Picks

Chris Power · From: United Kingdom

Hi. I am a complete new pedal steel beginner having just bought myself a Springfield E9th 10 string. Can someone please advise on the best finger and thumb picks to use. Thank you.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I like the Herco "Bugga blue" nylon thumbpicks because they never get "scratchy" with wear. But you need to have at least three of them, as the heat of your thumb causes them to soften and spin on the thumb. So I have one on my thumb, one cooling, and one ready to replace the one on my thumb.
I find the Jim Dunlop gauged picks perfectly fine, I like them between .018 and .225
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

Welcome, Chris. When I began, I bought Dunlop picks as that was all my local music store had - 0.0225 gauge finger picks and a size L heavy tortoiseshell thumb pick (I later tried other thumb picks but they spun round like Lane says).

Since then I have tried other things and settled on Nationals and a Pro-pik metal thumb pick, but there's nothing wrong with Dunlops and plenty of people use them.

Stand by for a deluge of other suggestions. What picks you use matters less than developing a good right hand technique. Good luck.
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Charlie Hansen · From: Halifax, NS Canada and Various Southern Towns.

I use Fred Kelly Slick Pick on my thumb and National re-issues .20 for fingers. I like them but I'm by no means a great player. I would be described more as an owner.

Chris Power · From: United Kingdom

Thanks guys. At least have some idea as to what to try.

Ed Boyd · From: Illinois, USA

I only use these National NP-2 finger picks. I use the same ones for banjo. The only difference is I don't curve the picks as much as I do for banjo. For steel I have the picks straighter.

I use acrylic paints to color mark the inside of the picks to know which picks fit which finger. I use needle nose pliers to fit the picks to my finger.

https://www.amazon.com/National-NP-2-4PK-Finger-Picks-Nickel-Silver/dp/B0052S3RZU/

I have various thumb picks I play. My favorite is a John Pearce pick that I received as a gift. I only have one and I can no longer buy them. I use blue Herco, Fred Kelly Slick Picks and some new red Dunlop thum picks that appear to be molded exactly like the blue Hercos. Dunlop owns Herco so it makes sense.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I use Dunlop fingerpicks and a National thumbpick-best picks I use. I never have to adjust the picks because they're very comfortable.

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Hey Lane, I'm sure you probably know this, but never try to bend back a loose thumb pick with heat from a cigarette lighter, they burn like gun powder, I know from experience, LOL

Hey Ed, do you paint your fingers too? I would because I couldn't remember which color went on which finger.

Chris, you may want to check out a thumb pick call Pro-pik. The one I use has a hard plastic picking edge and the rest of the pick is metal. Very comfortable, never gets loose and last forever. You can put heat shrink on metal part and make them more comfortable. Think you can order them from Elderly Instruments. Also, I like national finger picks but what ever suits you, most of them like Dunlop and Kyser work fine.

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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

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