Topic: Do you use thumb/fingerpicks?

[DanceGypsy]

When I first began to play CB, I resisted and then struggled with with thumb and fingerpicks.  I'm glad that is all in the past.  I tried about a billion different thumb picks, then Pokey LaFarge turned me on to the multi-colored Golden Gate - it's pink, green, blue, white, looks like a circues sideshow and has a long shank.  I buy them in bulk and have no idea what I will do if the company goes under or they stop making these picks.  I go through them pretty quickly - I have a heavy hand, and with all the raucous jug band material we do it just gets them razor sharp and jagged after a couple of shows.  I save them and file down, but they get real short real quick that way.  One other thing - I kill wound g-strings super fast, I could really change that string after a 2-hour show every time.  They just get dead and lifeless after the pounding that they take.

For fingerpicks I favor the vintage-style Nationals.

We play about 60 or more completely acoustic shows per year (and another 40+ plugged in) and I couldn't imagine playing without picks, which is funny as there was a day not too long ago when I couldn't imagine playing WITH them.

[BottleneckJohn]

When recording I tend to alternate between bare fingers and picks, live I always use picks!
The extra volume created is a good thing on a stage. 

[Shovel]

nails only to this point. 

[Stumblin]

Can't get no zookies 'round here no mo'.
So I'm using the standard Dunlop thumbpicks, a third the price and a nice, snug fit.

[swampman]

I play very hard and found that metal finger picks tear up the tops of my guitars.  I went the acrylic nail route over a decade ago.  I go to a nail salon every two-three weeks and get to gossip with Dawn, my Vietnamese nail tech.  While I have a very long thumbnail, i use a Herco thumb pick.  I like the fact that I can flat pick with it when necessary.  However, I play my single string leads using my thumb and first finger ala Piedmont style.

[frankie]

the multi-colored Golden Gate - it's pink, green, blue, white, looks like a circues sideshow and has a long shank.

The technical term for that is "clown barf."

I use a plastic thumbpick and fingerpick pretty much all the time when playing guitar. Just kind of simplifies things all around for me.

[Christopher Davis-Shannon]

I tried so hard to love fingerpicks but i much prefer just playing really hard, i can't quite get the volume of fingerpicks but I rarely play in musical situation where I would need the extra push without having a mic in front of me

[Laura]

I bought some picks about 4 months ago after learning some Rev Gary Davis stuff.  It was sounding ok but I obviously couldn't get anywhere near his sound without them.  I tried for about 2 weeks to get the hang of the picks but I could barely get a simple alternating bass going let alone do anything with my forefinger.  They've been in retirement since yesterday when I thought I'd give them another go.

I don't know what happened but I can miraculously use them now and belted out the first song I tried, well I say belted it wasn't the same as when I play with bare fingers but a massive improvement...weird but one very happy picker.

[twangmeister]

I bought some picks about 4 months ago after learning some Rev Gary Davis stuff.  It was sounding ok but I obviously couldn't get anywhere near his sound without them.  I tried for about 2 weeks to get the hang of the picks but I could barely get a simple alternating bass going let alone do anything with my forefinger.  They've been in retirement since yesterday when I thought I'd give them another go.

I don't know what happened but I can miraculously use them now and belted out the first song I tried, well I say belted it wasn't the same as when I play with bare fingers but a massive improvement...weird but one very happy picker.

I had exactly the same experience - thought I would never get used to them and went back to bare fingers for a while with all the problems trying to keep nails intact. Decided to give them another go to find it much, much easier. My playing is different with them, not worse or better, just different...