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Topic: Beginner Thumb Pick Recommendation! |
James Detloff
From:
Minnesota, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2012 6:51 am |
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Hey!
I'm moving along with the beginning phase of the wonderful world of Lap Steel. I'm hoping I can get some good recommendations re a comfortable, usable thumb pick. I started out with a heavy large golden gate which felt really clunky. I've been trying a Propik, which is REALLY comfortable...and I like the gauge of the pick, but I occasionally get the steel back band caught on a string if I dip a little low. So...
What would have the comfort and lighter gauge of the Propik with a better back-wrap system? Thanks!
---Jim |
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Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
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Posted 25 Jun 2012 11:21 am
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| I like National thumbpicks and Zookies (by Jim Dunlop). |
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G Strout
From:
Carabelle, Florida
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James Detloff
From:
Minnesota, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2012 12:56 pm
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Thanks!...
Anyone else have a thought? |
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Roman Sonnleitner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 26 Jun 2012 1:40 pm
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I like Fred Kelly Slick Picks - they are much smaller, don't protrude so far from the thumb, makes you feel more "connected" to the strings...  |
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Bob Blair
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 26 Jun 2012 2:49 pm
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| I really like Golden Gate thumb picks. I am using a Blue Chip for dobro an Weissenborn these days, but the GG's are really good and much much cheaper. Available from Elderly and lots of other places. |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 26 Jun 2012 5:21 pm About those thumb picks...............
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I do believe 'the best pick'is merely a matter of personal preference.
I've stumbled around for years with clear Dunlops, Fender and misc. others of varying weights and flexibility.........
SGForumite Dave Kolars steered me to the Golden Gate thumb picks that he found to be really great and allowed me to try it out. It was a perfect fit with a great feel when I first slipped it on but try as I may, he refused to loan, rent, lease, sell or gift me with it.
I had to search all over the country to find a source and finally got a mail order shoppe up in Toledo, WA, to send me a dozen.
I selected the medium weight,CLOWN BARF, multi-colored, pinkish pick. It's a great thumb pick.
You might care to give them a try. |
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2012 6:37 pm
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| Roman Sonnleitner wrote: |
| I like Fred Kelly Slick Picks - they are much smaller, don't protrude so far from the thumb, makes you feel more "connected" to the strings... |
+1
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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Kirk Eipper
From:
Arroyo Grande, Ca.
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Posted 27 Jun 2012 9:00 am
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Herco blue.
_________________
'10 Williams 700 Series SD10 4+5/ '71 Emmons S-10 3+4/ '73 Emmons D-10 8+4/ GK MB 200/ Custom Tommy Huff Cabinets/ Webb 614-E/ Steelseat.com Pak-a-seat/ Magnatone and Fender lap steels/ Cobra Coil bars & Strings/ pod 2.0/ Peterson Tuners/Goodrich V.P./ Boss RV5/Teles and Martins
www.kirkeipper.com |
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John Faulkinbury
From:
Topeka, Kansas
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Posted 27 Jun 2012 9:47 am
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| I just recently switched to Fred Kelly speed picks. I really like them alot. |
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Bob Blair
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 27 Jun 2012 9:57 am
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James I just re-read your first post. Somehow I missed the fact that you had already tried the Golden Gate and found that it did not suit you. Sorry about that.
For pedal steel I used to really like Dunlop mediums, and have only recently switched over to Golden Gates. The Dunlops are a little more compact and usually easy to find - you might like them. For some reason I liked the calico Dunlops the best.
Hercos are great too and I found them comfortable - for some reason though they just did not stay put on my thumb as well. |
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Greg Gefell
From:
Upstate NY
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Jim Newberry
From:
Seattle, Upper Left America
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Posted 27 Jun 2012 12:14 pm
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I've been using the Fred Kelly slick picks and I also like the all-metal Propick (medium).
_________________
"The Masher of Touch and Tone"
-1950 Fender Dual Pro 8
-1950's Fender Dual Pro 6
-Clinesmith D8
-Clinesmith 8-string Frypan
-Clinesmith Joaquin
-~1940 National New Yorker
-~1936 Rickenbacher B6
-Homebuilt Amps |
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Steve Ahola
From:
Concord, California
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Posted 28 Jun 2012 12:51 pm
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| Bob Blair wrote: |
| I really like Golden Gate thumb picks. |
I bought some huge ones a few years ago and cut them down to the size I wanted with a pair of diagonal cutters and sandpaper. When I looked for more all I could find were small ones which were too small for me. I'll have to see what Elderly has.
Meanwhile I have been using the National thumbpicks, starting out with the white ones until I discovered the tortoise shell ones which work much better for me- IMO it is a softer and more resilient plastic. You can get a bag of 12 for about $10 from MF or GC.
Steve Ahola
P.S. Elderly sells 3 different sizes- which do you use? (I think it was the extra-large extra-heavy ones I had before.)
_________________
www.blueguitar.org
Recordings on electric guitar:
http://www.box.net/blue-diamonds
http://www.box.net/the-culprits |
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Joseph Meditz
From:
Sierra Vista, AZ
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Posted 28 Jun 2012 8:53 pm
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I love my cheap and cheerful Dunlop medium thumb picks. I like a pick with a short tongue (Is that what it's called?) and like to have my thumb very close to the strings.
As for a $40 pick all I can say is, "Yikes!" |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 28 Jun 2012 9:30 pm
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My current favs are the "clown barf" colored thumbpicks that Ray M told us about.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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William Hoff
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 29 Jun 2012 3:13 am
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| I agree with Roman, I've gathered about 50 different thumbs picks over the past 40 years and the Slick Pic is my favorite. I use the yellow ones. |
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Peter Jacobs
From:
Northern Virginia
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Robert Allen
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 30 Jun 2012 9:13 am ProPik
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| If a plastic pick is tight enough so it doesn't slip, the end of my thumb gets blue and goes numb. I don't like the sound of a metal thumbpick so the answer was the ProPik. The metal can be bent for an exact comfortable fit and the blade is plastic for the sound I like. I use the same pick for steel, dobro and banjo. |
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James Detloff
From:
Minnesota, USA
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Posted 30 Jun 2012 11:02 am
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Ok...
First off, thanks for all the GREAT suggestions! There's a great little mom & pop store just south of Minneapolis called Homestead Pickin' Parlor. They carry a HUGE variety of thumb picks. I picked up a medium(orange) Slick Pick, a large white National and a large ivoroid Golden Gate. I really like them all! The slick pick is tiny and only fits on the very end of my thumb. The National and Golden Gate are very comfortable and fit my thumb very well. Turns out the first Golden Gate I tried was a "heavy". I'm leaning toward the National though because the plectrum portion of the pick is shorter...helping to create a better sense of connectedness with the strings... much like the slick pick. If the slick pick came in a larger size..it would probably be my fave!
Thanks a lot to all who have posted! Have a great weekend! |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 30 Jun 2012 2:27 pm
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| James Detloff wrote: |
(snip)
I'm leaning toward the National though because the plectrum portion of the pick is shorter...helping to create a better sense of connectedness with the strings... much like the slick pick. |
It's quite common to file on the pick part... in fact, melt, bend, mutilate however you like, to get the feel you like. |
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James Detloff
From:
Minnesota, USA
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Posted 30 Jun 2012 4:24 pm
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| Stephen Cowell wrote: |
| James Detloff wrote: |
(snip)
I'm leaning toward the National though because the plectrum portion of the pick is shorter...helping to create a better sense of connectedness with the strings... much like the slick pick. |
It's quite common to file on the pick part... in fact, melt, bend, mutilate however you like, to get the feel you like. |
Sure...
I might try that at some point. But since the Nationals work well...why bother filing the Golden Gates?  |
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Tim Fowler
From:
Kentucky, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2012 5:21 am
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| I saw that some folks complained of picks being too tight. I am a longtime fingerpicker on guitar and love Fred Kelly's products. What you may not know is that they come in large sizes. This makes a huge difference in your comfort level(and ability to play!) Elderly.com usually has a great selection. I use the speed pick on guitar and slick pick on steel. |
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Joe Snow
From:
Argyle,Texas, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2012 6:13 am
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| I'm another happy user of speed picks. I'm sure they're not for everyone, but I find them very comfortable and accurate. |
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Mike Harris
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2012 6:14 am
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I can't use anything but a John Pearse thumbpick--just right in every way. All the others seem way too big for me.
FWIW, I think Cindy Cashdollar also uses these. But don't trust my memory on that. |
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