Advice for a new pick

[goose 2]

My favorite is the newest rendition of the Dawg pick. No bevel and pretty heavy but you will get unmatched tone and power from it if your right hand is up to it. They play a bit different and you might have to spend some time figuring out how to make it sound like you want but my experience is that once you do you'll be very satisfied. I have a case full of bc picks but prefer the not as bright and much more affordable Dawgs

[Budman93]

I just ordered a Dawg pick, a Dunlop primetone rounded triangle, and a Wegen m100 to try out.

[Caleb]

My fav pick is the Primetone rounded 1.3. I had a BC once, I have Wegens, and I've owned a Red Bear. The Primetone beats them all when it comes to what I like.

[Budman93]

My picks came today Here is a ranking of the 5 that I have right now.

1. The Dunlop Primetone rounded triangle 1.3 mm with grip - This is my favorite of the 5. It has a good shape. I like the rounded points. It is similar to the rounded shoulder of the standurd ultex guitar pick i was using but has more surface area for abetter grip. The raised logo grip is also nice. It produces a great tone, a little darker than the 1mm ultex put still plenty bright.

2. The Wegen m100. This is a good pick even though it costs 3x as much as the primetone. This is the '1mm' one. I don't have a micrometer to measure it but comparing it to the 1mm ultex it seems like it is a little under 1mm. It has a good sound, very close to the primetone I think. I just wish now that I had gotten the m150 instead. I prefer a pick between 1-1.3mm and this one flexes a little more than I would like.

3. The Dawg pick. This one is pretty good as well. I don't like it as much as the previous two but I do like the shape of it. It has a good amount of gripping surface area. It is a bit thick, resulting in a tone that is not as bright as I would like but it is better than the pro plec.

4. Dunlop Ultex 1.0mm. This is the standard guitar pick shape. I have been using it for years with the rounded shoulder instead of the point. I still like this one a lot. It is the brightest out of all the ones I have tried so far. They are also pretty cheap. The biggest reason why it is fourth is because the shape of it, when turned to use the rounded shoulder, results in a smaller area to grip it and I have found that it sometimes tends to get turned towards the flat side when picking fast.

5. Pro Plec 346. This is a 1.5mm pick. Similar to the Dawg in shape but the corners are less rounded. This is my least favorite. The shape is good and it is easy to grip but the sound is very dull. It doesn't seem to project well and seems to have little to no brightness.

[Budman93]

I might try some v-picks next.

[DWM]

Jim Dunlop 515P13 Primetone 1.3mm Semi-Round Sculpted Plectra. For mando its the best reasonably priced pick I've found.


http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Dunlop-515..._bxgy_MI_img_y

[Stainless]

I like the sculpted prime tone, but my favorite is a BC 60 1R. It has one beveled rounded edge and the others are beveled with a point. It is easy to adust from one to another between songs. There is a significant difference in sound between the the pointed and the rounded corners. I carry the Primetones and use them ocasionally, especially in situations where my hands are sweating a lot.

[Caleb]

Jim Dunlop 515P13 Primetone 1.3mm Semi-Round Sculpted Plectra. For mando its the best reasonably priced pick I've found.


http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Dunlop-515..._bxgy_MI_img_y

For me it's the best pick, period, in any price range. Dunlop got it right with this one IMO.

[UsuallyPickin]

Picks .... there's three things about picks that need to be decided...... shape , thickness , material. Shape first ....... then flirt with thickness...mandolin players generally float between 1.0 and 1.8 mm .. material gets expensive so when you get to this point you won't be buying three or four to tryout ...... you will know most of what you prefer . Tone , hold ability and playability will be effected by shape and thickness and to a small extent material ..... enjoy your search ..... and as was stated earler you may change your mind in time ...... Luck.. R/

[Budman93]

Jim Dunlop 515P13 Primetone 1.3mm Semi-Round Sculpted Plectra. For mando its the best reasonably priced pick I've found.


http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Dunlop-515..._bxgy_MI_img_y

That's the primetone I got. I like it a lot. The Wegen is pretty nice too though.

[Paul Busman]

I don't think the rounded triangle Primetones were around when I bought my pack of 3 1.5mm triangles. They immediately became my favorite pick. When I heard about the rounded ones a few days back, I took a multi surface fingernail emery board and reshaped one tip of one of the picks to the same shape as the rounded picks, reproducing the bevel as nearly as I could. The difference in tone is quite dramatic. The sharp points are brighter sounding, but the rounded "point" is more solid sounding. The edge is a tiny bit scratchy, but I think a buffing wheel on my Dremel should fix that. Best part-- I now have two distinctly different sounds with one pick.

[dusty miller]

Jim Dunlop 515P13 Primetone 1.3mm Semi-Round Sculpted Plectra. For mando its the best reasonably priced pick I've found.


http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Dunlop-515..._bxgy_MI_img_y

I'll have to give one of these a try, they look interesting. I usually use a Wegen or Bluechip.

