#1
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Thumb pics that actually fit
Does anyone have a problem trying to find one that fits?
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#2
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Hi, When I was on a week long bluegrass school studying Dobro with Sally Van Meter, I asked a similr question.
She said that uncomfortable picks was the price you pay for playing with them. I've tried all sorts and settled for about the cheapest sharp pointed thumb picks which suit me best. For flat picks it is Blue Chip and for finger picks - pro-piks.
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#3
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Quote:
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McCollum Grand Auditorum Euro Spruce/Brazilian PRS Hollowbody Spruce PRS SC58 Giffin Vikta Gibson Custom Shop ES 335 '59 Historic RI ‘91 Les Paul Standard ‘52 AVRI Tele - Richie Baxt build Fender American Deluxe Tele Fender Fat Strat |
#4
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I find the BC thumb pick quite comfortable for down strokes. My problem with thumb picks is that any pick that feels secure on up strokes is way too tight to keep on for more than a few minutes. The tone of the BC thumb pick is wonderful.
I find the Pro-Pik comfortable, but the actual pick is so short I can't use it. The BC, on the other hand, is quite long. Longer than I would design, but I have no trouble with it in use. Most of the time I just use my thumb.
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Keith Martin 000-42 Marquis Taylor Classical Alvarez 12 String Gibson ES345s Fender P-Bass Gibson tenor banjo |
#5
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Thumb-picks - Golden Gate ivoroid, Jim Dunlop 'Heavies' Calico or ivoroid. The BC thumbpick is **OK**, but a bit 'thuddy'-sounding to my ears.
Finger-picks - Propik 'Fingertones', or National nickels. The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.
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John Brook ‘Lamorna’ OM (European Spruce/EIR) (2019) Lowden F-23 (Red Cedar/Claro Walnut) (2017) Martin D-18 (2012) Martin HD-28V (2010) Fender Standard Strat (2017-MIM) |
#6
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I've found that I can adjust to most any thumbpick if I decide to use it for a while. I like 'em tight to keep a solid feel, probably tighter than most prefer. My upstrokes are always with fingerpicks though (Alaska pics).
Blue Chip has been my favorite for a few years now.
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Goodall, Martin, Wingert |
#7
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Another vote for Blue Chip. For years, I'd file and "work" a thumb pick to get it the way I needed it.........only to have them break after time.......
I've had the BC for a bunch of years......did a little modifying when I got it.....case closed......perfect for years with great fit for me. I use Pro Pik Fingertones.....for me they give a balance of sound between the BC and those picks.
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1993 Bourgeois JOM 1967 Martin D12-20 2007 Vines Artisan 2014 Doerr Legacy 2013 Bamburg FSC- 2002 Flammang 000 12 fret 2000 McCollum Grand Auditorium ______________________________ Soundcloud Spotify Mike McKee/Fred Bartlett Spotify playlist |
#8
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I use the plastic Dunlop and Golden Gate thumb picks. My thumb is too wide for the size large, so I soften the plastic band in very hot water, and bend it until it fits just right.
When I bend the band, I make sure that the thumb pick stays snug enough that I can use it to play triplets on the wound guitar strings. But it doesn't have to be painful to be that snug, I think it just has to follow the shape of the thumb so that there's plenty of friction because the plastic touches the thumb in all possible spots around the diameter of the thumb. |
#9
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Golden Gate extra-heavy are the only ones I've found to be a perfect fit without having to adjust them - luckily, I like the heaviest pick I can get, & they are kinda massive, so if that's an issue for you ..
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#10
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I've always liked the National vintage thumb picks. They fit me just fine, in over 40 years of playing. I am so used to the feel and shape, I've tried many others that just feel awkward. I guess after that many years, I have a certain feel and muscle memory that I'm used to. John Pearse vintage thumb picks are nearly identical, so I have actually switched over to those, because their fit seems to be very consistent for me. For fingerpicks, I have always used National (they now call them NP2).
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Susie Taylors: 914 • K24ce • 414 • GSMeK+ Pono Guileles: Mango Baritone Deluxe • Mahogany Baritone Have been finger-pickin' guitar since 1973! Love my mountain dulcimers too! (7 Mountain Dulcimers) |
#11
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if you purchase plastic ones, obviously metal won't work in this case, just put them in warm water and spread them open if they are too small. if too large, you can squeeze them tighter.
play music!
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2014 Martin 00015M 2009 Martin 0015M 2008 Martin HD28 2007 Martin 000-18GE 2006 Taylor 712 2006 Fender Parlor GDP100 1978 Fender F65 1968 Gibson B25-12N Various Electrics |
#12
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The Pro-Pick Fingertone thumb pick is quite easily adjustable on your thumb, and the pick part can be easily shaped with a sandpaper.
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#13
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Check out Fred Kelly thumb picks. I prefer the speed pick.
WWW.fredkellypicks.com |
#14
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FWIW, Fred Kelly speed picks have worked best for me.
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00 Martin HD-28 00 D-18 (home-built) 04 Martin OM-21 06 Big Baby |
#15
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Quote:
The Red Bear with the Pro-Pik band is by far my favorite thumb pick of those I've tried and I've tried quite a few, although I've missed some. But I like it enough that I've stopped looking at others. Oddly, Most large thumb picks are really tight on my thumb (Blue Chip is an exception) and I'd never seen a medium I could even come close to fitting, but the Pro-Pik / Red Bear medium fits me perfectly. They claim they fit similarly to other standard thumb pick sizes, but that's not my experience at all. I tried a Blue Chip but because I like them short, I filed it down and then the rivets holding the blade to the band were too close to the end and I was catching the rivets on the strings from time to time when I was playing. Not all that much, but enough to be irritating. The Pro-Pik / Red Bear has the rivets farther back, so no such problems with those. |