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ongchua
Akahai
USA
92 Posts |
 Posted - 06/09/2003 : 1:32:35 PM
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Aloha everyone!
Back in my beginner's topic (for which I am thankful and beholden to all who responded) I brought up the subject of nails and fingerpicks. As it turns out, I have trouble growing my nails long and have to rely on picks.
I started out with some conventional Dunlop nickel-silver fingerpicks (http://www.jimdunlop.com/picks/fingerandthumb.html). These however prevent your fingerpads from actually touching the strings.
Craig made an excellent suggestion of Alaska Piks (http://www.alaskapik.com). These are a great innovation but they still require a little bit of nail growth and so they didn't fit me well.
I finally settled on ProPik Fingertones (http://www.guptillmusic.com/propik/fingertone.html). The spoons have a cut-away which allow you to touch the string. I received my order of two of them last week to try-out and size. They work rather well for me so I ordered a few more.
I thought that I'd just share this short report and links for anyone that might find themselves in the same situation. Both the Alaska Piks and the ProPiks don't seem to be stocked by many retailers. None of the major San Francisco Bay Area music/guitar shops that I called carried them but one small retailer in our town had the ability to special-order the Alaska Piks. Your best bet may be to order directly via the web.
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Kahalenahele
Lokahi
USA
102 Posts |
Posted - 06/09/2003 : 10:27:12 PM
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| ongchua, I think Schoenberg's carries the fingertone picks. |
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konavet
Aloha
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2003 : 01:27:03 AM
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I've been using the pro-picks for years, and I'm quite happy with them. I do prefer natural nails, but because of my profession, I can't really let them grow without causing problems (don't ask). I agree about the alaskas- you need to have nails to use them. sorta like getting a loan from the bank, you gotta have money first.
Anyway, what I wanted to suggest is to try bending them up to make an "S" shape, so the ball of your finger really protrudes, and the top bending back down to imitate the angle of the nail. I use needlenose pliers. Try it, you might get an even more natural feel that way. If not, I owe you a set. |
Dr. Pat |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2003 : 01:36:56 AM
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| I use AlaskaPiks and have no problem using them with 1/8" of fingernail. |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
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ongchua
Akahai
USA
92 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2003 : 10:37:52 AM
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I think I know what you're talking about. Let me see if I can paraphrase. You're asking if the inner edge of the cut-away can catch on the string? That was my concern too.
Yes and no. (How's that for an answer?)
The spoon-like curvature of the FingerTones will, by itself, help prevent the inner-edge from catching since the string slides along the flat surface between the inner and outer-edge. It can still catch at the tip of the inner edge if your finger's angle-of-attack to the string is almost perpendicular (90-degrees) and enough pressure is applied so you actually "force a catch" between the pad of your finger and the inner-edge.
I'm applying more of a classical fingerstyle technique; so my right hand is at about a 75-degree angle to the strings. It's very difficult (probably impossible) for the inner-edge to catch.
I'm still a beginner and not well-educated in other fingerstyle techniques. I imagine that a clawhammer fingerstyle position might be more likely to cause catches on the inner-edge (assuming that I've interpreted the clawhammer position correctly).
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ongchua
Akahai
USA
92 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2003 : 10:47:10 AM
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Aloha Dr.Pat,
Interesting suggestion, bending the picks to make the ball of the finger pad protrude. I'll experiment with the spare pick that I got.
You may want to consider a patent. 
Aloha Craig,
Even 1/8" can be too long for folks in certain professions. I have to trim mine until the whites are gone.
I can understand Dr.Pat's situation.  |
Edited by - ongchua on 06/11/2003 10:52:59 AM |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2003 : 4:18:33 PM
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| Maybe 1/8" is a tad on the long side...I don't have a ruler with me. Looks like 2-3mm whatever that works out to. But no, if you have to trim until the whites are gone then the AlaskaPiks won't work. |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
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cmdrpiffle
`Olu`olu
USA
553 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2003 : 7:51:04 PM
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Food for thought...
Take a ping-pong ball..cut it in half with a sharp knife or razor.
Take a pair of large toenail clippers, and clip out 'halfmoons' for the edge of the ping-pong ball.
You now have instant fingernails....take a drop of superglue and swab it over the ends of your real nails.....glue on the pre-cut 'pong-nails' onto the tips of your own nails.
Instant nails, long enough for anyplaying style. The deeper you cut with the clippers, the wider/hence longer they will be when you glue em on.
Not pretty. Involves nasty chemicals and razors or sharp knives
Pros: the closest thing you can get in feeling to real nails, they sit just on the last 1/4 of your own, not like normal fake nails that cover the whole nails, and ping-pong ball material is durable, and has a very very close feel to real nails.
Not doctor recommended....but hey |
my Poodle is smarter than your honor student |
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ongchua
Akahai
USA
92 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2003 : 8:06:08 PM
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I had read somewhere that guitarist Chet Atkins (Is that his name?) used to do something like that.
Superglue and hands, ... YEESH! ... that'sa askin' for trouble. |
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