Is there a pick that sounds like fingerstyle?

**kambor** · 06-19-2011, 03:45 PM

Hello everybody!

I'm kind of going crazy looking for a pick that suits my needs. I don't care about thickness, as I've played about everything, from jazzIII's to a thick ebony pick I'm using now, and everything in between.

I want a sound that resembles as closely as possible the sound that you get when playing with your fingers (without nails). I need a soft attack, and mellow sound without high frequencies.

I currently play with .012-.052 flats, but I'm switching to .014-.052.

Has anyone tried a pick like that? Maybe felt picks, or some kind of weird thing I've not come up with...

**Harleyboy** · 06-19-2011, 03:55 PM

Wedgie makes what you want. A Google search will list some suppliers

**Shadow of the Sun** · 06-19-2011, 04:25 PM

Felt picks are the go, from what I've heard. This is a pretty common question on bass forums. Go to a few ukelele supply sites (yes, they exist!) and see if you can get a felt pick or two.

**Retroman1969** · 06-19-2011, 04:46 PM

Yes, and the rubber picks also used for ukeleles has the fingerstyle sound, but the rubber sheds on those steel guitar strings and gums them up.

**kambor** · 06-19-2011, 04:49 PM

Mmm, that wedgies look nice. I don't have a dealer nearby though, so I might need to wait a little until I try them (amazon charges a lot for shipping here).

**msr13** · 06-19-2011, 04:49 PM

Try a Wegen Gypsy Jazz.

**AZanshin** · 06-19-2011, 04:51 PM

I Was born with my best pick.

My Thumb hasn't failed me yet, as mellow as can be.

**kambor** · 06-19-2011, 05:07 PM

As I said, I need to have long fingernails because I study classical guitar too, so fingers themselves are not an option, sadly.

Wegen's look nice, but there aren't dealers in my country and are pretty expensive for a tryout...

**msr13** · 06-19-2011, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by kambor

As I said, I need to have long fingernails because I study classical guitar too, so fingers themselves are not an option, sadly.

Wegen's look nice, but there aren't dealers in my country and are pretty expensive for a tryout...

You definitely don't want to lose it.

But they do sound great.

**Eddie Lang** · 06-19-2011, 08:47 PM

I play with my fingers 80% of the time.

Wegen picks are my favorite picks, but they don't sound like fingers. You can buy them directly from Michael Wegen. I use the Gypsyjazzpick, the Fatone, the Twins picks for guitar and the Bigcity picks for tenor guitar and mandolin. (I never play mando or tenor guitar without a pick.)

I have bought a few wedgies of different thickness a three or four years ago but I gave them away. I found them too slow and I am not a fast player.

For felt picks, I really like Dunlop Nick Lucas felt picks. You can buy them from juststrings.com. I have also used the Dunlop standard felt picks. They are stiffer and not as mellow as the Nick Lucas. The Nick Lucas are the closest thing to the tone of fingers that I have found so far.

Lately, I have started using the Clayton Ultem Gold Tortoise small teardrop picks and I really like them. Also available from juststrings.com.

**mattymel** · 06-19-2011, 10:02 PM

i have a few Wegens. nice sounding but i honestly hear much more difference when playing them on acoustic guitars. plus, if you lose one of thsoe , you will be crying.

the felt uke picks are actually as close as i have heard. they get worn down to a nice mellow point and sound great for a while. havent bought anymore since i wore it down to a nub though.

**histind** · 06-19-2011, 10:02 PM

I file my pick edges just like you would nails. I even use the same sandpaper. A sharp edge will definitely give you a brittle sound. I also buff the surface, because rough edges sound scratchy.

For playing with my nails, one thing to do is use pure nickel strings. They are not as hard as steel, and while they still tear up nails, it takes a little longer. One advantage to playing an electric with metal string with you nails is that you can exert very little force with the finger and just turn up the guitar/amp.

I have a theory that any string thickly coated with teflon or some other polymer should significantly reduce nail damage (Mohs hardness). Someday I'd like to ask the folks at Elixir if they'd make a set like that. Coated flatwounds would probably be even better. I guess taken to its extreme, a regular classical nylon string with a metal filament core would be ideal.

**NSJ** · 06-19-2011, 10:25 PM

those Wegen gypsy picks look interesting. How do they sound on a regular archtop?

**kambor** · 06-19-2011, 11:05 PM

@histind, my teacher files his picks too. Not only that, but he polishes the edges with a set of micro-mesh cloths...too geeky for me, I want to play not to buff a pick.

