David Grisman's Dawg pick

[darrylicshon]

I work as a stagehand and guitar tech and i have been cleaning up and i found a old box of picks from shows and i found a Dawg pick from David Grisman concert , i have heard good and bad things about them so i have been using it the past few days it seems ok but not what i am used to. I use a dunlop delrin .96 the Dawg isnt as bright as the dunlop i keep going back to my dunlop.

What i wanted to know is everyones opinion about the Dawg picks.

I am still going to use the Dawg got to give it time maybe i will become use to it , no matter what i am going to keep it cause David Grisman used it.

[mandobassman]

Wondering which Dawg pick you're referring to. The original Dawg was more rounded and I never liked it at all. Could never get a decent tone from it. The newer version has more of a "point", although it is still very rounded compared to most picks. I like the tone much better than the original, but still can't use it because I could never get any volume and felt as though I had to push the instrument really hard to get any volume. Not a big deal when you're picking by yourself, but much more difficult when playing live with a band.

[Mark Christensen]

I bought a set of the original Dawg picks when they first came out (12 I think), never really liked the tone until I got my file out and some sand paper and added a bevel and point to one corner. Really brings out some volume and brightness when you do this and since the modification I use the Dawg picks often. They work well and last a long time, I still have at least 10 of these in my pick container unused. The same applies to the Golden Gate pick.

[darrylicshon]

It is an older Dawg pick

[Ultra Turtle]

I've been looking for one of the multicolor, or "clownbarf" Dawg picks.

[OldSausage]

I think Dawg picks must be designed to be sanded to shape by the end user: I could never get much out of them as they come, but if you can be bothered to polish a nice bevel on them they are as good as anything until the bevel wears off a few weeks down the line.

[journeybear]

I used to have one. Don't remember how I came by it or where it went. It was one of the old ones, triangular with rounded off corners. I never cared for it much, and thought it odd Il Maestro preferred such a clunky thing. I like a good point on a pick, and like the OP, am fine with Dunlops, though I prefer them thicker, 1.5mm - 2mm. Though there are times I'll rotate the pick to use a flatter edge for certain effects, nearly all the time I use the point, keeping at it until it's worn down to the extent that it's even with the other two corners, rather resembling a Dawg pick. Then I discard it. :whistling: I don't see the point in starting with a pick at that point. :confused: BTW, my hazy memory or its arrival and departure is evidence of how I just didn't care about it. But as always, YMMV. ;)

[Ivan Kelsall]

I have used Dawg picks in the past,but for a very short time only. I had to file more of a point on it & sand & polish a decent bevel on it for it to sound any good. As it came,it was so thick & rounded that it slid over the strings without producing any volume & the tone was simply bad. I soon returned to my Wegen Bluegrass picks,now sidelined because of the arrival of the Dunlop Primetone picks
which are the best i've ever used,
Ivan

[Paul Busman]

I'd say to use the pick as-is and see if you come to like it. If not, just leave it in your mandolin case and maybe some Grisman mojo will rub off.

[crisscross]

The Dawg Pick seems to take the trebles out a bit. If that's your goal, you might like it.
A similar pick to the old Dawg, but made from a little harder material is the Golden Gate.

[Astro]

I have a few Dawg's and Golden Gates.

Don't like them. Big round no points. Hard for me to think of people being able to pick with one but I know people do. Does Dawg file his down ? The variability on what we like is amazing.

[Timbofood]

Never used a dawg, they always seemed too round for me. I was a winner of the "V" pick giveaway and so far I really like the "jalapeño" quite a bit, shape is good the holes provide good "traction". I have not use it a lot yet but, first impression is very positive!

[notepicker]

My usual pick is a ProPlec 1.5mm but I also use a Dawg as well as others from time to time. I may pick up the Dawg when I want a duller or perhaps a more mellow sound. It is usually not long though before the ProPlec is back in use.

[Ken Scarbrough]

Hey Ultra, Check your PM I have a pick for you.
Ken

[John Ritchhart]

Too "dark" for me.

[Ken Scarbrough]

Hey Ultra PM me I have a pick for you.
Ken Scarbrough.

