Anybody tried felt picks?

[mrote]

I recently suffered some ligament damage to the middle finger of my right hand which has basically brought my fingerstyle playing to a halt. I've used a pick enough that I have no problems plaing that way but the sound is bugging me.

I play a Ric 4001 with roundwounds but with a pick, I get to much of the pick hitting the string which I can't stand. If I change my amp settings to get rid of this sound, then the overall sound suffers. So I was wondering if anybody has experience with the felt picks which I'm thinking might take away that hard pick attack leaving the main body of the sound much like using my fingers. Where I'm at I will have to order these so I thought I might get others experience before purchasing.

[pharasoth]

One of my friends came over with his guitar and there were a few felt picks in there so needless to say i grabbed em up to try. They give a nice warm tone (especially once they're worn a little bit) and there is none of that pick-hitting-the-string noise business. Needless to say they are going to wear out completely but that it will take some time.. they are well worth the money and I recommend getting a pack, especially given your circumstances. You can get a pack at www.zzounds.com or www.musiciansfriend.com

[mattwells]

you can probably find them around, see if any of your local music stores carry ukeleles--that is what the felt picks are for. At least, that is what they label them at my local store.

[Trevorus]

What I would do is buy some felt from a local fabric store and glue the stuff to one side of your regular picks. Same general feel without so much wear issues. With it only being on one side, you could switch up if you wanted to.

[Sundogue]

Try Wedgie picks. They are made of a very hard rubber (with varying degrees of thickness/stiffness...some are very stiff like a thick plastic pick and some are very flexible) and last way longer than felt picks.

The sound is almost identical to playing with your fingers. No Click-clacking sound at all, yet you can get more definition out of each note if you want, than you can with your fingers.

They have a depression in the rubber where you hold it and they stay put. No fighting to keep them in position, even on the most difficult of lines.

[Gnobility]

I make leather picks out of old belts like rednecks use to hold up our bootcut Levi's. I rough cut them with tin-snips, then use my benchgrinder to shape them to a perfect Fender 351 profile.

They sound almost like fingertips - much better than any plastic picks I've tried.

(yeah, I'm a converted guitar player )

Gn

[HeavyDuty]

I use felt picks 95% of the time with my ABG, and occasionally on my others. I'll have to try the leather trick and watch for those Wedgies - thanks for the tips!

[Gia]

i really like felt picks.
i had one that was my dad's from the 70s but i lost it at a gig last year

[Benjamin Strange]

I use picks made out of human skin. Making them is messy business, but the tone is to die for!

[Trevorus]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

I use picks made out of human skin. Making them is messy business, but the tone is to die for!

You have an obsession with human flesh today, don't you? It's what you're eating for Christmas dinner, and making bass picks.

[Eli M.]

If your other fingers are okay, you could try using your ring finger instead of you middle finger. I don't know about picks, though.

[Aaron Saunders]

Used one once...unfortunately, I was looking for a pick sound at the time! Go figure.