Pedal to make finger style sound like a pick ???

[Kev]

[quote name='rmorris' post='259152' date='Aug 10 2008, 10:46 AM']depending on what 'pick' sound you're looking for but it may be worth trying out a [b]Musicman bass or similar - I've heard those get a pick like attack with fingerstyle[/b] ? But yeah - persevere with the pick itself - a lot cheaper ![/quote]
no, they don't, unless you attack with your fingers really hard and you use your nails, but thats the same with every bass

i dont think you will ever get anything to sound like your using a pick unless you actually use a pick.

[cheddatom]

I seriously can get a pick sound with my fingers. I'll try and do some sound samples, but it'll be a while before I can.

[Kev]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='262366' date='Aug 14 2008, 12:54 PM']I seriously can get a pick sound with my fingers. I'll try and do some sound samples, but it'll be a while before I can.[/quote]
with or without nails?

[gilmour]

[quote name='redzombie' post='257751' date='Aug 8 2008, 04:29 AM']Billy Gould sounds like he's pick playing on a lot of Faith No More albums (to me anyway). Unfortunately I've no idea how he went about doing this, aside from using his fingers.[/quote]

I think Billy Gould used a pick on most of the Albums, except the first one (with Chuck Mosley singing) at the time he slapped quite a lot. When he plays finger or slap, he just does it really aggresivley, most of the time he was just playing open E anyway

[Dood]

Hi guys!

Well.. A few thoughts.. If you want a sound similar to a pick with fingers, then before you start working on EQ ? compression and other gadgets.. look at the differences between your fingers and a pick. the most obvious being that the pic is a solid bit o' placky and ya fingers are all squidgy! lol.. soooo.. mebbe think about getting those finger tips harder and..well..less squidgy! Build up those callouses! Play lots, do lots of finger exercises and have a search on the ole t'interweb for advice on how to harden the skin. There are one or two products out there which can help.. I have heard that Surgical Spirit from Boots can help ya mits toughen up too. It's gonna require work! But to describe what I mean.. have you ever shaken hands with a buidler before? Leather hands ha ha!! (Ok.. I'm not suggesting all of you skin should be like that.. just your finger tips. Whilst you are working on your finger tips..all those exercises will be good for dexterity in general! A bit of extra practice never hurt anyone.

I use compression, drive and eq to add bite to my sound. I tend not to use a pic unless there are very fast passages in songs. I prefer to to build speed with my fingers as it's easier to string skip on a wide neck!

[cheddatom]

[quote name='BassManKev' post='262369' date='Aug 14 2008, 01:02 PM']with or without nails?[/quote]

Without! Not that I remove them, I just don't use them except for popping.

Dood - "I use compression, drive and eq to add bite to my sound. I tend not to use a pic unless there are very fast passages in songs. I prefer to to build speed with my fingers as it's easier to string skip on a wide neck!" I do exactly the same for the same reasons, although I do use a pick for chords aswell. I can do all my fast lines with fingers, but sometimes it's just more defined with a pick.

[Dood]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='262932' date='Aug 15 2008, 09:14 AM']I can do all my fast lines with fingers, but sometimes it's just more defined with a pick.[/quote]


Yep totally! I agree and when my fingers are a bit tired.. a pick sounds smoother too! heh heh!!

[rmorris]

[quote name='BassManKev' post='262285' date='Aug 14 2008, 11:43 AM']no, they don't, unless you attack with your fingers really hard and you use your nails, but thats the same with every bass

i dont think you will ever get anything to sound like your using a pick unless you actually use a pick.[/quote]

Well I guess it depends on what ‘pick sound’ is being envisaged.
I’m thinking clear attack with a bit of a ‘clicky’ percussive element.

Definitely heard similar from a Musicman with fingerstyle ( not nails ) before a couple of times which made me listen up and is why I mentioned it.
But not a real grindy ‘rock’ tone.
With a pick a lot depends on the pick and profile of the string – I’m assuming roundwounds – as to how much plectrum grind you get.

For a more ‘fuzzed up a bit’ sound with a pick like attack while using fingers I reckon the closest I’ve come was years ago recording onto a domestic valve reel to reel machine via the mic which came with the machine with the mic right up against the grill of a small practice amp.
The sound which came back off tape was a real surprise – I guess it was the combination of the valves and tape overdrive compression + amp / speaker distortions.

But I agree about using nails - that’s good esp if you can get away with all down strokes.
The hard skin / surgical spirit thing can help too but it’ll never be as hard as nails ( obviously).
And yeah – it can take some getting comfortable with – but a real pick is the real answer.

The guy who started this thread wants alternatives though so it's good to throw ideas around.

[Davetbass]

Could always experiment with a few different types of pick till you find one that`s comfy! I`ve always used white sharkfins for guitar and bass.

[Oscar South]

I like those grey dunlop nylon .88s for guitar and most bass, or 1.00s for more heavy duty bass work. Nice feel and grip.

[Marcus]

some great ideas, tips and suggestions......

After years of biting my nails down to the stumps i've grown my plucking finger nails and it's made a difference to the attack of the notes for sure, I think with some added bite and my recently purchased Aphex Punch Factory i'm getting there !!

Thanks guys....

[tomas_almeida]

I has more to do with you attack then your gear or EQ. You can grow some nails but having a strong (and I mean STRONG) attacks may cause a clank that aprocimates the sound of a pick. But it's different though. I use both techniques (fingernails and strong attack) in separrate ways for two different sounds.

[rmorris]

[quote name='Marcus' post='265171' date='Aug 19 2008, 07:28 AM']some great ideas, tips and suggestions......

After years of biting my nails down to the stumps i've grown my plucking finger nails and it's made a difference to the attack of the notes for sure, I think with some added bite and my recently purchased Aphex Punch Factory i'm getting there !!

Thanks guys....[/quote]

are you plucking the strings 'fingerstyle' ? if so do the fingernails interfere with 'normal' flesh only fingerstyle or do you use a different angle to strike the string ?
Or are you using the nail more like a pick with downstrokes ? or .....?

[cheddatom]

If I was using the ends of my nails to try and get a pick sound by attacking the strings really hard, I would be worried about breaking my nails off! I break nails just from popping though so maybe it's just me?

[hrl_damo]

I now play with a pick quite a lot as it gives the sound i require for my band. But used to always use fingers, the way I used to get that picking sound was with a compressor and just playing harder and near to the bridge.

Worked for me.

Best way to get a pick sound though is it use a pic unfortinately ;o)

[phil_the_bassist]

[quote name='lee650' post='258553' date='Aug 8 2008, 10:21 PM']One thing Nathan east does(apparently) slightly grow your fingernails on your picking hand[/quote]


Mrs PTB's nails are long, and she gets this mad pick-like attack with some rounded tones of fingerstyle. It's pretty genius tbh!