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Topic: Blue Hercos, it's the sound, not necessarily the feel, right |
Jay Coover
From:
Nashville, TN, USA
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Posted 20 Jan 2019 6:31 pm |
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I'd been playing with my golden gate ivoroid thumb picks for some time because they felt sturdy and held tight on my thumb. The Hercos feel a bit flimsy. I think my hands are a bit smaller than most.
What I've noticed is that my thumb notes stand out with the golden gates, even when I try to pick evenly I think.
Just a theory here. It's the balance you get - the sound of the blue Herco against whatever finger picks you're using.
I've compared and think I might like the Hercos for their balance in sound if nothing else, though they feel light/fast too. Thoughts?
I know you can boil the Hercos in water like a football mouthguard and reshape them, but I haven't gone there yet.
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GFI Expo S-10 3x5
Goodrich 120 |
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J R Rose
From:
Keota, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 20 Jan 2019 7:51 pm
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Can't go wrong with a Blue Herco thumb and Gauged Dunlop finger picks, J.R.
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 21 Jan 2019 12:00 am
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I found some red Delrin Dunlops on Amazon that look exactly like the blue Hercos except much cheaper.
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2019 1:47 am
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| Can you boil and reshape a Golden Gate? I love mine, but there's one little part of the wrap around that sticks up. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 21 Jan 2019 8:13 am
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I switch between a Golden Gate and John Pearse thumb picks (similar to the Herco), and don't notice any notes that stand out with the GG. I do like the tighter fit of the GG. The Pearse is similar to the Herco in that they warm up and get loose.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Matthew Dyer
From:
San Francisco, CA, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2019 8:24 am
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You can reshape a GG, but that little bit that wraps around the thumb still occasionally catches a string for me and makes me wince.
I mostly use the GG XLs because they're the closest thing I can get to a comfortable fit, but if I'm honest with myself the Fred Kelly Slick Pick in medium is the sound I want. I just haven't been able to reshape one enough to fit on the slab of meat I call a thumb. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 21 Jan 2019 8:28 am
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For issues with the bands, a file or Dremel will take care of if catching on strings.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2019 8:49 am
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I play with a Golden Gate after a grandson broke my National.
Erv |
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Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2019 9:45 am
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| I use the GG small - they have a narrower blade that kinda rides right next to my knuckle where I like it. |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2019 9:48 am
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Jay, I agree with your thoughts: the blue Hercos sound more balanced against the finger-picked strings. But they DO have a tendency to slip a little. It's so frustrating because blade-wise, they are the ideal pick IMHO. But they just move around too much and that negates the advantage of the blade.
Same comments for the nearly identical red delrin (nylon) Dunlop knock-offs of the Hercos. Great pick, loosey-goosey band.
FYI, you can't heat and reshape the bands of the Herco (or delrin Dunlop) due to their being nylon. I've also tried super gluing some rubber to the inside of the band to tighten them up and keep them from slipping. Fail!
If you still want to use them, one option is to use two. You play with one for five or ten minutes, then once it warms up and loosens on your thumb, you switch it out for a stiffer fresh one. I do that occasionally. And it seems the the red delrin Dunlops are slightly stiffer than the Hercos, so I prefer them (but they're very close).
In the end I always go back to a Golden Gate white pearloid, or a white Dunlop Medium (both with the blade slightly filed down/shortened). A tight band wins the day. For balance, just pick harder with the fingers and lighter with the thumb. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 21 Jan 2019 10:04 am
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I find just the opposite. I think my thumb picked notes sound better with a harder pick. I particularly like the snap on the big wound strings. I'm using the tougher Dunlop Ultex picks for a few years now. I'm happy.
Hercos just spin around on my thumb and I always feel like I'm losing them. Even though they seem to be the choice of the elite and I'm probably the odd man out here, but I wouldn't give you a dollar for all the blue Hercos in the world for my use. |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2019 7:55 am
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| My take is whatever works best for you. I love the blue Herco 52 and buy them by the dozen. I give a few away and keep the rest. I have noticed that some are smaller than others so you need to check the size and stick with those. Elderly music is my usual source. |
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2019 10:05 am
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I have finally gravitated to the blue Hercos - and yes, they get loose for me. I keep a few with and switch them out, and have also found that wrapping electricians tape on the part by the nail keeps them a bit tighter
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Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2019 10:22 am
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I like these I don’t no the name I get them at Bob’s Steel Guitar Nashville store in Hendersonville Tn.
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Edward Rhea
From:
Medford Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2019 11:58 am
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Johnny, that’s a Fred Kelley pick.
I like the Hercos, too. Everything else I’ve tried, feels like it is cutting blood circulation to my thumb.
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“TONESNOB†|
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 22 Jan 2019 12:53 pm
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Have wore out too many picks over the years in an attempt to find replacements / alternatives for these…
… but few sounded right and most lasted no more than an hour or two before being scratched up to the point that they make unwanted noises in contact with the strings, and was thrown in the trash. The problem is to find hard steel picks, that can be shaped to fit my fingers and polished to sound just soft enough where they hit the strings.
