pick life span

[potatoe]

do picks die out? i was playing on the same .88 green tortex for a few weeks, and the tone seemed to die out all of a sudden. i grabbed a fresh pick of the same make, started strumming, and the tone was much better. on the other hand, i have a 1mm dunlop ultex that ive been playing for a month or two (after another player whod been whailing on it for a while gave it to me).

my question is, do picks have life spans? and is this life span affected by the material and thickness of the pick?

[johnwalser]

Picks wear out?? Not at my house......Not with my pick eating couch around!!
I play Fender extra heavy and have never noticed the type of tone degradation you are getting with the thinner picks.
John

[Tom C]

I thinks the picks hang out with the missing socks and left hand gloves.

[Ted Eschliman]

I had similar experience witht the Tortex. I liked them new, but over months they seemed to lose there "bite." The Ultex just don't seem to wear out for me.
I keep a pick between my strings in the case on each instrument, when I'm not playing, and I'll bet I've had the same one for more than six months.
I should point out the disclaimer I'm not a particulary heavy handed player. However, the Fenders used to shred for me, so I stopped using them.
(John, that mental picture of your Pick-eating couch is frightening me...)

[mrbook]

I use the same picks for years, but I once let a friend sit in with us and borrow my mandolin - in less than a set he wore away over 3/16" of the end of a heavy pick, just by playing hard. I was also happy to see my instrument still in one piece. Next time he will have to bring his own.
Our guitar player breaks and wears them out regularly every night), too, but I've never heard of one going dead. Sometimes the edges get rough, losing tone, and I smooth the edge with very fine sandpaper.

[ira]

not a clue of technical stuff, but wouldn't the bevel or shape on the edge change after a while from friction. i would think that this would change the sound a pic provided.

(wonder if it will effect any of the pics on the pic tour- hey ben- hows it goin- i'm waiting............:D

[Ken Sager]

Given the transitory nature of all things it wouldn't surprise me if a pick had a life-span that a player would recognize over time. That said, I haven't seen any noticable degradation of my Dunlop P207 jazz pick. Dig the tone, dig the pick, dig diggin' it.

Ha cha cha,
Ken

[8ch(pl)]

I have never lost a pick, nor told a lie!

[AlanN]

Used the same pick for 7 years now (found on the ground at the Delaware bg fest). Every so often, I'll take apart the clothes dryer and root through the catcher, found many a pick that way!)

[Dennis Schubert]

There is certainly a difference in new and old picks -- notably thick Tortex and Clayton picks that I use. The sharp edges get abraded away & smoothed off, from playing or from "coin polishing" that occurs in the right front pocket. To me it seems that the worn picks have less drag (ie, play slicker & faster) but I've not noticed that much difference in tone. Must be a personal preference thing -- remember that some guys sand & polish & reshape picks on purpose.

[Unseen122]

Mediums were out 1mm+ are the only ones that don't although you can wear them out I play kinda hard but my 1mms are still playable. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[tombob]

picks ware down loosing tone, when ever i buy picks for guitar or bass, i cut them to a sharp point for better sound

[ManjoMan]

I have used the same TS pick since 1988. I just polish
up the bevel now and then. I tried to retire it, but
it's like an old friend and I can't just bear to put
him in storage. If anyone wants to play my mandolin,
they have to provide their own pick unless they are
close friends. Even then, I watch them like a hawk.
I don't want to take any chances.