Butterfly Finger Picks
Firstly, these aren't to be confused with the now obsolete Butterfly Picks which are flat picks. These are Butterfly Finger Picks.
Amazingly, these are the first finger picks that I have actually found comfortable to use! I bite my nails so have never done a lot of finger picking! I have tried the Dunlop Shell Plastic ones but found them too harsh, they caught on the strings a lot and I couldn't get them to fit properly, so they just weren't right for me and so I never pursued finger picking.
When I first came across the Butterfly Finger Picks, I couldn't believe that something that looked so simple could work, but I was amazed how easy they were to use straight away. They are really really comfortable! The way they are constructed means that you can really shape them around your fingers to get a nice tight grip and once fitted properly, they stay that way and do not slip off your fingers if you shake them. Because they really mold to your fingers, it's easy to keep them on in between playing, and afterwards, you just slip them off carefully so they retain their shape.
Amazingly, these are the first finger picks that I have actually found comfortable to use! I bite my nails so have never done a lot of finger picking! I have tried the Dunlop Shell Plastic ones but found them too harsh, they caught on the strings a lot and I couldn't get them to fit properly, so they just weren't right for me and so I never pursued finger picking.
When I first came across the Butterfly Finger Picks, I couldn't believe that something that looked so simple could work, but I was amazed how easy they were to use straight away. They are really really comfortable! The way they are constructed means that you can really shape them around your fingers to get a nice tight grip and once fitted properly, they stay that way and do not slip off your fingers if you shake them. Because they really mold to your fingers, it's easy to keep them on in between playing, and afterwards, you just slip them off carefully so they retain their shape.
When playing, I found that they make a nice warm, full tone and glide off the strings effortlessly. They feel really natural.
Options
They are hand made from tarnish resistant copper in three colors: Gold, Silver, and Copper. The most popular color is gold, then silver, and then copper. Copper is slightly softer than the gold and silver colors in feel, sound, and durability.
Coating
The coating option is an expensive abrasive-resistant clear polymer put on the metal pick playing surface during assembly. Coating is not necessary, but is recommended for thumb picks and finger picks that play mostly on wound metal strings for smoother playing feel and sound. You can listen to two sound samples on their Sound page to help you hear the difference, Thumb Pick 6 Strings, and Coated Thumb Pick 6 Strings.
Picks are sizable. All measurements refer to the width across the knuckle at the fingertip or thumbtip:
- Finger Picks:
- Normal size, 5/8 inches (15 mm) or more, fits most adults.
- Small size, 1/2 inches (12 mm) or less.
- Large size, 1 inch (25 mm) or more. For this size, substitute normal size thumb picks.
- Thumb Picks:
- Normal size, 7/8 inches (23 mm) or more, fits most adults.
- Small size, 3/4 inches (20 mm) or less.
The picks come in a neat little plastic box which means you can keep them safe so that they don't get bent out of shape.
To go to the Butterfly Finger Picks website to order or for much more detailed information about fitting, click here.