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Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | Has anyone tried one of these? Do they work???
Thumb/Flat Pick |
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Posts: 338
Location: Toronto | I've never tried one - it says though - it can be used for the banjo as well. Wonder if anyone has tried it on the banjo...
I get a hard time from my pickin' friends cause I insist on using a metal thumbpick - while they all swear by the plastic wraps...
Wonder what they would think of this!! |
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Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | ..Don't you get the metal-to-wound string scratchiness with the metal thumbpick?
I use the National plastic wrap thumbpick and the AlaskaPik Brass fingerpicks for Banjo and the AlaskaPik plastis for guitar.... |
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Posts: 338
Location: Toronto | Hey Tim, you would think, but for some reason (mostly laziness I suppose), I get the scratch with the plastic... I hold my hand at an awkward angle that results in my rubbing the side of the plastic thumbpick with the string - resulting in a nasty sound and a quickly worn pick. I do that with the metal pick as well - but the effect isn't as noticable...
Easier to switch the pick then to focus on technique... And one day - someone will emulate my style and maybe even name that tone after me!
Or maybe not??
Dano |
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Posts: 295
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | I haven't tried one, but I don't think it would work for me in terms of being able to flat-pick single notes at high speed. I use Jim Dunlop Jazz III picks (very stiff), and use up-and-down strokes (except when moving to another string, as in the style of Joe Pass).
I would venture to say I used a rather unorthodox method to develop my picking speed. Years ago I took the handle off one of my kitchen cupboard doors and taped it to the top of my solid-body electric (a Hagstrom Super Swede I named Liv, after that Swedish actress I love, Liv Ullman). I used the handle as a rest for my picking hand and, after playing like that for a long time, I "weaned" myself off it, and can now flat-pick at high speed with my hand just floating over the guitar. In fact, I can pick fast runs with my whole arm floating over the guitar (no contact whatsoever).
It's a bit tougher when even your arm isn't resting on the guitar, so I do tend to rest my arm on the guitar for support, but I noticed that, when no part of my arm is touching, the (acoustic) guitar sound opens up more - presumably the arm resting on the guitar has a bit of a damping effect. |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ....hmmmmm... Dano, I do that too, but I get the scratchies with the metal... go figure,,, probably a genetic thang (or is it a banjo thang?) :confused: ...although some here would argue (probably rightfully so) that any banjoist is genetically challenged to begin with... :D |
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Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Tim, medical researchers have recently identified the "bangene," which you probably inherited. |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | kewl! Now I have another excuse!!! Thank You!! :D :D
....add that to the genes that cause overeating, drinking, inattention, social offences, ...none of it is my fault! Huzzahh!! :rolleyes: |
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Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | When it comes to nature versus nurture, always blame nature! |
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Location: Toronto | :D I think I have an underdeveloped banjene, which, I suspose, explains why my fiddle sounds so much like Ned Beattie in Deliverance - ""squeeeeeal"" |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ...it wasn't the "banjene" causing Ned's sqeeeeeal... it was Uncle Otto :eek: :eek: |
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Location: Toronto | that movie answered so many questions!! |
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Location: Scotland | The Guptill "fingertone" fingerpicks are pretty cool, but their thumbpicks are horrible. There's a few of these hybrid thumb/flatpicks around, including Fred Kelly & Herco. I used the Herco versions for a decade until I decided I prefered the feel & sound of flesh & nails.
http://www.fredkellyspicks.com/
http://www.suncreekmusic.com/product_info.php/products_id/390
The first person I saw do this was Guy Clark back in the early 80's, who would cut down a regular thumbpick & rivet a flatpick onto it. It's a nice idea & it works depending on your playing style. Sonny Landreth uses Herco flat/thumbpicks. |
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Thumb/Flat Pick??