New Fender (casein?) Pick

[Nick Quig]

http://intl.fender.com/en-GB/accesso...k-medium-each/

[MediumMando5722]

Well I guess I'm gonna have to buy a couple of these. Stupid new picks keep coming out...

[Eric Hanson]

[Jim]

[QUOTE]Tru-Shell picks are not plastic. Do not attempt to flex; keep away from moisture.[/QUOTE) This being in the add, I wonder how they do with sweat, case humidifiers ect.

[meow-n-dolin]

[QUOTE=Jim;1499620]

Tru-Shell picks are not plastic. Do not attempt to flex; keep away from moisture.[/QUOTE) This being in the add, I wonder how they do with sweat, case humidifiers ect.

Or beer!


Al

[Ron McMillan]

What marketing genius decided only to tell us they are 'medium', 'heavy' or 'extra heavy'? What's wrong with information that actually tells us something, like thickness in millimetres?

[T.D.Nydn]

I wonder what the price is? Hense picks are $20....

[Stevo75]

I they follow the standard for Fender teardrop and 346 (large triangle) shaped celluloid picks, an extra heavy is around 1.15 mm and a heavy is around 1 mm.

[MediumMando5722]

What marketing genius decided only to tell us they are 'medium', 'heavy' or 'extra heavy'? What's wrong with information that actually tells us something, like thickness in millimetres?

Fender picks have always used those generic designations. Their target demographic is clearly not the guys who notice the difference between a 1.4 and 1.5. It makes it easier for the guy selling them not to have to explain how that .1 difference will feel, also.

It could also be to cover looser manufacturing specs. No evidence of this, just a thought.

[lenf12]

[QUOTE=Chris Bowsman;1499646]It could also be to cover looser manufacturing specs. No evidence of this, just a thought./QUOTE]

I doubt that there's much thickness variation from one batch of picks to another within each thickness designation. It's simply extruded sheets of "plastic" or some such that get stamped into pick shapes. The results are easily reproduced from batch to batch imho.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[lukmanohnz]

I wonder what the price is? Hense picks are $20....

About $8.00 each. You can order them directly from the Fender online store. That's a bargain if they are as good as Red Bears (my current fave). I just ordered a few. I'm a sucker for a new pick - severe PAS.

[Tobin]

This being in the add, I wonder how they do with sweat, case humidifiers ect.

I doubt a case humidifier would have any detrimental effect on them. But hot, sweaty hands... maybe. Fender is not saying what they're actually made of, but if they are casein as the OP questioned, they should be fine for playing. I have hotter, sweatier hands than anybody else on the planet, and I had no issues with casein picks like Papa's picks.

Leaving it in a pants pocket where it would get damp from sweat and be bent/crushed, or left in the pocket during the wash/dry cycles might be a different story, however.

[mandobassman]

I they follow the standard for Fender teardrop and 346 (large triangle) shaped celluloid picks, an extra heavy is around 1.15 mm and a heavy is around 1 mm.

Actually, the Fender Extra Heavy, which I used for years, was 1.21mm. That was listed on the Fender web site at the time I was using them.

I need to try one of these Tru-Shell picks. If they're as good as other casein picks, it would be quite a bargain.

[michaelcj]

Weren't/Aren't Red Bear picks casein as well with the same cautions?

ordered one of each to do a test drive….

[Emmett Marshall]

Gotta try. Thanks for sharing! I just ordered 2 extra heavy from Elderly. Cost with shipping was $14.93.

[Stevo75]

Actually, the Fender Extra Heavy, which I used for years, was 1.21mm. That was listed on the Fender web site at the time I was using them.

I need to try one of these Tru-Shell picks. If they're as good as other casein picks, it would be quite a bargain.

I just measured a couple of mine with a digital caliper. They were 1.15 - 1.18 mm. But it doesn't matter. Let's say they're in the range of 1.15 - 1.2 mm.

