In which I explain about aLaska Piks. These are made of plastic, which I prefer for nylon-stringed instruments. emkeev.com / emkeevmusic www.alaskapik.com/
Thank you Em. I'm a classical player and I have tried all the tricks as emergency nail repairs: ping-pong balls, cut-up yogurt pots... I also play jazz and I like to play with fingers for a more rhythmic articulation but the finger lacks the 'poke' of a plectrum. I think these will be a great solution. I may just use them for practising at least to preserve the nail. Best wishes from Scotland, Dan
I just saw these on a website and wanted to know what they were about - and your video was perfect - thank you very much! Alaska Picks should send u a check
Great video thanks . . . I have a set and I am embarresed to say I never even thought of doing a made- to- measure approach of using them, great ideas, cheers ....nice playing at the end too :-)
Super! This is the first I have heard of Alaska piks. So you can pick/pluck with them (contract your fingers), but how does it work when you strum? And clawhammer style?
Hi, thanks for that nice tutorial. As I have cut my nails off a few days ago after breaking I am still looking for a good way to give the tone more strength. I think I'll give it a try...
Thanks, that was very helpful. Mine came without instructions, so; I was ready to give up on them. So, this looks like it will solve my problem ( felt clunky and couldn't feel when I plucked). Kind regards, Hooch
I'm not a spokesmen either ...and I think these picks are wonderful....yet you do have to work em....they stung my fingers after about 20 mins......She's right....they're really tight......I sanded the outer edges round and thinned out the material around the edges to to take the tension out of em...I have taken the tension out of em so much they wont stay on my finger....that's were the elastic black tape comes in hand....I didn't file the ends at all...I found that it was fine stock ...you may disagree. These things aren't picks....THEIR WEAPONS!...you can really go after it with these things.....I so wish I had bought em earlier....they have without a doubt TOTALLY changed how I play....I've only been this connected to my guitar with fake nails.....I just can't say enough as to how happy I am with this product...there not expensive and if you do any kind of finger picking at all and your nails are a bit of a issue and you have problems playing bare fingered like I do....You owe it to yourself to try these out.....
If I am just jamming at home, I usually skip the piks and use my nails. I know what I am playing and if a note buzzes or doesn't sound as loudly it doesn't matter. If I am playing for anyone else, a video, or really want a true sounds, I use these piks because then it makes all fingers consistent in sound. Finally found a happy medium where I can have my nail decently long to still finger style play, but not so long I look like a vampire. Doesn't take too much nail for the alaskapik to get grounded.
hello, nice video..i have some qns bout the picks. 1. the qn. soooopersam asked, do these wear off after a while playing on steel strings? 2. whats the pick size you are using? 3.does it serve good on the thumb 4.does it come as a set or we've to purchase individually? 5. is it good for strumming? (maybe with index) Im a beginner on classical gtr..i find it hard to maintain long filed nails and the edge line over the nail plate is receeding :(
Hi, nice infos and really nice playing at the end of the video ;-) Just one question: is there a specific Thumb alaska pik or you just use an XL generic pick fitting your thumb?
I just got my picks like 2 days ago and this tutorial was helpful. But I have a few questions. Is there any exercises that can help me better pluck the strings? Or should I just keep playing and then ill get better with these picks ? Why don't most people use the pinky when playing finger style ? I'm trying to play with my pinky to make things easier but I've seen it's not to common.
Definitely use nails if you can. Like she said, nails do sound better... Alaska piks are for people who are unable to use nails, for whatever reason. I have very thin nails that tend to break even after applying a hardener and they have a slight downward hook making it tricky to get a clear tone. Alaska piks solved that problem. Alaskas tend to have a louder, less dynamic sound than natural nails but its a pretty darn close analog.
This is awesome...I've been thinking about buying some myself because I'm teaching myself fingerstyle. One question I have: what instrument are you playing? That sounds awesome!
If anyone's interested in seeing how alaska pik's sound compares to using fingernails, I made a video on my channel with a side-by-side comparison between the two.
For me these picks have been totally useless ! , if you tend to use a hard attack when playing fingerstyle , these are not for you , they have lasted me a week . I am now waiting for a set of Fred Kelly Freedom picks , I do hope these will work out better than the Alaska picks,.........at least stay on your damn fingers
Excellent advice. Thank you. I have used Fred Kelly Freedom Picks for bashing out a big racket but for half-decent playing these Alaskas are the only ones for me, along with the Black Mountain thumb picks. Perhaps a little modification will make them even better. Got to be worth a go.
Thanks! I just got an electric 12-string and my fingernails aren't a realistic option. Currently mucking about with plastic banjo picks but that's less than ideal. Will give these a shot.
I bought a set of these. Tried to order to appropriate size, but they are tiny! So I have a set here for pixie hands. I need XLs for every finger except little finger, and it needs an L. Actually my Thumb could use an XXL. But I've spent all I care to right now on these, so will have to wait a bit.
Anybody who watches this, if you want my advice, order large if you have medium sized fingers, not too big, not too small, because i ordered medium and the things were microscopic... im 19 years old so my fingers are not big, but not small either. I had to file them for hours in order to make them fit in my fingers..
Are these probably the closest thing I can find to a softer fingerpick most all the guitar shops sell very bulky thick type of finger pic that is I just don't care for
Ohh and I got a pick like that for my thumb too. I noticed most play with the thumb pick that has the pick sticking out from the side because its easier. Should I just play with the one I have now or should I buy the more common one to make things easier. I've had to position my hand only because I use the same pick. That might be a reason for the scrape sound I make. And thanks a lot for taking the time to answer my questions. I'm a beginner so I'm really curious.
