Do giant thumb and fingerpicks exist?

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 7 May 2003 7:12 am

Hello all,

The other night I got together with a new friend who has been bitten by the steel guitar bug. After an impromptu lapsteel lesson, I am convinced he shows a lot of promise; great ears, instincts and a real love for the instrument. Like many new to the steel, he hasn't embraced using finger and thumbpicks, but in his case it is out necessity rather than some kind of iconoclastic impulse; his fingers are just too big! A large National looked like some kind of press on nail, and the finger picks were out of the question. I am sure there are other giant steelers out there, anybody got any suggestions for my Paul Bunyan-sized buddy?

Bill Fall · Post by **Bill Fall** » 7 May 2003 9:29 am

Maybe a fender off a Volkswagen?

MALCOLM KIRBY · Post by **MALCOLM KIRBY** » 7 May 2003 5:17 pm

David McKnight and I once gave a local Travis-Style thumb picker a "thumb pick" that he could slide his arm into. The guy that make the pick is now deceased.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 9 May 2003 12:42 am

Maybe he should bend them till they fit as best he can and then tape them on with medical cloth tape.

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 9 May 2003 9:51 pm

I too have big fingers. If it's any help I use very light nationals because they seem to grip the sides of my fingers a little better I also use a "Herc" bugablue thumbpick
It is more flexible and very light. If you have big fingers you can't afford to have anything getting in the way. How big am I?
6"4" 285lbs size 14 shoe and yes my fingers are proportionate
Later

Martin Weenick · Post by **Martin Weenick** » 10 May 2003 12:52 am

Jeff Newman makes and sells his own thumb picks, you might want to call him and see if he can make a larger one. Dont know what to tell you about the finger picks.

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Martin W. Emmons LG III 3/5 Peavy 1000

Jimmy Dale · Post by **Jimmy Dale** » 10 May 2003 7:51 am

I had a friend in W.Va that had that problem, so he took a regular pick to a machine shop. They flattened it out and drew a line around it larger,where it needed to be,on a piece of .026 guage stainless and cut it out. After it was sanded and polished, he bent it to fit his finger and it worked just fine. Jim Miller

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I'D RATHER BE STEELIN'
Kline U 12, Session 2000<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jimmy Dale on 10 May 2003 at 08:54 AM.]</p></FONT>