Thumb picks

pootsie

pootsie

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Other than Brittni Paiva :love:, do any other UUers use a thumb pick?

(I think I saw aaronckeim :cool: use one in a tutorial vid at one point also.)

Do you use a particular kind? How soft? Any tips for a nUUb interested in giving it a try?
 
Herb Ohta, Jr. uses one.
 
i liked the alaska pik once i shaped it really well... requires that you grow your nail a bit... they last a long time and it felt like a real nail to me... now i finally grew out my thumb nail and use biotin pills to make my nails harder. no more nail hardener and no acrylic for sure... acrylic messed up my nails for 8 months and i had to grow them that long just for them to be hard again... :D
 
I don't use one too much, but when I do I like the National medium white ones. The Golden Gate rainbow ones have a nice shape too. It just depends on what fits your finger well. Go to the music store and try a few - they are only like .75 cents at the most.
 
I do plan on getting a few when I hit a music store this weekend

Does anyone have any hints for a nUUb to use these critters?
 
I use one ocassionally, like when I have a performance the next day, or when I am using it for teqnique. Other than that is just flesh and nail. I did trim it down though. Those dunlop thumb picks really need it if your using it for ukulele. Stay away from "herco" thumbpicks. The red thumbpicks that look like a regular pick with a loop. Those things break really easy, and if you get a spark from someone, lets just say you've lost your pick, and burnt you thumb slightly. Ouch! (They dissapear within seconds of being caught on fire. Trust me, I know.)

Thats my though about them.
 
So......flammable picks? Seems like they should have a warning on them. We always joke about things catching on fire from our playing, but that would bum me out...

As for tips... Just starting using it. Because of the angle it provides you can keep your thumb pretty much in line with your arm. It's got a very awkward feel at first, but it's a really good awkward somehow. I really like using a thumb pick, but I try to avoid using it all the time so I don't get too attached and can't play without it. Definitely a good tool to have when your thumbnail breaks.
 
Well, I got a pack of thumb picks about a week ago and I am loving it. So much that I ordered some finger-picks, too! I can't stand to have long nails (and would not be able to maintain them anyway). But I and really liking the sound I can get with the pick and switching to regular finger-strumming. Awesome!

Obviously not the tool for all purposes, but no tool is. But I love using this.
 
I got whatever the heck it was they had at Guitar Center, which was no choice at all. Plastic or metal. Plastic. Done.

It fits my thumb fine and seems to be the right length, so good enough I guess.
 
I have found a hair dryer warms up the plastic just enough to soften it.
I warm the pick, slip it on my thumb, adjust the size for a comfortable fit and dip my hand in cool water to set it.
 
SailingUke said:
I have found a hair dryer warms up the plastic just enough to soften it.
I warm the pick, slip it on my thumb, adjust the size for a comfortable fit and dip my hand in cool water to set it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip! I've found that wearing it for a while it gets a tad tight. No purple thumb tip yet but now I can avoid that!
 
I occasionally use a thumbpick (more frequently for guitar). After trying most, I settled on the Fred Kelly Slick Pick Polycarb Mediums. Just the right length and flexibility.
 
guitarsnrotts said:
Fred Kelly Slick Pick Polycarb Mediums
Click to expand...

Oy! My search for that took me to the Elderly website, and then on to their pick selection which runs for 14 pages. I had no idea how big the world of picks can be.

I'm almost thankful that Guitar Center had virtually no selection so I did not have to stand there for three hours to figure out what to get.
 
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