View Full Version : Switching picks...?
Strangely enough, I'm all the sudden looking for a new pick. For the first couple years I played, I was a Golden Gate guy. Then I tried Dawgs, tried Blue Chips (no, I didn't care for them), and finally settled on Wegen, moving up from M100 to M150.
A month or so ago, I started playing around with sharper Dunlop guitar picks--don't know exactly why, but it probably had something to do with my young son misplacing my Wegen--and my leads have definitely been crisper at the weekly jams. Chops aren't as full, but it seems worth the trade-off if I'm taking leads (which I do pretty consistently). Going back to the fat Wegen now, as I did last night, feels like playing with a skipping stone.
So now, unexpectedly, I'm looking for my new favorite pick. I've ordered some Dunlop Ultexes (1.4), and the JazzMando pro plecs, as well as another Blue Chip (TAD60 1R).
My question is less about which pick you love--I've reviewed the old threads, so I'm up to speed on that--but whether you've found yourself suddenly needing a change in pick at some random point several years into your playing.
Brent Hutto
Feb-02-2011, 3:48pm
I haven't played for several years yet so I can't answer your real question. But my answer to the one you're not asking is to try the big triangle Wegens. Something in the TF120/TF140 range. I suspect you're migrating to having a point instead of a round edge and that's the obvious parallel most similar to what you've been using. They have a point but not a sharp little Dunlop Jazz point or anything extreme like that.
If you do have any interest in the TF120 (1.2mm) I have a couple spares and would be glad to loan you one of them for a couple weeks to try. You can just mail it back to me when you're done (unless your son decides it tastes as good as a M150!).
I change picks all the time, depending on which instrument I am playing, what tune I am playing, or the venue, or who I am playing with. Or just for variety.
I have three or four favorites and they are all in general good, but has its specialty for which it is great.
Malcolm G.
Feb-02-2011, 4:18pm
Laird,
I went through the whole search for the Holy Grail of picks - cost me hundreds of dollars.
Settled on the Wegen family and the (gulp) Blue Chip family.
I change around within these two collections quite a lot, but find if I try my V, Dawg, Jazz Mando, Golden Gate, Red Bears and Ultex's etc., I don't like the way they turn while I play. Then I remember why I like the Wegens and BC's - sticktion.
I do same as Malcolm. Same picks, same switching brands. Somedays omne just feels better than the other.
Ed Goist
Feb-02-2011, 4:27pm
I've only been playing about a year, and about a month or two in, this pick was recommended to me by Steve at Acoustic Music Works in Pittsburgh. It's the pick used exclusively and recommended by Charley Rappaport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Rappaport).
68054
From the moment I started using this pick I loved it, and I have had no inclination to even try other picks. (Though I think I should probably at least try some other picks at some point!).
Thanks, all. I guess the underlying question, which crystallized while I was out shovelling snow (pun intended), is whether it's a natural progression that picks that seemed perfect to us at one point come to seem inadequate later. At earlier times, I played with a sharp pick, but didn't enjoy the sound as much and found myself jabbing and getting hung up on chops. So for about two years I enjoyed the fullness of that fat Wegen and was quite content--until a few weeks with a flimsy guitar pick suggested I was ready to find the right sharp pick. The reason I'm giving Blue Chip another try (having lost my old one) is the ability, perhaps, to flip to the rounded corner during rhythm, then to the point during leads. Don't know how easy it will be to make that transition, but I'm looking forward to trying.
I am a pretty cynical guy when it comes to picks.... I can't believe a $60 (or whatever) pick will really make me a better player than a $1 pick from a jar on the counter. If the curve or point is wrong I can file it to shape. If I want thicker I can glue three picks together and file to a point or shape. I can sand or file the surface to creat a no-rotate pick. What more do I need?
Brent Hutto
Feb-02-2011, 5:25pm
Bart,
Only you can say what more you might need or not need than a nylon pick from a jar. No pick in the world is going to make you a better player, that's for sure.
Personally I'd rather spend my time playing than gluing and sanding cheap picks together but that's just me. I certainly don't lose any sleep over knowing there's maybe $50-$100 worth of picks in my house at any given time. Some folks that appears to bother.
Laird,
When I started playing mandolin I had some thin-and-pointy, thick-and-pointy and thick-and-round picks to try. When I started taking mandolin lessons I asked the two teachers I auditioned what kind of picks they used. Both use some variant on the pointy ones so I decided to stick with the point. Probably just as well, now every time I grab one that's round it won't work at all for my current picking stroke. Maybe that will flip-flop one day, although maybe not while I'm emulating my teacher's technique on a weekly basis. I know where to get a round one if needs be.
