Wegen Picks

[FrDNicholas]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I can't remember: Which Wegen pick would be the large triangular size of the Pro Plec large triangle? I think the thickest is a 1.4, but I'm not sure about that either. I would be grateful for any help. Thanks.

[pheffernan]

Wegen TF140

[JH Murray]

Well worth trying. I quite enjoy the tone and speed bevel. TF140 is a great pick for the price.

[FrDNicholas]

I've been searching around, looking for the lowest price. At our school teacher budget, we have to do this. Any leads on who's selling them for less?

[pheffernan]

They're usually $15 for a pair.

[Stevo75]

I've been searching around, looking for the lowest price. At our school teacher budget, we have to do this. Any leads on who's selling them for less?

You can keep an eye on the classifieds. I just sold two for $10.

[MediumMando5722]

The Wegens are worth the money. That said, if you can't swing $15, Dunlop Primetones are like 3 for $6 and worth checking out also.

[Al Trujillo]

I sure like the TF140's. I have Wegens and Primetone's and go back and forth between both of them. Sometimes within minutes...I think thats pretty much natural...moving back and forth between those we like. I did take a Dremel and gouged some lines across the Wegens. Between the deep scratches and the holes they stay pretty much in place on my fingers.

[JH Murray]

Another way to justify the price of a Wegen is that it may just cure your MAS.

[darrylicshon]

Strings and beyond has a 15% coupon sale for picks not alot but atleast some , i ordered a set of wegen bluegrass picks today, lost most of mine . I use wegen bluegrass and bluechip picks mosly

[Br1ck]

My go to Wegen pick is the Dipper. Fairly large, it has three different pick corner profiles, rounded, pointed and pointier. 1.4mm is the one I use.

[pops1]

I have been thinking of having them make a pick with different corners, I am glad they are doing so now. Unfortunately they are not making the M100 with holes, at least I have not found them anymore.

[Three-Dz]

Hey Pops, you can get those M100 with holes at themandoshop.com! (NFI)

[MediumMando5722]

I have been thinking of having them make a pick with different corners, I am glad they are doing so now. Unfortunately they are not making the M100 with holes, at least I have not found them anymore.

Contact Michel and see what he'll do. I asked for a TF140 with one rounded off corner like the M150, and he made it for a very, very slight upcharge.

[pops1]

Thanks Chris, I have already emailed him, just waiting for a reply.

[Shelagh Moore]

I recently bought some M100s with holes direct from Michael himself.

[FrDNicholas]

Well, I went on and bought a 1.5 TF 150, which I didn't know Wegen made. I did pay full price, so it will be off to teach summer school. They came 2 to a set so I'll see if I like them as much as my Pro Plec, which is my 2nd go-to pick after my not to be mentioned material pick which is my favorite. Thanks, everyone for your help and feedback.

[FrDNicholas]

I just received my TF 1.5 and I think it's now my #1 pick. The sound and volume is excellent and I am very happy with how it feels in my hand. Well worth the money!

[pops1]

Hey Pops, you can get those M100 with holes at themandoshop.com! (NFI)

Got some on the way, still waiting for a reply from Michael.

[meow-n-dolin]

I just received my first pair of TF140s in the mail the day before yesterday. When I picked up the mandolin a few years ago, I started with my "old standard" Dunlop 1mm nylon. Since then I have tried a lot of picks. Listed in order of my preference:

1) Any number of heavy, usually nylon, picks
2) Golden Gate (the former "Dawg," I do believe)
3) Dunlop Primetone
4) TF 140

The TF 140 is definitely superior. While I find it a modest improvement over the Primetone for mandolin (it brings out the treble better) it really shines on guitar, as well, whereas the Primetone and Dunlops were just passable. I was wondering if the modest improvement was worth the extra cost for mandolin, until I used it on guitar.

Absolutely worth it.

