Best Thumb Picks

[rcemech]

+1 on Fed Kelly's Slick Pick, though I like the Orange Mediums.

If they are too small for your thumb, you can put them in hot water to loosen them up and them form them to your thumb, or pull gently at both sides.

(WARNING: DO NOT PUT A FRESHLY BOILED THUMBPICK ON YOUR THUMB. IT IS HOT AND WILL BURN YOU BADLY, NOT TO MENTION THE METAL ANGUISH THAT YOU WILL GO THROUGH FOR KNOWING THAT YOU ARE REALLY REALLY DUMB!)

Goodluck!

[JohnZ]

Guy Clark taught me how to make hybrid thumbpicks around 1970 and I've been using them ever since.Essentially you cut the end off the thumbpick, drill a hole in it and 'braid' it with solder to a flatpick with a hole punched in it as well. It takes some technique but that's basically it, and you get most of the crisper flatpick sound with none of a thumbpick's dullness and to my mind, more speed and control with far more dynamics. If they loosen up you just crimp them with pliers.

[fatt-dad]

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PK6-XH-DELRIN.htm

That's the one I use.

f-d

[biggs2]

One more vote for the Fred Kelly Slick Pick. I use the medium Delrin most, but like the heavy Derlin on my one guitar strung with medium strings. I like the feel of the pick and it just doesn't "hang up" as much as some picks.

[rattletrap]

Originally Posted by JohnZ

Guy Clark taught me how to make hybrid thumbpicks around 1970 and I've been using them ever since.Essentially you cut the end off the thumbpick, drill a hole in it and 'braid' it with solder to a flatpick with a hole punched in it as well. It takes some technique but that's basically it, and you get most of the crisper flatpick sound with none of a thumbpick's dullness and to my mind, more speed and control with far more dynamics. If they loosen up you just crimp them with pliers.

you braid it with solder?

Ever heard of lead poisoning?

[kenny5060]

Make sure the thumb picks are gold...solid gold.

[JohnZ]

Originally Posted by rattletrap

you braid it with solder?

Ever heard of lead poisoning?

I try not to eat them.
I'd imagine lead gets absorbed by skin but probably less than the benzine that's in air freshener. I'd stop using it if there was another metal as plyable and packaged the same way.

[Boone]

I'm really liking these Golden Gate with the extra material around the thumb - very stable:

http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/PK21-M.htm

Nationals are also very good. I've heard good things about J Pearse but they're harder to find (though I see Elderly has them). I like Zookie Mediums also. I find Dunlops too hard and long, and slick picks too soft and dull, but to each his own...

The thing about thumb picks is you just have to hang in there till you get used to them. Here's a good article about that by Eltjo Hasselhoff in the Netherlands: http://www.eltjohaselhoff.com/the_thumb_pick.htm

[Nort]

I have found the Fred Kelly White Slick Picks to work really well,
I shorten and radius the end, and bevel the surface all around finish polishing
the bevel with 1000 grit wet & dry paper to eliminate any scratching sound,
to my ear they produce a very natural sound, the bevel seem to help eliminate
any pick click.

[Made In Canada]

I've been using these Propiks. These are the same frames as the ones Red Bear uses to put their Tortis material on.

I have a Red Bear one too and I like it a lot, but at that price I leave it at home and am very careful not to lose it. So I have a couple of these. I find the metal is not only flexible and strong enough to bend to make a perfect and most comfortable fit, my thumb doesn't sweat as much with it.

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PK43D-L.htm

For a cheapo regular thummpick, I also like and have a dozen National tortoise colored Large that I like and someone gave me a John Pearse that I think is pretty good, but I really prefer the Propik frame the most.

[aaronsdb]

Originally Posted by sjino

Dang, bro! Is that $35 for ONE pick, or is that a misprint? It had better be made of platinum for that kind of money.

It's not a misprint they are $35 each; however, I have been using the same one for four years and will use it for years to come. When you amortize the cost over the hours of use, it really becomes di minimus, and more importantly it gives you the great tone of a tortis pick. If it was platinum, it would probably be around $3,500.

[Made In Canada]

Originally Posted by aaronsdb

It's not a misprint they are $35 each; however, I have been using the same one for four years and will use it for years to come. When you amortize the cost over the hours of use, it really becomes di minimus, and more importantly it gives you the great tone of a tortis pick. If it was platinum, it would probably be around $3,500.

The tone of the stock Propik is pretty sweet also.

I would say leave the Tortis Thumbpik in the home and/or studio and use the Propik everywhere else. Your ears will know the difference but your thumb and average audience won't know

I want to get one or two more Tortis Thumbpiks to store for the long run.

[Trent in WA]

I use the Kelly Speed Picks on both guitar (orange mediums) and banjo (white heavies). I used to use John Pearses until they changed both the material and the shape of the pick.

[sjino]

Originally Posted by Trent in WA

I used to use John Pearses until they changed both the material and the shape of the pick.

When did they change? I hope I didn't miss out by not stocking up on old ones shortly after the change.

[dwalton]

Originally Posted by Boone

...The thing about thumb picks is you just have to hang in there till you get used to them. Here's a good article about that by Eltjo Hasselhoff in the Netherlands: http://www.eltjohaselhoff.com/the_thumb_pick.htm

This is a great article, and it's rejuvenated my desire to use a thumbpick. So off I go to make bad music for a few days!