what kind of pick do u use/

[DaveyO]

After trying different types thru the yrs
fender mediums work best for me
Should I move up to a charmed life pick
Or something like that?
Is it worth it?
Thoughts?
Dave

[eded]

Pretty often, I play with just my finger.  When I do use a pick, it is Cool Picks Cat Tongue Nylon...  either 0.73 or 0.53.  They have a sandpaper texture where you hold them which makes them easy to hold onto...  and they are about as cheap as those Fender Mediums.

Ed

[George]

I think picks are like strings, everyone has their own needs.  I sat down and tested about thirty different ones a few years back, every material, every thickness, shapes/points and just about as many different picking/strumming styles.  What I learned was that an expensive Blue Chip or Red Bear are pretty much a waste of money, there are plenty of inexpensive materials, thicknesses, varieties of shapes/points, textures and whatever else you look for to do the job.  I can tell you that what I mainly learned is that material and thickness differences can produce many, many quite different tonal combinations/percussions that are quite discernible to the ear.  My suggestion would be to start with your mediums and test them like you would strings (go up and down in thickness and try different materials, even the metal ones), and without spending a ton of money, you should be able figure out which ones feels the best, fit the best and produce the tonal qualities you need.  At one point I was keeping 18 different ones handy so I could create different tonal responses from the guitar.  Now I only keep about six on my pick holder on my stand.  Right now I would have to say my favorite two are an Ultex .60 and a Snark neo-tortoise .64...(but I do keep thicker and thinner ones on hand)  It was a very fun and rewarding experiment for me anyway...

[rockstar_not]

Pretty often, I play with just my finger.  When I do use a pick, it is Cool Picks Cat Tongue Nylon...  either 0.73 or 0.53.  They have a sandpaper texture where you hold them which makes them easy to hold onto...  and they are about as cheap as those Fender Mediums.

Ed

I use those Cat Tongue picks as well.  Lately it's been easier for me to find the Dunlops that have a similar sand-paper like feel in a heavier gauge.  It's the Max Grip type.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/dunlop-nylon-max-grip-guitar-picks--12-pack

[unclrob]

I've been using Tusq .88 or 1. for a few years now.I like hard picks for some unknown reason,use to use Fender or fender style heavies before that.At home I mostly use my finger or my thumb.

[broKen]

I round off all the picks I use to soften or eliminate the "ting".

[ducktrapper]

This is my favourite.



Oh! I thought you said puck.

[Danny]

I took a Larrivee 1mm pick and put double sided tape on where I hold it. Also tried rough sanding a few.
   Holding on to picks has been a problem for me for at least 10 years.
    I also use a 1mm Dunlop.

Since most of my guitars are setup low for finger style, I need to use a lighter pick to keep from buzzing and rattling. I'm gonna make a new nut and saddle for the forum III to make it a better strummer.
   

[George]

I have even drilled a triangle of small holes in a pick that is sometimes hard to hold, it works...

[eded]

I have even drilled a triangle of small holes in a pick that is sometimes hard to hold, it works...

For a while, I used to use a hole punch, the kind you use to punch holes for a loose leaf notebook.  It was easy, and worked.

Ed

[mike in lytle]

After trying different types thru the yrs
fender mediums work best for me
Should I move up to a charmed life pick
Or something like that?
Is it worth it?
Thoughts?
Dave

My stepson gave me a Pick Punch, which looks like a stapler and can punch standard size picks from credit cards and such.
This is useful for punching out something like a standard thin or medium pick, but is mostly a novelty item.
I have had it for years.
Mike

[Scrambler17]

After trying different types thru the yrs
fender mediums work best for me
Should I move up to a charmed life pick
Or something like that?
Is it worth it?
Thoughts?
Dave

I've also use Fender Mediums for years.  I bought a ton of the California Clears about 15 years ago and used them up recently.  Bought some new ones and I seem to break them much sooner than the old ones.  Not sure if the quality has changed or what.  It's one of those things that I've found and I like them.  Following this thread to determine if there may be something better out there, but these seem to work well for me. 

[L07 Shooting Star]

Nylon, relatively thin works for me.  I'm the most used to the Dunlop 0.60 light grey picks.  Where I work, Lee Valley Tools, we have a Pick Punch and we recycle used gift cards into guitar picks.  I think the cards yield picks about 1 mm thick.  Most players find this thickness OK according to our customers. 

[Mikeymac]

I've moved to using mostly mediums (like the old white Larrivee picks) or Jim Dunlop "M" medium tortoise ones for electric, but I like something a little thicker on acoustic - but I want something that sounds crisp on the bass strings and yet isn't "plinky" or twangy on the trebles. I've found a couple that work very well for this from Pickboy - the Meta Carbonate 1.00mm and the Pos - a - grip 120.

I also like the old, thicker Larrivee pics for acoustic. The new heavy Larrivee tortoise picks work well, but those old ones (like the ones I got with my RS-4 and RS-2) just have a snap to them that's great.

I don't so much wear out picks as I lose them... so I really keep an eye on the few old Larrivee picks I still have! 

[Paraclete]

I used to prefer Fender mediums or whatever reasonable equivalent was available.  But over the past couple of years, ive grown out of picks and am playing exclusively fingerstyle, even when strumming hard.  For electric and mando stuff I still use buffalo horn picks.

[webberink]

Although almost all my playing now is fingerstyle with a thump pick and acrylic gel nails, once, a long long time ago, a friend gave me a real turtle shell flat pick and it was incredible.  I had that pick for about 10 years and used it almost exclusively.  And then I lost it.  I cried.   I am definitely not a fan of using any material from an endangered species but have often wanted to find a flat pic that would at least come close to real turtle shell.  I recently read the following article that has set me on a new search. http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/turtle-shell-vs-faux-turtle-shell-picks/12700
Dave

[headsup]

This is my favourite.



Oh! I thought you said puck.

What the PucK?

Oh! The Puck stops here!

[headsup]

I recently bought 5 water buffalo horn pics, from China.
their pretty cool, sort of like tortoise shell.

[George]

Although almost all my playing now is fingerstyle with a thump pick and acrylic gel nails, once, a long long time ago, a friend gave me a real turtle shell flat pick and it was incredible.  I had that pick for about 10 years and used it almost exclusively.  And then I lost it.  I cried.   I am definitely not a fan of using any material from an endangered species but have often wanted to find a flat pic that would at least come close to real turtle shell.  I recently read the following article that has set me on a new search. http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/turtle-shell-vs-faux-turtle-shell-picks/12700
Dave

Thanks for the link to this article Dave.  I just ordered a couple of the Wegen Bluegrass picks to try...  My never ending search for the perfect pick, pickup and strings continues on...

[ducktrapper]

What the PucK?

Oh! The Puck stops here!

Oui.