Note: though I have spent several thousands on mandos and guitars, I have never been one to jump on the bandwagon with "boutique" picks. In fact, I spent about a month deciding if Primetones were worth giving a try, at like $3 each. LOL. Yeah well. Just call me "cheap." Who knows, maybe someday I will even buy a BlueChip or whatever those things are :)

[Mark Gunter]

Note: though I have spent several thousands on mandos and guitars, I have never been one to jump on the bandwagon with "boutique" picks. In fact, I spent about a month deciding if Primetones were worth giving a try, at like $3 each. LOL. Yeah well. Just call me "cheap." Who knows, maybe someday I will even buy a BlueChip or whatever those things are :)

Just in case you're not aware of this - there is a "Traveling Pick Sampler" going around the cafe users - you could sign up on the list to receive it, and you'd be able to try out the two Blue Chips that are contained in it. IMO there was never a better 'try before you buy' deal than the cafe pick sampler. Over 40 picks of various types in there.

Caveat: Once you get signed up there may be quite a wait before it gets to you, depending on how many are in line to receive it ahead of you.

If you're interested in signing up, search for the thread "Traveling Pick Sampler".

[Mandobart]

I have been thinking of having them make a pick with different corners, I am glad they are doing so now. Unfortunately they are not making the M100 with holes, at least I have not found them anymore.

Its very easy to drill a few holes in most picks. I drill 3 holes, 1/8" diameter each, in all my picks, including the blue chips. Helps with grip and anti-rotation for me. On one of my thinner casein picks ( Papa's) it later broke as a result. I like the Wegen M200, 250 and 300. All of mine have holes I drilled in them.

[mandobassman]

Got some on the way, still waiting for a reply from Michael.

Did you get your reply from Michel yet. When I tried to contact him, it took 5 weeks and 3 emails before he finally responded. When I called him out on why he didn't answer my first two emails he got very nasty with me. I hope your experience is better.

[pops1]

I just bought some more from the Kyle at the Mando shop and when/if Michael gets back to me I may order a custom pick. I had two made for me from BC before they started making them to put in stock. If I find something I like I want to have the same thing in all the mandolin cases, tuner in each case, etc. I don't want to have to think did I bring something because I grabbed a different mandolin.

[Willie Poole]

I looked into buying some prim tone rounded picks on the Internet and one dealer wanted to charge more for shipping than the three picks cost, I did further research and found that a company called Jax Music has the picks and has free shipping... NFI on my part just a good company to seal with...

I find that the rounded point edge takes away a lot of the shrill sound that some mandolins have when played up the neck a ways...As usual, one pick does not suit everyone`s taste so you have to try different ones as well as different strings and hopefully you will hit the right combination for you mandolin (s)

I also drill small holes in all of my picks so they won`t turn in my fingers...

Willie

[Jim Garber]

Just thought to revive this thread a bit. A kind soul gave me a couple of black Wegen picks with the holes (I think M100) some time ago and I started playing with them. I had been playing with BC LG Jazz picks for years but actually like the feel and tone of the Wegens. Is there any difference between the black and the white ones in terms of tone?

Also, I don't see the ones I have on either Elderly or Wegen site. I see ones on Strings & Beyond and Big City Strings but pictured without the holes.

I do see them at the Mando Shop. Hopefully, they will actually have some in stock.

Actually, I looked at the ones online and I may have a TF100B. Mine below:

149326

[MediumMando5722]

Michel says the color doesn't make a difference. Some users claim differently. I don't have the same picks in black and white, so I can't really say. Although, my white TF140 with a rounded point sounds very similar to my dad's black M150.

[meow-n-dolin]

I use the somewhat thicker Wegens. I have them in both black and white. I can tell absolutely no difference in tone or feel, and I tried :)

[FrDNicholas]

I have the black TF150 and I just love it.

[Dave Bradford]

I have more white than black Bluegrass and Big City Wegens since they are easier to find if they fall or I drop one. I do find a difference in the sound produced by different thicknesses of the picks, but I can't tell any difference based on the color.

[CWRoyds]

I generally use a Blue Chip CT55, as it is just a great mandolin pick.
It slides through the string wonderfully, and it produces a round lovely tone.

