How to buff finger picks?

Bill Llewellyn · From: San Jose, CA

My Newman finger picks are getting rough edges (what on Earth am I doing to them??). How do I go about smoothing them down? They need to be buffed to a very smooth finish to prevent that awful file-like grabbing on the strings. Do I use some ultra fine grit sandpaper? What grit?

Of course, this may just be telling me that I'm catching the strings with the edges of the picks when I really should be connecting right down the center....

------------------
Bill L | My steel page | Email | My music | Steeler birthdays | Over 50?

Joerg Hennig · From: Bavaria, Germany

Bill,
have you ever tried Dunlop picks instead? Mine just seem to last forever...

Regards, Joe

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

When I fit a new set of picks to my fingers, I bend the tips so they hit the strings flat. I've used the same set of picks for up to 10 years or so. They show some wear on the tips, but none on the sides.

Pete Grant · From: Auburn, CA, USA

I disagree with the idea that you use the tips of your picks and don't use the edge. You'll get really thin tone if you pick that way. Find out for yourself. Turn up your amp to a comfortable level and play a string with your pick as you rotate your hand. I think you'll find that you can get the best tone at about a 45-degree angle to your strings.

Al Miller · From: Waxahachie Texas

see there gordon!!
how would you like it if you had a widget and tried to sell it to feed your family and jeff came on here telling everyone what a piece of sh#$ it was. what did this man do to you to make you so bitter toward him ?
SHEEEESH!!
BOO

Merle Record · From: Oxford, Maine, USA

I agree with Pete. I rotate my hand so that the back of it is about 45 degrees from level. Since my fingers are connected to my hand, this puts my fingers at about a 45 from perpindicular to the strings. One of the most noticable things about T.W. and B.E.s picking, to me, is the angle of their fingers. I'm not sure the angle of the picks is responsible for the burr, however I always carry some 400 grit emery cloth in my seat for polishing a changer finger every now and then. A few swipes across a pick will take care of those burrs too. Although I think a coarser grit would be ok I probably wouldn't go any coarser than 220 or so. B.T.W. I use J.F. picks and like them fine. Merle

Fred Jack · From: Bastrop, Texas 78602

Boo ... hopefully this thing never reproduced so he doesn't have a family to feed. regards, fred

Mark Herrick · From: Bakersfield, CA

220! Jeez, you won't have any picks left!

Try 400 (maximum!), then 600, then 1000. (One sheet of each will last you forever.)
After that make it really smoooooth with Simichrome polish.

Showcase 1941's are nice picks. I believe they are solid nickel silver.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

George McLellan · From: Duluth, MN USA

It's starting to look like a "which is the best" pick discussion, at least to me. I've got just about every brand....no wait...I have got a pair of every brand that I am aware of, and my own preferance is the Resco (sp) brass. I have both types but prefer the softer tone of the brass. I've had them for a couple of years, but isn't brass supposed to wear with use????

Just MHO and 2¢

------------------
SUAS U' PHIOB
Geo

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I have a set of Jeffran picks, and my only complaint is that you can't buy 3. They come in pairs. They do sound really good to my ears. I don't use them much, though, because the old Nationals fit my fingers better.

I think I get my best tone when my picks touch the strings at a 90 degree angle. I get less "scratch" in the attack there. So I disagree with Pete and Merle. Maybe different brands require different angles?

------------------

Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 19 July 2002 at 11:18 AM.]

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

I think the main reason that Jeff didn't like the Dunlop picks is because of the way they flare out. Not the ends where you pick, but the sides that clamp to your finger. I think in a teaching class I had with him many years ago, he said those flared edges could catch in the strings if you weren't careful. Banjo players seem to love them, though. I guess they grip your fingers better. I will stick to my old Nationals. I tried Jeffs and they just didn't float my boat like the old Nationals. I agree that the picks should show most of the wear on the sides and not the ends. Fatter tone from the sides instead of the ends in my opinion.

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

I think we've gotten off the subject here a little, but I've been using the same pair of showcase 41s for about 5 years, and I buff them with MacGuire's #7. The notes just pop off the pick. And don't tell anybody I learned this from a banjo player!

Skip Mertz · From: N.C. (deceased)

One more reason I don't look at the other topics on the forum! It's like listening to CB radio. When someone asks for help with a problem they have with a particular item, please address that issue! He did'nt ask for opinions about YOUR picks ,just help with his. Then we can scroll thru constructive info and not bickering and BS. Bob has eneough to do Thanks

jim milewski · From: stowe, vermont

I notice the sound of picks differ much from the nice fat thumbpick, they play the high strings with a sharpness, very metalic, the thumbpick has a fatter tone, when I hit the plain strings with the thumb it is so much better, so I applied solder to the inside end of the metal pick, to try and soften the attack, solder right to the end and then shape it, has any one tried that? or something similar to get even tone, I went up to .015 and .012 strings to help

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Where can I find a Crocus Cloth, Bob L. ??