[journeybear]

Tell ya what, Tim (and everyone), you can hardly find a pick with a better grip than the Dunlop 2mm, also the 3mm Big Stubby (more a club than a pick ;) ). These have enough material in the grip part to have dents for your thumb and forefinger to fit into. Also, the points on these are really sharp. These are real, practical reasons why they are on the top of my list. Plus there's an aesthetic reason - they're purple. :cool:

[lenf12]

Plus there's an aesthetic reason - they're purple. :cool:

Yeah, they emphasize the "bluesier" side of the tonal spectrum........

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[journeybear]

I was thinking purple is the color of magic, and mystery, and creativity, and coolness, :cool: and royalty (mandolin is the king of stringed instruments), but, yeah ...

[darrylicshon]

I have a few Dawg's and Golden Gates.

Don't like them. Big round no points. Hard for me to think of people being able to pick with one but I know people do. Does Dawg file his down ? The variability on what we like is amazing.

No Dawg doesnt file his down atleast not the one i got from him

[Perry Babasin]

I use Dawg picks, definitely the newer ones, directly from his website. I really like them because they produce a rounder tone, not so brash or harsh and are particularly good for tremolo. The newer ones do have a corner that comes to more of a point, and mine develop their own bevel pretty quickly. Dawg uses them and I have always admired his tone and attack, and strove to duplicate it in my own style of playing.

[Timbofood]

Until I got the personalized set, I had used Dunlop Tortex purple normal shape for twenty years, still have a gross of them(+/-)

[journeybear]

That's a lifetime supply, for yourself, your kids, and your grand-kids. :mandosmiley:

Perry, I don't know for sure. but I'm inclined to believe it's due more to his skill and talent than pick choice. I'm still baffled by the original design. Perhaps they are made this way to be difficult for mere mortals like us to use, so we will strive harder to achieve truly good tone. And they serve a dual purpose, that of giving The Master a handicap, to sound more like a mere mortal, so he would not cause us who listen to his playing to go deaf or stark raving mad from experiencing his brilliance in its purest, truest form.

[Perry Babasin]

I wish I could play like David, or Chris Thile, or Mike Marshall, or a dozen other folks - but - I play like me, and I like my tone better with the combination of my instruments and Dawg picks... It gives me more control to produce the tone and subtleties I'm looking for. He designed this pick for a purpose, and I'm exploring that purpose. Co-incidentally I have also tried many other types of picks through the years including an actual tortoise shell, and just recently a new Jim Dunlop rounded corner. The Dunlop is pretty cool, especially on my oval but frankly I still like the Dawg better for the ff hole and oval, for my style of playing. You asked if people like it, I like it...

[journeybear]

Interesting, well-considered explanation there. I've always chosen picks because of practical considerations - thick because I want quick response, pointed because I want accuracy, hard because I want longevity - and have never given much thought to aesthetic considerations. I've long been baffled by some of the analyses offered in pick threads, saying this pick produces this tone and so on. I've always thought the user produced the tone by how he used the pick, not with which pick he used. I did make a foray into this area once a while ago, going through my current collection at a gig, where I hoped to be able to hear the differences through the PA, and was surprised to hear some after all. This included Blue Chip pick kindly offered by a member so I could see - or hear - what I was missing. (Really must get that back to him ... :whistling: ) I still think it's more up to the player to get the best sound out of his instrument with whatever tools he has at hand, or in his hand. I believe I do just fine with the Dunlops. My main problem with the Dawg is its shape. If I came across one with more of a point I would check it out.

[catmandu2]

On mando--back in bluegrass/old-timey days-- I used Dawgs exclusively and have been for about a decade or more. Initially I used the GG, but find a significant difference between them (apparently, somewhat uncommonly) and am now "unable" to use a GG since switching to Dawgs--to me the GG feels of a different material. However, these days I rarely play mando at all and when I do it's ITM, so I no longer use Dawgs and just use what I'm playing on CBOMs--usually a small teardrop "jazz" Fender

I also like the PP, Jazz Mando...but only have a couple of those laying around.

