Ever try a thumbpick?

[billbailey]

A few years ago I ran my right index finger through a tablesaw.

Lots of meat, control and feeling were lost. After a bit of surgery and some pretty weird rehab exercises, my finger is fine. Toward the end of the long recovery I couldn't hold a pick very well---and eventually I tried an ancient thumbpick that I found in the bottom of an old guitar case.

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I'm sure not trying to advocate for thumbpicks! (these days I mostly use a Wegen's 150), but they can have a role if find you are having trouble hanging on to a traditional pick. An older pal of mine now uses one all the time. At the very least it's an interesting feeling, rehab technique, whatever.

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At the time I kinda liked the 'Bumblebee' and 'Propick'---and learned to microwave plain old Dunlap and Nationals to reshape them to fit my thumb and bend them for mandolin use. Filed a few, too.

Here's a bunch of thumbpicks to noodle (just a thought): http://littlebrotherblues.com/Gear/Thumbpicks/index.html

Bill Bailey
http://www.thebaileystrap.com/

[Spruce]

Dump that thing!
(The tablesaw that is...)
Sorry for your loss....

For inspiration, try searching on YouTube for some Ry Cooder-on-mandolin videos....
He's been known to use a thumbpick on his F4...
Here's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSpKLgwcXD8&NR=1) one....

[Bob A]

Got my Dad a thumbpick for his mandolin when arthritis got so he couldn't hang on to a regular pick.
Might have to rework the tip a bit.

[John Flynn]

I've tried the Herco Flatpick/Thumbpick when I was having some temporary grip strength issues. I liked 'em well enough. As the name suggests, they are like a combination of a flatpick and a thumbpick. Elderly sells 'em.

[Jan Ellefsen]

Radim Zenkl has a very impressive technique, playing tremolo with a thumbpick and playing solo with fingerpicks at the same time

[Mattg]

I had one that was shaped like a regular guitar pick but it also had the loop attached to it. I was not as narrow as a regular thumb pick.

I just googled "teardrop thumb pick" and it took me to Elderly who had a bunch of different styles.

[Pastor Bill Pawlyshyn]

Bill
from a fellow "tim the tool man taylor" - first two digits on my right hand - so I can't play left handed anymore. . . . but I have used the thumb pick for guitar and banjo (just starting Mando's) have had little problems. also use a bit of boiling water (you can hold the pick with a fork and dip till soft - much better softening control. The microwaves tend to "crisp up' plastic too readily. Also, I generally play my string instruments without a pick, and the thumb pick seemed to just 'fit' my style of play.

[GRW3]

You guys might look at some Fred Kelly (I think that's right) thumb picks. His have a little more of a traditional pick shape and come in a couple of types of plastic. He also makes one called the Speed Pick that has a little tiny plectrum sticking out that you can adjust to the length you want. I wouldn't use it except for electric or jazz type things.

[PhilTod]

Another "worth a try" for the Herco thumb/flatpicks. They actually have holes in the flatpick part which could also help with grip. As a tinkerer, I was thinking the other day about digging one out, cutting off the thumb wrap and trying it as just a flatpick. May just go do that......

[mrmando]

I use the Herco for tenor guitar playing. It just seems to work better than any standard pick I've tried, for some reason. But I use standard picks on all my other instruments.

[epicentre]

Yes;

When first starting out I used a Herco extra-heavy (flatpick/thumbpick), as I was used to playing guitar with a thumbpick.

This led to trouble with tremolo, so I bought some ProPlec 1.5's and made myself use them.

Still..........sometimes..........I miss the thumbpick:(

Sorry about your accident.

Epi

[cudofcow]

I use a metal Dunlop thumbpick all the time, it's a metal pick so it has a really nice sound on the strings. I find that i can pick a lot faster and with more control with a thumbpick and it brings out the high end sound of the strings. I dont understand why more people dont use thumbpicks.

I noticed that Bluechip makes thumb picks, anyone try them out?

[EdSherry]

Another vote for the Fred Kelly "speed pick" thumbpicks.

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PK24-H.htm

(NFI.)

You can use them as a regular thumbpick, or wear the pick on your thumb and "pinch" it with your index finger to use it like a regular flatpick. I use them regularly on guitar for "hybrid picking" (a mixture of fingerstyle and flatpicking).

That said, I haven't used them much on mandolin or mando-family instruments ('dola, OM, cittern, zouk).

I tried the Hercos, but they didn't work well for me.

[barney 59]

Bob Artis plays or at least he used to with a thumbpick. I have a bit of an arthritic situation that I'm developing myself and I do finger pick the guitar so I have tried using a thumbpick. I find that it works pretty well for me playing melody lines but chording hasn't worked out at all. I can't seem to find the proper angle and they only work for me so far in one direction. I've tried about every thumbpick that I've come across.
I've tried the microwave and ended up with these beautiful butterflies but no pick!