New Guitar Pick - Snake Pick (Australia)

Subject: New Guitar Pick - Snake Pick (Australia)
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 May 08 - 07:11 AM

Snake Pick

The Snake Pick is an improved guitar pick that wraps around your index finger eliminating the problem of the pick spinning around and dropping out of fingers.
About the Inventor

Paul Slingsby is 32 years old and from the Gold Coast.

Paul's been playing in bands on and off since he was 18 and has enjoyed a "long, lustful relationship" with the blues throughout. He is currently recording a 4 track EP with his little brother of original Blues Folk.

Contact

For more information about Snake Pick, contact the following:
www.snakepick.com

The Snake Pick was born from the annoyance of Paul's pick falling out of his fingers or spinning around due to the sweat on stage and in the recording studio. "It was annoying the hell out of me".

While teaching kids to play guitar Paul observed the amount of concentration it takes players to control their pick while also concentrating on the finger movements on the fret board.

Not everyone can be a rock god like Slash. In fact some rock gods in waiting can't even keep their guitar pick between their fingers.

Between the sweating on stage making for slippery fingers, trying to concentrate on what notes you're playing on the fret board and keeping your jaunty top hat on straight; the last thing you want to do is have to concentrate on keeping the pick between your fingers. This is why Paul Slingsby invented the Snake Pick, a guitar pick that stays on your finger without you even having to think about it.

Unlike the vast majority of existing plectrum styles, the coiled plectrum will never drop out of the player's fingers, it will never rotate in the player's fingers (given the sizing is correct) and it allows normal playing style with comfort and dexterity.

The Snake Pick coils around the player's finger at an outward taper. The necessary tension is created by the coil sizes in relation to the finger. Paul plans on initially making three different finger sizes with three different pick thicknesses.

The coiled pick resembles a snake in appearance comprising a pick shaped head and coiled body.

The Snake Pick may be used on any finger or thumb and can be coiled clockwise or anticlockwise to facilitate use by right handed or left handed operators.

In the most common usage of the Snake Pick it is worn on the index finger and positioned optimally facing the thumb.

The Snake Pick allows you to play various styles. Unlike finger picks you can strum and pick or use your 4 pick free hands to pluck strings.

The Snake Pick allows you to turn the pick for different angles for various tones just like a standard pick.

It was said that they would only be a few AUD$ each.

Subject: RE: New Guitar Pick - Snake Pick (Australia)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 08 May 08 - 07:37 AM

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2225388.htm

Subject: RE: New Guitar Pick - Snake Pick (Australia)
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 May 08 - 07:39 AM

Thanks Mr Happy, but I did do a blue clicky at the very top... :-)

Subject: RE: New Guitar Pick - Snake Pick (Australia)
From: Darowyn
Date: 09 May 08 - 02:52 AM

Since the picking end of the snake pick is axial to your finger,- extending the length of the top joint, I can't see how it's any better than a standard finger pick- which I use happily in both plastic and steel varieties.
Am I the only person who, when using a flat pick, holds it at 90 degrees to the top joint of my curled first finger, with my fingernail parallel to the string? - not in a fingertip grip.
The snake won't do anything for players like me.
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: New Guitar Pick - Snake Pick (Australia)
From: Grab
Date: 09 May 08 - 07:49 AM

Dave, that's the way I hold it too - in fact AFAIK that's pretty much the standard pick grip.

Problems with pick slippage are why I use the big triangular Jim Dunlop ones. As basic physics tells you, frictional force is proportional to pressure and surface area. More surface area, less pressure needed for the same amount of friction.

As far as I can see, this isn't replacing the flatpick. Instead, it's an improved fingerpick. Standard fingerpicks are a complete non-starter for me - they only work when picking up (closing the finger), and any attempt to pick or strum down (opening the finger) will always trap the string between finger and pick because of the shape of the pick. Alaska Piks were much better, but they didn't grip my fingers perfectly and didn't give that much improvement over nails. These look like they might be an interesting experiment though.

Graham.

Subject: RE: New Guitar Pick - Snake Pick (Australia)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 09 May 08 - 08:05 AM

It's a novelty and won't catch on, THE ultimate pick is now the American ' Blue Chip ' seriously they cost $35.00 each or if you're in the UK £17.00 for a fecking plectrum, the mind boggles.

eric

Subject: RE: New Guitar Pick - Snake Pick (Australia)
From: Joybell
Date: 09 May 08 - 08:12 PM

I hold my flat pick that way too, Dave. We were taught that way in the "Banjo Club" in Victoria, Australia. Back in the 1950s. The club taught banjo mandolin and also guitar.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: New Guitar Pick - Snake Pick (Australia)
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 09 May 08 - 08:54 PM

Hmmmm
I just looked at the little film and was wondering if they might make a set of finger picks I can actualy learn to use.
Never did find any alaska piks in our uk shops
but they looked realy good
Godd luck Snake pick bloke