Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Got The Pro Piks Today

#1

Actually, it was a pretty good day.
First, after swearing off buying anything else from the General Store because I already bought ever thing I needed from there, I succumbed to the idea if I had “magic picks” I could play better, faster, stronger. I already have Sammy Shelor finger picks, two sets of National NP 32’s., Blue Chip thumb picks and an old set of Dunlops.
So I ordered a set of ProPiks from the General Store. They arrived today. Apparently there is no magic in them, but they did come with a General Store lollypop!
When they arrived, my wife wondered why I bought more finger picks. I lied. I said they were free with my order of a Banjo Ben sticker & that I ran out of them about two weeks ago. I’m pretty sure she saw through my attempted deception, but she said nothing. She did the eye roll thing :roll_eyes:
And I made the scenic trip to Old Forge, NY to visit Al Worthen, the skilled luthier that hooked me up with my Sierra at Mountain Music. He’s been working with banjos for 51 years. What a treasure! It was time for my banjo’s annual tune up. A minor truss rod adjustment, a bit of tweeking the tailpiece, check the head tension, and a few other minor things that made a world of difference! My great sounding banjo now roars! I hope to post a video before the weekend gets here.
As for the ProPiks. I like the fit. I got the split finger picks and with a bit of bending they fit nicely. Both the finger & thumb pick gives a brighter sound than the Shelors, but I give the comfort-of-fit edge to the Shelors. Not by much, but the Shelors just seem to hug my fingers whereas the ProPiks seem to clasp them. I do like the blade on the ProPiks. It seems to be more like my natural finger rather than an extension of it.
As of right now, my order of favorite picks is:

  1. Sammy Shelor finger picks with a Blue Chip thumb pick, based on fit comfort.
  2. ProPik finger & thumb pick. Definitely brighter than the Blue Chip.
  3. National NP32…these would be my go-to picks for a classic bluegrass sound.
  4. Dunlops, because everybody sells them, they’re inexpensive and the do the job.

Now that I’ve posted this review, I can justify buying all these picks to my wife by claiming I’m a field tester for the General Store! :grin:

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#2

Did you buy the SS angle-2 picks ?

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#3

Ooops! No. I should have mentioned I got the the standard ProPik 1 blade.

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#4

Nice, I also got a banjo Ben lollipop in the mail today :slight_smile:

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#5

I prefer the lollipop to the taffy which tended to pull the fillings out of my teeth.
However, when I got the lollipop I couldn’t help wonder if it was Ben’s way of labeling me a sucker for buying yet another set of picks! :grin:

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#6

Hard to beat this combo for banjo playing. It’s my first choice anyway.

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#7

THis is also my number #1 choice @BanJoe

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#8

Watch it. K9 house testing may be required next.

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#9

I too am a pick field tester. The pay ain’t great but the benefits are! Lol.
Really took a shine to Acri picks, the brass ones that cover most of your finger. They feel awkward at first, but I’ve grown to love them. Read somewhere that brass picks mellow the sound, but I couldn’t hear the comment over my banjo belting out FMB…

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#10

Is it an all-metal Acri, or does it have a synthetic blade?
I have one with the synthetic blade, so the “brass mellowing” is not a factor.
I kinda sorta like the fit, but it does take getting used to as it covers so much of the finger.

Belting out FMB, eh? Obviously you’re no beginner. And as a Beginner, that’s my expert opinion. :grin: