Matt Allen - Posted - 12/08/2017:  09:09:17

I know it’s been done here before, but I’m going to ask anyways.

What pick would you say feels the most natural, sounds like a nail, and still increases volume?

I have to keep my nails short for taekwondo. I have been using an upside down bluegrass pick, but it sound so metallic. What would you say is the solution? I Freedom pick or perhaps a Alaska pick?

KingStudent - Posted - 12/08/2017:  09:36:53

I tried every imaginable thing, and then these appeared.  I think they're perfect.

mbanza - Posted - 12/08/2017:  09:45:25

I use a plastic milk jug handle. Cut it off, push your finger in from the bigger end until snug, mark, trim, and smooth out roughness.

Dan Gellert - Posted - 12/08/2017:  09:56:22

quote:

---

Originally posted by mbanza

I use a plastic milk jug handle. Cut it off, push your finger in from the bigger end until snug, mark, trim, and smooth out roughness.

---

cool idea. got to try that

banjofool469 - Posted - 12/08/2017:  10:05:50

I've tried many, many different picks for clawhammer. I finally settled in on Rico Guitar Nails ricoguitarnails.com. They are basically an artificial nail stuck on with a glue dot. It produces the most natural sound of anything I've tried. Cheers, Jim

Neil Allen - Posted - 12/08/2017:  10:09:38

There are many solutions. Here is one.

Dan Gellert - Posted - 12/08/2017:  10:18:13

I have found Alaska Picks completely useless. Freedom picks would be pretty good, IF only I could get one to fit me comfortably....

I like Joel Hooks' thimble, also the "Atomic Claw Pick", a simpler 19th-c. thimble design which I don't think is being made any more, but could be fairly easily home made out of sheet brass.

The photo shows how I modify a standard Dunlop pick into a banjo thimble. I have tried gluing an acrylic false nail onto one of those, which does give it a bit more natural tone. The ProPik which KingStudent recommends has a double wrap, which ought to make it fit better than my Dunlop. I ought to give that one a try.

fingerpick-thimble

 

R. Blakeslee Gilpin - Posted - 12/08/2017:  10:53:29

Dan,
If you don't mind me asking, have you always used a pic? I've probably spent as much time listening to you as anyone and am thrilled to hear your muscle-y tone is not impeded by such a device.

74rider - Posted - 12/08/2017:  11:25:18

I have one of these. Takes a while to get used to but the sound is awesome.

perfecttouchpicks.com/clawhamm...icks.html

llrevis - Posted - 12/08/2017:  11:33:33

I use a sterling silver clawhammer thimble made by John Ellington of Ontario Canada. He is a BHO member and has a website. It made specifically to the measurements of my fingers. It feels natural and gives me the loudness and tone that I want. They are not cheap but worth it in MHO.

Dan Gellert - Posted - 12/08/2017:  12:17:29

============================

I much prefer my own nails, but you never know when one will break on you.

A glued-on acrylic nail is functionally the best alternative, but not something I like to do very often, as they kind of mess my real ones up. If my nails aren't in good playing order, AND I'm fixing to perform, record, or go somewhere I'll be playing a bunch of banjo for at least a couple of days, I'll stick one (or two) on.



The pick is an easier, more temporary fix, but for me not nearly as good.



Much of my interest in clawhammer picks comes from teaching. Most of my students either can't or won't keep their nail(s) at playing length, so selecting and fitting a suitable pick is an integral part of learning the mechanics of the style.

Edited by - Dan Gellert on 12/08/2017 12:19:57

old engraver - Posted - 12/08/2017:  12:28:46

I like the Delron Kelly freedom pick . They took a little trial and error to find the right position.
Charlie

George Flink - Posted - 12/08/2017:  13:11:41

I also use RICO nails. I use both index and middle for clawhammer and picks often clack together. I also use the edge of my middle finger for playing banjo uke and picks don't have the right shape for me to do this.

Kimerer - Posted - 12/08/2017:  16:51:55

I have a couple of Joel Hook's thimbles. They sound nice, but I have trouble keeping them on my finger. After a few strokes, they work themselves off and go flying. If I can figure out how to keep them on, I would use them.

wsharp - Posted - 12/09/2017:  18:44:03

I use double-sided duct tape on the inside of the thimble. On the back of the playing surface. It lasts for a long time before you have to change the tape and it keeps it right where I want it.

