ACOUSTIC POLL: pick, fingers, nails, fingerpicks.

lincolnblue

I play a mix of fingerstyle and strumming. When I am at home and pick the guitar up I think I naturally gravitate to fingerstyle.
I've never been able to get on with thumb picks (not tried for a long time, admittedly). I don't have the long nails of some finger pickers so it's more fleshy when I pick.

For strumming I use a Dunlop .60mm - the orange ones. I have become more comfortable with strumming with my fingers - using the back of my fingers so the nails strum the strings.

I've drawn a lot of inspiration over the years from singer/songwriter Martyn Joseph - if you don't know of him, well worth looking up - particularly his live stuff on youtube

Mellish

@lincolnblue ; - would that be a Tortex pick?

I use the red one. I'm not a fan of heavy picks and the point 50mm gives me a little flexibility  

bertie

@Mellish ;;
well the large Fred's have arrived,  still had to put them in boiling water to "open em up a bit"

They're quite a bit stiffer than my fav EB tort,  which although thicker is more flexible fit on my thumb and a lot more comfy to wear  - doesnt press on the pulse so hard

I shall try a bit more today -  see which one of the three gauges I prefer  

Mellish

@bertie ; - if you're looking for tip flexibility mate, yellow is the one.

I prefer white or green, which I think is the stiffer of the two.

But how do you find they differ from your usual thumbpick? The Speedpicks have less material, so do you find they help you pick faster? That's what they did for me  

bertie

Mellish said:

@bertie ; - if you're looking for tip flexibility mate, yellow is the one.

I prefer white or green, which I think is the stiffer of the two.

But how do you find they differ from your usual thumbpick? The Speedpicks have less material, so do you find they help you pick faster? That's what they did for me  

Im not looking for tip flexibility,  more thumb comfort.  the EB seems to me more flexible over the thumb, it doesnt press so hard on the fleshy part - but as its much thicker the blade is obviously much stiffer than even the white. 

Speed isnt really an issue with the EB,  I mean how fast can your thumb go anyway  

Mellish

@bertie ; - For me "normal" thumbpicks are cumbersome. I'm hitting strings I don't want to. The FKS gets me away from that.

By "fast" I guess I had my banjo in mind and then, pretty darn fast thumb,  actually  

lincolnblue

Mellish said:

@lincolnblue ; - would that be a Tortex pick?

I use the red one. I'm not a fan of heavy picks and the point 50mm gives me a little flexibility  

Yes, that's the one. I don't like heavy picks with acoustic either. 

bertie

@Mellish ;  -    Im ok with not hitting other strings,   I hold my thumb flat and parallel to the strings when I use a thumb pick,  more of a 45 deg when using thumbnail (much like a classical) 

bluecat

I tend to use nails and a little flesh for my picking style,thanks to Bertie for the advice on getting my nails back to condition. I don't like the sound of a pick on any guitar,be it acoustic or electric

bertie

well couldnt get on with those speed picks, just too uncomfortable  - so   3 mediums and 3 large,  free to the first bidder 

might try one of those JD  "zookies"  with the angled blade

scanbran

I use my fingers for all styles. I fingerpick with bare thumb and nails/flesh and I strum and flatpick (in moderation!) with my index nail. Just can't get comfortable with a pick. The only one I get on with is my insanely expensive Bluechip pick, which I need to use for mandolin.