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Bill, when I have a problem with my picks, I usually just replace them. They are not worth the effort to try to fix. I use the Newman picks also (have been for a couple of years now)and think they are great (had to offer my opinion too).

------------------
Carter D10 9p/10k
Richard Sinkler

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

Joey, Almost any jeweler has these cloths available. Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish works very well for polishing, BTW.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

As a response to Jim Milewski, I noticed the difference in the thumb and finger pick sounds many years ago. My solution (rather than trying to "fatten up" the finger pick sound) was to switch to the small blue Herco thumb pick. It's very thin and "pointy". This gives me a nice sharp attack with the thumb, and I can then fatten that up with the tone controls on any good amp, resulting in very similar sounds from all my picks.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Here's something else to add to this mixed discussion! Last band I was in, I switched instruments constantly, and was unable to do some things on my 6-string with my fingerpicks on, so i modified the index pick. Took 2 Dunlap .015 picks and cut the "finger-grippers off one of them. Then i soldered them together at the tips with silver solder. So I had one pick with two picking surfaces, one on the fleshy fingertip, and the other on the nail side of the fingertip.
I can brush across strings on the steel, but i can also grip my index finger sorta like I'm holding a pick and do all the things on 6-string that I would normally do with a flatpick! Works well, and sounds a little "thicker" to my ears on the steel.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

My old friend Chris (Columbus) brought me a pair of National and Dunlops and I've used them for some twenty years now without any difficulty or problems.
The Dunlop, quite by accident, has proven to be MY preference. They are somewhat rigid/stiff while the set of Nationals that I use, are softer and bend easier.
I've never buffed, sanded, ground, polished or anything else to my finger picks.
Never owned a crokin' cloth or whatever.
I've noticed that my picks tend to wear down/off at a slight angle. When worn, and while looking down at my finger nail, I can see the right hand side of the pick, from just about the center of the pick.....is worn away.
I've never had any complaints about my TONE
and never once had to analyze my picking angle or attack to play.
Some folks don't like me....but my tone will hold its own and I do attribute that to my medium (very little bend) tough picks.
I've seen more technical questions asked about guitar picks and other misc. stuff here on the Forum in just one week, than I've ever encountered in more than 40 years of steady pickin'. I'm not complaining or being critical of anyone, but at times, I do have to wonder, if more practice at the instrument would be more constructive than all of the in-depth disecting of virtually every aspect of the steel guitar.

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

Gee, Ray, you had to come up with that, now I feel self-conscious about asking whether a right-angle plug sound better coming out of my guitar, than a straight one would. And, BTW, does the handle on my pac-a-seat face my steel, or away from it. These are the things Jeff Newman doesn't teach!

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Steve,

And, by the way, the right angle plug is to be avoided. The tone has to make a 90 degree angle and that slows its path to the amp, so you can't play as sweet or as fast. Also, if you use a pak-a-seat with a back on it, it's best to have the handle facing forward.

Now you know the REST of the story.

(also, I've never buffed a finger pick in my life and wouldn't waste the time -- just my own personal opinion -- go buy another one when one wears out)

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Great Larry! The pak-seat handle MUST face the guitar for two very good reasons:
1st..The "EMMONS" logo is clearly visible to the audience this way and shows that you have good taste by clearly "matching" the fine guitar with the excellent pak-seat.
2nd..I was told "the handle" makes a definite
contribution to the overall tone of the guitar..........even if your steel isn't an Emmons.
And you're right on about those "angled" guitar cord plugs. The tone is definitely
compromised by the sound having to make that rapid deceleration as it negotiates that 90 degree turn enroute to the amp. Certainly an item all guitarists should want to avoid at all costs. It also has an adverse impact on the outcome of all speed picking runs; something to be avoided at all costs.
You've got to Trust Larry! He knows of what he speaks and I merely wanted to throw my support behind his technical ideas and words.
But seriously now: Are the rainbow colored plastic thumb picks better for ballads or Hawaiian or western swing pickin'?
I've been torn between one of those and/or one of the plain, clear plastic picks. I do want to invest wisely in my equipment.

Forum Index > Pedal Steel	Goto page 1, 2 Next	Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic