What pick do you pick up when you play?

[Johnny M]

I've been using a Fender medium pick for about the past 9 months or so and yesterday I got to a few guitar shops and picked up a few picks to try out.  This got me thinking of asking everyone what picks they use?  I got a couple of 1.0mm, a couple of 1.14mm pics and a 1.5mm pick.  The thicker picks really give you a FAT tone compared to the medium I've been using.  The 1.0mm feels and sounds good, whilte the 1.14mm picks sound a bit too fat for my ears at this time.

How many of you use the same pick everyday? So some of you change up your pics or a regular basis?  Certain picks for certain songs?  What do you usually grab when you sit down to play?

I know there are a lot of fingerstyle players here, so what thumbpick do you use, if you use one?

I see myself buying and trying out a lot of picks in the future to experiment.

John

[hadden]

I use Golden Gate thumbpicks, large pearloid. Any of the Golden Gates are fine, ivoroid and whatever the other one is.  The Dunlops are OK too. 

[strawintogold]

Just my hands. I don't have quite the obsession with the nail 'thing' mostly because it would prevent me from doing what I need to. So If I break one I just file them all down and start over. That has been interesting in that I have a tendency to hook my fingers when my nails are short. So I'm working on being aware of that.

[magictwanger]

A very interesting question.

  I've read alot about pricey picks,on UMGF.Some of those folks seem to be very advanced.Anyway,picks like Blue Chip,Wegen,Red bear and the "supposed' King....Tortoise Shell!

  Anyway,it did get me thinking and experimenting a bit,but I only splurged for nine bucks,which got me 4 different varieties.I have some free picks that are mediums,and celluloid.I also have .73 Star Picks.....Slightly bright and sound better on hard strumming using light strings.I believe these are Delrin or similar material.

  Tried the Star Pick .88's which are very nice sounding and just a touch soft.Nice el-cheapo pick.Still a delrin type of material.A decent pick for both mediums and lights.

  I really like the Star pick .96 Celluloids( I'm pretty sure,but not positive that these are celluloid or similar material,but they don't have the "click" of the lower numbered picks,and are warm and bright and punchier) on my medium strung dread.

  I findt hat picks that are too light have some pick noise.Probably my lousey technique,which I am working on...Very hard,btw.

  Anyway,this is all ONLY my opinion,and most likely not very accurate info...unless you are mediocre,like me,but my excuse is having just gotten over(thank God) a nasty case of tendinitis....So I am re-energized and looking "hard" at the best techniques.

  As for the thicker picks,I need to do more comparisons and am very interested in picks from Wegen,Red Bear and Blue Chip.My plan is to get a few months under my belt,before moving on and splurging for that kind of cashola.

  As for fingerpicking,I use bare fingers,but think I may try growing my nails.....I HATE the feeling of finger picks....Just me.

  Best to all

[Johnny M]

Hey MagicT

Good to hear that your tendinitis is on the mend.  I was splitting wood and got my right index finger pinched between the splitter and round.  It smarted!  Haven't done any fingerpicking in about a month, so I've gotten quite used to the Fender medium .73mm.  They talk alot about pics over on Mandolincafe.com and it made me pick up a 5 different ones and give them a try.  I've heard Red Bear and Wegen are well liked and the big craze seems to be Blue Chip.  $35 bucks for a pick ~ my pockets aren't that deep.  Considering ordering a Red Bear within the next month and see what they are like.  Something around 1mm, maybe .96mm?

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon, so I got to try the different picks on both guitars.  I can get great tone with 1.14mm, but I find you really have to dig in.  Good for fast  loud bluegrass.  For just noodling around 1mm fatten things up nicely and with the Fender medium .73mm, things are crisp without the volume.  Unfortunately, all 3 shops that are within an hour all carry the same brands.  I did see Golden Gate pics.  Cheap, but I passed it over.  The shop had a couple of high school kids behind the counter and knew as much.  Spent less than 4 minutes in there.  2 of the shops were pretty good and left you alone to play.  Strings were expensive ... to the point of buying a bulk order online makes sense.  One of the shops had a sweet D-15 that popped the sirens ~used, but very fairly priced!

John

[Parlor Picker]

Fingerpicking - nails of the thumb and first two fingers
Strumming - index fingernail

I like to connect with the strings and find that flatpicks and fingerpicks form some kind of barrier between me and the instrument.

