Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Banjo picks

#1

Hi, I may need some new picks. Does anyone have any good recommendations on finger picks and thumb picks? Thanks!

#2

I use medium with a smaller blade thumb pick. 15 gage finger picks. I noticed the larger thumb picks made my thumb way louder than my finger picking.

1 Like
#3

My advice would be to try a bunch of different picks and find something that suits you. Myself I use ProPik Stainless Steel Angle Picks and Jim Dunlop Clear plastic thumb picks.

1 Like
#4

Hey @codywrestler1! The ones I carry in the site’s store are the ones I recommend. Get you a few of THESE fingerpicks and a couple of THESE thumb picks. They are some of the standards, but lots of good ones out there. If you want to invest in higher priced picks, I recommend the Bluechip J.D. Crowe (I carry it) and the Sammy Shelor finger picks, which I don’t carry…yet.

1 Like
#5

Way to go. Great sales pitch Ben

1 Like
#6

Yes! If he buys those picks, I’ll make about $0.47!

3 Likes
#7

It all adds up though.

#8

By the way, I only carry stuff that I would use/play…that’s why I don’t have 14,000 products in the store. I want to be able to fully endorse everything that leaves the General Store’s front step.

3 Likes
#9

When are you going to carry SS finger picks?

#10

I use Sammy Shelor finger picks. Best fitting picks for comfort and big round smooth blade that has covered many a mistake on my part.

Thumb is a ProPik Thumb pick. the plastic blade with the metal strap. That sound can be too brash I’ll move over to a softer plastic pick.

1 Like
#11

I just haven’t looked into it, but plan to do so soon.

1 Like
#12

I’m up a creek.
Finger picked guitar for 40 years. Used a speed thumb pick… and 3 Alaska picks for my fingers.

Finding out my picking form doesn't translate well to the Banjo. My hand moves away and back from the banjo as I pick. Finding out that it limits my speed. 

 I love the Alaska Picks for guitar, but need a different angle of attack. Picked up a bag of metal finger picks. Time to start from scratch.
1 Like
#13

Can only echo what’s been said. Try as many as you can. I recently was lucky to snap up some shelor finger picks and they are the most comfortable I have come across so far. Not got used to my blue-chip thumb pick yet. (possibly because I need the medium and not the small) So have gone back to my Fred Kelly pick, which I find to be really comfortable (cheap too)

1 Like
#14

I started with Dunlops, both thumb and fingerpicks. I pretty quickly discovered National NP2s (Ben sells these) and they have been my picks for the last 5 years. I have Shelors but I am so used to my Nationals now that I prefer them and the SS stays in the box.

I got Clown Barfs (thumbpicks, AKA Multi-colored) a couple of years ago and really like them. Mine are Kel Kroydons but they might just be Golden Gates rebranded (which Ben sells).

1 Like