[Fretbear]

Weren't/Aren't Red Bear picks casein as well with the same cautions?

Casein and formaldehyde

[Ivan Kelsall]

From their ad. - "...replicate the highly desired, unique sound of..". I have a real pre-ban shell pick - ''unique sound'' ? = yes. It sounds like a cat with it's head in a Hoover . Highly desired ? = Yes,i'f you're well into aural torture as a passtime. (That could describe my playing,but we won't go into that !).
I'd describe the tone i get from the shell pick as 'excruciating'. The mere though of having a pick that might replicate that tone is really scary,
Ivan

[mandobassman]

I just measured a couple of mine with a digital caliper. They were 1.15 - 1.18 mm. But it doesn't matter. Let's say they're in the range of 1.15 - 1.2 mm.

You're right, it's really not that much difference. I think the older Fender Extra Heavy were a bit thicker. I have 4 of the older mosaic pattern from the "80s and they are just a bit thicker than the newer "Shell" color. I measured one of the older ones with a micrometer and it came out to .005214, which I believe is just over 1.25mm.

Fender has not posted actual thickness in quite a while, but I think it's safe to say their Heavy and Extra Heavy designations are probably the same as they always have been.

[mandobassman]

From their ad. - "...replicate the highly desired, unique sound of..". I have a real pre-ban shell pick - ''unique sound'' ? = yes. It sounds like a cat with it's head in a Hoover . Highly desired ? = Yes,i'f you're well into aural torture as a passtime. (That could describe my playing,but we won't go into that !).
I'd describe the tone i get from the shell pick as 'excruciating'. The mere though of having a pick that might replicate that tone is really scary,
Ivan

I've only ever used real shell picks two times about 15 years ago. One was just as you described. It was the most awful, scratchy sound I've ever heard. The other had tone to die for. I think it all depends on how much maintenance you do on them. That's the second reason I would never use real shell. too much work to maintain a good sound. The other reason is that I really like turtles.

[lukmanohnz]

Fender seems to have them in stock at their online store as well. I ordered 3 of the extra heavies yesterday and got notice just now that they have shipped.

[Stevo75]

Just for the heck of it, I measured my Fender heavy 346 (shell color celluloid) and it was 0.95 mm.

[DavidKOS]

I just ordered a few..

Fender seems to have them in stock at their online store as well. I ordered 3 of the extra heavies yesterday and got notice just now that they have shipped.

I just placed an order too. Like you guys, I'm curious about a casein pick at a reasonable price.

I ordered the regular shape and the extra sharp version in medium; I don't like really thick picks and since these do not flex, should be fine for me.

[Jess L.]

For $8 each, I'd be more likely to buy if I could choose a color instead of having a color randomly assigned. From Fender webpage:

"Color selection is random and colors will vary"

Technically shouldn't matter, but... For me, I keep my fave picks at key locations all throughout the house, so they're almost part of the decor. Colors matter because colors affect mood and mood can affect creativity & inspiration to play. I can see 3 of my picks from where I'm sitting right now, and if they got changed into some color that I didn't fancy, I would be less likely to want to use them. If the ONLY color available in ANY brand of picks was, say, day-glo slime green so bright it was visible from space, well I guess we'd all just have to get used to it, but that is not the case. For me, the "random color" is a dealbreaker. If the picks were 10 cents each I'd buy 20 of them & throw away the ones I didn't like. But not at $8 each. Yes, I'm a cheapskate.

An aside, I'm not against Fender; I have one of their budget electric guitars & it's wonderful, well-made for the price, accurate fretboard, nice feel to the neck, easy to play. But I was able to choose a color there.

[PseudoCelt]

I think these new Fender picks may come from the same source as Clayton NuTone protein picks. The material, the slightly odd colours, the packaging and price are all very similar. I have a NuTone and it is a nice enough pick, but the material isn't as smooth as a Red Bear, Hawk or Papa's pick.

Patrick