Alaska Pik Finger Guitar Pick Large

by Alaska Pik

Product Features

• Patented design finger pick that utilizes your fingernail

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B0002GO50I
• Item model number: 5102
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #991 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #56 in Musical Instruments > Instrument Accessories > Guitar & Bass Accessories > Picks & Pick Holders > Picks

Product Description

Experience a unique type of guitar pick that fits over the finger, under the nailTM on your finger or thumb. Perfect for all types of string instrument players including: classical, flamenco, guitars, harps & banjos. The Alaska Pik finger pick is available in either brass or plastic and sizes from small to large. We have a sizing chart to help you choose which Alaska Pik best fits your hand.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Product, October 27, 2008

By 

Joe "Flamenco" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alaska Pik Finger Guitar Pick Large

This is a great invention! I smashed my thumbnail between a heavy door and the jam. The nail turned black. I had to cut it as low as possible and wait for a new nail to grow back. I play classical music and Flamenco. The thumb is very necessary.

I had to customize the Alaska pik by filing the top and carving an arch on the bottom. I now can play as well as with my natural thumbnail.I am very pleased with this product.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alaska Pik finger picks, guitar picks, June 4, 2011

By 

Ralph Ellis (Mass to Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alaska Pik Finger Guitar Pick Large

Alaska Piks are just excellent and are a lot different than other finger picks: the fleshy end of your fingers are exposed and are used to pluck the string, just as when you play with your fingers, without finger picks. The string is not plucked by the pick until you are ready to let go, just as when you pluck the string with your own fingernail when you are not using fingerpicks, just as you let go of the string.

This gives you very good control of the dynamics when picking: how long to hold the string, how far to bend it or how hard to pluck it. When you use old-fashioned curved fingerpicks that cover the whole end of your finger, the string "slides" against the curved part of the pick, and you have no "feel" for the string, and no control over how it is struck.

The picture on Amazon does not show it correctly. For one thing, there should be another pick on the index finger, and probably some kind of thumb pick. (I don't like or use the Alaska Pik thumb pick, but an ordinary thumb pick; to each his own.) But more importantly, the Amazon pick does not show that the players fingernail -- you at least need a little bit of fingernail to use these -- has to stick through the first slot and over the bottom part of the Pik. That is the front edge of the first section of the Pik strikes the strings, and the back edge of that web of the Pik goes under your nail. Now it works like an extension of your fingernail, except that it does not keep breaking on you!

Another misleading part of the Amazon photo is: the Pik does not appear to be trimmed. You need to trim these babies; otherwise they are too long to control well. I cut them and file them with fingernail clippers, so that they are just a tiny bit longer than my natural nails. Then, they are almost as nimble as naked fingers. While you are trimming them, if you find any spots where the edges dig into your finger or cuticle, just cut and file for comfort.

The Alaska Pik has a brass "spring" or backbone molded inside, so, you can tighten or loosen the fit around your finger by rolling the cylindrical shape a little tighter, or stretching it out a little more, and it has "memory" and will adjust the fit for the correct tightness around your finger.

You can drag the BACK of your nails down the strings "backhanded" with an Alaska Pik, too; try THAT with a regular fingerpick.

These nest inside each other (I use two for first two fingers) with the curved part of my thumbpick inside of them, to travel well, for example in your pocket. For a long time, the trimming was a bit different for my first and second finger, and I found it helpful to put one little Sharpie pen dot on the index finger Pik, and two dots on the second Pik, so I could tell them apart. I put the dots on the side of the Piks facing my face; easy to find, and they don't wear off. For some reason in the last couple years, the trim seems about the same, and I don't care which one goes on which finger, and I've given up marking them. But you might like that.

These Piks last a long time, but will break eventually, so have a few spares. It's good to buy more, so as to spread the $hipping charge$ out, anyway.

The Alaska Pik site has a guide for the correct size to order. Make sure you have the right size for your fingers before you invest in a lot of them. There are some stores where you can try them on, but the cheapest places to buy Piks are on-line. Remember to adjust the fit around your finger.

After you have them all fit and filed, -- they take a bit of getting used to. I don't ever want to go back to regular picks. Ellis Ralph

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars aLaska Pik Finger Guitar Picks, February 14, 2011

By 

John R. Moak (Schenectady, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alaska Pik Finger Guitar Pick Large

These are the best guitar finger picks I've ever owned. I've used flat picks of all shapes and sizes, and metal finger picks. These durable plastic picks sound the smoothest and very nearly similar to your own fingernails. Not hard on the fingers, and easy to take on and off. Although some basic fingernail growth is suggested to help keep them seated properly, there's no reason that it is required. I've played for hours using these, and with little, if any, noticeable discomfort. Keep up the good work.