The ProPik Heritage fingerpicks are based on a set of Earl Scruggs' 1950’s National oval eight picks that were used during the recording of "Pike County Breakdown", featuring Lester Flatt and the Foggy Mountain Boys, in October of 1950. Following that session, Earl gave the picks to Dobro legend, Tut Taylor, who approached Scruggs about what picks he used.
Many decades later, those same picks made their way to Deering artist and R&D advisor, Jens Kruger, who had become very close with Taylor and they became the base for the new Heritage picks. These picks are the exact dimensions of Earl’s Pike County Breakdown picks, and each blade is individually buffed and angled backward for a played-in feel, as well as less resistance against the strings.
Played by some of the top 3-finger style 5-string banjoists of today such as:
Wes Corbett (Sam Bush Band)
Chris Pandolfi (Infamous Stringdusters)
Ryan Cavanaugh
Jens Kruger
Chris Pandolfi (Infamous Stringdusters)
Ryan Cavanaugh
Jens Kruger
“The Heritage is my favorite new prewar style pick. The craftsmanship is beautiful and the tone is balanced no matter where you place your right hand.” - Wes Corbett (banjoist for the Sam Bush band)
“As somebody who has been using old National fingerpicks religiously since I began playing banjo 18 years ago, these new Propik Heritage picks are a huge deal. These picks are crafted beautifully and sound and feel as close as anything I’ve tried to the real good old picks that I love. They also don’t cost an arm and a leg like the old Nationals, which is quite a relief since I was running out of legs!” - Gabe Hirshfeld
Heritage Fingerpicks are priced per pick.
All ProPik Heritage fingerpicks are priced per pick. However, when you buy two picks, we create a matched pair by matching the backward bend of the blade so that it is exactly the same on both picks. We also slightly bend the wrap on one a hair smaller so that one nests inside the other when not being used, and you can tell which one is for your index finger and which is for your middle finger.
Fingerpicks
ProPik fingerpicks are designed to be completely adjustable, so it is one size fits all. We also offer a Small & Medium line of picks, specifically designed for players with smaller hands.
Thumbpicks
When it comes to thumbpicks, most players will use medium or large thumbpicks, depending on the size of their hands and again, these are adjustable to you and your style. Many average size players even prefer using Large thumb picks and adjusting them down.
Nickel
Nickel is the most popular choice and is close to the brightness of stainless steel, but just a hair warmer. Many people prefer nickel because they are more adjustable than steel, which by its nature is much harder to adjust.
Brass
Brass is the warmest of the 3 metal choices.
Stainless Steel
The brightest of the three metals offered (stainless steel, nickel, brass). Due to the way they are manufactured and buffed to a high sheen, there is also less drag on the string, thus producing less pick noise and accents the brightness further.
Blade Type
#1 blades are the most narrow and #3 blades are the widest. The #1 and #2 blades are the most popular, with the #2 being a hair more popular.
Blade Angle
Over the years, players have made all kinds of alterations to their picks (and their technique) to make them work better. Angled blades allow you to hit the strings squarely with minimized finger movement, so you get a boost of tone, speed, volume, and reduced pick noise.
