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Pick that sounds and feels like a fingernail


DeepEnd

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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. . . . . 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.

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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

 

 

 

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

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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!

 

 

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