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yup, Iain's right. Just have a play with the different types and see which you're most comforatable with. I personally always use the boon.

Craig

I have seen Banjo Picks mentioned quite a few times in regards to being used for PW but could not really find any information as to how to adapt one for this purpose. Due you know of any useful resources that are currently available so that I could construct one for myself and see how I get along with one as compared to the other methods that I am currently studying/practising.

seeing a pick in situ, should give you food for thought.

Magic Tower wrote:Craig

I have seen Banjo Picks mentioned quite a few times in regards to being used for PW but could not really find any information as to how to adapt one for this purpose. Due you know of any useful resources that are currently available so that I could construct one for myself and see how I get along with one as compared to the other methods that I am currently studying/practising.

It's quite easy... Lee Earle may have a treatise on making them, you'd have to ask him... just go to his web site and shoot him an email, tell him I sent you.

Essentially you go to the music store and pick up a "thumb pick" used with a banjo or certain guitar styles. They have a band that wraps around your thumb and a flat prong (the pick) that can be bent back to lay against the fat of your thumb's upper pad. Most picks have a small hole already punched into this section; simply use a Pop-Rivet or small grommet that can be attached to the pick via this hole. However, the rivet used must have a center port that is large enough to hold your lead and the lead must be heavy enough to fit snugly... I will typically use sand paper to reduce a thicker lead and insure the best possible fit. Then it's just a drop of Super Glue on the end of your lead segment and pushing it back into that rivet hole and let dry.

The lead should be about 3/8 of an inch in length and of a soft lead (if you're doing the pencil thing). I usually get mine at the local art supply store where you can buy them by the stick rather than getting a full box.

If you want to do the LISTO type marker you do not need the rivet, just some Super Glue and that segment of the lead and glue it straight on. If you can mount a very fine straight pin/sewing needle tip roughly 1/8th-1/4 of an inch in length to the pick, heat it just slightly so you can push the Listo Wax onto it without splitting out the wax, the warm metal will melt its way in if you do it right. Once that part is set, then apply a bit of super glue to add to the hold, this little pin addition just gives the thing a better mount.

I tend to do a build-up around which ever lead I'm using, by molding epoxy putty (takes a very small amount rolled into a ball) around the bottom of the lead... you don't want it to adhere to the lead, just create a "tube" of sorts that helps hold the lead into position... kind of a little pyramid shape.

Hope that's clear enough in detail to help you out out

On one of the Syzygy videos Lee Earle mentions making a band-type by cutting down a TT. I'm several thousand miles away from my stuff, so can't look up any further details!

Thanks All

Looks like I will have to pay a visit to the local music shop and have a try adapting a banjo pick folowing the instructions that craig has outlined. I am sure that with a bit of effort I can create something along the lines of what is suggested

Thanks again for your help and input

Is that only good for PW or can it be used for pretty much anything that would require a thumb writer.