[ncognito]

Fingerpicking: nails with some modifications and as needed "toxic" repairs.

Flatpicking : the one that I like best so far is red and has a capital H (heavy) on it; it comes in a free assortment pack when I order from Strings and Beyond.  It is rigid, but has just the right amount of give in the tip.  The resulting tone gives me exactly the sparkle and note definition I'm looking for.  Thinner picks sound bright, even harsh for my particular attack; a heavier pick, like a Fender extra heavy will subdue the tone a bit more which can work well for certain songs.  It's fun to try new and different materials, thicknesses and densities for flat picks, and it's amazing the variety of tones that each will give to the overall sound of an instrument.  It's a cheap , yet effective way to customize your "signature" sound.

          DAVE 

[strawintogold]

Oh, Red Bear is a great pick. My teacher and I compared it to tortoise and the difference was negligible.

[unclrob]

The standard Fender style medium pick and my fingers.

[Denis]

I fingerpick most of the time but when I do use a pick, the only ones I like are the Jim Dunlop Tortex .50mm, the red ones.  I don't like the normal pick shape and size though.  I always use the bigger triangular ones. 

[LawDogStrgsAttach]

I for one think tortoishell has few/no equal.  But other than that, I have a FWI pick from Bob Colosi.  Not the best pick for strumming, but it is unmatched for attack in flatpicking, but takes some dexterity to prevent a metallic sound.

Other than those, I use a lot of dunlop ultex 1.0mm and thicker, and fred kelly heavy.  I bought a handful of vpicks, but so far not impressed.  JP buffalo horn is ok for flatpicking, but a lagging third to shell and FWI.

[magictwanger]

Sheesh,I'd love to get my claws on a real TS pick,but they are not to be had.I certainly don't want to contribute to killing off a species...yet....

  I've been looking quite hard at my kids pet turtle lately

[DaveyO]

Always go back to fender mediums,I have tried so many.
Dave

[wilblee]

My favorite pick is, hands down, the Black Diamond pick (google it).  Beaucoup bucks, but the first pick I've used that really made a significant difference.  After that I use Fender celluloid 346 heavies.  After that, whatever comes to hand.  The Black Diamond stays in a dedicated jewel box that came with a ring I got my wife.  The rest are scattered throughout my various guitar cases, gig bags and studio shelves like chicken feed in a hen yard.

[OdiePiker]

I have an insanely huge collection of picks, from the cheapest no-names to a a Blue Chip.  My hands-down favorite is the Dunlop Ultex 1.14.  Takes a few weeks to break in but, to my mind, the best combination of speed, articulation and fat tone.

[tuffythepug]

I'm still using this type that I make myself from old credit cards.   The raised numbers give me a good grip and I like the feell of 'em.  And.........they are free.  They actually save me money if I cut up my wife's cards. 




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[jeremy3220]

My favorite is delrin 1.14mm. It has a little flex so I can sorta pop/pluck the strings in a smooth manner. With the picks that don't flex like stone or Red Bear you end up kinda brushing the strings where as with the delrin the pick flexes while touching the strings and loads the pick in a way(hard to explain). I have a Red Bear that I like but I don't think the tortoise shell sound is my favorite.

[itscowfun]

its really interesting to hear so many people use picks near or above 1mm.  i've been using a light gauge (about a 0.60 mm) nylon pick for about 3 years.  i found it gives me the sound i want from chords and whatnot without too much of a "plucky" sound (probably just how i strum).  my favorite pick right now is a delrin thin pick.  great for strumming and still thick enough and stiff enough to let me flat pick contently.  i only have one though....i need to get more. 

oh and i dont really like the standard celluloid/plastic medium gauge picks.  just dont feel good in my hands.

[SMixon]

I use the light Dunlop picks.  I am not a flat picker by trade and to a fair amount of rythm.  .60 is about what I use, but I would certainly go higher end picks if I were going to do alot of flatpicking.

[MacNichol]

I've been using the 1.0 mm Dunlop Tortex picks for Jazz, Blues, Folk and Rock for two decades now.  I've used other picks, but the Dunlop Tortex is the pick I keep coming back to for comfort, good gripping and accuracy.