Pick life

[Rick Schmidlin]

When I got my MF 5 in June 2005 Greg Boyd sent me a few picks in the trade I made. There was one that I stayed with and it has traveled every where with me in the last year.I have tried others but this one always comes back.

[mandolooter]

I had to have a tortis so I found one at wintergrass 2003...still have it and use it daily...its starting to wear down a bit but should last for years more. Thought it was a bit pricey at the time but i got my $25.00 bucks out of it I guess.

[erichkopp]

I just about always use the same pick. I've had the same few picks for years now. I'm really compulsive about not ever losing things, so I almost never lose even a pick.

Edit: I just realized this was my first post. I've been reading here for months and always thought I'd posted a few times before. Weird.

[jefflester]

I've used my current white Fender 346 heavy for at least 3 years now. Much more worn than this one:

[fredfrank]

Edit: I just realized this was my first post. I've been reading here for months and always thought I'd posted a few times before. Weird.

That's okay, erichkopp, I have to try not to jump into the middle of everything here. One of the ways I've found to keep my fingers occupied and off the keyboard is to read this message board with my mandolin in my hands. Keeps me from typing (most of the time) and it's good practice.

Oh, and I'm using one of those politically incorrect picks even though I've tried about every other kind, I just keep coming back to it. Although Red Bear Trading's Tortis style C is my next favorite.

Dang, I just realized when I sold my Collings Deluxe, I left two of those in the case!

[MikeB]

Hope this doesn't constitute hijacking...I was recently given one of those politically-incorrect-but-acquired-a-long-time-ago-in-a-legal-transaction picks. It was really just a pick-sized hunk of shell. Well, I sanded and filed and buffed, but so far it is not my favorite pick. That stuff is STIFF. I'm afraid of sanding the dang thing to nothing, but it still seems thick, to me, and brittle sounding. So, how do I know if I just haven't gone thin enough? How does a good tortoise pick compare, say, to a Fender medium? I'm still considerably thicker than that. I'd rather give it away than just sand it to dust and not like it...

[fredfrank]

I've been told that you can use a thinner version because of the stiffness. I used to use 1.14mm plastic, but in the aforementioned material, I can go to 1.00mm.

And I don't think you've hijacked the thread--after all, if you sand it too far, then that'll be the life of your pick!

[MikeB]

--after all, if you sand it too far, then that'll be the life of your pick!

LOL!! Thanks Fred!!

[surfnut]

My instructor handed me a Wegen 1.5. I love it. I bought a tortis medium tried it didn't like it traded it for the light , still don't like it. The Wegen really makes my #Eastman sing. I got some Wegen 1.0 for my Mid-mo mandola #they play easy and sound good.

[jasona]

I hav elots of picks with stories that mean something to me. Right now my main pick is a Tortis heavy tritip, which I rebevelled the pointed end. (Only with my strings half dead does the "speed bevel" sound ok.) I bought it from our own "Dr. Jazz" Mike at his shop, where he let me pick on his Heiden A5. He also had me sample some 2 mm Wegens, which are the only ones I've tried that sound right to me. As I was leaving, he graciously gave me a Dawg pick, which I use from time to time--fits the hand really nicely. Great guy, and a great pick!

[Klaus Wutscher]

I have been using an older golden gate pick for probably 7 or 8 years. Altough I play daily and gig regularly, it only now starts to show some minor wear. Why is it that some people just eat their picks while playing and others don´t?

[mandroid]

still got a black and a white dawg pick from late 80s, some 'tort look' ones too, but thats pretty much like whats made now. some Gibson Star* picks that may be 20 years old [now fender 347 have a copy of the shape, fwiw] , ..

[Soupy1957]

I've said it before, in other threads, but I use Guitar picks (the backside, not the point), for my mando playing.

Recently I was sent a Red Bear pick to try out (an "E" style, for those of you savy folk), and I'm gonna give it a fair chance to show me that it really matters "what" pick I use.

I should note however, that since playing the mando, I go through more guitar picks than I ever did whilst playing guitar (Medium gauge picks). I get this nick in the plastic, in the middle of the backside of the guitar pick for some reason.

-Soupy1957

[250sc]

I've used the same guitar pick for about 8 years and the same mandolin pick for about 6 years. When not playing I keep them stuck under the strings so they don't get lost.

[Bob Simmers]

I guess I need to get my act together. I lose so many many picks I won't buy the $25 turtle. I'd like to, but I leave picks lay or hand them to someone and don't get them back. I like the 1.14 dunlop, 1.2 Martin, 1.26 Clayton, and Fender Extra Heavy if I can find them. I heard that Roland uses the rounded edge of a Fender Extra Heavy, so I had to try it.

[Mark Walker]

Like Bob Simmers, I lose picks regularly, though I typically keep an extra black-plastic (or nylon or whatever it is) Jim Dunlop 1MM guitar pick in my pocket - which I use on both guitar and mandolin. #That's all I've used on all my guitars and mandolins for years. #
(Anything heavier than that and it feels like I'm using a trash-can lid to play with. # )

Thus, I can't indicate the 'history' of my picks as - like golf balls - they're only 'owned' by me for a short period of time...

[keymandoplyr]

I couldnt believe it but one night I wore a whole 1/8 inch off the point of a medium fender pick in one set now THAT was a hard driving bluegrass show !!

[cgwilsonjr]

I own and enjoy Dawg, Red Bear, and genuine TS picks but my favorite pick by far is the Wegen M-150.

[Stillpicking]

I won't use anything but a Wegen I tried so many over the years and never felt like any pick was right until about a year or so ago when I got a couple Wegen picks. Now I won't play any of my 5 different mandos unless I am picking with a Wegen. Every thing from Bluegrass to Irish to Cajun I am only using a Wegen. Little on the pricy side but man these things last forever.

[bush-man]

My pick of choice is a Golden Gate. I've tried most and they all have certain redeeming attributes, but none roll it all into one like GG. Wegen 150 would be my second choice, but Wegens don't give me the warm tones that the GG do. I wish they came in clown barf, I just love that look. [caveat: I have never tried a tortis, and I must say I am curious, but $20?]

russell

[Caleb]

I can't imagine giving more than a few cents for a pick.

[mandolooter]

I can't imagine losing them everytime ya pick but I know folks that do, sometimes a couple in one jam session...lol! Luckily all my instruments came with a pick holder...the strings.

[Golman8]

A couple of years ago I bought a "fossil ivory" pick and I like it very much. It is heavy and sticks to your fingers when they get sweaty. I like that feature as much as the feel and weight of the pick. In the past some of my picks had a short life when I dropped them and they fell right into a crack and were not retrevable. G.B.

[JeffD]

For years and years I used the Gibson Heavy triangular picks. I still like them, though my new fave is the Tortis C Heavy w/bevel.

I wish someone would invent pick holder you wear on your wrist, like a watch. I would wear it on my left hand, and then I could switch back and forth between the Gibson for general jamming and the Tortis for leads and solo. If I were handy I would make one.

[sgarrity]

I use a Wegen M150 for my F5 and keep two spare ones in the case. I use a Wegen M100 for my flattop mando with light strings. For guitar I switch back and forth between a Wegen M100 and a Tor-tis medium E shape depending on what sound I want. After finding the Wegens about a year ago I can't imagine playing with anything else. The drastically improved my playing.