I am in the minority but I like felt picks...suggestions for making your own ?

LarryL

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I have one felt pick that I like the best...the others that I have ordered are too stiff for my taste and sound harsh..the one I like isnt exactly floppy but it sure has a mellow sound. So, rather than to continue ordering picks and finding that I dont like them, I saw a video on youtube where a gal was making her own. the one that she liked the best she used a credit card material for the middle and glued felt on each side...that seems like it would be too harsh again...i thought of perhaps using card board as the center, I am just curious if there are others who have made their own felt picks and what materials they used as the center. Thanks for any suggestions.
 
Would slicing one of those too-stiff picks make it more floppy?

I've always thought the felt picks are too thick to accurately play with, so perhaps I should give this slicing idea a try myself.
Now... the problem is how to slice lengthwise a felt pick...
 
Now... the problem is how to slice lengthwise a felt pick...

Maybe you could try "sharpening" the pick? File (or maybe even grind) down both sides at the playing end so you end up with something like a chiseled edge at whatever thickness works for you?
 
Now... the problem is how to slice lengthwise a felt pick...

Clamp it between two boards, just tight enough so's it can't move ... maybe include some sandpaper in the sandwich to act as a grip, then saw away with a serrated bread knife or similar. The "saw" needs to be thin and have a cutting edge that's not so jagged as to grab the felt, but to slice through it ;)

Good luck :music:

FWIW :- I too find "conventional" felt picks to be too stiff. The one I do get on with is an "artificial felt" pick branded "Jumping Cow"
 
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I like Bolo felt picks, the ones with a heart shaped hole in the center. They do soften up, actually too much for me, but I just grab another. I also like Lohanu leather picks, large triangular shape with a triangular hole. Those holes allow you to hold it loosely without dropping.
 
If yoy want to use the glue sandwich method just get a selection of normal plasticpicks, they come in any size/stiffness and then glue in one that suits you.

Creditcards are around 1.0 mm but you can get picks down to 0.4 mm.

I don't know why you like felt picks but if it is to get a less thrill/harsh sound, you could try teflon picks. I like them very much because there is almost no "pick sound" from them.

I even started to make my own with this special holepuncher although I've also cut some with just scissors.

2022-04-07 14.55.15.jpg
 
The one thing that made all my picks better (felt and leather) is a central triangular hole in the meaty part you hold in your fingers. It allows you to hold them very lightly, adding an easy looseness in strumming. But the main advantage is being able to clearly sound individual strings, and on either an up or down strum motion.
 
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