What pick do you pick up when you play?

[guitarbob]

Clayton rounded triangle 1.00 mm. Been using them for 30 years, but they have been tough to find lately.

[magictwanger]

Sheesh Tuffy!!!

  I LOVE the cut up credit card pic"K"ture.SO appropriate!!

[SMixon]

Hey,
  If anyone can point me to where I can find a John Pearse thumb pick let me know.  I had one a few years back and lost it some how.  It was the best thumb pick I've had in a long time.
Good Morning to all by the way. 
Mix

[ncognito]

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. 

T the P--

Does it help or hinder your grip having one finger with the tip missing and the other with a hole right through the middle of it?   

        DAVE

[Jeff]

Back in the day when I used a flat pick, it was always a Fender meduim.  Now I play strictly fingerstyle and occasionally use a Fred  Kelly Speed Pick on my thumb--depends on the song.  Bare fingers and nails for the rest of the right hand.   On my resonator, big old Dunlops all around.

[tuffythepug]

T the P--

Does it help or hinder your grip having one finger with the tip missing and the other with a hole right through the middle of it?   

        DAVE

I gotta watch out for that glare in my photos.  I assure you my fingers are all intact although sometimes they seem like they are deformed when I'm trying to play a difficult piece.   

[misterneutron]

Hi folks,

I've got to put a word in for the thicker, clown-barf celluloid picks. The ones I use are similar to the Golden Gate shape, and have a very round edge - big fat sound. I find if I want a bit more attack, I can put a sharper bevel on with jeweler's sandpaper.
I also like the Wegen Triumus 1.4mm.   
Generally I find the sound is all in the thickness of the pick combined with the bevel.


Here's a great pick demo video from my instructor. He plays various kinds, including the 'gold standard' tortoise.
Eric Skye demonstrates various picks

Also check out his 4 part discussion of tone production.


Cheers,

tom

[Zohn]

T the P--

Does it help or hinder your grip having one finger with the tip missing and the other with a hole right through the middle of it?   

        DAVE

"..home....ET go home"...

[Richard III]

I stopped flatpicking a few years ago.  Long ago and far away I started using clear "Dobro" thumb picks. Dobro is (Was?) a manufacturer--not a type.  I bought about 25 of them once cz I heard they were going to be hard to get.  When they all finally  broke, went walkabout, ran out, I started using the White Dunlop "L"s, I don't know if the L means light or large.  Tried fingerpicks, all varieties and didn't like them.  I use fingernails and fingertips for I,M,A.  When I break a fingernail, I carry on as best I can.  Okay, finally, this is a little gross:  befor I slip on the thumbpick, I wet the last joint of my thumb--kinda like a kid sucking his thumb only very discreetly.  For me, the thumbpick has more bite on my thumb after about thirty seconds of drying.  Like I said, "yucky" but effective.

[GoldTopsRock]

I favor the "Ultex 1.14" or "COOL" picks in heavy.

[Wannabee]

   My 4 favorites are Dunlop Tortex 1.14 mm "The wedge",Dunlop polycarb H or XH, Wegen bluegrass pick,and my new favorite, cow horn pick.

[tadol]

I have to admit it -

whichever one is stuck in the strings -

Tad

[Johnny M]

Since I originally posted this, I've come to settle on a .96 Dunlop USA (bluish/purple with a dragon/alligator picture on it).  When I bought a mandolin for my son, the guy threw in a couple of Wegen picks into the case to sweeten the deal.  I played around with them for a little bit when the mandolin came, but put them back in the case.  Tonight I picked one up and started playing and Lordy, these things sound great now.  When I tried it before, it sounded too fat, but now ...  My son threw out the little bag that they came in so I don't know the thickness of them, but they are THICK!  Nice bevel on them and the points are rounded off nicely.  Going to give these a try for a bit and see what I think.

It's amazing to think about it ... we pay a lot of extra money that doesn't have anything to do with sound (inlays, gloss finished, bindings, rosettes. etc.) but I balk at paying more that a couple of bucks for a pick that has a tremendous effect on sound (as do strings). 

[dave42]

Dunlop Ultex standard .73 for most everything. Very clear sound.

I do have a few Fender mediums mostly for practice and the 12 string that doesn't need anymore brightness added by a clear sounding pick.

[rgire]

Cut my nails (had them from 8 years of classical guitar) and use a ProPik plastic tip  thumbpick and ProPik Fingerone picks on Index and middle (sometimes on the ring, depending on what I'm playing).

Rich