Kimerer - Posted - 12/09/2017:  19:38:11

I did not know that such a thing exists. I will take a look.

Thanks

JKabilly - Posted - 12/10/2017:  02:42:01

What about a plastic finger pick?

Dan Gellert - Posted - 12/10/2017:  13:22:59

quote:

---

Originally posted by JKabilly

What about a plastic finger pick?

---

Great idea, if you can find one big enough and can re-shape it to work right.  I think that is what Riley Baugus uses.

a4naught - Posted - 12/10/2017:  18:18:56

Like many of your students, I cannot have long nails, and even if they grow, they are too thin and I find they are really too tender to bang them off the strings. Like Kimerer, I've found the Joel Hook's thimble to work great for me. I got the brass as well as the aluminum, but the aluminum feels like you are shaving off aluminum dust with each stroke (and you are, from the black marks on either side of the head), sort of gravelly. The brass is nice and smooth and no dust. I manages to crimp it down enough so it doesn't fly off but doesn't crush my finger, but still adjustable. Very secure, even though they don't seem like they would be.

Tried the Freedom but so far can't manage to get it loose enough to not squeeze the living hell out of my finger and dig into my cuticle. Great idea, but execution for me isn't great. A reversed straightened propik worked too before I got the thimble, but the thimble gives a LOT more surface to hit.

a4naught - Posted - 12/10/2017:  18:19:55

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kimerer

I have a couple of Joel Hook's thimbles. They sound nice, but I have trouble keeping them on my finger. After a few strokes, they work themselves off and go flying. If I can figure out how to keep them on, I would use them.

---

Have you tried a little double stick tape under the back?

clawhammerist - Posted - 12/12/2017:  14:35:49

Not yet mentioned, and my personal favorite for whenever I have broken my preferred natural nail as well as the option that I recommend to those unable or unwilling to grow natural nails, is the Ernie Ball Picky Pick. Reversed from the up-picking orientation and mostly straightened out so that it can be pulled way back on the fingertip, it has the light weight and adjustability advantages of the Dunlop-style bluegrass picks (which for me beat the clumsy, bulky plastic picks) with far less grating metal-against-metal sound due to its comparatively tiny striking surface.

dbrooks - Posted - 12/12/2017:  14:46:51

I am a fan of the Fred Kelly Freedom Picks, especially the white ones (Delrin?). They do run small so I have had to get a larger size. I also have found that I sometimes need to use an emery board to smooth the inside of the pick where it meets my cuticle. At home I use my fingernail, but at our weekly contra dances, I use the pick. two-and-a-half hours last night with good tone and volume and no wear and tear on my fingernail.

David

tucsonsean - Posted - 12/12/2017:  18:46:24

I've tried many of the alternatives mentioned here, as well as a sitar pick (which actually works quite well). If I had to narrow it down to my four favorites, in descending order:



1. Fred Kelly Delrin Freedom Pick (I sometimes use the Poly version, which is clear and invisible on your finger, which is also cool--just don't drop it then try to find it);



2. Joel Hooks' brass thimble (I'm still working on keeping it in place while I play, though);



3. Brass Pro-Pik (the standard pick, bent and filed to suit);



4. Ernie Ball Picky-Pik (for the reasons Adam mentions above; you can also bend the very tip of it into a hook so the tip goes under your nail).

Edited by - tucsonsean on 12/12/2017 18:48:10

Briarpicker - Posted - 12/30/2017:  22:31:00

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kimerer

I have a couple of Joel Hook's thimbles. They sound nice, but I have trouble keeping them on my finger. After a few strokes, they work themselves off and go flying. If I can figure out how to keep them on, I would use them.

---

A solution that works for me with Joel Hook's thimbles: Clarinet players use black rubber pads on their mouthpieces, they are self-adhesive on one side. I cut out a small piece and stick it inside the thimble. The friction of the rubber on the fingernail helps to keep the thimble at it's place.

Viper - Posted - 01/17/2018:  08:20:51

I've tried a few of these picks in the past, but I was inspired to try out a couple more. I prefer my natural nail, but every once in a while I need a pick when I clip my nails too short. I decided to put together a little review of the ones I've tried. Check it out on my blog: The Glory-Beaming Banjo.

