filing the Golden Gates?

I saw that some folks complained of picks being too tight. I am a longtime fingerpicker on guitar and love Fred Kelly's products. What you may not know is that they come in large sizes. This makes a huge difference in your comfort level(and ability to play!) Elderly.com usually has a great selection. I use the speed pick on guitar and slick pick on steel.

I'm another happy user of speed picks. I'm sure they're not for everyone, but I find them very comfortable and accurate.

I can't use anything but a John Pearse thumbpick--just right in every way. All the others seem way too big for me.

FWIW, I think Cindy Cashdollar also uses these. But don't trust my memory on that.