Hi folks,

I have always been intrigued when I see people such as Chet Atkins use a thumb pick when playing guitar and have seen a few others recently as well.

Though I have a few plastic picks lying around they all seem totally inflexible and almost impossible to use. Probably its just me as well not used to them.

I generally use a 73 Jim Dunlop plectrum, but want to have a go at this pick thing.

Any suggestions as t how I might get one that has some flexibility a little similar to the .73 Jim Dunlop plectrum?

Thanks a lot.

Try HERCO thumbpicks, they come in various gauges. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HE112P--herco-flat-thumbpicks-medium-gauge-players-pack

You can go to Amazon and they sell a pretty good selection of thumb picks of different brands and designs. Brent Mason says he uses Herco...I have not tried those yet.

I use a Dunlop white large. I then reshape it to a length I like better. I also play with it as it comes. They are pretty easy to modify so experimenting is not difficult.

The first time I put one on it felt really strange and gaining control took a good bit of messing around. I tried to start slow and take my time to get use to it. Sometimes I tried to force things to happen sooner but that never worked...lol
I am just starting to experiment with both plastic and metal finger picks. I am sure you have seen videos of dogs and cats that people have put boots on...kinda what I feel like at the moment...lol

There are some artist who only use a thumb pick. In general they only plat a certain style of music. Brent Mason is a exception to that as he uses a thumb pick for most things but also uses a flat pick for certain things.

Cheers,

Billy

I use a thumb pick exclusively.
I tried flat picking but it didn't feel right.
I generally use a Dunlop medium or similar ones from Peavey,
but I'm really not that fussy. If I find one that "almost" fits,
I just modify it a bit, and get it to feel comfortable.

The easiest way to do that I've found, is just put it in the
microwave for a couple of seconds to warm it up, then shape it around your thumb.

Good luck!
LLOYD S

The HERCO is my favorite but I also use the Fred Kelly

Thanks a lot guys for buying advice. Do you all generally just use the thumb pick on lower strings and use fingers on top three, or just use a combination of what comes naturally?

Thanks again.

I usually finger pick with no picks at all, which leads to proximity issues when I try to use a thumb pick. (I'm accustomed to keeping my thumb closer to the strings when using no pick, therefore the pick hits the strings unexpectedly between strikes.)

With the Herco picks, I take snips and trim the length back to where the pick engages when I want it, but still misses the strings on the way back.

Regarding finger picks: I've probably bought every imaginable type of finger pick, and none of them feels natural to me. The absolute best experience I've had is with long fingernails. Some pros go to a nail salon to have tips installed. Others do it themselves with super glue and tissue paper.

Here's what James Taylor does:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BqISqpMRo8

Thanks a lot Pat, all good info.