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Topic: Vintage finger picks what's all the fuss? |
Thomas Leahy
From:
California, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2015 5:53 am |
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Hello steelers,
Curios about vintage national finger picks. I see people paying $25- 30 per pick. I know nothing about their differences , pat no. , best years made .... Do the vintage ones sound better or attack different than new. I also see a reissue style national to. Can some one clear this up for me and to try a set which ones are the holly Grail. Thank you, Thomas. |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2015 6:07 am
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this entire mania for certain vintage national fingerpicks is entirely banjo driven - they must have every piece of the puzzle before they can become certified ("bon-i-fied") bluegrass banjo player.
the more "pre-war" items you possess the higher your ranking.
there is no such thing as a Holy Grail National fingerpick...somebody made that up and then legions of banjo players drank the kool-aid. they did quit making the NP2 during the 80's i think and that started the entire panic - we gotta hoard all the old ones we can...and it just compounded from there.
they are GREAT picks by the way, as was everything made back then - but seriously, you not getting anything extra / elusive tone from them.
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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John Booth
From:
Columbus Ohio, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2015 6:32 am
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I saw a guy selling 2 pre-war fingerpicks on eBay for $90.00
I messaged him and asked him why he thought they were worth so much.
He replied that it's because people will pay that much.
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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 16 Jan 2015 10:14 am
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I agree with Jerome. Banjo players are convinced that there is some kind of magic in the old National picks, probably because Scruggs and other great players back in the day used Nationals (not much else was available then). Of course, the whole thing is ridiculous.
When I started playing steel in 1970 National picks were 25 cents each and they were sold in every local music store.
Like all antiques and old musical instruments, the collectors/players will gravitate toward an item for one reason or another... because it's historical, or it sounds good, or it's beautiful, or rare, etc. Is a Bigsby steel really worth $10K? Is a Franklin worth $7K? Is a rare baseball card really worth $100K? If buyers are paying that amount for it, then it's worth it.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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John Booth
From:
Columbus Ohio, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2015 10:35 am
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FOR SALE: Two rusty, stepped on fingerpicks, no name brand on them.
My sister's friend's ex step-neigbor in law told the lady at the Pigglie-Wigglie that these
were found in Roy Smeck's pants at a local dry cleaner in 1930.
I GUARANTEE you'll play better with these picks.
Price: a mere $10,000
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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2015 1:43 pm
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| John Booth wrote: |
FOR SALE: Two rusty, stepped on fingerpicks, no name brand on them.
My sister's friend's ex step-neigbor in law told the lady at the Pigglie-Wigglie that these
were found in Roy Smeck's pants at a local dry cleaner in 1930.
I GUARANTEE you'll play better with these picks.
Price: a mere $10,000 |
I wouldn't pay a dime over $9,500.00 for those picks. (But that's just me.) |
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John Booth
From:
Columbus Ohio, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2015 2:46 pm
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Sorry man, I know what these babies are worth.
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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2015 1:16 am
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| You can buy the best steel, amp, and picks but they'll all be useless if one doesn't practice. |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 17 Jan 2015 7:02 am
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| My banjo player friend love them too, he just bend them a little less. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 17 Jan 2015 9:07 am
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Yes its true but when you pass a couple hours playing everyday you kind of notice small details and you want that your amp give you the sound you want, your strings sound not dead, your guitar have the strings spacing and scale you want for your style and your picks make you dont think about them. JB played with the best gear he can find, he need is amp to have is tone ect.. Yes he could sound great on anything because is technique was perfect but he could not pass all is time playing with pick he dont like!
That said I dont think it make sens to pay big buck for vintage picks! |
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Thomas Leahy
From:
California, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2015 9:42 am
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| Damn those banjo bandits ! Thank you for the feedback gentlemen . I will save my money.....and yes your right there are more things to worry about playing these steels than vintage picks. |
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Joe Elk
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2015 9:53 am
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From Doug: "If buyers are paying that amount for it, then it's worth it."
I recall from an accounting Class the Fair Market Value is when a willing seller meets a willing buyer
FMV is established.
Joe Elk |
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2015 11:19 am
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I once sold 4 "PAT PEND" national fingerpicks for $1000. I can assure you there is no difference between them and the patent number picks National sold for many years. There are several variations of font etc. that were used during different periods but the picks are the same. In fact you may prefer another brand or style than the old Nationals because they seem more right for you.
The picks I sold were "case candy" that came with old steels I had bought. There is an ass for every seat and I found mine.
_________________
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 17 Jan 2015 3:48 pm
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Yes, the pre-Pat. No. ones are rare and desirable (to some people). ALL other National finger picks have the Pat. No. on them, right up to the 1980s. So the Pat. No. on a National pick does Not mean it's an early one. The U.S.A stamp appears on the 1960s and later ones, I believe. And there were several versions of the U.S.A. stamp. As with all collectibles, buyers, sellers, and collectors have separated and detailed the various versions, and some versions are more highly sought after than others. Of course, this has nothing to do with the the playability and sound of the pick IMO. It's all about rarity and the history of the picks. Any of the new clones, like Kyser, are exactly the same, high quality, and work as well, if not better.
About 2002 I bought a whole box of unused vintage National picks from a music store that was closing... about 60 picks. I sold them in pairs on eBay over the next couple of years. I started the auctions a $1, with no reserve price. Every set of picks sold for $75 to $120. The bidders determined the final price, not me. I just posted pictures and started the bidding at $1. If the bids had only reached $5, so be it. But of course, I knew that a lot of banjo players out there would bid the price up.  If you want a vintage tone you need to use vintage Nationals, like Scruggs did, right?   ...I'm reminded of the P.T. Barnum quote...
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 18 Jan 2015 12:20 am
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I think Earl Scruggs would have been really happy with Dunlops. They are a kind of logical improvement.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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