Landis Finger Picks
Setting The Standard For Art And Function
What do you get when you combine a master metalsmith/engraver with a multi-instrumentalist? In the case of Ron Landis, the answer is that you get custom crafted sterling silver fingerpicks unlike any other fingerpicks currently available. While Archimedes postulated that “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line”…it does not necessarily mean the shortest distance is the most interesting journey. Ron’s journey began in the Denver area where as a child he was attracted to arts and crafts and that led him to explore different mediums. He was also fascinated with music and learned to play guitar. It did not take long until Ron realized that there were a lot of guitar players, but not so many banjo players, so he learned to play banjo. He heard a bluegrass trio with a young lady playing Scruggs style banjo and it captivated him. The lady turned out to be none other than Lynn Morris. Fortune smiled on Ron that day because he found out that Lynn gave banjo lessons and lived in the local area. While in high school he got into building banjos and won a Blue Ribbon in the Scholastic Awards his senior year for a heavily ornamented banjo.
His initial success further inspired him to pursue the art of hand engraving which he planned to use for future instruments he planned to build.
Ron’s adventure has taken him down two parallel roads. One road was learning metalsmithing and engraving, and the other road was nurturing his passion for music. He made his way to Quincy, Illinois in the late 1970’s to attend Gem City College. His studies included watch repair, diamond setting and hand engraving. After graduation he returned to his hometown of Denver and served a short apprenticed under a well-known jewelry engraver. Ron then went on to own and operate his own jewelry engraving shop for several years. He also continued to hone his musical talents and added mandolin playing to his growing arsenal of instruments.
His fate took an unexpected turn when he was talked in to sharing a booth at the Colorado Renaissance Fair where he offered custom-engraved wax seals. After giving it some thought he realized he could do the same thing in metal. He bought a small fly press and applied his expertise in working with medal and engraving to strike souvenir medals/coins for the next ten years at various Renaissance Festivals across the United States. As time went on, Ron perfected his art through extensive research and acquisition of more specialized equipment.
Ron’s attention to detail and knowledge of early coin minting technologies led to the senior curator of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History recommending him to take part in an enormous project in Segovia, Spain restoring the ruins of the Royal Mint. Ron provided invaluable conceptual drawings and plans that were used to restore the Royal Mint and turn it into a museum of coin-making. Other notable career highlights include designing and making of the prototype of the proposed “Golden Mini Dollar.” The prototype was distributed to members of Congress. Although the Liberty Head is the overwhelming favorite of coin collectors, Ron’s concept of Lady Liberty was not selected. Although Ron’s speech promoting his design garnered a standing ovation at the design commission in Philadelphia, the final decision was to go with a design depicting Sacagawea. You may recall her as the 16-year-old Shoshone woman who assisted the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Now you might be wondering…what has this got to do with producing premium fingerpicks? It is the culmination of Ron’s extensive experience working with metals and engraving, coupled with his many years as a musician that have led him to design and manufacture finger picks that are unlike any currently available.
This short article only scratches the surface of his fascinating background and if you are interested you can find out more about Ron and his life’s work at: www.landisstudios.net.
There is an old well known English Proverb that states “Necessity is the mother of invention.” That apparently was the case on New Year’s Eve in 1979 when a banjo picking friend of Ron’s came to him in a panic because he had a gig that night and had lost his only set of picks. Ron had a date to play that night as well and did not have a spare set of picks to loan his friend. In what can only be described as an “aha moment,” Ron told his friend “I have some metal stock on hand, and I can make you a set of picks to get you through your gig.” The picks were basic and a far cry from the picks Ron produces today, but his friend loved them and raved about the tone they produced. Many years would pass before Ron would produce another set of picks.
In 2015 at the Walnut Valley Festival held in Winfield Kansas, Ron was talking to 2-time National Banjo Champion Steven Moore about the picks he once made for a friend. Steven became curious and expressed an interest and that led to Ron making him some picks. Steven told Ron that after he received his picks, he was trying them out and his guitar player noticed a difference in the tone and noted it seemed louder and richer. Steven agreed and is a long time convert and advocate for Landis finger picks.
Fast forward to 2020 to Landis Studios located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Ron decided to add finger picks to his product line. He experimented and produced several prototypes and out of his trials and tribulations came a new style of finger picks. The National company patented the first finger picks in 1930. Since that time, the design and process for production of finger picks has seen little change. Most commercially available picks are produced the same way, using the same materials and the same production process. They start with a roll of coil stock and a thin strip of material is fed through a press. As the metal process through a series of operations that cut and bend the picks into their final shape.
Landis Studios also begins the process with coil stock and uses presses, but in a vastly different approach. First the coil stock used is .052, more than double that used in commercial picks. Instead of merely bending the thin metal into shapes, the metal is compressed from both sides. Ron applied his knowledge of how coins are made and applied this technique and it allows a way to control the thickness in different areas of the pick. The process allows the bands to be thicker than commercial picks but still adjustable, and for the blade to be much thicker than found on standard picks. Another advantage of using their high tonnage coining presses in the process is that it allows them to apply various designs in the metal in much the same way as you see different designs in coins. Additionally, and a feature that is truly unique to Landis fingerpicks, the coin presses are used to put rows of raised teeth inside the bands of the picks to keep them snug to the fingers. Ron came up with this design from borrowing a technique used by gun engravers.
Another reason Landis finger picks are different is because they are made from sterling silver as opposed to the standard nickel, stainless steel or brass used by commercial maufacturers. As Ron likes to note… “They have the look and feel of fine jewelry. That’s because they’re made like jewelry.” At Landis studios they are always looking to innovate, and continuous improvement drives what they do. Currently they offer three pick blade types:
The Landis: the hemispherical shape compensates for any angle of attack (Ron came up with this design from his experience playing dobro)
The Classic: traditional narrow blade similar to most available commercial finger picks
The Claw: fine-tuned pointed tip
The latest addition to their product line is handcrafted sterling silver thumb picks. They are available in narrow or wide band and or a very narrow blade they call the “Accu-Pick.” Landis Studios offers custom engraving on their picks and this option highlights Ron’s decades of experience with hand engraving. The end product, from monograms to more detailed engravings are of the highest quality and clearly reflect Ron’s artistic flair. Another service of note is Landis Studios also takes custom orders.
Ron recently had the honor and privilege to be part of honoring a bluegrass legend. In Nov 2021, David Harvey, of Gibson, presented Doyle Lawson a Gibson Bill Monroe Hall of Fame mandolin at the Station Inn. The gift was in recognition of Lawson’s career and notable contributions to bluegrass music. The mandolin, one of seven made is an exact replica of Bill Monroe’s mandolin that is now enshrined at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Included was a one-of-a-kind custom case, covered in Ostrich skin, built by the Cody Schuler Case Company. The case featured custom nickel/silver engraved plates with Doyle’s name that were the work of Ron Landis.
When a customer requested a set of picks made from gold, Ron met the challenge head-on. The finished product was truly a work of art. Ron was so impressed with the tone the picks produced that he decided he had to make a set for himself. Ron has made finger picks for the likes of Jerry Douglas, Wayne Henderson and Scott Vestal to name just a few players who own his work. When Jerry Douglas received his picks, he noted that “these are the nicest picks I have ever owned.” The word is starting to get out about Landis finger picks, but COVID has limited Ron’s ability to personally get out on the road to promote his product. He did make it to Winfield in 2021 and set-up a booth that garnered a lot of attention. Additionally, he made custom sets of finger picks for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place-winners of the National Banjo Contest. This year is the 50th Anniversary of Winfield and Ron is going to make fingerpicks again for the winners of the banjo contest. However, this time the first-place winner will receive a gold set of picks. It is Ron’s hope, like all of us, that we get COVID in the rearview mirror this year and that he can get out to the festivals to meet folks and gain a wider audience for his finger picks.
If you use finger picks, you should check-out the work being done by Ron Landis. Landis finger picks are different… from the materials they are made of… to the process used to make them…to the tone they produce. Yes, they do cost significantly more than commercial fingerpicks. However, if you compare what players spend on some brands of straps, capos and tuners, the price for a set of Landis premium finger picks just might be worth the investment. Some violinists pay thousands of dollars for their bows. Finger picks like violinists’ bows are the direct interface between a player and their instrument. If you use finger picks, consider Landis finger picks… made with craftsman’s hands and a musician’s heart.