Well i tried wearing the pik's without cutting them to size and they fit fine but although were tight, now i have cut them like you showed they are too loose to fit at all... now i'm wondering are they worth the fuss because i live in England and i got these from America, took them like a week and 2 days to get here, now they're basically ruined, would it be better to just use fingernails?
I have like three more questions. What instrument is that ? It's really cool. And do I file the inside of the pick to get rid of the scrape sound ? How would that work exactly ? And is there a certain way to position your hand ? I think one of the reasons I make the scrape sound is because my hand is angled wrong so I scrape the strings.
The chance of you messing up is pretty low though. All you have to do is cut that middle part and file. All you need you need to worry about is filing too much. Other than that you have nothing to worry about. Just cut it :) It'll be more comfortable.
thanx so much for posting this. will these stay on while strumming back & forth like u would a regular pick while playing rhythm? r the mediums what the sizing guide said to use for ur size?
i see.. do you know where i can get them ? i live in MN not sure if you do lol but i went to a Guitar center in Maple Grove, but they dont have any ;/ do just have to buy it online?
Thank you! I've been looking for something like this for years. I never knew they existed. I'm going to order some and shape them the way you recommend. Thank you so much for making this video!
because you put it under the nails, aren't there some risks of maybe breaking/flipping your fingernail if little force was applied from the bottom side??
Sungho Yoon- When torque is in the [A] vector, the velocity that is crucial to string vibration has been exponentially factored to level (B). As you triumvate through (C), there will be a ratio of diminishing returns relative to the inverse square of its sum. Do not look to cosmic interference when assessing root cause analysis. Additionally, force {T} can often be accentuated by virtue of gravity (g) and Thumb Torque (TT), which can vary between multipliers of 3 through 7 depending on your pick attack force (paf).
These picks revolutionized my playing....I modified my GREATLY....I use electrical tape to secure them to my fingers....I sanded em smooth....and took out all the tension.....OR THEY HURT.....I should make a video....these picks do take some work....OH DID I SAY REVOLUTIONIZED MY PLAYING.....they really did.....They really are a dream come true!
Nice demonstration of how to custom fit the Alaska picks. They have not been my preferred pick ... I lean toward the fingerpad type, Dunlap brass in particular. Still, an excellent tutorial ... I may even pull my old ones out of storage and see what I come up with.
Good video, Em, and thanks for making it. But why do you cut a notch in the middle band of each pick? Doesn't that cause them to lose their shape and loosen up more quickly than they otherwise would?
Nice Video. I have a question. The instructions that come with these picks say, "...To match the curvature of the user's flesh under the nail area file on the backside...This adds security..." One what curve are they trying to create. Two, what security? Thanks again. Michael
I have damage to my index finger nail and I won't be able to slip it 'under' the nail. will this pic still work for me? I play uke and guitar. Strumming either I just don't get the volume I should so I thought I'd try these.
There's actually an easier way to do this without having to cut them out but you're going to have to spend a little bit of money. I normally don't use finger or thumbpicks but when I hurt my finger I had to use Dunlops (didn't know about the Alaska's then.) Tried the Fred Kelly Freedom Picks but they didn't work for me. You have to go to a hardware store that sells long sockets (unless you find a Snap-On truck in your travels.) You find the deep (long) sockets that are as close to the size of your fingers as you can get. Also get a long extension shaft to put the socket on so you don't burn yourself. Next you'll need a heat shrink gun. You don't need to turn it up too much, just enough to soften the plastic until it opens up to the size of the socket. Place the socket on the extension driver and the pick over the socket and start heating up the pick, it should only take a few seconds and as soon as you see it open up turn off the heat gun and let the pick harden around the socket. It should fit perfect. At least it did for me.
Thanks for this video; it's pretty useful. I bought some but I must have taken them too small (S and M) because the tip of my fingers keeps turning blue after a while! I should try the L size. Strange because my fingers are not thick at all...
Today ı found out that alaska piks(m size) are not for people with fatty fingers. Like me... Plastics don't fit. Especcially my thumb and those piks are having serious issues. And the sad part is I've ordered them from Turkey. Now i have to order again... But brass picks seems they're gonna be okay. I'll try to adjust them, try not to mess them up and write the results for all internet-guitar nerds who're interested in those piks.
Good video, Em. Pretty good picking, too. Get some safety glasses. ;-) You might also want to look at the Xuron 2175 Maxi-Shear™ Flush Cutter. It's supposed to cut soft wire up to 12 AWG (2mm), so might work okay on the plastic, and be able to get into small spaces. I think it was on your recommendation (and maybe some good reviews on the Steel Guitar Forum) that I bought some Fred Kelly Freedom picks, too. I'm not much into fingerpicking, but with a lap steel guitar in my collection, I wanted to try them. Keep up the good work.
thanks Em ( is that Emily? ) that was a great tutorial... btw... I couldn't believe watching you .. you are a twin ( looking and sounding like ) for my grand daughter whose name is Emily and plays classical as well.. oh my... :-)
Thanks for the review. But what I'm about to ask is not about the picks. lol. This is kind of a long shot. Where can I get/ buy the Catedral de los pajaros ukulele tab? I've been searching high and low to no avail.