[OldSausage]

I've long been baffled by some of the analyses offered in pick threads, saying this pick produces this tone and so on. I've always thought the user produced the tone by how he used the pick, not with which pick he used.

I've found that there's not an enormous difference in the tone others hear from practically any pick, it's entirely down to how you wield it. Sure, in my head, while I'm playing it sounds totally different (because of the different feel), but if I record it and play it back I will easily fail to guess which pick is which. In tests where I've played for others with different picks, the test invariably ends with the listener saying: "okay, so when are you going to change the pick?"

There's a video on Mike Marshall's site where he's answering questions about pick choice, and he says something like that a thin pick sounds thin, a thick pick sounds thicker, and that a pointy pick sounds pointy, and he isn't even joking. Because while we play, the way the pick feels in our hands changes what we hear in our ears (because our hands and ears are connected by our brains).

To me, the point of selecting a pick isn't that the pick produces a particular tone, but that the pick makes it easier for me to produce the tone I was already trying to make. Or perhaps more importantly than that, simply that it "feels right".

[catmandu2]

That's an astute observation David. Feel is a salient aspect in all of this (playing music stuff). You should see the "hammer" collections--of which we'll never have enough--amassed by long-time hammered dulcimer players...typically filling multiple cans like paint brushes in a painter's studio

[OldSausage]

That's an astute observation David. Feel is a salient aspect in all of this (playing music stuff). You should see the "hammer" collections amassed by hammered dulcimer players...of which we'll never have enough

I tremble at the thought.

[journeybear]

Really hammers the point home. :whistling:

Yes, ease of play is another practical consideration. So is grip, addressed above.

[Timbofood]

Down right pounds the nail!
I have used the Dunlops so long that I am still having a hard time getting used to the "V"pick. I used to go through a Dunlop Tortex lavender in about four hours of hard playing, I just grind the point to a stub when I really lay into it. The "V" pick, I have not put the hours into yet, we shall see.
Excellent observation David, well said indeed.

[John Hill]

Sure, in my head, while I'm playing it sounds totally different (because of the different feel), but if I record it and play it back I will easily fail to guess which pick is
I just did this. Made a recording testing with a CT55, new Dawg, proplec, new triangle Dunlop, wegen tp140, wegen m150, ultex 1.14 large triangle...if I didn't know the pick being used I'd have a very hard time picking out which pick was picked...er, uh...yeah.

[Ed Goist]

Interesting timing for this thread. The famous Dawg pick turned-up in a very unexpected place this past week...
Rig Rundown: Tommy Emmanuel, CGP (http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/21390-rig-rundown-tommy-emmanuel-cgp)

[darrylicshon]

I havent tryed it for guitar i have been playing mostly mando for the past few mounthd i will try it tomorrow

[goose 2]

I like the Dawg picks-both the earlier and more recent versions. I also play with the blue chip SR that is shapely similarly to the Dawg 2 pick. I love the tone of both but they are different. It seems that I play one for a while and then start desiring the subtle differences of the other and switch for a while. One does require a slightly different right hand emphasis than the other. I like this too. I do think that the Dawg takes some time before you figure out how to make it sound like you want but once you do it is quite satisfying. Lately I have been playing the blue chip but its time to get the Dawg out of the house again.

[GTison]

When you talk about older Dawg pick what do you mean? Are there 2 versions of the pick that has "Dawg" stamped on it? Or are you talking about the original Golden Gate made pick with the "David Grisman" stamped on it?

I used to love those picks when playing my '84 KM-1000. I WAS trying to soften the trebles and get more fat tone. The new ones are nice too.

I wonder which one the original poster found.

[journeybear]

This is the image that appeared in the Tommy Emmanuel article. This is different from the one I mentioned, which didn't have a point (though really, this one's point isn't that protuberant), but each corner was the same, like an equilateral triangle. My interest in that pick came and went pretty quickly, and that was quite some time ago, so I did not know of any changes in the Dawg design. As the conversation has progressed, it became apparent to me that something had changed, so I began to refer to it as the original Dawg pick, to differentiate it from any updated version(s), which I had not seen, until now.