Also, my nails don't really damage playing electric guitar. I am one of those weird guys that have really hard fingernails. But I can't play my archtop with them because the nails give me a bright tone, and I'm used to pluck strongly because of the classical guitar. Maybe I could try to adjust my technique, but that's the last thing I want to do.

@Eddie Lang, I'll try the felt picks then. I guess they have to be the easiest to find where I live, so I'll try to buy one and try...

**histind** · 06-19-2011, 11:48 PM

It takes me longer to file nails than my pick. Plus, I only do it once and the pick lasts for a few weeks or so. I wish my nails were like that!

As for your natural nail hardness, congratulations. We all secretly hate you. (j/k j/k!!!)

**mr. beaumont** · 06-20-2011, 12:01 AM

Wegen picks are awesome. Sound nothing like fingers though...super muscular...you'll want to dig in...no good for low action.

I haven't found a pick that a strum sounds like playing a chord with my fingers (that's probably impossible) but I currently use john pearse fast turtles because they sound the most like my thumb when playing single notes. Try 'em--really nice picks. In my opinion, they respond best to a softer attack.

It's funny, I go back and forth between my selmer style (which I pick the hell out of ) and my other guitars (which I tickle compared to what I do to that gitane) and because of that I've become quite a connoisseur of picks...but if I could only have one pick, it'd be a simple dunlop jazztone, probably a 208. Only pick I've ever found that's pretty good at everything.

**fordfanjpn** · 06-20-2011, 06:00 AM

The Wegen picks are pretty hard sounding to my ears. Check out the "Dawg" picks (supposedly mandolin picks). They are very mellow sounding.

Bill

**whiskey02** · 06-20-2011, 03:10 PM

Try the D'Andrea Pro Plecs. They got a nice soft attack; beautiful tone with little noise.

**Sphereacidburn** · 06-21-2011, 09:46 PM

Your thumb and the rest of your fingers, it works great! They sound exactly like Fingerstyle!

**kambor** · 06-22-2011, 05:49 AM

Originally Posted by kambor

I can't play my archtop with them because the nails give me a bright tone, and I'm used to pluck strongly because of the classical guitar. Maybe I could try to adjust my technique, but that's the last thing I want to do.

Sorry Sphereacidburn, as I said fingers are not an option. Plus, I can't play fast runs in electric guitar because I don't have enough room for the fingers to move.

**mattymel** · 06-22-2011, 08:04 AM

D' Andrea Pro Plec 310
Mellowest tone from any "normal" priced pick i have found. Plus they are a little longer, which i love because i NEVER drop them.

TommyD · 06-22-2011, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by kambor

As I said, I need to have long fingernails because I study classical guitar too, so fingers themselves are not an option, sadly.

Wegen's look nice, but there aren't dealers in my country and are pretty expensive for a tryout...

You said you want a soft, dark sound, but that your thumbnail prevents that. Have you ever studied Wes's style? He used the side of his thumb - nails had nothing to do with it whether long or short. There's no earthly reason that you cannot play with the side of your thumb like Montgomery did and still maintain a long nail for classical playing. And speed is not a problem, only one's willingness to work at it. Wes plucked down and up with the callous on his thumb and as we all know, played very fast.
Tommy/

**mr. beaumont** · 06-22-2011, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by TommyD

You said you want a soft, dark sound, but that your thumbnail prevents that. Have you ever studied Wes's style? He used the side of his thumb - nails had nothing to do with it whether long or short. There's no earthly reason that you cannot play with the side of your thumb like Montgomery did and still maintain a long nail for classical playing. And speed is not a problem, only one's willingness to work at it. Wes plucked down and up with the callous on his thumb and as we all know, played very fast.
Tommy/

Yeah, I'm thinking that with some clever filing, you can...

**bluemood** · 06-22-2011, 11:58 AM

This might be what your looking for WEDGIE RUBBER PICK, 5.00mm, MEDIUM - Elderly Instruments

**Quabrumbel** · 06-22-2011, 12:06 PM

Maybe a Helios Artis made out of ebonit. Its extremely dark and soft.
Found it on tonetoys. I don't like it because it's too large (why do
they expect you to buy online but don't provide any measurements).
Expensiv too like 8 Euros or so.

If a Dunlop 208 is twice as dark as an ebony pick, then this pick is
four times as dark as a Dunlop 208! It's like turning the tone knob
from 10 to 5... weird almost. But maybe closest to fingers.