Thumbpicks, tell me all there is.

[Stubby]

So, I'm looking to get into playing some slide guitar. I see a lot of guitarist using thumbpicks, but usually can't make out which kind. I know there's plastic ones and there's metal ones, I suppose they sound different. Which ones do you use and why? Does size matter at all? Which ones should I avoid?

[Roadkill a.k.a. John Maw]

Hi.

Yes. The finger picks are easily adjusted. The stainless ones are a bit stiffer but both can be bent easily enough. The plastic thumb picks are easily adjusted with heat (I use a hot air gun) because they are usually set too small to start with. If you make the thumb pick very short you may well have to reduct the length of the bit that wraps round the thumb to avoid it catching on the strings (this should be visible in the photo).

Good luck with that.

John

Stubby said:

Thanks John! The fingerpicks look interesting, they can be adjusted to size? The short thumbpick is a good idea, that'll allow you to play like you don't have one on and still get nice attack.