I hope it's helpful to some of you trying to decide on what to try. And thanks for the inspiration!

Dave likes pies - Posted - 01/17/2018:  12:57:39

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kimerer

I have a couple of Joel Hook's thimbles. They sound nice, but I have trouble keeping them on my finger. After a few strokes, they work themselves off and go flying. If I can figure out how to keep them on, I would use them.

---

Lick your finger before you put the pick on and it will stick like glue

mbuk06 - Posted - 01/17/2018:  13:05:25

I don't choose to use a pick but I carry a stop-gap 'fix' in my banjo case for when my natural nail breaks or wears down to soreness that for me is the closest in feel and tone to my natural nail.



It's an acrylic nail shaped to match my natural nail exactly and attached with a removable glue dot and further anchored by a few winds of surgical tape at the cuticle end. The individual bits are all cheaply and easily available from a pharmacy. Attaching the nail takes about a minute, it's solid and reliable and easily removed and reusable.



I use it in 'emergencies' but there's no practical reason not to use it as a default pick option. And the one big advantage is that because it's temporary it doesn't involve any artificial nail process that could potentially damage your natural nail.

Edited by - mbuk06 on 01/17/2018 13:07:37

Northl - Posted - 01/17/2018:  13:25:55

This post helped me today. I has forgotten about having a pick. My finger is sore and I was trying to use a different finger. My Propik works great. It does not slip or rock around, very natural. I will use it when finger is sore from now on. What a great pick!

Kimerer - Posted - 01/17/2018:  18:53:55

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dave likes pies

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kimerer

I have a couple of Joel Hook's thimbles. They sound nice, but I have trouble keeping them on my finger. After a few strokes, they work themselves off and go flying. If I can figure out how to keep them on, I would use them.

---

Lick your finger before you put the pick on and it will stick like glue

---

I had not thought of using spit. Spit can fix a lot of things. I will give spit a try.

Given that we stretch a dead animal across the hoop.....  grease up the strings with oil from the side of our nose... or behind the ear.... and then we stick the picks on with spit...... I guess a banjo is a pretty organic instrument.

Briarpicker - Posted - 01/20/2018:  07:19:57

quote:

---

Originally posted by clawhammerist

Not yet mentioned, and my personal favorite for whenever I have broken my preferred natural nail as well as the option that I recommend to those unable or unwilling to grow natural nails, is the Ernie Ball Picky Pick. Reversed from the up-picking orientation and mostly straightened out so that it can be pulled way back on the fingertip, it has the light weight and adjustability advantages of the Dunlop-style bluegrass picks (which for me beat the clumsy, bulky plastic picks) with far less grating metal-against-metal sound due to its comparatively tiny striking surface.

---

I ordered a couple of Ernie Ball Picky Picks. They are excellent for clawhammer playing! Very light, almost no clicking sound, rich tone. I think I can play more precisely with the Picky Pick than with the picks I used before. Thanks for mentioning them!

fiddlinandy - Posted - 01/21/2018:  03:35:24

It's been talked about on here before, but I'm a big fan of the Kyle Creed style picks. He made his out of brass from the headlight reflectors of antique cars. I just use plain sheet brass since its easier to get a hold of. I think brass makes for a better sound, and I've used brass Dunlops on occasion too. Here is my most recent KC style pick I've made.

Grizzly Adams - Posted - 01/21/2018:  12:38:57

I use Fred Kelly picks and an old Atomic pick. Both work just fine. The key to using a pick for clawhammer is, IMHO, using a pick consistently.

Kimerer - Posted - 01/21/2018:  13:41:26

I have been trying my regular Dunlop 18 gauge picks put on backwards and doing better with them. So I tried the Hooks thimbles again and it went better. I am thinking that a large part of this is how I hold my hand, the angle that I strike the strings, how hard I strike the strings, etc.

The sound I get with the Hooks thimbles is rounder and less harsh than the sound I get from the Dunlops. I am playing on my steel strung, fretted banjos right now, and the thimble is really more appropriate for the fretless minstrel banjo. But they appear to work on steel.

