The Steel Guitar Forum

Had JF picks and had to really adjust for tight fit to keep them from slipping.Never had good results and adjusted so much they cracked in the first holes from flexing so much.Asked on the forum where to get some more
of the JF picks and a friend from Virginia mailed me some he had used.When I looked at them after he sent them to me I thought they were ruined.He had ground the chrome off where they make contact on the inside with the fingers.Put some shrink tubing 1/4" on,put in pan of hot boilng water and now they do not move and and I don't have to adjust very tight at all.Don't put anything on them. Thanks to my friend in Virginia who sent them to me.Helped my playing a lot and I'm not telling I forgot his name.You know what I mean.Inever forget,just can't remember when I need to.
David

Heat shrink tubing is the key, no doubt! Only takes a small amount too.

It's hard to beat spit!

Erv Niehaus wrote:It's hard to beat spit!

Hey Erv...over here in Idaho we are a little more sophisticated. We lick our finger tips before applying the picks.

Jerry,
Whatever works!!

David
Sound like you are like a lot of players that struggle with finger picks I did also so I invented the new SADDLE finger picks . Most of us wear a wedding ring and never know we have it on even sleep with it on. What about a finger pick that work just like your wedding ring. That is it is loose fitting but won't come off because it is trapped behind the soft tissue in front of it. That's the structure behind the patented SADDLE finger pick.
When I am at a show I wear them all day. look at the video at.. saddlethumbpicks.com no spit, no gorilla snot, no pain, no constant adjusting while your playing because they are slipping off.

Erv Niehaus wrote:It's hard to beat spit!

Works as well as glue or better!!!!!!!!!!!

Jimmie,
Yes, I don't know what the big deal is with keeping finger picks on.
A little spit goes a looooong way.
It also works on thumb picks too.
Erv

Jerry,
You just let the cat out of the bag. A little saliva on index and middle finger, locks the picks on.

I've done it for years. I guess you could dip your fingers in water and shake them off before outti g the licks on too.

After trying all the different picks, I wound up with the JF (Jeffran) pick. The factory bend is perfect for me. And I've been doing the spit trick also, gonna try the shrink tubing. Also the bar feels like a slippery ell, but a little spit does the trick.

what's a slippery ell?.

It's the first cousin to a slippery eel.
Erv

I picked up a small tube of children’s glue. The kind that is purple then turns clear when dry. It washes off real easy. A little dab on the thumb and fingers. No more worry with the picks sliding off.

John

Just as a question.

Are the J F picks still made? Are they .25 thickness or ?

That's all I have used for many years and I could use another set or two.

Thanks
Ray D

Ray, the Jeffran site just went live.
Pre-order on picks:
https://www.jeffrancollege.com/product- ... ingerpicks

Thanks Daniel for the link to the site.

They don't say what the thickness is but they are heavy gauge for sure.

I will get my name on the list.

Ray D

Irv and Jerry you guys are right. I spit on my fingers every time and they stick like glue every time I put my picks on and never lose them.I PUT MY FINGERS IN MY MOUTH AND ALSO THE THUMB AND NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM.I EVEN DO IT WHEN I PLAY MY DYNA LAP 8 STRING LAP STEEL AND MY 6 string Dobro
Sam White

Sam,
You are correct!
No need to make a mountain out of a molehill!
Erv

content removed, my remarks were not appropriate in this section.

Just lick the tips of your fingers, that's all it takes.
Erv

I know the spit works, but the shrink wrap is so comfortable. I love the way it feels.

I used Nail Polish Remover in a jar that had a sponge in, that you just shoved your finger into and that would get all the oil’s off your fingers... Worked really well, but tasted bad if you stuck your fingers in your mouth later

I’ve also used rosin and Sticky Picks, which also work really well, but most of the time, I just lick my fingers, realize I should have washed them before I did that, and then carry on.

Some people have more trouble keeping finger picks in place than others. It depends a lot on the shape of your fingers. I've never found an ideal solution to the problem personally, although coated picks help. But I can't wear two coated picks...too bulky and they drag against each other. So I use one coated and one plain...the plain one saliva fastened. That's a partial fix, but there's still a lot of room for someone to come up with a perfect solution. ( and I've already tried some of the ones being marketed which left me unimpressed )

Shrink wrap stops the annoying torn cuticles. I buy 1/4 inch wrap, spread the wrap with needle nose pliars to gain enough volume to go over the wrap of the finger pick. Shrink Them down with heat. They stay on great and are comfortable on your fingers. Occasionally you might have to replace them. No problem, just do as if they were new, with new wrap. No more sore fingers.

I won't use anything but Jeff Newman pics ! Yep, a little saliva on each finger & they don't move