123623

[AlanN]

I'd like to try that one.

[Astro]

I think that is the Dawg I have. I went back and played it again last night and after 5 minutes got a little more used to it.

Interesting, I think it requires a more flat dead on approach to the strings to get the most from it. The roundness of it is tough to get between strings if you angle it much. The pointier WegenTF140 requires a more angled grip or strike angle to get the best tone. So I think a lot depends on your strike angle.

[woodwizard]

My fav is the forbidden (T) pick but have used the original dawg quite a bit. Sort of liked it but everyones right... they seem to dampen the trebles. Migrated to a wegen same shape and then settled on a BC also similar shape.

[SternART]

There have been three versions (to my knowledge) The first said "David Grisman" and came in a few colors, black, white & imitation TS, then the second said "Dawg" with all the corners about the same in imitation TS, and more recently "Dawg" with the shape pictured above, where one corner has more of a point, again in imitation TS. The manufacturer changed at one time as well.

Grisman could get better tone with a piece of cardboard than I do with any of the above picks (all of which I have used over the years)

[catmandu2]

I tremble at the thought.

You should, instead, flam or quaver (or even semiquaver) at this..

[eadg145]

I use a lot of different picks, depending on my mood, feel, and the tune being played. I have a number of DAWG picks in my collection. Similar to David's comment above, I think tone comes from the player much more than the pick. In my own experience, I can get a sound that I like very easily with a couple of different picks. The DAWG pick, OTOH, requires a good deal more finesse. However, when my playing is "ON" and I'm using the DAWG pick, I get an absolutely wonderful tone. Just huge and lush. I actually have as a personal goal to play with such focus that I can get that tone any time I play. For now, it's a hit-and-miss thing for me, and I'm easily drawn back to the "easier to use" picks.

[mandroid]

been using them since the 80's just wish they were a bit larger..

[SincereCorgi]

been using them since the 80's just wish they were a bit larger..

I've got just the pick for you!

123667

[barry]

Re:"The manufacturer changed at one time as well."


Around 2003 d'Andrea changed the material they were using for the Dawg and Pro-Plec picks. The new material was harder, darker in color, and brighter in sound. Grisman discontinued the manufacture of Dawg picks until the original material was restored.

[journeybear]

I must say, the wealth and breadth of information provided by our members is often astounding. I guess that, with over 36,000 members, it's a fair assumption that someone will know something about nearly everything. Add into that that half of the members have never even posted once, it's even more impressive. Of course, I'm assuming the previous post is based on fact. I prefer to believe. It's better that way. ;)

[OldSausage]

I must say, the wealth and breadth of information provided by our members is often astounding. I guess that, with over 36,000 members, it's a fair assumption that someone will know something about nearly everything.

Although in fact it's always the same half a dozen people who know everything.

[journeybear]

No, it just seems that way. The tally is more like a couple few dozen, maybe as much as eleventy-seven.

[Roth Swinghammer]

I've got a Dawg pic I guess the old style all the corners are about the same. I've tried all kinds, super thin to super thick even felt. I don't play a particular style so the Dawg too riged and rounded of a point too be really versatile (for me). For practicle reasons I prefer run of the mill brown Fender M. I have a strange 3 finger pic gripping style that allows me to bend the pic to add rigidity and can easily turn the pic to be flatter (less pointy). Also dirt cheap, since it's brown (my favorite color) noone steals them, plus you can buy them anywhere you can find pics!!!

[Ellen T]

I guess the thick, stiff, rounded picks work for people who play really hard and loud. I play soft, and those picks are all click and no tone for me. I like the cheapie Fenders, too, Roth. I use an oversized medium with a very slightly rounded point, or a heavy and extra heavy, both with a sharper point. I keep trying other sizes/styles/brands and so far always come back to those three.

I think I'll try filing the one GG I have. So far it's too thick and rounded for my preference, but it's kinda cool looking and I'd like it to be usable. I think I need to try the Dunlops; they sound like something I would find comfortable.

