The Steel Guitar Forum

I seem to be going thru a phase of not being comfortable with my fingerpicks - they're either too loose or too tight.When they're on good and tight and I really feel in control of my picking,I have to take them off and massage my fingertips every few songs to get the circulation and feeling back.When they're loose enough to not cut circulation,the simplist lick feels like I'm trying to pick up a dime with boxing gloves on.Same goes for thumbpicks - I use the same blue Herco thumbicks that a lot of guys use and lately I've been keeping 2 or 3 of them on my steel and switching between them a couple times a set because they get "sprung" after a while and a fresh one is tighter.I see Lloyd Green and others constantly futzing with their picks in between every lick so I guess I'm in good company.And although I've been playing steel over 30 years it just seems to be more of an problem for me lately.BTW,I've used National,Grover,Dunlop and Propick and when bent and manicured to my liking,they're all pretty much interchangable.I've used Gorilla Snot w/some success but besides being messy,it can liquify and become slippery - actually making the problem worse.Anybody else shed any light or have any advice on these issues? Superglue? Surgical implants?
-MJ-

Elmers Washable School Glue Stick(a little dab'l do it) Available anywhere school supplies are sold! www.genejones.com

My fingers get fat or thin, so I have always 2 sets of picks. Still sometimes I have to make them bigger or smaller.

I never heard of Gorilla Snot getting slippery. Saliva works OK too.

And after 30 years the picks still hurt sometimes.

Try takin' 'em off! (and leavin' 'em off, I mean.) Not for everyone, but it can be done.
Crank up the amp a bit perhaps & adjust for the tone you want.

You might try pro-picks which are supposed to be more comfortable.

I use red rajah picks because they don't slip off your fingers.

If my fingers are slippery and saliva doesn't work, I get a lemon or lime wedge from the bar and "wash" 'em up with that, it also helps to 'freshen up' the digits. Cortisone shots for the pain might help, I just tough it out. Of course there's always Demerol, Oxy, Percosets.........

You might try a pair of John Pearse picks. They're made like the old Steven's picks (which I've used for 30 years). They take a while to shape properly, and once they are, they're the most comfortable pick around (for me, anyway). They don't fit on the fingertip, but wrap around the knuckle, instead. As a result, they won't make your fingertips sore, and they can't "flip off", like most others do.

To Michael: Take off the fingerpicks and throw them away! The're just in the way of superfast playing! Trim your fingernails short; develop exercises for all five fingers (using a thumbpick) and go. I threw my fingerpicks away over 25 years ago and have never regreted that action. However, if you choose picks, cut a piece of carpet tape to size and stick it onto the inside of your loose picks. Playing with all 5 enables one to play big 5-note chords, close or spread + much increase in speed! I've had many eMails from all over telling me that they can't play with their fingernails----don't even attempt to play with the fingernails---they will break: pick with the sides of your fingertips. This is hard to do until you get your exercises down. www.steelguitarbyhughjeffreys.com Good luck, Hugh

Hello Michael
You may be experiencing something I have put up with. I have found that the more time I have my finger picks on the less problems I have. I believe this is because at least I think, it is like wearing a ring or something like it that the picks will create an imprint in your fingers such as where the little holes are and this will create a place where the picks can anchor to. When I played 3 or 4 nights a week I don’t remember having this problem but now I practice very little and I find this to be a problem as well and I have been playing for more years than I will admit. Like all guitar playing problems you will find many suggestions to your questions but don’t give up as someone will probable have an answer for you. That is what makes this forum so great for steel guitar. Some of it works and some probably won’t so don’t give up.
Good Luck

Del Mullen

The best advice I got was to use eyeglass nosepad cushions. Check out the following link:
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/004729.html

You have to change them frequently, but they're comfortable, and the picks stay in place. It's really helped my playing.

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Ken Drost

I have had the same problem with the Herco thumb picks - wished I didn't because they were comfortable. But no confidence in their ability to stay on, and that affects how you play. So I use Dunlop medium calicos, which fit real tight. Not always real comfortable, but they stay put and you can play with confidence. When it gets real cold here everything dries out, and I have more trouble keeping my fingerpicks on. To the point where the other day a couple of times when I lifted my finger off the string the pick stayed behind. So I tighten them up, and try to remember to use hand lotion regularly, because for me it's the dry skin that makes my picks slide around.

For the Herco nylon thumb picks, take your pocket knife and make some cuts on the inside flat of the pick. That will give you enough roughness to keep it on.

Catchers aren't the only ones to wear the tools of ignorance!

Michael,I have kept a cube of fiddle rosin on my guitar at all times.I moisen my thumb and finger tips,then rub them across the rosin,they wont move for hours,hope this might help you, Fred Justice

Michael, all the above are ways to solve your problem which I have had for years...I would like to suggest use of a salve that is sticky its called Pro-Grip and available in any bowling alley and a 1oz container will last for years...or perhaps RedMan Chewin terbacky, simply dig in using the proper fingers...good luck...

Hi Mike, How are ya? Try just washing your picks with warm water, dish soap and an old tooth brush. You'll be surprised at how much better they feel when you clean them.
When my stuff was stolen this past November I lost my picks with my pac-a-seat and ended up buying new ones and some other stuff at the store that found my steel for me. I thought it was the least I could do. What I bought was some picks I've never tried before and I like them. The thumb picks are curved just before the tip to face the strings flat across instead of at an angle. They come angled at 3 different degrees to choose from and I love them. They're called Zookies. The finger picks are Kyser USA and they have little tiny barbs on the inside that grip your skin and I love them too! The store I got them from caters to bluegrass music so these might be something that flat pickers use or banjo or mandolin players. Check them out. Don<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Don McClellan on 24 February 2003 at 04:34 PM.]</p></FONT>

I sqeeze the picks real tight. When I started to play I would walk around the house with the fingerpicks on. It hurt but I got used to it pretty soon, now I don't feel a thing. Always used Dunlops.

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Steelin' Greetings
Marco Schouten
Sho-Bud Pro III Custom; Sho-Bud LLG; John Pearse bar; Emmons bar; Panther amp

Gene Jones is right, Elmers Washable School Glue Stick solved my problem with loose finger picks. Jud

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Carter D10
Fender 400
Goodrich L-120
DigiTech RP-100

Kyser> Old Style.

Anyone know where to find those new picks with the longer slots under the fingertips? I have some Dunlops with the little hole, but really want to feel the strings more, when not playing with naked fingers.
Dr Hugh's style is cool, I sometimes use something like that 3-4 fingers, especialy when I play bass and lapsteel on the same song... gotta work on that 5th finger.

I'm going to have to go "Pic shopping"--the pics I picked out don't agree with me at all.

I felt A LOT more comfortable playing with my fingers than with the pics.--although, I'm not as comfortable today with my fingers!

I guess I just liked actually feeling the strings--felt a little more comfortable that way.

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brand new.

I think David Donald might be making reference to the Fingertone fingerpicks from ProPik, with the cutout that leaves the pad of your finger exposed. I usually play with no picks but found these to be the only ones that I can somewhat get used to. They fit different than regular picks because they actually only extend beyond your finger about the same amount that a well manicured set of your own nails would. Because they rest against your nail and around the pad of your finger, they don't demand the tension of the other style of picks. Another nice thing about them is that your fingers aren't as detached from the strings during the attack. They have some nice thumbpicks as well, that don't get that feeling that they are squishing your thumb, or loosening up after they warm up.
Here's their website info: http://www.guptillmusic.com/propik/fingertone.html <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Michael Brebes on 25 February 2003 at 08:15 AM.]</p></FONT>

Michael Thanks for the link!!
Yes these look like just what I want.
Should be better for string blocking too. I always feel a bit out of touch with an instrument when using regular finger picks. These might be just right and still usable on electric bass. No good on the upright bass though.
In my New Wave rock days I did a lot of trio work and used a second amp, a Lab L5, as a distorted lead amp on my bass. I used LeeNails to make a false finger tip pick I would put on my first finger and grab below with my second. I could play regular bass lines and instantly hit the compressor pedal and play a guitar sounding hook with the pickfinger and go back to the bass line. Still had the bass sound, but a bit trebaly AND it had a guitar sound line on top. Then the guitarist could do a 1 or 2 note harmony line on top of that. Worked well. Crazy some said, but worked for me.

Hi Just ordered a half dozen fingers and the metal\plastic thumbpick too. Merci Mike B.
The split grip vintage picks look like a possible solution for Mike J.'s issues also. Check the site.

I had these troubles until I discoverd Jeff Newman's fingerpicks. Is there really a better fingerpick? These things are easy to tweak and stay on just fine with the help of a little spit. Sometimes when my the picks feel too tight, just a tiny tug to open them up a bit works fine. If my fingers are in a skinny mood then I just clamp down about a millimeter or two. I couldn't be happier with these picks. And I dont have to keep pushing them on as often as Lloyd seems to with his. I think the real key is to spend a lot of time with a needlenose pliers and get them just right. The tiniest change can make all the difference.

For thumbpicks I've really grown to love the John Pearse ones.

Brad Sarno
Pedal Steel Owner
St. Louis, MO