Members DeepEnd Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 This was inspired by mbengs1's Dunlop picks thread. Is there a pick that duplicates the sound and strumming feel of a fingernail? I keep my nails short and when I'm couch noodling I strum with the back of the nail on my right index finger. I realize part of the sound and feel is the flesh behind the nail so it would probably be tricky to duplicate but I'd like to try. Tortoid/celluloid doesn't do it, neither does nylon, which is my preferred pick at the moment. Suggestions anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 Seems like I remember seeing some that were made out of some sort of pressed fiber, but I can't remember now what brand those were. But I think that was their intent. Or was that a dream? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 What's wrong with fingernail? I also strum with the back of my nails but I keep them just a little bit longer than you describe because my normal playing style is flesh and nails finger picking. Obviously acrylic nails are an opinion if for some reason you can't grow yours out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 What's wrong with fingernail? My fingernails are worn thin from strumming with the back of them. As a result. picking with the nail quickly wears them down and the wear is uneven because the thickness of the nail is not consistent. I have a classical guitarist friend who flat out refuses to play steel stringed instruments. I used to bug him about it but now I completely understand. I do, however, love playing a slightly overdriven strat with my fingernails and really digging in to get the crunch. By the end of the evening my nails are done but with the right amount of gain on the amplifier, it's worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 I often strum my acoustics shaping my index and thumb like I'm holding a pick which quickly allows me to deviate and use all fingers individually for fingerpicking. It's a softer sound but I prefer warmer sounding instruments so it works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 Ultex feels and sounds like that to me. .73mm especially as they have a bit of give like a nail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members *BLEEP* Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 I'm not sure if they are actually still in business, but... I've had a set of Alaska Picks for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 Grow a big toenail and see if that'll do.Purists that have tried and abandoned this because it sounds like a toenail, die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 Also hoof picks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members speakerjones Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 For feel, I would definitely try something like the above. For sound, try the Tusq picks. Probably the darker ones. Tusq is a material manufactured to be a synthetic replacement for bone, used in nuts, bridge pins, saddles and the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted April 6, 2016 Moderators Share Posted April 6, 2016 Try striking up a conversation with your local morgue supervisor. It's worked for me for a few difficult to obtain items:-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted April 6, 2016 Moderators Share Posted April 6, 2016 Bone is calcium and mineral, finger nails are keratin, same material as your hair, and incidentally animal horns, so picks made from cow horns etc would be good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 NEW Cadaver® brand plectrums! Bring some life back to your sound with some mojo from the spirits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 . . . . . What's wrong with fingernail? I also strum with the back of my nails but I keep them just a little bit longer than you describe because my normal playing style is flesh and nails finger picking. . . . . . . . Same here ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ I have a few different picks but rarely use them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 For all the advantages that fingernails have over a pick there are some things that a pick does better and some that you just can't do properly with nails. I use nails, pick, and pick + nails depending on the song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 For all the advantages that fingernails have over a pick there are some things that a pick does better and some that you just can't do properly with nails. I use nails' date=' pick, and pick + nails depending on the song.[/quote'] That's where I'm at too, although I'm not really proficient at the pick + nails technique. But having had some lessons in classical guitar, I like to use my fingernails most of the time. But no way could I come close to playing something like Misirlou without a stout pick. Yesterday I was trying to find the type of pick I mentioned above (but no luck) but I did find this little article which I thought was a good write up of the different shapes and materials. Some of this stuff we all know to some degree, but I'd never seen a synopsis that was quite as articulate as this one before. http://www.creativeedgemusic.com/2013/01/types-of-guitar-picks-finding-your-pick.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 I play fingerstyle and use my thumbnail a heck of a lot. Occasionally it breaks despite being very tough. I tried an alaska pick but it feels uncomfortable. A glue on acrylic worked quite well in terms of precision and feel but the one I tried was thin. I think ideal would be to ask a nail parlor if you can get thick ones (or maybe double up)I certainly agree that a sharp upstroke with the back of the thumbnail is hard to emulate using anything else, it punctuates a piece with a different tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted April 6, 2016 Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 I had the same experience with the Alaska picks. It felt like trying to play guitar with little stilts on my fingers. I know you can trim them down, like finger nails, but I still felt like the re-learning curve was going to be a bit too much of an impediment to me bonding with those things. On a side note, I once talked with a full-time pro-guitar player friend of mine (BA in Performance Guitar) about the possibility of using acrylic (fake) finger nails. It sounded like he'd tried that, but he said they don't respond the way real nails do (i.e. no flex) so he advised me against it. Too bad, that ended the plausibility of me ever sitting down and having the diminutive Vietnamese ladies at the mall set me up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted April 6, 2016 Author Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 Actually, I used to be on good terms with the folks who buried my parents. I could call them up and see what they can spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted April 6, 2016 Author Members Share Posted April 6, 2016 My fingernails are worn thin from strumming with the back of them. As a result. picking with the nail quickly wears them down and the wear is uneven because the thickness of the nail is not consistent. . . . Yeah, that's what I'm concerned about, that and snagging the nail on the upstroke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted April 7, 2016 Moderators Share Posted April 7, 2016 Company called Timber Tones who makes picks out of just about every damn thing, do picks made from horn which is the same material as fingernails, ie keratin. http://www.timber-tones.com/bone-tones-8-c.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted April 7, 2016 Author Members Share Posted April 7, 2016 Company called Timber Tones who makes picks out of just about every damn thing, do picks made from horn which is the same material as fingernails, ie keratin. http://www.timber-tones.com/bone-tones-8-c.asp Sounds interesting but US$5.62 for one pick or US$21.08 for four plus shipping from the UK? Maybe they could be a birthday present to myself next month. Have to keep them in mind. Thanks. Edit: I can get three Clayton horn picks for around US$6.00 on eBay. Might be an early birthday present: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CLAYTON-EXOT...EAAOSwv0tVFNJV Edit 2: I found them at Musicians Friend for $3.65 shipped with tax (MF is based in Missouri and they charge tax on in-state sales): http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitar-picks/clayton-exotic-standard-sleeks-pick-3-pack/h85966000002000. They'll be here some time next week. Happy (early) Birthday to me! Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gdsmithtx Posted April 11, 2016 Members Share Posted April 11, 2016 Ummmm. Eww. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted April 11, 2016 Author Members Share Posted April 11, 2016 Hey, Ratae started it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted April 12, 2016 Moderators Share Posted April 12, 2016 Guilty as charged m'lud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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