I have one pick I can't identify - it's dark blue or dull black, very thick, matte surface, rounded sides and points (can barely call them points) and imprinted, in a row, a square and two vertical rectangles on top, second row is 207, bottom row USA. I don't like it enough to care a lot, but I'm mildly curious about what is taking up a little space in my pick tin. Any ideas?

[eadg145]

Jim Dunlop 207. Another great pick. A go-to for me. I use the shoulders, not the point.

[RobP]

Have a few. I can get more sound out of the newer ones, but they aren't my fav. I use ProPlec

[journeybear]

I'm really surprised by the number of people who modify their picks, filing them and whatnot, and seem to think nothing of it. Maybe it really isn't a big deal, but it seems to me, with so many shapes and sizes and compositions and manufacturers of picks out there, you can't find something suitable "off the rack." How hard can it be to find a pick that, while may not be completely perfect, is well nigh close to it? If a pick is, say, 97.5% ideal, can't you make up the rest by adapting? Or just accepting? What am I missing here? :confused:

[Ellen T]

Jim Dunlop 207. Another great pick. A go-to for me. I use the shoulders, not the point.

Urgh, so that's a Dunlop? I do like the texture, but it's so clicky. Next time I'm at our nice local music shop, I'll see if there is a thinner and/or pointier one. Thanks for the info.

[crisscross]

Just used the new Dawg Pick to get the most possible jazz sound out of my Kentucky electric.

[Steve Ostrander]

While I am a huge fan of Dawg's music, I have never warmed up to his namesake plectrum. Of course I naively assumed that if I bought one I would become an instant mandolin virtuoso and beautiful women would swoon in my presence. So far, nothing of the sort has occurred. I haven't done any filing or sanding, so I may investigate that.

Methinks that the Dawg could make the cheapest guitar store logo pick, or perhaps one punched out of an expired credit card, sound like a million pounds sterling.

[Tobin]

I finally got around to buying the new style Dawg pick with a recent order from Elderly (I did the three-fer to get the discounted price). I tried it last night on various instruments.

My first reaction was pretty typical of what most here have said. It sounds muddy, and it's difficult to get volume from it. And for the first half-hour, I was getting a weird low-pitched squeak from the pick gliding off the strings. I guess it finally wore off enough micrometers of material from the edge of the pick for that sound to go away.

Anyway, after using the Dawg pick for about 2-1/2 hours, I came to the realization that I kind of like it. It's got a nice dark sound that suits certain styles of music. It won't replace the Blue Chip as my primary pick, or even the Wegen as my secondary choice. But the Dawg pick is a solid contender for my tertiary pick, and I can see myself choosing it for particular tunes, as long as I don't need to command full volume.

[JeffD]

and I can see myself choosing it for particular tunes,

All my picks are that way. For particular tunes, or particular venues or particular effects.

[OldSausage]

The day I need a particular pick for a particular tune or venue will be the day I take up the trombone.

[Tobin]

The day I need a particular pick for a particular tune or venue will be the day I take up the trombone.
I can see how it would be ideal to just adapt one's technique to suit different tunes, venues, etc. That really does make a lot of sense in terms of keeping the equipment simple, while expanding one's repertoire and skill to be able to adapt to the musical needs of the moment. I usually take that approach, actually.

But then again, I am also discovering the pleasures of using the 'right tools for the job'. Using a Blue Chip on a modern F5 is a better combination of tools for bluegrass than it would be for OT or ITM, right? For those traditional styles I might choose to use a different pick and even a different mandolin. My F4 sounds great with the Wegen pick for those styles. It doesn't mean I can't use any combination for any style (nor does it mean I "need" any particular combination to play), but I think it helps bring out the soul of the music when I can tailor my mandolin's tone to the mood of the tune.

If something as simple as using a different pick increases one's enjoyment of the musical quality, why would one want to avoid it? Based on your response, you seem to have rather strong feelings about it. Is there some principle at stake here?

[Onesound]

I have nothing new to add except my name to the "not for me" list. I can't believe that the Dawg sounds so good using them. When I use them my tone looses all brightness and harmonics - makes my instruments sound dead. I've tried adding a point to one with the result that my mando sounded less dead - but dead is dead. To add to the downer, the Dawg Golden Gates make me feel like I'm picking with a tea cup saucer!

[Mark Wilson]

Anyway, after using the Dawg pick for about 2-1/2 hours, I came to the realization that I kind of like it. It's got a nice dark sound that suits certain styles of music.:cool: Even a pick can open up.

[Tobin]

When I use them my tone looses all brightness and harmonics - makes my instruments sound dead.
I quite agree. It's that deadness which gives a dark mood to the tone. In fact, it's the opposite of what I get from my Blue Chip, which is why it intrigues me. In some ways, it's like switching to flat-wound strings but without the hassle of having to change strings.

The Golden Gate pick never did it for me either. The material is probably OK, but the shape is too round for me to be able to pull any decent sound out of it. The Dawg pick, for me, offers what the Golden Gate should have, but didn't.

[dusty miller]

It's that deadness which gives a dark mood to the tone. In fact, it's the opposite of what I get from my Blue Chip, which is why it intrigues me.

Maybe I'll give the Dawg pick another shot. I usually stick with my Wegen and Blue Chip. I was underwhelmed the first couple times I tried it for the same reasons some of the others have mentioned.

[DavidKOS]

I'm not a user of those big round thick picks. I prefer something more pointy!

However those picks seem to be the start of the fad for those round thick plectra.

[mandroid]

I go back and forth Fender 346 wankel triangle and the Dawg

though I find the BC CT 55 a nice one , on my MixA5.

[Dan Ready]

I like 'em. I used to shape the old ones a bit but I find the new ones sound what I would call " natural ". Compared to using nails they're just a little brighter. I use them on 2 old Gibsons and 1 newer Gibson F5. I got so use to them, I use them on electric and acoustic guitars as well. After reading some of this thread, I went through a collection of old picks but they all sounded thin and felt too small to hold. Go figure.

[darrylicshon]

Well after trying my dawg pick for a month or so i have become used to it , but only for certin times and on certin mandolins, i received a new dawg pick it isn't as good as the original atleast not yet. I have a golden gate pick coming soon can't wait to try it, i also ran across a v-pick it was really thick didn't like it,need to try otherv-picks
Now i carry around 6 different picks in my pocket, they all give different sounds, i will have to get a blue chip soon

[OldSausage]

If something as simple as using a different pick increases one's enjoyment of the musical quality, why would one want to avoid it? Based on your response, you seem to have rather strong feelings about it. Is there some principle at stake here?

No, I'm just saying what I do. I do find it highly implausible that the difference in sound between a Blue Chip and a Wegen could even be perceived by any audience, but if it makes a big difference to how you feel about playing that style, go for it.

I personally would also happily use your nice F5 for any style of mandolin music, old time, ITM, choro, rock, pop, you name it. Look at Chris Thile. Does he futz around swapping mandos and picks in his genre-defying shows? No. If you have a good sounding mandolin, it's not going to suddenly sound like ass because you're playing a different genre. But again, others will surely differ with me on that, and that's fine.

[Crawz]

Old thread... but maybe I'll get lucky and this will see the right attention for my purposes.

I'm actually trying to source some of the original D-P Dawg picks. The more rounded ones. They're the right size for me as I do pick conjuring. When I'm plucking I'll park the pick/ hold it in the palm side folds of my long finger. The new D'Andrea 385 mando pick is the right shape, but it's too large for me to hold on to it when I park it. I've always liked that darker, warmer sound they offer in playing chordal style jazz.
If anyone has some of the original D-P picks (and not the newer iteration more pointed D-P2) please be in touch.

I'm also very partial to the torlon mustard colored McCray mando pick. If anyone has one of them laying around that they could part with... likewise, please be in touch.
Tanks heaps and much appreciated,
Crawz

[Mandolin Cafe]

I'm actually trying to source some of the original D-P Dawg picks. The more rounded ones. They're the right size for me as I do pick conjuring. When I'm plucking I'll park the pick/ hold it in the palm side folds of my long finger. The new D'Andrea 385 mando pick is the right shape, but it's too large for me to hold on to it when I park it. I've always liked that darker, warmer sound they offer in playing chordal style jazz.
If anyone has some of the original D-P picks (and not the newer iteration more pointed D-P2) please be in touch.

Are these on Dawg's web site (http://www.acousticdisc.com/dawgpicks.html) not what you're looking for?

[MontanaMatt]

Old thread... but maybe I'll get lucky and this will see the right attention for my purposes.

I'm actually trying to source some of the original D-P Dawg picks. The more rounded ones. They're the right size for me as I do pick conjuring. When I'm plucking I'll park the pick/ hold it in the palm side folds of my long finger. The new D'Andrea 385 mando pick is the right shape, but it's too large for me to hold on to it when I park it. I've always liked that darker, warmer sound they offer in playing chordal style jazz.
If anyone has some of the original D-P picks (and not the newer iteration more pointed D-P2) please be in touch.

I'm also very partial to the torlon mustard colored McCray mando pick. If anyone has one of them laying around that they could part with... likewise, please be in touch.
Tanks heaps and much appreciated,
Crawz
I sent you a message Crawz ...if you haven’t set up your inbox to announce your messages, check there:cool:

[Bill McCall]

Dawg picks may be back, but the webpage doesn’t display properly, at least on my iPad.

[Br1ck]

I've tried rounded picks in general and found I couldn't play very well with them, well I can't play very well with anything, but less well with rounded picks. Now here's the kicker, now and again I unknowingly use the rounded tip on my TAD 1R 60 and I seem to play as well as ever, so my brain is messing with me.

[Gary Leonard]

I've tried rounded picks in general and found I couldn't play very well with them, well I can't play very well with anything, but less well with rounded picks. Now here's the kicker, now and again I unknowingly use the rounded tip on my TAD 1R 60 and I seem to play as well as ever, so my brain is messing with me.

Brick-

I noticed the same almost two years ago. With the Dawg pick (and most other rounded picks), it felt like I wasn't producing any sound, and it felt all wrong. I'd been exclusively playing the pointed ends of the pick. What was really the issue was not fully engaging both strings. I forced myself to use the rounded end of my TAD-1R for over a year now, and it has helped my technique a lot.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Dawg picks may be back, but the webpage doesn’t display properly, at least on my iPad.

The Dawg's site requires Flash. If you can't see it then it isn't enabled on your iPad.

[Ray(T)]

The Dawg's site requires Flash. If you can't see it then it isn't enabled on your iPad.

I’m no computer nut but I don’t think they’ve ever made a version of Flash for iPad.

[Bill McCall]

The Dawg's site requires Flash. If you can't see it then it isn't enabled on your iPad.

Thanks for the info. I deliberately don’t load Flash due to the security risks.

Ymmv

[Mandolin Cafe]

I’m no computer nut but I don’t think they’ve ever made a version of Flash for iPad.

Sorry, it is possible (https://www.google.com/search?q=flash+for+ipad&oq=flash+for+ipad), but keep workin' on that computer nut thing. You might get it.

Same information (https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/138008#138008) as what is on the Dawg's site or below.

176045

[Jeff Hildreth]

"The day I need a particular pick for a particular tune or venue will be the day I take up the trombone. "

Ditto

[Ray(T)]

Sorry, it is possible (https://www.google.com/search?q=flash+for+ipad&oq=flash+for+ipad), but keep workin' on that computer nut thing. You might get it.


So it’s possible but I’m right, there’s never been a version of Flash for iPad.

If I wanted to be a nut, I’d start by buying a cellphone!

[RustyMadd]

"The day I need a particular pick for a particular tune or venue will be the day I take up the trombone. "

Ditto

What makes you take a stand such as this? Does a fiddler say such things about their bow? How about a metal guitarist? Do they say similar things about their pedals? How about a saxophonist? Do they refuse to use certain reeds for certain jobs?

I would think being all three myself that the answer is no. A carpenter chooses the best tool for the job, and so do musicians.

Your desire to use or reject a particular pick seems somewhat personal and irrelevant. And even if a thousand of you all agree, I still disagree.


It's a pick, like a pack of strings it's just a tool.
Blessings

PS I hate Shure microphones and by God if I ever had to use a Shure mic for any song or venue, I just as soon quit music and become a drummer. ��

[Ray(T)]

Actually, I think fiddlers are more concerned about their bows than we are about picks! You may be perferctly happy with whatever you choose to use but I for one have tried the Dawg picks but I’ve never yet been able to get any sort of sound out of an instrument using one. I’ve tried them on mandolin, OM, mandola and guitar and the picks sit there unused.

[re simmers]

I have a few Dawg picks. They look great. And it’s my only connection with the Dawg. But I cannot make it work for me. I can’t seem to keep my pick perfectly parallel to the strings, which seems to be required.
Bob

[trodgers]

Here's an oldie, but a goodie. 176087

[Elliot Luber]

I love the Dawg, but I've never had much success with his picks. They seem to work marvellously for him, so I keep them around as maybe I'll grow into them, but at this point of my playing career, ten years or more in, I just don't see it.

[gtani7]

I haven't bought any Dawgs in awhile but if Greg Boyd and Elderly say they have them in stock, I'd order from them. Super rounded points have a darker tone which I think is nice and less volume, which seems to be no go for lots of people

While looking for d'Andrea equivalent, i noticed these "Polyphenylsulfone" picks https://dandreausa.com/product/guitar-picks/radex-346-shape/

[Luna Pick]

I have a lot of different picks, but for whatever reason for mandolin always seem to gravitate towards the Dawg/Golden Gate picks.

[varmonter]

I used dawg picks for awhile. But it passed. Cant remember but
i think i found the tone a bit muddy..YMMV.
Right now i use fender extra heavys. the 351 style white ones.
so easy to see if i drop one.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Mine feels like a jumbo Tiddly Wink. It's maybe a year old, so that probably makes it the newer design. It has a warmer sound than other picks. For sound quality, it's my wife's far-away favorite.

Won't be bevelling it. I figure that's the way it's supposed to sound and feel or they wouldn't sell it that way.

As a mainly-guit picker, I find that mando picks, big and small, all have the same problem: They turn in my fingers, so the tip doesn't stay pointed at the strings. Guitar picks stay oriented better, so I usually use those.

My favorite: those nylon Dunlops with the rough slip-proof grip. Since taking up mando, I've switched from mediums to heavies, and even those feel a little flimsy against mando strings.

The Dawg is nice for toning things down, though. Someone above called it muddy, but to me it's just creamier and not as bright as most picks. Good for some tunes.

So I'm still experimenting. Getting there isn't half the fun. It's all the fun!

[Joe DiLorenzo]

I haven't tried one of the 'official' Dawg picks, but there is a company called FauxPicks (presumably because they are imitation tortoise, made of some natural material) who makes very very nice Dawg style picks that come in various sizes from 1.5-3mm thickness. I have been using these picks exclusively for some months now and I really like 'em.

Upon first trying the Dawg style I found them a bit difficult to get used to like some others have posted, harder to maintain a grip on. I was just used to thinner, sharper picks and the way they felt against the strings and my fingers. However, I instantly liked what I heard in terms of tone when compared to my other picks such as the Blue Chip TAD-40: the Dawg style has a smoother attack on the strings and a really nice warm effect on the tone of the second and third positions. I feel like these picks almost act as a compressor does in that they seem to kind of equalize all areas of the fretboard giving it a really consistent and nice tone that is easy to achieve due to the thickness of 'em. My favorite ones are the thickies... in the 2.5-3mm range. Nice and very plucky thick tone. Granted, 1 of these aforementioned FauxPicks cost as much as a 12 Dawg brand picks. I guess I'm good at not losing picks. There is also a company I found on Reverb called Django Guitars who make high quality imitation tortoise picks with vintage galalith in the style of Django Reinhardt's pick (mindblowingly thick at 4.6mm, basically a little rock) and I bought one of their 3mm mandolin picks and I love it.

At the end of the day, yeah picks are all up to preference and not everyone will like the dawg (or any) but I think its a great style of a pick and I'm sure glad I found them because I truly like the effect they have on the tone of my picking.

Happy easter. :)