Three observations, if I may. 1. I have never been able to use a thumbpick as it throws my rhythm and timing off. I think it's because of the angle of the thumb to the strings. When fingerpicking, my thumb is at an angle of about 30 or 40 degrees to the strings, with a thumbpick, your thumb has to be as close to parallel as possible so that the pointed part makes contact. 2. Yes, a thumbpick gives more volume, punch and precision to the low strings, but there is also a definite disparity between the softly fingerpicked upper strings and the snappy, clicky sound of the thumbpick. I think it depends on the type of song and also when ensemble playing, maybe you need that sharpness of the thumbpick to cut through. 3. After listening to your demonstration, playing with thumbpicks and plectrums, the sweetest sound that came out of your Gibson today was that little vignette at the end, played with fingers, beautiful. Just my opinion. Thanks for all your tips and suggestions.
Great observation it does show there is a place for every style and there is no wrong or right. I do use both methods when I play. My comfort zone… playing with just my fingers😀
Good discussion on picks. Picks have driven me nuts throughout the years and I have finally settled on ProPik picks for my thumb and 1st and 2nd fingers. Because they are metal you can squeeze together the prongs and make them smaller or wider. But even with this I have to line the thumb pick pad section with duct tape so it doesn’t slide around. Use #897 I guess!
I tried the metal pick but could not adapt to the sound of them. I did a quick look at their website just now. I did not know they made one with a plastic looking blade. I will have to check that out. Thanks for the comment and listening in😀
@@guitarnotions , oh no I’m not going with any fake nails. Mays I’ll try a nail hardener. I know a guy the cuts ping pong balls up and puts them under his nails. Never tried that either.
I’m going to check out the style pick you’re using. I always want to try finger picks, but they seem to awkward and large for my girly hands, so I always feel like I’d be wasting my money and never bother trying them. The thumb pick you prefer seems like a style I could get used to with some practice. We seem to have similar hand builds from what I can tell - average palm with stubby fingers, lol. What about picks for your other fingers? Or do you not bother with those? They also seem highly large and/or awkward to me. Some even look rather painful and torturous to wear. Ouch! I will check out those sticky Moose picks too for super fast picking. That plastic click drives me batty when I use a very thin gauge. Some people love the click as a percussion, but for me, it’s a distraction that takes away from the music . . . and makes a racket that gives me a headache, lol. Most of the time, I use .96 and 1.14 Dunlop Gator Grips or those Medium tortoise looking picks depending on what I’m playing. I also like the Acoustik Attak brand Stealth XL picks when I need a pointy pick. They are extremely comfortable for my “hitchhiker’s thumb” and last a crazy long time (a single pick has lasted me 6 months and another one started to show noticeable wear after using it for over a year!). The Acoustik Attak brand also makes some very unusual types of picks with various bumps and ridges that are fun to experiment with on both acoustic and electric stringed instruments. I highly recommend trying a sample pack with these unusual pick styles because they all produce unique tones. My favorite one makes a 6 string sound like a 12 string, but each style produces its own cool tone sorcery, lol. Thanks again for the thumb pick tip! 😊
I tried the attak picks. I could not get use to the feel. 😀 Word of warning on StickyMoose - the carbon picks are painfully expensive! Almost $5 each. Also there shipping habits are super slow! But I like the picks. 😀
I gave up trying thumb picks about 50 years ago. I regret not sticking with it at the time as a lot of players I like use then e.g. Gary Davis, Muddy Waters, Hound Dog Taylor, Chet and Tommy.
I have to order whole grosses of the Fred Kellys cause nobody sells them in my area. I can't even get 12s with a wound g for my archtop. Ive been stuck on the slick picks for years now.
@guitarnotions I usually just order them directly from F.K. I should order some different guages and stuff. I bought heavy ones and I have to file them down so they're not so thick
I’ve tried several Thumb Picks and I’ve never found one that feels natural. They throw off my fingers. I have a hard time keeps nails playing finger style. I’ve tried finger picks also and just don’t have the control. Yeah it can drive a player nuts finding the right thumb pick.
That reminds me, lots of players are going to acrylic nails. I worked in a hospital and fake nails are against policy (they breed germs and become a fomite) so I never tried it. Now I don't think I could adjust to it. Have you tried acrylics?
@@guitarnotions my dad was one of the greatest Travis style finger pickers you could ever find. Kept his ring and middle finger nails slightly longer than than the others. ( On the right hand). They were hard as steel. Guess he was just lucky that way.
