banner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

    I have been looking for something that would let me get a better grip on a pick that keeps it from moving around and needing to keep readjusting the pick position while at the same time hold the pick lightly and I finally found something that works very well.

    I had tried double-sided tape before but it ended up making my fingers sticky and the adhesive would get pretty slimy pretty quickly from the oils from my fingers and add to that the tape would pick up all kinds of debris so that was a bust, but it gave me an idea one night...

    Try 3M's VHB double-sided foam tape a try, it's 1mm thick and it grips in a different way than other tapes...

    This is 3M's description of their VHB tape...
    3M VHB Tape consists of a durable acrylic adhesive with viscoelastic properties. This provides an extraordinarily strong double-sided foam tape that adheres to a broad range of substrates with a Pressure-sensitive adhesive bond on contact to provide immediate handling strength.



    So I gave it a try and for me, it works great, since it's 1mm thick it makes the pick thicker at wherever you apply it which make the pick easier to hang on to using a little grip and just by feel alone you can tell which way the pick tip is facing, the adhesive doesn't get too sticky or slimy because it's viscoelastic, it doesn't pick up all kinds of debris because it is Pressure-sensitive, and it doesn't make me fingers sticky because it isn't really a sticky kind of adhesive with skin and if anything it cleans my fingers after using it and at the same time if you hang onto it for a few seconds it starts to grip your fingers in a good way that keeps the pick from moving around between your fingers!
    It's weird how good it works, I just put a strip of it on both sides of the pick and that's it...






    Here's a short video clip talking about how it works...

    Last edited by AxRookie; 11-08-2019, 04:32 AM.

  • #2
    Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

    Nope. Too thick.

    I used Gorilla Snot for awhile, I tried scoring my picks with Exacto blades. I finally bought some "Cat Tongue" picks from Cool Pix. The surface is covered with sharp points just like a cat's tongue. Now I have to throw my pick down if I pick it up wrong. No more slippage.
    aka Chris Pile, formerly of Six String Fever

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

      I just scrape the hell out of both sides of the pick with the can opener attachment on a swiss army knife, and then the picks are super grippy.
      Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

      Originally posted by Douglas Adams
      This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

        I just use the natural rough-ness of a tortex (delrin) pick. I hold it so just a tiny piece of the point is showing, so there is no chance for it to spin or fall.
        Administrator of the SDUGF

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

          Doesn't that make it hard to manipulate the grip on your pick as you are playing? Controlling your pick is one of the most important elements of playing with one. If you are really paying attention, you will realize that you don't just hold it exactly the same way all the way through every song.

          I am not a pick dropper myself, but it seems like simply passing some coarse sandpaper across the pick once or twice, maybe in a cross-hatch pattern, would do the trick without significantly changing the overall feel and control of the pick.
          Originally posted by LesStrat
          Yogi Berra was correct.
          Originally posted by JOLLY
          I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

            When you get old, arthritis and dry papery skin make it hard to hold on tightly to a pick. A normal pick will rotate in my fingers as I play. NOT optimal.
            aka Chris Pile, formerly of Six String Fever

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

              Stop getting so damned old then.
              Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

              Originally posted by Douglas Adams
              This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

                Just pick yourself up a pack of these https://www.amazon.com/Dunlop-449P-6.../dp/B003B01QR2 in your preferable thickness. I have been using these for years (.88mm) and have never found a better pick.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

                  For me the flat surface of a pick and even the textured picks that I've tried ( I haven't tried picks like cats tongue yet) and picks with holes haven't worked as good as this VHB does for me, but that's just me, what also makes it good to get a good grip while still holding the pick lightly is it very thin acrylic foam center which raises the clingy part above the pick which you can cut it to any shape you like and put it anywhere on the pick you like and unlike skin wherever you put it stay put great because grabs like hell once it's been on something for a day but it's just not like that with skin...You can get small pieces of VHB on ebay for next to nothing to try it out for yourself, Some of you might like it and others not so much, Who knows??? I'm just throwing it out there since it's working so good for me...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

                    Since it’s the topic of slipping (I know the OP found his ideal): I got a tin of EVH picks as a gift, and while I don’t really stray from my gray Dunlops, the EVH picks have a crazy grip on them that don’t slip - sticky but not from glue/chemicals
                    Last edited by DankStar; 11-10-2019, 09:12 AM.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

                      Originally posted by DankStar View Post
                      Since it’s the topic of slipping (I know the OP found his ideal): I got a tin of EVH picks as a gift, and while I don’t really stray from my gray Dunlops, the EVH picks have a crazy grip on them that don’t slip - sticky but not from glue/chemicals
                      Well I wouldn't call it ideal, It's just the best for me that I've found so far BUT as with everything with me I'm always open to something better... EVH picks you say? I'll have to take a look at them!

                      Just so all of you know I may not comment on everyone's suggestions but that in no way means I'm not going to look into them!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

                        You know there is one aspect of this discussion that has literally never crossed my mind until today but it really should have because it makes a night and day difference when it comes to interfacing you will through your fingers to the pick.

                        I've been a mechanic all my life starting in automotive and ending in general aviation and let me tell you as a life long mechanic your hand really take a beating from a million small cuts everywhere across every part of both my hands from the tips of my fingers to my wrists and beyond, to hundreds of DEEP cuts across both hands, to bruises, bangs, smashed fingers, and torn skin.

                        Let me tell you that it takes a toll on your sensitivity to touch and feel something your holding in your hand and even more so holding between your fingers and thumb.

                        And your dominant hand takes the brunt of that neverending waves of punishment with my right hand being my dominant hand.

                        Due to that 40+ years of turning wrenches the skin across the palm side of my hands from around the tips of my fingers and across my palms to my wrist is much thicker and tougher than most people, and not only that but my sensitivity to touch is less than most people.

                        Thinking about it now that it has finally crossed my mind it makes complete sense that I'm looking for something that gives me more control and a sense of what the pick is doing between my fingers and it also makes sense why I end up at odds with people who just can't relate to my searching for more than your run of the mill pick because, for the most part, their hands are normal whereas mine is not...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

                          Originally posted by ICTGoober View Post
                          When you get old, arthritis and dry papery skin make it hard to hold on tightly to a pick. A normal pick will rotate in my fingers as I play. NOT optimal.
                          I had the same problem for the same reasons. Now I use the Dunlop Primetone Jazz XL picks. Solved all of my problems with holding onto picks. Kind of expensive so when practicing, I tend to use the Dunlop Ultex in the same size and thickness.

                          https://www.jimdunlop.com/product/52...,100195,100474

                          https://www.jimdunlop.com/product/42...=100197,100225
                          Craig

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Getting A Grip On Your Pick...

                            I wouldn't worry too much, I'm having no problems playing at all and only a very minor annoyance with the pick that is completely remedied with a little strip of VHB on both sides of my picks, I couldn't be happier with my picks!!! AND it's so cheap, just a little strip on any old pick and it's good to go...

                            Comment

                            Working...
                            X