Thimbles - Does everyone use them?

[Ian Bell]

I've been trying out  stroke style for a while now. I have an 1890s  "catalogue" banjo strung with nylon and tuned a little low. Up till now, I've been playing bare-fingered. Today I went to the local music store and bought a metal finger pick which I stuck it on backwards. Boy, It's a whole different animal this way, ain't it?  Is a proper 19th century-style thimble much different?

[Tim Twiss]

Thanks for asking that question Ian. I've been curious about this myself. I for one, do not use one.
I'll wait to hear the results.

[John Masciale]

Ian,

I have lousy finger nails, and use a thimble. Converse has a plan for a thimble in his 1865 book. I didn't like that one because it always feels like it is going to fall off of my finger. I redesigned it, and it works well for me, although other people have had mixed results with it. It really makes a difference, I get much better volume, and my notes are a lot crisper when I'm playing up on the neck.

[Carl Anderton]

It's tough to find quality reproduction thimbles. Clarke Buehling gave me a couple of ACRI brass fingerpicks that they made to his specifications. I eventually lost them both. If you can get ACRI to respond to your emails, ask them about the Clarke Buehling thimble. They never responded to my emails.

The only Civil-War template that I know of comes from the Converse 1865 fold-out. I find that particular pattern much too small. It won't stay on my finger. The ACRI repro is bigger.

In the final analysis, I don't worry too much about the accuracy of my thimble- as long as I have a piece of brass that will stay on the end of my finger, I'm happy. Right now, I'm using a "ProPik" fingerpick, backwards of course.

And as per the thimble/no thimble issue- I can't imagine not using one. I can't get a sassy banjer twang without one. They tear up gut quicker, no doubt...but ya gotta be heard!!

[Joel Hooks]

I hate how posts just vanish on this forum, so I'll try again.

Stay tuned, I have commissioned a press for stamping thimbles. These are the "shield" type based on the original in Clarke's collection. I have cut the Converse pattern out in the past and used them for quite some time. After using the shield type I prefer them.

They will be made from German silver, the appropriate metal.

Here is one of my prototypes, please excuse the rough edges and uneven angles, I cut it with snips. The finished stamped thimbles will, of course, have perfect edges and angles. The bands on the stamped ones will be a tad narrower as well as thicker metal.

I've got to get all the details worked out on shipping, taxes etc., but it should be less than a few months.

[Joel Hooks]

I should add that I expect to make my money back on the equipment and metal in at least 10 or 20 years, if I'm lucky. ;)

[Greg Adams]

My thimble is a reversed bluegrass banjo pick. I too had a repro thimble, but didn't like the way it always fell off of my fingertip. I've grown to use a "thimble," also, because I've gotten into a lot more fingerstyle and as a former classical guitarist have adjusted my nail shape and have lost my downstroke playing surface. Thimbles are fun!

[Joel Hooks]

That was my biggest complaint about the Converse pattern, I could not get it to stay on.

These just don't come off. It could be the bigger surface and the fact that it covers the nail and touches the skin above it.

[Carl Anderton]

Joel, if they work well, I'll buy a dozen! That should start you on your way to solvency ;^}

deuceswilde said:

I should add that I expect to make my money back on the equipment and metal in at least 10 or 20 years, if I'm lucky. ;)

[Trapdoor2]

I use an ACRI pick, modified per John Balch's webpage: http://www.johnbalchmusic.com/picks.html I like it a lot. I'm with Carl, Joel, I'll buy a dozen too...

[Rob MacKillop]

Ian, I use something 100 per cent inauthentic but 100 per cent reliable: the Fred Kelly Freedom pick:
http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PKFP-DELRIN-L.htm

The word 'freedom' is meant to indicate that you can do up-strokes with it as well, but in truth it is useless for that. But for stroke picking it is wonderful. Get the largest size as they are quite tight.

Rob

[Dave Culgan]

Nobody was using picks or thimbles when I first started down-picking on the banjo and I've so grown used to that bare naked feeling, learning to put a lot of wham into it so much that if I strapped on one of those metal appendages I'd bust more guts than Paganini. Dave Culgan

[Ian Bell]

Gentlemen - Thanks for all the great comments, photos and drawings. I play a lot of fingerstyle guitar and I find it difficult (impossible) to keep a nail on my index finger that works well for both instruments - at least the way I play. I do like the sassy twang though. Think I'll brush the snow off the car and go buy myself a piece of sheet brass!