The picks pictured above have lasted 25+ years by now, and while I use the Herco on rare occasions when I want softer sounds from the low strings, the stamped-out and shaped hard steel picks continue to produce the same, sharp, sound from thumb and fingers. They are tough on the strings, but I haven't had one break from that yet. I rather wear down the strings than wear out the picks.
Hard steel picks take time to shape and polish to perfection – took months to get the old ones just right. Worth every minute though.
Have found some finger picks that are hard enough – meant for banjo-players I think, but haven't finished shaping and polishing them yet. No luck with finding proper thumb picks so the old one will have to do for now. |
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Hugo Knef
From:
Vallejo , California
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Posted 22 Jan 2019 1:01 pm
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I take my Fred Kelly thumb pics and heat them up a bit with a lighter
to stretch them open a little more. Ya otherwise they are way too tight.
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Williams S10 moyo mini Quilter TT12 |
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Ken Metcalf
From:
San Antonio Texas USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2019 3:21 pm
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Fred Kelly Slick Pick or Speed pick.
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MSA 12 String E9th/B6th Universal.
Little Walter PF-89.
Bunch of stomp boxes |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2019 4:56 pm
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| Been using National Large thumb picks for 35 plus years. I was down to my last National a couple months ago and decided to try the blue Herco. I might have been to hasty, but I tried the Herco for about a half hour. It fit good and felt good but I could not get the sound I like when I am making some runs on the heavy strings. I noticed the loss more on the C6 neck. I would have to make my thumb play more aggressive using the Herco. Maybe just me. |
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Jay Coover
From:
Nashville, TN, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2019 5:10 pm
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| Kevin Fix wrote: |
| I tried the Herco for about a half hour. It fit good and felt good but I could not get the sound I like when I am making some runs on the heavy strings. I noticed the loss more on the C6 neck. I would have to make my thumb play more aggressive using the Herco. Maybe just me. |
I think that's just it. Everyone's a little different. Gotta go with your gut. I'm not sure what my gut will tell me tomorrow. That's fine. I have a pile of different thumb picks and they were all fairly cheap.
_________________
GFI Expo S-10 3x5
Goodrich 120 |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2019 10:48 am
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| Jay Coover wrote: |
| [I think that's just it. Everyone's a little different. Gotta go with your gut. I'm not sure what my gut will tell me tomorrow. That's fine. I have a pile of different thumb picks and they were all fairly cheap. |
My gut told me there was no way to produce consistently good tone and develop decent technique without a comfortably secure pick. |
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Richard Alderson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2019 7:44 am
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I know you can boil the Hercos in water like a football mouth guard and reshape them, but I haven't gone there yet
What exactly is the technique? Drop 'em in boiling water? Two seconds or two minutes? Any tips before I go ruin a couple of picks? Currently my Hercos slip way too much, and I stopped using them live, but I prefer the sound and the touch/response of the lighter plastic rather than big thick ole' Dunlops.
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Derby SD-10 5x6; GFI S-10 5x5; GFI S-10 5x5; Zum D-10 8x7; Zum D-10 9x9; Fender 400; Fender Rumble 200; Nashville 400; Telonics TCA-500. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2019 12:22 pm
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| Richard Alderson wrote: |
I know you can boil the Hercos in water like a football mouth guard and reshape them, but I haven't gone there yet
What exactly is the technique? Drop 'em in boiling water? Two seconds or two minutes? Any tips before I go ruin a couple of picks? Currently my Hercos slip way too much, and I stopped using them live, but I prefer the sound and the touch/response of the lighter plastic rather than big thick ole' Dunlops. |
Don’t waste your time. I used to try to shape the pick bands to fit my thumb. I did everything from dropping them in a glass of warm water to boiling them for ten minutes, fitted them perfectly, let them cool off on my thumb, and even tried freezing the suckers so they’d keep that “perfect†shape. Ended up with a lot of ruined picks and some burnt thumbs too.
Keep in mind that some materials will not reshape.
Just do what has been suggested here by Tucker and Chris. If you insist on using a pick that slips, have two or three of them within reach and alternate them every few minutes. You can also try “spit-gluing†them to your thumb. If that still doesn’t work, get a pick that fits and make it produce the tone you want. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2019 12:52 pm
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I use double-sided Gel tape from Loc-Tite to fix finger/thumb pick slip.
Some guys use shrink wrap.
The Blue Herco I have here stays on OK. I don't think it sounds much different than any other pick with a plastic blade like that. |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2019 2:45 pm
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| I tried the Herco again last night for a couple hours. I don't have any problem with it slipping. Does fit comfortable. I did punish it pretty good last night. I played with the Herco last night at least a half hour alone playing "Night Life" and when I push pedal number 8 and I lower the 10th string on the back neck, I want to hear it!!!! I know that with the Herco it works good snug against the thumb knuckle. Won't slip and better control of the thumb. |
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