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  #1  
Old 01-25-2019, 07:45 AM
Cadmandu Cadmandu is offline
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Default Thumb pics that actually fit

Does anyone have a problem trying to find one that fits?
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  #2  
Old 01-25-2019, 07:57 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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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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Old 01-25-2019, 08:00 AM
Goodallboy Goodallboy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
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.
Have you ever tried a Blue Chip thumb pick?
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Old 01-25-2019, 08:02 AM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
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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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Old 01-25-2019, 08:28 AM
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JayBee1404 JayBee1404 is offline
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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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Old 01-25-2019, 08:50 AM
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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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Old 01-25-2019, 09:07 AM
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islandguitar islandguitar is offline
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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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Old 01-25-2019, 09:40 AM
Matt G Matt G is offline
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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.
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Old 01-25-2019, 09:40 AM
Eldergreene Eldergreene is offline
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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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Old 01-25-2019, 10:07 AM
ifret ifret is offline
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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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Old 01-25-2019, 10:39 AM
muscmp muscmp is offline
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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.

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  #12  
Old 01-25-2019, 10:43 AM
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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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Old 01-25-2019, 10:56 AM
sc-smitty sc-smitty is offline
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Check out Fred Kelly thumb picks. I prefer the speed pick.
WWW.fredkellypicks.com
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Old 01-25-2019, 12:06 PM
Arm&Hammer Arm&Hammer is offline
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FWIW, Fred Kelly speed picks have worked best for me.
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Old 01-25-2019, 12:20 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musicman1951 View Post
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.
If you like the Pro-Pik but like a longer blade, check out Red Bear. They use the Pro-Pik band but put their own blades on it, made of casein rather than plastic. AND they're longer - not by a lot, around 2mm or a little less on the medium, but it's noticeable. I like 'em short and Dave at Red Bear was willing to make a second one for me the length of the Pro-Pik (and I was able to file the first one down to match it), and my guess is he might be willing to make them a little longer than normal also.

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.
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