Pick grip help...

[exhaust_49]

I use Dunlop tortex picks (the orange ones) and quite often they slide out of my fingers. I was thinking of putting multiple dots of crazy glue on each side go give me someting to grip to. Has anyone done this or something else to their picks to make them more user frendly?

[Cldplytkmn]

there's some sort of product called something weird that is a gummy substance you rub on the picks and it dries tacky... the one i've done a couple times cause it doesn't make the picks all funky is one of those pink disc things from an office supply store... used for turning pages and stuff... it goes on your fingers, not the pick... works pretty good.

[leftync]

i had the same problem. i use dunlap nylon picks, which have lots of raised letters and stuff to grip. decent pick, too. i wanted to use the tortex, but needed something to grab onto.

[babablowfish]

Try Gorilla Snot - that really is the name of the product. It makes your fingers tacky and nothing is gonna slip out. On the other hand, there are lots of picks that have dimples grips that don't slip including Dunlop and Wedgie. Wedgies are concave on one side of the grip to make extra sure they don't slip.

[recordingtrack1]

Don't have that problem but I remember that I used to buy picks that had thin ovals of cork glued to each side. Do they still sell those? It's been a long time but I seem to remember that they worked pretty well.

Maybe you could make your own.

RT1

[danger_boy_13]

Another recommendation I have seen is use a Xacto knife or razor blade, and score the pick with cross-hatches (just criss-cross cuts all over the pick). It creates a rough surface and works pretty well. I did it on a few celluloid pics and it worked very well, but I haven't tried it on my Tortex picks.

[exhaust_49]

Originally posted by danger_boy_13 Another recommendation I have seen is use a Xacto knife or razor blade, and score the pick with cross-hatches (just criss-cross cuts all over the pick). It creates a rough surface and works pretty well. I did it on a few celluloid pics and it worked very well, but I haven't tried it on my Tortex picks.

 

 

I might try this on one of my picks. I much rather have a textured pick than to have to rub some sort of glue on my fingers each time I play guitar (what if I switch to fingerstyle, I get that glue all over where I pluck). I'll give it a shot and let you know.

[exhaust_49]

Tried the crosshatching on a .60 mm tortex pick. It makes the pick easier to hold but makes the pick too weak. It snapped in half.

[JasmineTea]

Someone makes textured picks. I don't use them but I've seen a lot of different types.

Betcha DonK would know.

[exhaust_49]

I'll probablly just go with this stuff from john pearse.

http://www.jpstrings.com/braccess.htm#Pkstf

It's called pick stuff - about half way down the page.

[danger_boy_13]

Originally posted by exhaust_49 Tried the crosshatching on a .60 mm tortex pick. It makes the pick easier to hold but makes the pick too weak. It snapped in half.

 

 

Are you cutting deep on it? Just cut the surface a little bit, and you don't have to cut up the whole pick. You could try just doing where you grip it.

[exhaust_49]

Yah, I was going over 1 cut 3 or 4 times so I was going pretty deep. I've got a whole bunch of these picks so maby I'll try it again tommorow.

[DonK]

Gorilla Snot works...sort of. That is, not only will your pick not slip, you won't be able to move it between your fingers at all. It's great if you aren't the kind of player who's constantly adjusting your pick (as I am).

There are lots of picks that try to adress this problem:

Brain Picks - nylon picks available in gauges up to 1.6mm. Formely owned by Snarling Dogs, I think they're now made by Planet Waves. These picks have a textured "cat's tongue" grip that is really secure

Steve Clayton - recently introduced standard tortiose shell celluloid picks with a cork ring on one side to aid in gripping. The downside is that the rings are applied sloppily and usually aren't centered.

Moshay - these are oval shaped nylon picks available in two sizes, with various gauges. They have a hole in the middle to aid in gripping. The grip feature works well, but the picks themselves are somewhat unusual in feel and sound.

Cool Picks - two basic models. Their regular 351-shape picks have rubber bumps on the gripping surface; unfortunately, they rub off after an hour or so of use. Their jazz pick has a "sand" grip that feels like a small oval of sandpaper embeded in the pick on both sides. Ibanez also makes a sand pick.

Dava - the originals are green nylon; they've now introduced these relatively weird two piece picks where the grip and pick tip are actually separate pieces. On both the originals and the new models the grip uses a combination of raised lettering and a cross-hatch pattern to give a good gripping surface. The new ones come with your choice of a celluloid, delrin, or metal tip.

Dunlop - all of their nylon picks feature raised lettering to aid in gripping. The Jazz III's are also smaller than normal and thus easy to grip firmly. The Big Stubby series, available in Lexan or nylon, have a sculptured indentation on each side for your thumb/forefinger.

Grip Pick - strange picks with a wave-like gripping surface.

Wedgies - relatively inexpensive picks with sculpted indents for your thumb and index finger. The much more expensive Dugain and John Pearse picks have a similar feature.

Wegen - many of the picks from this maker have both a thumb contour and a ridged surface, but these are expensive picks - about $15 - $20 for one.

Pickboy - they used to make a wide variety of picks, but their line is narrower now and hard to find. Many of their picks had rows of little holes in the pick surface (these came in various gauges, shapes and materials and were labeled "Pos-A-Grip"). They also make a line of picks with a raised marijuana leaf logo on each side that provides a firm grip. They were originally available in a material called Celltex, which was really secure, but now you can only get them in nylon or carbon nylon (which is a slippery material).

I've tried all of the above and have samples of all on hand; PM me if you want to try a few.

I currently use a Wegen mandolin-pick that has no special gripping aid, but what I do is take a roll of those vinyl reinforcements made to go on three-hole paper and put one on each side of the pick. It provides just enough of grip to keep the pick from sliding.

[d28andm1911a1]

Paper punch, just punch a hole in the middle.

[Tony Burns]

Something which is about the same as a paperpunch , but smaller- drill a couple of small holes near the top edge- use to do that , now when i use a pick ( which isnt very often ) i use tortex large 3 sided medium lights - they tend to hold better- still have about 2 gross of Fender lights from about 30 years ago when they use to be about 6 bucks a gross ( those were the days ! )

[mmb]

I use the x-acto knife trick on medium fender celuloids. Run the knife lightly over the pick just enough to raise some good ridges.

I find that I'll have to redo a pick a few times before it becomes worn out, but that's a small price to pay for not dropping them or flippin' em into the soundhole.

[SusanV]

I use those grey Dunlop .73's in part because I can hold on to them, due to the writing and texture on them.

With slick picks, another thing you can do is rough them up with 60 grit sandpaper... just the end you hold. A player I know used to "condition" his new picks by throwing them down on the concrete curb outside where we played, then scuffing them around with his boot. weird, but worked for him )

I can't stand putting sticky stuff on them or my fingers, cause I like to be able to move the pick around when I play.

[exhaust_49]

I like that suggestion about using 2 vinyl reinforcements (one on each side of the pick). I'll give this a try before I ruin any more of my picks.

[babablowfish]

Hey DonK -

Great post with lots of info. Thanks!

[exhaust_49]

I tried the vinyl reinforcments. They were the thin kind so I put one at each corner for more grip - worked like a charm. Now the pick simply won't slip. Thanks for the advice DonK.

[jackwr]

I stick with Snot. The stuff works great. A little goes a real long way. It also helps when you try to do the finger pick/flat pick switch (if you only get the snot on one side of the pick).

[rhythmdoctor]

I use the same orange picks with the turtle on them. My guess is if you're having problems holding onto it, then you're probably holding incorrectly. Make sure the pick is resting on the side of your index finger. It should not be touching the fingerprint portion of your index finger. I see a lot of beginners using the fingerprint part of their index finger and that is not very secure.

[Pvine]

Snarling Dogs Brain Picks with Cat's Tongue Grip

 

I've always had a slipping problem, and these picks cured it! They really work, and I'll be screwed if they ever stop making them. Almost a sandpaper texture to them...

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Accessories?sku=115600

[catdaddy]

Cook up a batch of McCann's Irish Oatmeal. While its still hot dip the end of the pick that you grip in the oatmeal so that a good gob of oatmeal sticks to it. Let it dry. Its organic so it sounds better than the original pick material (unless your using real tortoise shell) and the grip is perfect. Or add brown sugar or maple syrup and it makes a crunchy snack after the gig.

[DonK]

Originally posted by babablowfish Hey DonK - Great post with lots of info. Thanks!

Thanks...I'm a pick freak, so there aren't many I haven't tried. But I've managed to stick with the Wegen for a year now, so maybe my long search is over!