Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Jon W.
Date: 26 Sep 98 - 01:48 AM

I shelled out the bucks for the ProPiks after trying them for a few minutes in the store. When I got home I could never get used to them. Low volume with bare fingers? That's what microphones and amplifiers are for.

Seriously, I've been trying to let my fingernails grow a bit longer and I think I could eventually get used to playing with them.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Big Mick
Date: 25 Sep 98 - 09:55 PM

Hey Roger,

That's why I started this thread. I will have to give the finger tones a try. I use a thumb pick, but have a difficult time with finger picks because I can't feel the strings on my 12 string. I have tried the "Alaska" pics, they fit over the finger and under the finger nail, with varying success. They work alright, but have a tendency to slip out from under the nail.

Thanks for the suggestion,

Mick

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Roger Himler
Date: 25 Sep 98 - 07:27 PM

I like the Dunlop's for chording and flat-picking. For finger picking, I, too, use my bare-naked fingers and thumb. However, I invariably chew my nails, so I can't get much volume.

I have hated most fingerpicks I have tried. However, in the last year or so, I have been using Finger-Tone picks by ProPik. They are metal picks that at first remind you of the Nationals. However, most of the pick area is covered by a hole that allows much of your finger tip to be exposed to the string. They also have split the part that wraps around the finger so it is more flexible and easier to adjust. They give me volume, feel, confidence, and comfort. Unfortunately, they are not cheap, but I feel they are worth the money because nothing else works for me.

I don't like their thumb pick, so I use a Herco Heavy or Medium gauge.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Bill D
Date: 25 Sep 98 - 03:51 PM

Jon.W...the mizrab,being so light, does allow you a 'bit' more feel, but since the autoharp is just a matter of hitting in the general area, it is not that much of an issue with me; banjo is an entirely different motion...also, the mizrab is pretty tight...takes a lot of adjustment to be snug and yet not cut off circulation...I like it for what I do, but you'd have to just experiment... my general guess is that it would not improve your situation a lot...but, who knows?

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Nor
Date: 25 Sep 98 - 03:35 PM

I just aquired 6 old picks found in an old case by a pawn shop. One is very well warn so must have been the favorite. I tried themm all and now I find the warn out one is now my favorit as well. I noticed a lack of pick noise on my D-28.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: ketida
Date: 25 Sep 98 - 06:07 AM

I'm with ' Dave T. ' I use the Dunlop picks,but prefer the grey 88mm.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: lingolucky
Date: 24 Sep 98 - 07:05 PM

The best pick I ever had wasfrom a fish scale sold in a sea shell novelties store as a nail buffer. But fingers are better. I asked Roy Bookbinder, the authority on Negro blues players, what those great old pickers used and he said naked fingers. ane Goldsmith

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Jon W.
Date: 24 Sep 98 - 04:37 PM

Bill D, I've been wondering about using a Misrab for picking banjo - my style is to pick up on individual strings with a finger, but pick down on multiple strings. I pick down on the 5th and any other string I want to with my thumb. My question is, does the mizrab allow you to feel the strings? That's the problem I have with picks of any kind - I just get lost too easy 'cause I can't feel the strings.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 11:51 PM

I play autoharp only...but my great fear is that I'll lose or break this big tortise shell guitar thumb-pick...wonder where I got it? Never see them any more...

(I use a Sitar plectrum ..called a 'Mizrab'-- on my middle finger for playing melody...(made of bent wires)..allows me to strum in either direction as fast as I want...[also made a similar one out of brass, ala Kilby Snow, but it is much heavier])

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Big Mick
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 10:57 PM

I use "Zookies" thumbpicks and fingers for finger style.

Usually Fender or Alien flatpicks, although I have been using the DAVA Control picks by Dave Story lately and have really taken a shine to them. The heel and the tip are fairly rigid, with the middle of the pick is thin. By moving where you hold the pick, you can literally change from hard to medium to soft. The grip area is ridged so a heavy sweater like meself has no problem holding on.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Dave T
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 09:59 PM

I've tried lots of combinations: fingers, thumb pick and finger nails, thumb pick and fingerpicks. I've settled on a flat pick held with my thumb and index finger and use my middle and ring fingers to fingerpick. That way I can switch between chords, fingerpicking and flatpicking. I use Dunlop Tortex 0.88 mm (the green ones) for flat picks.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Zorro
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 08:46 PM

Fender, thin, large triangle. Good for flat picking and chording.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Bert
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 04:29 PM

FolkLore coming up....

When I was in Bahrain I bought an Oud (never did learn to play it) and was told that the preferred pick was an eagle's quill. Now, however, they just cut a strip from a plastic bottle. Such is the price of progress.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Frank in the swamps
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 03:49 PM

Tiddlywinks on dexedrine! Love it. Some classical guitarists cut up ping pong balls and superglue them to their fingernails. Not kidding! I use my own fingernails on nylon strings, but have to use a pick on steels. I generally use the thinnest picks I can find. If they're smooth, I bite them to put little teeth marks on 'em, gives a little better grip.

Frank i.t.s.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From:
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 03:00 PM

If you can't dazzle them with your picking then do it with your picks. Golden Gates in multi hued glory. The brighter, the more colorful the less likely to lose and find their way into another pickers pocket. Brass medium gauge finger picks or the fingers themselves. Alien flat picks because "they are everywhere".

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 01:22 PM

I'm with dwditty and Jon W. After having tried and modified every sort of pick (finger, flat, thumb, metal, plastic, wood, felt, ad nauseum) I've ever gotten my hands on, I find my fingers are the only things that really work for me. Besides, they never fly off into the air like tiddlywinks on dexedrine and they're always on hand when I need'em.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 12:42 PM

I started out buying "Fig Picks" which have a top dipped in that stuff that tool handles are dipped into. They don't slip, and they come in colorful colors. Made somewhere in Connecticut but hard to find.

Then I found you can buy the dip by the can from Janet Davis mail-order. A can lasts about 100 years. So now I dip my own flat picks.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Earl
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 11:24 AM

I like the clear plastic Dobro thumb picks but when you drop one it's gone forever.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Jon W.
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 10:13 AM

I agree with dwditty. Can't stand picks of any kind, can't play with them either.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: dwditty
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 05:46 AM

Fingers

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From:
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 02:20 AM

I hear Dan Keding has a collection of repulsive color thumb picks that would make any picker jealous!

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Rockaday Johnny
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 02:18 AM

I'm into picks with colors I can Find on the floor! Actually I like the John Pearse Studio Mediums as well as a few old Tortoise shell picks I found in an old Martin Case!

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From:
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 02:04 AM

I like da BIG ONES!

Subject: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: steve t
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 12:50 AM

Thumbpicks: those GoldenGate picks about 2mm thick. 'cause they fit my thumb best and last forever.

Flatpicks: toss-up

Thin Sharkfins by Landstrom (I've kept one for 8 years).
.54 mm large triangle immitation tortoise shell by Steve Clayton.

I hear that one thing Nancy Griffiths does is cut the end off a National thumb pick and then glue a thin flat pick in place. Might try that myself sometime...but with a GoldenGate.