Guitar pick that sounds like a fingertip?

[monstermike]

So, one of my favorite sounds in the world is guitar played with bare fingers - Gatemouth Brown, Magic Sam, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmie Vaughan, Albert Collins - but although I can do that around the house all day, if I try it for more than a few songs at a time onstage, my arm freezes up all the way to the elbow, and I'm playing on bloody stumps and raw nerve endings. I'm exaggerating for effect, but you get the idea.

Does anyone make a guitar pick that'll get this sound? I've ordered the Wedgie rubber picks, which sort of make this claim, but short of supergluing pieces of latex prosthetics or marital aids to a regular guitar pick, does anyone have any suggestions?

What I'm really looking for isn't the sound of strings being yanked from below - what I want is the caress of fingertip or side of the thumb against the string, where you can hear the fingerprints.

Thanks for considering.

 

[arthur rotfeld]

I don't know if you will find something suitable, but how about plain old nylon? It's soft and has less attack than other picks. I'd look to a .88mm and heavier.

 

[73171]

I know what you mean....the closest I've found is:

1) a Fender Extra Heavy pick..playing with a light touch
2) a felt autoharp pick..after I rub the edge against a hard surface to soften it up.

 

[monstermike]

I appreciate the suggestions!

All of the above have been tried already and not been quite what I want, unfortunately.

 

[A440]

Mike, I totally understand where you're coming from.

I've tried a number of different ones, but none sound the same.

of late, I have the best luck with plain old fender types (med and heavy), some rounded triangles (for some reason, the white ones sound better, lol), and a couple of dunlop grabber types.

Tomo has recommended Pickboy classics on another thread. I'll try them eventually and I'm also interested in Clayton Black Ravens which are touted to reduce string pop.

 

[phazersonstun]

I really like the sound of bare fingers as well.

Why not spend some time getting the technique w actual fingers?
It's surely the most authentic, you'll save $ on picks & I don't recall ever dropping my fingers at a gig.

 

[78deluxe]

I've tried a lot of picks. Never found any that really mimic the sound of flesh hitting the strings well.

 

[arthur rotfeld]

I'm also interested in Clayton Black Ravens which are touted to reduce string pop.

Those are very good picks. A must try if you are into darker, mellow tones.

 

[SonicVI]

Try a leather pick. They're usually made and advertised for ukulele, but work and sound good with guitar too imo, not as soft and mellow as you might expect.

 

[monstermike]

I really like the sound of bare fingers as well.

Why not spend some time getting the technique w actual fingers?
It's surely the most authentic, you'll save $ on picks & I don't recall ever dropping my fingers at a gig.

Yeah, that's the obvious route. Like I said, it's the way I play around the house. What I would need to do is be willing to have a few gigs really suck, because home practice really has very little to do with gig reality for me. Doing a whole tour without a pick would get me into shape, but like I said, the first bunch of gigs would sound terrible and I'd be in a lot of pain. I was hoping there'd be a ready made solution - there seem to be niche products to do just about everything else!

 

[Vishnu]

interesting question.......i use only picks but i am aware that the best sounding "pick" for guitar is that finger flesh and nail combo,lovely

 

[JeffOlson]

The best thing you can do is grow the nails of your picking hand and learn to use your fingers like a classical or finger-style guitarist. That's what I do. No pick (not even finger picks) can compare to the sound, feel, and versatility of using your thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger to pluck or strum the strings.

 

[Ambient Exposure]

Personally, I find the large rounded vpicks held light sound quite similar to finger picking.

 

[Trebor Renkluaf]

I'm with Jeff. I don't care for bare fingers - it's the combination of fingernail and flesh that gives the best tone imho - Segovia was onto something there.

 

[JeffOlson]

One other thing: your arm should not be freezing up. If it is, you are too tense. You need to practice relaxing while finger picking. Even your fingers and hand should be relaxed. (Same goes for your fretting hand.)

 

[The Kid]

A severed human thumb. End of thread.

 

[monstermike]

The best thing you can do is grow the nails of your picking hand and learn to use your fingers like a classical or finger-style guitarist. That's what I do. No pick (not even finger picks) can compare to the sound, feel, and versatility of using your thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger to pluck or strum the strings.

I'm not a huge fan of the sound of fingernails, and even if I were, my fingernails are thin and fragile. It's a specific sound I'm looking for.

As far as being relaxed, that's the goal. I am relaxed without a pick at home, and I'm relaxed with a pick on gigs, but I do tense up on a gig without a pick. I feel like I'm wasting people's time if I'm not in control of the sound I'm making, I get self-conscious, and my arm freezes up. Like I said, I can do it for a song or two at a time without any problems.

Oh, well. Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

 

[JeffOlson]

A severed human thumb. End of thread.

If that were to happen to me (God forbid!), I would still play using the remaining fingers of my picking hand and would probably start using my pinkie more.

 

[monstermike]

A severed human thumb. End of thread.

Yes! Neither Sweetwater nor Musician's Friend seem to have them in stock, though.

 

[JeffOlson]

I'm not a huge fan of the sound of fingernails, and even if I were, my fingernails are thin and fragile.

Same here, but I keep my fingernails shorter than a lot of finger-style guitarists to prevent breakage and so I can use a combination of flesh and nail when I strike the strings. I also use special strings that have a soft sound (Thomastik-Infeld Blues Sliders on my electrics and T-I Plectrums on my acoustics).

Another thought (though I really don't like them all that well): Alaska picks: