Pick Blasphemy

[Russ Jordan]

I'm a cheapskate by necessity!

Being in Florida, I like to live in basic Birkenstock sandals, but could never afford them new, so I buy preowned ones for under $15 on eBay, and wear them until they look like crap - bratsche

My daughter bought used sandals and got a terrible fungus..................

[bratsche]

My daughter bought used sandals and got a terrible fungus..................

So sorry to hear it, but I believe it would have been easily avoidable... in any case, the miniscule risk to me is far better than having to go barefoot and perhaps step on broken glass (not to mention the asphalt street in 90+ degree temperatures).

Were you trying to kill this thread, btw? Seems like it worked...

bratsche

[Mike Floorstand]

Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
Parsley sage rosemary and thyme
And tie it up with a peackock's feather
Then she'll be a true love of mine...

(Simon & Garfunkel)

I think you mean "(Trad. arr. Martin Carthy)"

[Mike Floorstand]

They're fun to collect because they're mostly cheap and come in so many varieties. (I need to find a mandolin-shaped one.)

https://www.google.com/search?q=guit...=lnms&tbm=isch

BTW, here's a great way to make your own picks while solving your MAS at the same time ... punch picks out of your credit cards!

I have one of these, so far have only tried it on credit cards and with fairly poor results - I was hoping the embossed digits would provide a nice grip, but the plastic itself seems fairly poor quality, difficult to get a smooth, clean edge so the tone is not good. I think it might be possible to make something decent if you buy some decent plastic - maybe acetate from a craft shop or something? - but I haven't tried that yet.

[Charlieshafer]

Just on a whim, I read the initial post by Mike (which I'm glad he said) and then the last couple, just to see the mission creep. Foot fungus? I love the internet.

[yankees1]

I'm ready for the moderator to close this thread ! Whoops, he is the moderator !

[Jim Garber]

I love it.....does take some "cahones" to say such things Mike.

I see no need to detain or assassinate a person for preferring an inexpensive item that gets the job done well.

I find it pretty entertaining on either side of this "fence": I frankly don't see why it takes "cahones" to admit that you prefer an inexpensive pick nor (on this thread) to admit that you like an expensive one. Why should I care what any other players prefer? I like what I like and you like what you like. There are played that love the Dawg style super thick rounded picks and I don't get those. On the other hand at times I play classical with a super pointed long Roman pick but I would never say that those are the right ones for all classical players.

The same thing goes with any accessories or with any mandolin. It is nice to hear that some folks like certain things and why but it doesn't matter that much to me except for curiosity. And I don't see that it is blasphemy either.

[Perry]

For the most volume and a very good tone BC does the job for me but I don't always want or need maximum volume. For me different materials work for different instruments. I am big fan of Ultex and anxiously await the arrival of the new kind of Ultex.

[Jim Garber]

F I am big fan of Ultex and anxiously await the arrival of the new kind of Ultex.

I also like Ultex/Ultem for the tone. Is there a new type of Ultem plastic out there? I did not know about that.

[Russ Jordan]

He may be referring to the Primetone picks.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ight=primetone

[DavidKOS]

Dawg picks have a pointy end??

Even that isn't pointy enough for me.

The angle at which you strike the strings is one thing that makes a big difference. For example, I'm amazed by how Avi Avital can sound great using such a skinny little pick

And it's not rounded at the tip.

The edge is very important, as are the points. In the latter, I've evolved from preferring a more rounded point to a more pointy one.

bratsche

I'm using the regular shape "Spike" picks.

I've tried all sorts of expensive picks...nothing is better than the ultex/ultem and those are a lot cheaper than the fancy picks.

[DavidKOS]

I also like Ultex/Ultem for the tone. Is there a new type of Ultem plastic out there? I did not know about that.

No, it's Dunlop's trade name for the same stuff.

[bratsche]

I use ultem picks occasionally when I want a bright sound, but they're too bright for using all the time (for me, personal taste, on my instruments, which are mostly mandolas). Another Cafe member sent me some of the raw material to make my own picks from, as you can't get ultem picks commercially as thick as I'd like them, or with as much of a point. One of my mandolas sounds much better with my ultem picks than the others do (and by that I mean having the least audible pick noise). Another mandola sounds horrible with them (you can hear every move the pick makes, it seems). The others are by degrees in between those two extremes. The commercial ultem/ultex picks all produce pick noise like a card flapping between the spokes of a bicycle wheel, so I can't use them at all.

bratsche

[Bertram Henze]

I'm using the regular shape "Spike" picks.

These? (Very good, I use the triangles)

[DavidKOS]

I use ultem picks occasionally when I want a bright sound, but they're too bright for using all the time ......The commercial ultem/ultex picks all produce pick noise like a card flapping between the spokes of a bicycle wheel, so I can't use them at all.

Interesting, that has not been my experience, the Ultem picks sound plenty warm enough to my ear, but we are all subject to our own tastes. That's why they make so many different picks.

[JeffD]

A lot of people get a warm, fuzzy feeling when they spend a lot of money for something.

Well... yea the first day I tried a pick costing more than pocket change. It was a Red Bear Heavy style C. I liked the feel of the pick and all and yea probably was adding to its mojo in my mind. And I thought it sounded better.

But first time I played it in a jam, and someone said something about how my mandolin sure sounded good, its really breaking (opening up) nicely.

That was the real warm and fuzzy.

[bratsche]

Interesting, that has not been my experience, the Ultem picks sound plenty warm enough to my ear, but we are all subject to our own tastes. That's why they make so many different picks.

Too true. And also, in an attempt to be as fair and impartial as humanly possible (LOL), I should add that one must also take into account the angle of the pick striking the strings that each individual player most often uses. When I said the commercial ultem picks sound like "flapping between the spokes of a bicycle wheel", please understand that when I play, I hit the strings from a pretty much parallel attack, and that's why thicker picks work better for me, and make less noise. OTOH, players such as Avi Avital can get great sound using a thin pick because they strike the strings more from the edge than the face of the pick.

bratsche

[Joey Anchors]

I use Fender 351 Extra Heavy picks. Nothing fancy but they have a very classic tone.

[JeffD]

I once went to a fly fishing show, one of the biggest on the east coast.

I watched a video talking about the advantages of a special Parachute Winged Adams fly, which was especially designed for late evening on the river.

Well I am as much a rube as anyone and immediately got on the line with about 20 others at the back to purchase these magic flies, at about twice or more the cost of other less magic flies.


Next weekend, on the West Branch of the Deleware River, late in the evening, I cast one of these magic parachute adams right on the other side of the river, about a foot in from the far shore, and BAM, ... well the jerk on one end of the line felt the jerk at the other end of the line.

What can I say. How much did wanting it to work make it work? Did I want it to work so much that I did everything else correctly? Would anything have worked?

You bet I mail ordered more of those flies.

[Timbofood]

You know, when something works just right, it always makes me happy too! Still working through the set I won from here! So far, I kind of like the jalapeño but, still need some goo to keep it in best orientation. I still like the cheap ones I've used for years.

[DavidKOS]

that one must also take into account the angle of the pick striking the strings that each individual player most often uses.

I agree - and I find I will change the angle depending on what I am doing.

It also depends on how hard you pick, too.

[Bertram Henze]

The commercial ultem/ultex picks all produce pick noise like a card flapping between the spokes of a bicycle wheel, so I can't use them at all.

Such are the differences. Most of the commercial ultem/ultex still produce not enough pick noise for me, but the Clayton Spike does. I like my tone crispy, crunchy and rich in fibers

[bratsche]

I like my tone crispy, crunchy and rich in fibers

I like my breakfast cereal that way, but I think think of my picks in terms of being more as children should be - seen, but not heard!

bratsche

[Dave Martin]

I have been going through another stage of pick evaluation, after ordering and really liking my bc40, mostly because I wanted to see if I really could tell the difference. My buddy, with a very good ear, volunteered to assist. Method: plain strum across 4 open strings, first position scale with open strings, closed ffcp type scale, single string tremolo, double stop tremolo. Random selection. No rigorous record keeping (circumstances and environment were not conducive). Differences noted included: treble, warmth, pick noise, ring. Subjective analysis. Dawg pointy, Jazz-mando, Fender heavy, Dunlop Americana small were very close, with the Dawg being a littler darker. Wegen 120 and 140 brighter, Wegen 250 brighter still. They rang more (?). BC TAD 3R 40 not as bright, maybe a little less noise. While other picks, including other Dunlop and a Tortex and a wooden, and a quarter cut and polished, and one Carol Kaye (see wrecking crew, Good Vibrations, etc.) gave me with her name on it, interest and attention span, not to mention coherency, did not support additional analysis. Initial conclusion: picks sound different to a listener with background and experience with plectrum instruments. Inference: grab the one that sounds good to you. Plan: try it again sometime and take notes. Oh, and start a little earlier in the evening, with less lubrication applied. Final observation: this study confirmed something we already knew. I wonder if we could get a grant to continue the analysis? Ales preferred over lager.

[Killian King]

I have to admit that I was a huge BC skeptic. I assumed they were good picks, but I had no intention of paying that much money, especially since the wegen picks I had been using were doing the job nicely.

Two weekends ago I went to the music emporium and they had a small assortment of BC picks for sale. I purchased a TAD 50. Consider me a convert.

I've tried the pick on my acoustic guitar, my OM and my mandolin. It sounds good, but it's the feel in my hand that really has me impressed. I'm probably going to purchase a TAD 60 or maybe a TAD 60 1R.

What really blew me away more than anything was how good it felt on my Taylor acoustic. I've never used a pick anywhere near that large while playing guitar.