straps and pick questions

[jim1966]

I am looking for a strap for my A style. I don't want one that goes around headstock, and don't have heel button. looking for one that goes around heel. i also am looking for pick advise. Do beveled picks make that much of a difference for newbies what are advantages. I also believe i like a more rounded pick as the pointier seems to get hung up for me. Any suggestions?

[billhay4]

A simple rawhide thong will go around the heel and under the fretboard (assuming you have a raised fretboard A) quite nicely and won't rub the finish. Almost any strap will attach to the thong in some way.
Bill

[Mark Gunter]

Hey Jim, just posted this to your question in the newbies group ...

Aside from trying out a whole bunch of picks, cheapest to most expensive, all shapes, sizes, materials and profiles, for free by signing up for the pick sampler I mentioned before -

What you can do about picks is round them yourself to whatever you prefer. I use a fingernail file to do this. Here are just a couple examples of some of my picks.



On the left are pointy JTPix I use alot when I want a brighter tone, they sound great. Next is a white 1.2 Wegen, and I think this is the amount of round they ship with if my memory serves. (OK I can see and remember now, those are two factory corners, and the top right corner on that Wegen I made a slightly more radius). Then the next dark pick in the center is a Primetone that has holes drilled and been rounded to suit. Next is a proplec, and this is the amount of round they ship with. Next is a 40-year-old TS pick that has been rounded off. Finally, a 1.0 Cool pick that I rounded off, it was about as sharp as the JTPix originally.

It's not hard to shape the corners to taste, and also to put a speed bevel using a fingernail file.

My Washburn doesn't have a heel button, so I tie a guitar strap around the heel. I have found guitar straps to work well and to be very comfortable.





But no matter what strap you buy, if you need a way to tie it around the heel you can use leather thong. I just bought 75' of leather thong from Walmart on a roll, for just a few bucks.

My Collings does have a heel button, but I'm showing it here so you can see the tail button.





If you elect to get a soft tab leather mandolin strap, like that one, I'd suggest using leather thong to tie it to the heel. Then, on the tail button, what I've done is used a black wire tie to secure the soft leather strap to the button. Also, I used a piece of leather thong to make a "safety strap".

Hope some of this info is helpful.

[billhay4]

Mark's got it.
Bill

[pops1]

If you are using a regular shaped pick, I just use the rounded part and not the pointy part. No modification necessary. The pointy part will be there should you need it at some point. I find the rounded part doesn't wear like the point does. I have been using a BC and Wegen for years now and not the regular pick anymore, I like the glide of these picks off the strings and they can give me either poing or round.

[Gary Leonard]

The strap tie is a brilliant idea! As my thin strap ages, it is getting a bit loose at the heel.

[Mark Gunter]

I got that tip for using a wire tie on the strap from almeriastrings in a recent thread; the "safety strap" idea was posted by Mike Edgerton and others in that thread. Definitely gives me peace of mind, as the strap's popped off my tail-block button a few times (no bad accidents, thankfully, but no worries at all now).

[Br1ck]

You might like a Wegen Dipper, a largish pick with three different tip shapes, one quite rounded, the others getting more pointed.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I use one of these on my Ellis "A" style. An MS50 style strap,strong,& easily adjustable for length,made by ''Pinegrove Leather'' UK. They're suitable for both A & F style mandolins,
Ivan

https://www.pinegroveleather.com/Mandolin-s/1855.htm

[T.D.Nydn]

I actually had a,nightmare dream last night that I lost my blue chip..anyway,,I think I'll add on a safety strap today,,I've been meaning to do so as I've been getting some pop offs latEly myself..

[Denny Gies]

Mark, nice and informative post. Our community continues to impress me.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yeah, I just tie straps about the heal heal, too, with the string under the fretboard overhang - just like the photos above.

I don't know why, but I find it easier to play mando with a bigger, thicker pick. I've only tried a few - it can be an expensive diversion -
but my favorite so far is Dunlop's Dawg.

Keep on pluckin'!

[wxfloyd]

I use a Long Hollow Leather strap on my Kentucky KM-950, with the loop tied around the neck heal, and it works great (see photo). They have them in brown and black leather.

As far as picks go, its a fairly personal and subjective territory. What works for me may not be at all one works for someone else. I personally like the beveled (or sometimes called "speed") edge picks. I had a pro plec and while it was nice as it was, I ended up filing a bevel on to it, and I like it even better. My personal favorites, though, are the Wegen TF140, Blue Chip CT55, and a Blue Chip TAD1R 60. The TAD1R is nice because it has one rounded edge, so I have the best of both worlds in one pick. I generally use the Blue Chips for louder jams when I need volume and "cut", and use the Wegens for quieter situations.

[mandroid]

FAQ, I have my prior replies in the Archive.. see link in bar below.

[Tim N]

I have to confess to raiding our spare shoe lace box. I platted three long bootlaces , one of which was bright green, leaving enough loose ends to secure to the end pin, whilst the other end, extended with another lace went up to the headstock, which I personally find good. There's a possibility that this temporary measure may become long term because the gauge is just right - nice and light and flexible, although I appreciate some people might be horrified... I certainly like the look of some of those slim leather ones. Guitar straps seem to me rather over the top for a light little folk mandolin like mine, but I guess there are heavier instruments. Don't know much about picks.....

[sbhikes]

I bought 3/8" latigo leather straps from a sandal-maker and fashioned a strap for my mandolin. I really prefer a thin strap. It fits better in my case (which is a tight fit with little extra space to store things) and it feels like it wears better on my body. The sandal-maker is Luna Sandals. (I had enough strap leftover to still make a pair of sandals.)

For picks I like the Dunlop Primetone copies of the blue-chip picks. They work great. I like the pointy ones but they do make some rounded ones. I found that using the rounded ones for a while helped me not get the pointed ones "stuck" and "tangled" in the strings as much. So I will go back and forth.