First Post - Question on Picks

[bobbyk]

Been a member for a long time, but quite frankly have not really played much, put most my minimal spare time for music into banjo. However, in the past year been getting hooked playing more and more mandolin. I have just been using a used pack of 1.5 Wegen picks that came with my used mandolin when I bought it.

Any suggestions or favorites that people like? Any guidance on how to pick the right ones to use? Are there specific mando picks vs guitar picks etc? Any types that make tremolo easier (that would be nice)? Or does it all come down to personal taste and style. (I feel like I have a drawer-full of banjo finger picks I tried and discarded so this time I am asking for guidance).

thanks and love the site.
Bob

[dnallred]

:popcorn:

[George R. Lane]

Oh, Bob.
You are entering the Pick Zone, a place of many suggestions and little help. The right pick is the one you believe gives you the best tone and volume you want. Most folks here prefer a thicker pick, 1 mm to 3mm or more. The Wegens' you have a very good but, there are many, many, more choices out there. There are V picks, Blue Chip, Golden Gate, Fender, Primetones' to name a few. Good luck on your search and I hope it doesn't turn into a bad case of PAS (pick acquisition syndrome).

PS - I use a Blue Chip 50 TAD 1-R and a Primetone Triangle 1.4

[bobrem]

Hi bobbyk. If you use the Advanced Search function on the top right and type in "picks" you will get 20 pages of discussion on picks. I used to use a roundish pick but have changed to a triangle pick. I prefer thicker, about 1.5 mm. There is no silver bullet. You have to experiment and find what sounds right for you and your mandolin.

[Ron McMillan]

This recent thread (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?119442-Mandolin-pick-s) pretty much covers the general range of views on preferred picks. I'm a fan of the Primetone, the Pro-plec and the Big Stubby.

[bobbyk]

thanks all

- - - Updated - - -

Looks like I may end up with a drawer of Mandolin picks to go with my banjo picks drawer

[BrianWilliam]

The Wegen picks you have are nice. Do you like them?

[Isaac Revard]

Those are a great start. Buy some others and eventually spend the money to test a few bluechips. Lots of good cheap picks to mess around with: proplec, wegans, dawg, v picks, primetones...buy a few and enjoy testing them out.

[Tobin]

Looks like I may end up with a drawer of Mandolin picks to go with my banjo picks drawer

Honestly, that's the best thing you could do. Everyone has their favorites, and asking folks here is just going to lead to dozens of different recommendations. There's no way to arrive at any conclusion from it. So the only thing to do is just buy as many different picks as you can find, and try 'em all.

[renoyd]

Universal solution to all worldly matters boils down to a Blue Chip TP-1R 50, (or 60).

[Mandoplumb]

Don't forget the really cheep picks Fender extra heavy are my pick of choice. Tried all the expensive picks and in my opinion these are as good as any and 50 cents apiece, I don't cry when I lose one or one wears out.

[Mike Snyder]

A pick is a tool, and how many folks have just one tool in the toolbox. I have BCs, Wegens, Primetones and Red Bears and eventually use them all. Honestly, the Chips get almost all the play time, but comparison of picks is great fun.

[bobbyk]

Yes Brian in answer to your question I like the wegen, but it does feel a bit thick in my hand. Really though I don't have much to compare it to (never played guitar). From the post's here it sounds like I should start playing around (with different picks I mean). So I went on line,a bit shocked at the price of the blue chip, but ordered some pro plecs and primetones to try -- also figured I should experiment with a more triangle shape too. The red bears looked interesting too.
Bob k

[BrianWilliam]

It's good to have options and it's always easy to unload picks in the classifieds.

I bet someone already said that.

[David Lewis]

I have to say I haven't gone past v picks. I use proplecs (the Jazz mando ones (rip)) and the daddario one that is like a blue chip and the occasional dawg but the Jazz mando v pick remains my go to.

But some like a really thin pick. Some like a small guitar pick. Up to you.

[mandobassman]

...The red bears looked interesting too.
Bob k

Good luck finding the Red Bears. They don't sell online and only offer a few select models every once in a while. You're best bet is used, but they don't show up too often. I will say that my experience with Red Bear was The Big Picker II was absolutely the nicest pick I have ever used when it comes to tone and was easily the smoothest pick I have ever used. However, it was also the quietest pick I have ever used. Darn near impossible to use in a louder acoustic band.

[mandobassman]

A pick is a tool, and how many folks have just one tool in the toolbox. I have BCs, Wegens, Primetones and Red Bears and eventually use them all. Honestly, the Chips get almost all the play time, but comparison of picks is great fun.

Same here. My Custom Wegen gets the majority of play but I'm always searching and experimenting with the different tones that picks can create.

[rf37]

Here we go again. I mever get tired of pick questions. So here it goes. All our suggestions are just based on ourselves so asj yourself this. What is it worth. I did that a while back and after all horses crossed the finish lines here are my favorites
1. V-Picks. Traditional lite. 1.5 at. At 4 dollars each
2. Dunlap ultex 1.14 at 3 dollars for 6
3. Big stubby at 75 cents each
These all work well for me but the vpicks are my first choice

Next year i will surely jave new favorites lol
Enjoy the ride and God bless
Rf37

[elmicko]

After 40 years of playing guitar I still can't decide on a guitar pick and it seems like my preference can change in the middle of a song. I keep a pick holder on my mic stand and it has a choice of 4 or 5 different picks on it. I'll usually run through each one of them in the first 10 songs before one just feels it for the night. That being said, on mandolin it's completely different, I tried all my guitar picks and didn't like any of them until I picked up a 1.5 Primetone triangle that I've never been able to play guitar with. It just feels perfect in my hand for the mandolin and I really like the tone. I just bought a 12 pack because I always keep spares, which means that sometime in the near future I'll post them here for sale because they started to just not feel right. LOL. Pick choice is borderline psychosis.