However, I recently bought a pack of Wegen TF140s, and found them to be awesome too.
There is a tiny bit of texture on the Wegen, so it feels a little different as it plucks through the string.
The sound is a little more bright than the CT55, and there is a tiny bit of rasp due to the texture, which can sound very cool.

I keep them both on the mandolin, as I swap them back and forth depending on how I am feeling, or how I want the mandolin to sound.

The CT55 gives my mandolin a more modern tone.
It is round, full and clean. It is great for all kinds of music.

The TF140, being a little more bright and raspy, might make it superior in a Bluegrass jam, where the brightness might help the tone cut through the other instruments. It is a lively pick. Very fun to play with.

[CES]

Jim, my TF 140s are white, my TF 120s are black, and I've noted no tone or feel difference other than that produced by the different thicknesses. And, honestly, I think that difference is much more in feel than tone, except on my mandolins strung with heavier strings.

If I had to pick one pick to live with forever, it would probably be my CT55, but I wouldn't cry if I had to go TF 140.

[ccravens]

Do the black picks sound different than the white?

It is well known that sonic properties of most substances are affected by their color. Adding coloring to the picks changes the porosity of the material. Porosity has a great effect on sound, and open pore foams are often used as absorbers to damp reflections and resonances.

In addition, the color of an object will affect your perception of the sound it creates.

The pick color types are named for a loose analogy to the colors of light: White noise, for example, contains all the audible frequencies, just like white light contains all the frequencies in the visible range. Another color of noise given an official meaning: black. It’s a spectral density of roughly zero power at every frequency. If white is all frequencies at once, black is the color of silence.

So is there a difference in sound between the two colored picks?


How the heck should I know?

:whistling:

[Jim Garber]

Chris:
Noting your alias above your avatar: "Fingers of Concrete" — have you ever tried concrete picks on your mandolins?

[ccravens]

Interesting idea.

Let me consider the sonic possibilities....

[Pete Braccio]

Hi Jim,

Those look like custom shaped ones from Greg Boyd (http://gregboyd.com/accessory_detail.html?accessory_key=1112). The BN-120s.

You can make them yourself by starting from a Wegen TF shaped pick, round down the corners, and rebel them. Or have Bill Neaves do it for you and get it from the above link.

Pete

[MediumMando5722]

Those BN Wegens look like the BlueChip TAD-3R. Cool idea.

[Jim Garber]

Hi Jim,

Those look like custom shaped ones from Greg Boyd (http://gregboyd.com/accessory_detail.html?accessory_key=1112). The BN-120s.

Pete: I think you are right. Those looks like the ones.

[Jim Garber]

Chris:
Noting your alias above your avatar: "Fingers of Concrete" — have you ever tried concrete picks on your mandolins?


Interesting idea.

Let me consider the sonic possibilities....

And, while we are on that subject of concrete and mandolins (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?105318-concrete-mandolin)....

[Mark Seale]

Hi Jim,

Those look like custom shaped ones from Greg Boyd (http://gregboyd.com/accessory_detail.html?accessory_key=1112). The BN-120s.

You can make them yourself by starting from a Wegen TF shaped pick, round down the corners, and rebel them. Or have Bill Neaves do it for you and get it from the above link.

Pete

I'm a big fan of that pick. I've been playing some with a BC recently, but I go back to the BN-120 and that's the sound I'm wanting to hear. There's a primetone that's close to the same shape that I keep several of in reserve.

[Jim Garber]

Those look like custom shaped ones from Greg Boyd (http://gregboyd.com/accessory_detail.html?accessory_key=1112). The BN-120s.



Pete: I think you are right. Those looks like the ones.

I ordered a pair of those in white (for variety) and yes, indeed, those are the ones. They are now my main pick. Of course, now I am thinking of getting a BC TAD-3R...

Thanks a lot Pete!

BTW the tone is identical AFAIK with the black ones but I did notice that the white ones do show the string dirt. Maybe I need to change my strings. :)