[Budman93]

I'll have to give one of these a try, they look interesting. I usually use a Wegen or Bluechip.

I like them. I haven't tried any blue chips but I like it a little better than the Wegen m100 that I just got.

[MysTiK PiKn]

I have used this for guitar and mando for years.
What you input yields output = It's about as flexible as any stone.

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PK20-S.htm

SAGA GOLDEN GATE FLATPICK
shell color X-heavy rounded triangle.

Availability: on order, expected arrival date unknown Why Elderly?
sku: PK20-S .. list $1.65 ours $1.25 buy

[Paul Busman]

I got around to polishing the edges of that triangular Primetone pick that I had modified to one rounded point. I used a felt buffing wheel on a Dremel tool, with a bit of jeweler's rouge. It took a very nice shine, and the pick plays with little to no excess pick scratch. I'm gonna modify two more, for my other two mandolins.

[Mark Wilson]

There is a significant difference in sound between the the pointed and the rounded corners.

Also (imo) the bevel effects tone. I like the playability of a beveled pick but tonewise I think I prefer the sound of no bevel.

[stevedenver]

I have used this for guitar and mando for years.
What you input yields output = It's about as flexible as any stone.

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PK20-S.htm

SAGA GOLDEN GATE FLATPICK
shell color X-heavy rounded triangle.

Availability: on order, expected arrival date unknown Why Elderly?
sku: PK20-S .. list $1.65 ours $1.25 buy

me too and for certain tunes I love it. others not so much where I want more attack.

[DHopkins]

Wives, cars, cigars and mandolin picks. They're all alike. You keep checking them out 'til you find the one you like.

And an upgrade later on is not out of the question (on any of them) if you find something you like better.

[MysTiK PiKn]

me too and for certain tunes I love it. others not so much where I want more attack.

I can't imagine more attack; unless you use a hammer. Main reason I like it is I have total control over how loud, how soft. Maybe you mean something different by "attack".
I vary my grip. I also vary my 'angle' of attack. It took a while to really get used to it; sometimes my guitar has it for lunch.!!
It also looks nice, parked in the strings ready to go.
Been using it some 5 years now; got a supply of them. They never break; zero maintenance; but they can run away and hide.

[stevedenver]

I can't imagine more attack; unless you use a hammer. Main reason I like it is I have total control over how loud, how soft. Maybe you mean something different by "attack".
I vary my grip. I also vary my 'angle' of attack. It took a while to really get used to it; sometimes my guitar has it for lunch.!!
It also looks nice, parked in the strings ready to go.
Been using it some 5 years now; got a supply of them. They never break; zero maintenance; but they can run away and hide.

well simply, I get more attack, ie treble sound ("cut"), with a sharp pointed pick,
not to be confused with power applied to the strings. This assumes playing the same distance from the bridge, whatever that might be.

I get more mid-bassy rounded tone with a rounded point pick.

and while its likely my skill level, for fiddle tunes and other fast precise playing, especially where I want it to be clearly heard, I tend to use a sharp point pick, or, the sharp point on multi pointed pick, ala, the BC TAD601R

don't know why, but on Jerusalem ridge, old dangerfield, ripple, and others I prefer the round, on get up john, whiskey, red haired, durham's. cattle in the cain and the like I prefer sharp

[AndyC]

Jim Dunlop 515P13 Primetone 1.3mm Semi-Round Sculpted Plectra. For mando its the best reasonably priced pick I've found.


http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Dunlop-515..._bxgy_MI_img_y

I bought a 3 pack of these and the grippy 1.4 triangles at the weekend, which I prefer.

If anyone in the UK wants to swap their 1.4 triangles (smooth or grippy) for my rounded 1.3 with grip, let me know.

[mandobsessed]

Picks are so personal. I am a pro plek351 fan myself but for my birthday I ordered some picks. I like a standard pick shape with a good point as I can get almost any tone by varying my pick angle. So I am getting some Primetone 1.0, 1.4 and 1.5 triangle, Dawg picks, Wegen BG 140 a John Pearce Buffalo horn and a 12 pack of Plek 351s which should last me years. Based on the write ups here I am very excited to try the primetones.

Tried some BC picks, they were good just not $35 good for my style and ear.

[stevedenver]

let us know your thoughts on the JP buffalo horn please

[DWM]

Double Post

[mandobsessed]

let us know your thoughts on the JP buffalo horn please

I am currently using a Saga mock turtle which is made from a mystery material that is probably Water buffalo horn same as the JP. They are a bit unfinished and need to be sanded or played in.

Now that mine is played in a bit it sounds fine. Very like ultrex but warmer and snappier. It plays pretty smooth too.