Joe Hinkebein
Feb-02-2011, 6:37pm
Thanks, all. I guess the underlying question, which crystallized while I was out shovelling snow (pun intended), is whether it's a natural progression that picks that seemed perfect to us at one point come to seem inadequate later. At earlier times, I played with a sharp pick, but didn't enjoy the sound as much and found myself jabbing and getting hung up on chops. So for about two years I enjoyed the fullness of that fat Wegen and was quite content--until a few weeks with a flimsy guitar pick suggested I was ready to find the right sharp pick. The reason I'm giving Blue Chip another try (having lost my old one) is the ability, perhaps, to flip to the rounded corner during rhythm, then to the point during leads. Don't know how easy it will be to make that transition, but I'm looking forward to trying.
Laird,
I think the plectrum evolution and transitions you speak of are pretty normal. Certainly, true of my own journey. I started playing mandolin 30 years ago after playing guitar for a while. Initially used the point of a medium teardrop fender pick. Overtime, found I got better tone from the rounded edge and a heavier pick. Have tried most of the "next greatest pick" over the years. Never cared for the Grisman or Golden Gate picks. For a while I really liked the beveled Dunlop tortex picks (1.14). I found that I wore them rough on the edges. What I found that I really liked were the Dunlap Ultex when they came out (1.0, sometimes 1.4). These work well when playing in a jam or performing, as I can play at whatever speed is necessary. However, when sitting around and doodling, I sometimes will use a thicker pick (a wegen or a thick dunlap tortex) because of the tone. I also think that practicing with a heavier/thicker pick helps my tone when performing with a less heavy or thick pick (usually no lighter than a 1.0).
I do really like blue chips, especially for flatpicking guitar. I had a BC 50 teardrop that I really like for mandolin...but it is "misplaced" (I refuse to accept that it may be lost yet :whistling:.
Because of the potential for misplacing, I probably will keep the 1.0 Ultex as the baseline pick. Less expensive to replace, and I don't seem to wear them out like the tortex.
My 2 cents. Best.
Joe
Gelsenbury
Feb-02-2011, 6:46pm
The reason I'm giving Blue Chip another try (having lost my old one) is the ability, perhaps, to flip to the rounded corner during rhythm, then to the point during leads. Don't know how easy it will be to make that transition, but I'm looking forward to trying.
I'm only a beginner, but that's what I currently do most often with my ebony wood pick from Hobgoblin. Being wood rather than plastic, it gives a nice natural sound. I use the point (a bit too pointy for my limited technique really!) for melody and the round end for strumming. Not a Blue Chip, but a wood chip, as it were.
Brent:
My problem is that I am on a very limited retirement income and in fact probably have no justifiable right to be spending on instruments at all, but by doing all my own repair, refretting, restoring and settup I have a real nice collection of lower end mandolins and banjos, and a few exceptional ones. In the not too distant future I hope to sell some to get back my investment and hopefully go to the next level up in original quality.... I just did a rough calculation and I think I have maybe $6 worth of picks. Roughly 100 picks, but I buy in bulk.
If you think I am cheap with picks... you ought to see my home made bridges.... popsicle sticks can do marvellous things. Probably two cents per bridge plus ten minutes cutting, glueing and sanding, and sometimes staining. In a blind test I doubt anyone could tell they sound home made.
Different strokes....
backwoodsborn10
Feb-02-2011, 7:13pm
i've been swapping picks for several years now.( and mandolins) i still ain't found one that does "it" for me. whatever "it" is. i like a thick one like the dawg but it tends to deaden or muffle the sound somewhat. a thin one gives a crisper sound. i've been using a thick dawg and file the edges thin.(best of both) however i still cant solve the problem of how to keep that sucker from rotating. seems like it doesn't seem to do it quite as much now as before. is it in lack of exp. and technique? go ahead ...i can take it! lol
Stephen Perry
Feb-02-2011, 7:28pm
I have been exceptionally happy with a custom soft triangle from Gary Wagner. Made from antique "stuff." .73 mm thick.
So far, that's the best pick I've ever had for mandolin. Highly recommend it. Immediately notice I can't play worth ..... with other ones.
Brent Hutto
Feb-02-2011, 8:18pm
Aren't we supposed to not talk about the antique "stuff" on here?
Raymando7
Feb-03-2011, 10:15am
I saw a thread a couple of months back about wood picks and I've been making a few.
My favourite is oak (from flooring strips) but rosewood is also really good. Both give a rich tone. My ebony ones give quite a treble sound.
I also enjoy carving them, it is surprisingly quick and you get the exact shape you want ... if you're lucky :-)
John Kinn
Feb-03-2011, 12:31pm
Bobby Osborne has a good answer regardig picks in the Cafe interview.;)
This has been my pick journey:
Started with a Fender heavy I had lying around and not knowing better used it...
that is, till I started reading threads about picks and got a Jazz Mando pick and played with it for a while...
then I got a Dawg and a Golden Gate next and played with them for a while...
kept reading pick threads and bought a Blue Chip...
used it for a couple days, waited for the magic tone to appear, it didn't, I shrugged and got a sore spot on my behind where I kicked myself for paying that much for a pick...
sold it at a $5 loss and got some Wegans...
played with them for a while...
and eventually came full circle back to my old Fender heavy.
