| Author |
Topic: Karl's "BiPicks." |
Travis Bernhardt
From:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
|
Posted 10 Mar 2004 2:51 pm |
|
A big thank you to Karl, for his generous offer to make and send me a set of his "BiPicks." They just arrived, I tried them out, and, lo and behold, they work!
A few of the techniques they allow include a really fast one finger tremolo, downwards strums with a "hand-opening" motion, and a really fast double hit by rapidly opening and closing my hand. I know nothing about how to do those crazy rolling flamenco strums, but I can make feeble approximations which sound cool to me, and I can keep an alternating bass going underneath--a neat effect.
Being able to do a downwards strum with the nail side of my fingers is the easiest and most natural use for these picks that I've found so far. It's a different sound than a downwards strum with the thumb pick, partially because of the metal vs. plastic, but also because of the fact that there are three picks going at once.
I find them hard to use so far on the pedal steel, but they work great on the 12-string acoustic--especially since I play more of a rhythmic style on that guitar. I haven't tried them on the National yet.
Anyhow, kudos to Karl for his nifty idea, and well executed too. For playing on the 12-string, these are going to be my standard picks from now on. Good job Karl, and thanks!
-Travis |
|
|
 |
Karl Schaefer
From:
Marina, California, USA
|
Posted 12 Mar 2004 6:19 pm
|
|
I'm all smilie faced, for two reasons: I've already met wonderful folks as a new member, and it just might be possible that I'm able to help some new friends in their satisfaction and enjoyment of their music.
I can only imagine that big sound coming from your twelve string Travis!
And, now there are TWO "bipickers"!! The offer still stands friendly forumites, get a pac-o-pics for a donation to the SGF.
Just E-mail the number of fingers you use and (their) approximate size, the guage you might like, and your shipping adress. And...be patient. |
|
|
|
Alan Kirk
From:
Scotia, CA, USA
|
Posted 13 Mar 2004 8:32 am
|
|
Got pictures?
------------------
|
|
|
|
Karl Schaefer
From:
Marina, California, USA
|
Posted 13 Mar 2004 1:32 pm
|
|
| Yes I do, but no site to post so the they may appear here. If, and when, HowardR returns from the Dallas Steel Show, maybe I can impose on his skills again to get them up on the SGF. |
|
|
|
Travis Bernhardt
From:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
|
|
|
|
David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
|
Posted 13 Mar 2004 4:31 pm
|
|
I am very interesting in these critters, based on this cursory description.
I like anything that can add technique posibilities on any instrument.
How would they owrk on mandolin? |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 14 Mar 2004 9:55 am
|
|
| I made some picks like this 20 years ago. I still use one of them all the time. On my index finger only. Middle-finger pick is just a normal National. It works just as well as a flatpick as it does as a finger-pick. I use it for steel, bottle-neck, acoustic and electric 6-string. The best of both worlds. I certainly recommend trying them. |
|
|
|
Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
|
Posted 14 Mar 2004 10:07 am
|
|
Hey Karl---I admire your work and your thinking. It inspired me to try my hand with some solder and a little butane torch. It was a sloppy job but seems worth trying to refine.
For comfort and fit it takes a lot for me to get a standard fingerpick just right. Have you given any thought to modifying your concept to still allow finger-size adjustment? (I'd gladly take you up on your generous offer but the chances are slim-to-none that a non-adjustable pick could fit me right.)
---BTW---how do you grind down solder? I was using a dremel with a stone grinding wheel and the wheel quickly got loaded up and ruined with melted solder. What am I missing?!
[This message was edited by Jon Light on 14 March 2004 at 10:10 AM.] |
|
|
|
John Kavanagh
From:
Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada * R.I.P.
|
Posted 14 Mar 2004 12:52 pm
|
|
| Solder is soft enough that you can work it with a file or sandpaper, and then buff it with steel wool, and then leather. |
|
|
|
Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
|
Posted 14 Mar 2004 4:53 pm
|
|
| Thanks John. I should have thought of that. |
|
|
|
Karl Schaefer
From:
Marina, California, USA
|
Posted 15 Mar 2004 1:26 pm
|
|
David, John, & Jon:
By tweaking the "bipic" tips, I bet the string pair spacing of mandolins can be accommodated, but I've not heard of anyone that has tried them for mandolin.
I've felt that the bipick should be shaped so that the tips contact the strings as if you had Howard Hughes' fingernails, such that the point of the bipic, although it's further from your natural finger tip, is where your own nail would be (since we all can automatically scratch with precision without special training)! So, small shorter tips shaped for speed would be the design for a small fast instrument.
I do the sizing and shaping prior to the soft solder assembly (in the 'point down' position on a jig I use to align the two parts) utilizing a point tipped 15w pencil iron. My personal set is fabbed with silver solder, requiring higher heat. I've got the soldering science down so there isn't much cleanup, and then I use very fine jeweler's files and finishing papers on up to 0000, and burnish with chrome plated hard steel tool to a reflective shine.[This message was edited by Karl Schaefer on 15 March 2004 at 01:29 PM.] [This message was edited by Karl Schaefer on 15 March 2004 at 01:39 PM.] |
|
|
|
