Paul Franklin Signature National Picks

[Mike Sweeney]

In English measurements, what gauge are the new PF finger picks.... specifically, the NP2-04 nickel finger picks.
Are they .015 or .020 or .025 size?

.025

[Allen Howington]

Thanks Mike!

[Thornton Lewis]

I bought a set of these because the nationals I have been using have slightly curved blades and that made contact with the strings "slippery." They just weren't as solid a stroke as I wanted, especially with my ring finger fourth pick in wide grips. These are definitely better. I didn't have a problem reshaping them with a pair of needle nose pliers and adjusted to them within a couple of days. Well worth the couple of extra bucks in my opinion.

[John Talbott]

Apparently the link in the original post isn't working.
But I did find them here for $21.99 4 pack.

https://www.daddario.com/products/acces ... el-4-pack/

John

[Bruce Roger]

I bought a pair from Forum store several months ago and really like them. Besides, if Tommy White likes them, who am I to complain?

I inserted a dowel where my finger would go to tighten the grip and slightly dent the curve of the broad face to bring it closer to my fingernail.

Over the few years I've been playing, I've gradually introduced using picks more and more. At first they were quite klutzy. In retrospect, my mistake was that I opted for the thinnest, lightest weight picks, thinking that they would feel less obtrusive. The problem with that was that they had so little integrity that they would never hold their shape, consequently became misshapen, and then dug into the cuticles.

[Mark Dunn]

The picks below are just some I picked up in Dallas one year. Standard picks from my bar bag, that I've used a fair bit. When I read this, I thought, do I hit the string that deeply, so I hit the hole? Looking at the photo, I was amazed! Looks like I'm hitting that hole all the time... but it never crossed my mind. Unbelievable! I'm not sure if they're in the UK, but I'm gonna have to try some of those... Just for interest, the pick on the left goes on my 2nd finger, and the pick on the right my 1st finger. The 1st finger pick, I file off the ends of the wrap-around. It helps you select the pick/finger when you pop them on, and If they overlap, I personally feel it doesn't fit as snuggly. Just some thoughts.

[Dale Rottacker]

The picks below are just some I picked up in Dallas one year. Standard picks from my bar bag, that I've used a fair bit. When I read this, I thought, do I hit the string that deeply, so I hit the hole? Looking at the photo, I was amazed! Looks like I'm hitting that hole all the time... but it never crossed my mind. Unbelievable! I'm not sure if they're in the UK, but I'm gonna have to try some of those... Just for interest, the pick on the left goes on my 2nd finger, and the pick on the right my 1st finger. The 1st finger pick, I file off the ends of the wrap-around. It helps you select the pick/finger when you pop them on, and If they overlap, I personally feel it doesn't fit as snuggly. Just some thoughts.

I would also catch that hole and even my fingernail at times. I like the hole not being there with PF's picks.

Also like you I took a wire cutters and snipped the bands on both picks. One day I noticed Travis Toys and one of his picks looked like the band had been shortened to about halfway through the hole. I'd always tightened mine to the point of touching or even overlapping to get them to feel tight enough and then they'd click/pop when they'd open back up. Snipping off about an 1/8th" now allows me to squeeze them on more securely without the bands touching.

[John Larson]

https://youtu.be/dFz65pHXODk?si=NTMiHIFqe5XZfbQV

Nice vid from the folks at D'Addario on Paul and his picks.

[Mark Dunn]

Re. shaping picks; thanks for posting Dale. When you figure out these things, you're never sure if its a 'real' problem, or just something that's bugging you that day. So, you live with your solution and it becomes the norm. Maybe several months later, it might cross your mind again... That's steel guitar hey. Great to hear fab players like yourself and Travis have pondered similar issues.

[Jeffery Mercer]

There really isn’t any “Magic” here, and if there were…It’s all “Imagined” you want something to have magic properties so badly that you make yourself believe it actually does! Snap out of it fellas! (The Magic is “Still” in the players hands and his knowledge of attack, gained over many years of playing, and many long hours of practice)The Paul Franklin Finger Picks too me anyway are Excellent Finger Picks…
Respectfully,
Jeffery

[Jerry Overstreet]

Anyway, I believe Paul does a lot of pick blocking and the way he wears his picks, the holes likely are a hindrance.

Many of us are Jeff Newman disciples palm blockers and play off the edge of the pick so that the holes do not really come into play.

Eagle claw or techniques where players poke their picks straight down and play square off the blade probably will benefit from the solid blade.

Either way, whatever technique, these picks will still be nice for players just because of the design and the nickel plate composition.

Gotta have picks, don't see how anyone could go wrong with these picks provided they find the value therein and if our hero Paul gets a little revenue by his endorsement, more power to him.

[Quentin Hickey]

You all bend the blade, wrapping/tuning it around the end of your fingers, or are leaving it as it arrives in the mail?

I leave my Newman picks as is when I used to order them new. I always found they worked great for me.

[Quentin Hickey]

Are these picks staying in production? I need to try a set.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Yes, you can buy them from the forum store, from the D'Addario store, amazon or many online stores and outlets.

[Quentin Hickey]

Yes, you can buy them from the forum store, from the D'Addario store, amazon or many online stores and outlets.

Yeah I seen that afterwards. How do these compare against the Jeff Newman picks dimension wise? My only gripe about the nationals I did try is that the blad width is smaller and so some the skin on my fingers would constantly slide against the string. I didn't like it. I wouldn't want to spend 40 dollars to repeat that process.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I don't use the PF's so I don't know the diff in the blade dims compared to the JF picks.

I can tell you my experience with the standard new issue D'Addario Nationals is the same as yours. They are smaller overall ring and blade than the real Nationals before the D'Addarios. I did not like them and gave them away.
However, my seller said they were the same...they are not.

These PF models appear to be wider blades than the standard model D' Nats but that is just my observation from looking at the photos. That may or may not be the case.

I'm sure some recent users of both can answer your ?