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Author
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Topic: picks: metal or plastic?
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Nate LaPointe
Member From: Los Angeles, California, USA
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posted 21 October 2003 11:52 AM
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Anybody have any thoughts about using metal vs. plastic picks? |
Erv Niehaus
Member From: Litchfield, MN, USA
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posted 21 October 2003 01:28 PM
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I prefer a plastic thumb pick and metal finger picks. When I used to play a lot of lap steel, I used plastic finger picks. They were somewhat "mellower" than the metal ones.
Usually, you don't want the bass to overpower the treble and that is the reason for the plastic thumbpick.
Erv |
Dale Bessant
Member From: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
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posted 22 October 2003 04:42 PM
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Welcome to the Forum Nate and Hello from Canada,I think you'll find that the "norm" for most players will be plastic for the thumbs and metal for the fingers...I file the plastic thumb picks down a little to "customize" them and after I shape the metal ones to my liking, I use different colored nail polish on the inside of the finger picks to instantly tell them apart and if you put them on just before the nail polish has completely dried and use them for a while they will imprint your finger prints on the inside of them and they tend to stay on better when you get movin' real fast....try it,it may work for you too!..  |
Nate LaPointe
Member From: Los Angeles, California, USA
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posted 23 October 2003 09:49 AM
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Thanks you guys. I'll try your nail polish idea. |
C Dixon
Member From: Duluth, GA USA
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posted 23 October 2003 10:49 AM
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megga dittos Dale,carl |
Ernest Cawby
Member From: Lake City, Florida, USA
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posted 23 October 2003 05:26 PM
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I use nail polish on all my picks and they do not move around nor slide off. Found this idea on the forum.ernie |
Uwe Haegg
Member From: Hilleroed, Denmark
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posted 24 October 2003 04:22 AM
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I was just wondering.
How come nobody uses a metal thumb pick?
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Erv Niehaus
Member From: Litchfield, MN, USA
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posted 24 October 2003 07:41 AM
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The reasons I don't use a metal thumb pick is because I don't want the bass strings as pronounced as the treble strings. The tone produced by a plastic pick will not be as penetrating as with a metal pick. Also, the metal thumb pick will be noisier on the wound, bass strings as compared to a plastic pick.
Erv |
David Doggett
Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 24 October 2003 10:24 AM
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I use a metal thumb pick. I started out playing acoustic folk blues and bluegrass and country Dobro with thumb and three fingers. I needed all metal picks for volume. When I added lap and pedal steel, I still swapped back and forth between Dobro and steel, and didn't want to have to change picks. So I learned steel from the beginning with a metal thumb pick and three finger picks. You learn to balance your upper string-lower string harmony no matter what picks you use. However, I do like an .0115 or an .012 on my E9 3rd string to keep it from being too thin sounding. |
Dale Bessant
Member From: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
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posted 24 October 2003 10:35 AM
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I use a plastic thumb pick for 2 reasons.1. I dont hit the strings with the thumb squarely and therefore I can heat the plastic thumb pick and angle it correctly, and,
2. It's noisy and louder and wears out my strings as per the problem in 1.... [This message was edited by Dale Bessant on 24 October 2003 at 10:37 AM.] |
Damir Besic
Member From: La Vergne,TN
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posted 25 October 2003 07:47 AM
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metal thumb pick doesn`t sound as clear and sharp as the plastic one.I noticed that playing banjo,I tried it but because of the above mentioned reason never liked it.------------------
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