So I am down to trying different techniques and practicing. It feels like I have more control over the sound when I put on the pick, but I am still missing strings with the pick. Practice practice practice.

lmolter - Posted - 02/12/2018:  18:38:17

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjofool469

I've tried many, many different picks for clawhammer. I finally settled in on Rico Guitar Nails ricoguitarnails.com. They are basically an artificial nail stuck on with a glue dot. It produces the most natural sound of anything I've tried. Cheers, Jim

---

I just bought these and tried them at home before jamming. I noticed they make an unwanted sound when the string is picked. Not a scraping sound exactly - can't really describe it. My fingernail does not make the same sound. Definitely something there and I wonder if it's noticeable to the other jammers. However, I just put medium gauge Ernie Ball strings on (had lights before). Maybe I'll try the nail again with these strings.

Kimerer - Posted - 02/13/2018:  04:41:27

I have purchased some Ernie Ball picks and have been trying them for both bluegrass style picking and using one backwards for frailing. They seem lighter and easier to control than the more bulky Dunlops, but I still have problems finding the strings. As my nails continue to get weaker and more fragile, I need to find some way of getting some consistency in the sound and action of my frailing nail.

B0bIII - Posted - 02/17/2018:  09:20:15

I've been using cheap plastic finger picks cut down to only extend 1/16 - 1/8" past my finger when pushed on up to or just past the cuticle. I've experimented with shapes a little.
The guitar pick shape seems to give the notes more clarity, which I like, but a flatter shape sounds closer to my natural nail.

Plastic finger picks cut down for clawhammer

 

long neck - Posted - 02/19/2018:  10:26:37

where did you find those plastic picks ?

B0bIII - Posted - 02/19/2018:  13:17:27

They are clear dunlops. I bought a large bag full about a decade ago from amazon, or maybe ebay...

lmolter - Posted - 02/20/2018:  14:28:06

quote:

---

Originally posted by tucsonsean

I've tried many of the alternatives mentioned here, as well as a sitar pick (which actually works quite well). If I had to narrow it down to my four favorites, in descending order:



1. Fred Kelly Delrin Freedom Pick (I sometimes use the Poly version, which is clear and invisible on your finger, which is also cool--just don't drop it then try to find it);



2. Joel Hooks' brass thimble (I'm still working on keeping it in place while I play, though);



3. Brass Pro-Pik (the standard pick, bent and filed to suit);



4. Ernie Ball Picky-Pik (for the reasons Adam mentions above; you can also bend the very tip of it into a hook so the tip goes under your nail).

---

I've tried all of these except the thimble (because it hasn't arrived yet). Here's my take: 1) The Delrin clear pick is the right size but the sound is muffled more than if I use my own nail. It's not bright. 2) Not tested yet; 3) pro-Pik came today. Seems promising; however, and this is the same for the Picky Pick -- if I bend the pick finger while playing, the metal part over my nail lifts up. Am I supposed to play with a straight finger? Maybe I'm doing it wrong. 4) See #3. 

All in all, the volume definitely increases wth a metal pick, but they're tricky at best.

lmolter - Posted - 03/03/2018:  14:38:51

After trying all the different types of picks mentioned in these posts, I've gone back to my own fingernails. The plastic picks make my playing sound dull (or maybe it's just my playing). The ProPik and some of the other larger metal picks introduce a lot of pick noise on the strings. The Pickey Pick (Ernie Ball?) because of the small picking surface has less pick noise, but the pick tends to pull away from my nail if my finger is bent. Maybe some tape will help. And the thimble-style picks have low volume and moderate pick noise. I also tried Rico Nails and although the volume was ok, there was a completely different pick sound (noise) from these. Not metallic per se, but present. So, all in all, my nails, although thin, sounded best. For me.

Kimerer - Posted - 03/03/2018:  18:45:10

I am having a similar frustrating experience. I find that with the Ernie Ball picks I get a brighter sound, and I don't have to hit the strings as hard, but I often miss the string that I am intending to hit, and the pick eventually comes up in the back and off the finger. When the pick is moving around, it is difficult to know how to strike the string. The striking surface does not stay in the same place.

Dan Gellert - Posted - 03/05/2018:  14:32:11

As I reported in another thread on this subject....

Following someone's reference to Rico Nails, I learned that they are fastened with Glue Dots™. Got a pack of those Glue Dots (specifically, 1/2" craft-dots) and find that they work very well with the acrylic nails I already have around. When I'm done playing, I can peel the faux nail off without leaving any residue, and without using any solvent.

Never again will I have to suffocate my nail(s) with CA glue! No more acetone!