:whistling:
Mandoviol
Feb-03-2011, 3:34pm
When I first started, I was only using Johnson mediums (as I got three of them with my mandolin when I bought it), but I ended up getting some Wegen 150s for my birthday one year, and now I get a new D'Andrea Pro-Plec each time I order strings from Ted at Jazz Mando. I tend to stick with the Wegens (they're a bit lighter than the D'Andreas and heavier than the mediums), but I do find myself switching around from time to time. I think the mediums work best for classical music--they have more of a brightness to the sound.
AZTimZ
Feb-03-2011, 4:43pm
I'm liking the Dunlop Ultex 1.4
I bought a batch of 60 Fender California medium picks (the ones that are translucent with funky colors) on eBay for a few dollars and use them ever since!
So now, unexpectedly, I'm looking for my new favorite pick. I've ordered some Dunlop Ultexes (1.4 and 2.0), and the JazzMando pro plecs, as well as another Blue Chip (TAD60 1R).
So all the new picks are in now, and I'm pleased enough with each of them--at least picking in my basement. The Jazz Mando pro plecs arrived first, and I like them quite a lot. At first they reminded me of Dawgs, but the sharper corners and slightly increased flexibility made all the difference. Then the Blue Chip arrived--nice pick, fine for fiddle tunes, and I thought I might be ready for it (after having ben disappointed with my first one). The Ultexes seem fine--haven't spent much time with them yet.
So I played with the Blue Chip at our jam last night: great for the picking, but I wasn't satisfied with the tone or resonance of the chords. I tried to turn the pick to use a rounded corner for rhythm, but I still wasn't getting the tone I wanted. The J 74s on my Eastman 515 sounded dull to me. I'll keep trying--I know it takes a little time--but I'm going to give those pro plecs a little more time next.
AZTimZ
Feb-09-2011, 11:13am
I don't have any of the other picks you mentioned but I like the Dunlop Ultex 1.4 on my eastman 850D. It seems brighter and louder than others I've tried. I haven't tried expensive picks and probably won't
P.D. Kirby
Feb-09-2011, 11:57am
While I haven't tried all of the next greatest picks my favorite (or the one I always return to) is my old stand by Fender Heavy's. I played Guitar for over 40 years before switching to Mandolin completely 3 years ago. Just about everyone I have played with over the years in many different Bluegrass groups used the Fender Heavy for Guitar and Mandolin and at some point 15 or 20 years ago I bought a pack of 144 of these wonderful little pieces of plastic, so pretty much anywhere you go in my house it is likely you will find one of these laying around. I keep a 2 sided emory board I stole from my wife in my Mandolin case and from time to time I put a little edge on the pick as it wears, over the years I have discovered just the right angle and profile and can restore my pick to what I like with just a few passes of the file. I always refer to Big Mon's answer to this question "I use this one".
JGWoods
Feb-09-2011, 12:53pm
I change picks all the time and have a huge collection http://i544.photobucket.com/albums/hh335/jgwoods1/Picks1.jpg
Picks are cheap, even expensive ones are cheap considering they have more to do with how you sound that strings do, even more than whether you play and A or an F etc.
I like the V picks for the way they warm up to me and I can't drop them, but they make a lot of noise on the strings. I like the Bluechip but it's a little harsh, I have a 1.0mm white Wegen with 3 different corners on it that I like best for tone and how I can play well with it. I also use the rounded corners of most any nearby pick and do OK. Mostly I like that white Wegen.
Matt DeBlass
Feb-09-2011, 9:34pm
After frantically switching picks for the first few months of playing I settled into the Ultex 1.4 large triangle for a year or so. I always liked the tone and feel of the Golden Gates and Dawg-style picks, but never liked the shape. Recently, when I decided to try the JazzMando strings, Ted included one of the Proplecs with my order (as well as the "this end up case sticker, which I immediately put on upside-down because I'm like that) and I've found that to be a pretty ideal combination of material, shape and price.
I've been finding shape to be the most important factor for me, as once I feel like I have good control of the pick and a good grip I have a lot more control over the tone. Big triangles seem to give my gorilla hands a good control surface.
Rick Cadger
Feb-10-2011, 5:58am
Aren't we supposed to not talk about the antique "stuff" on here?
AFAIK, there is no forum rule prohibiting discussion of "stuff", antique or otherwise. There are rules proscribing the discussion of certain materials, but those are specific. Stephen did not specify a particular material.
I change picks every now and then. Current preference is for Clayton Black Raven triangles at 1.9mm, although I also love Blue Chips and have just ordered another of those.
Bertram Henze
Feb-10-2011, 6:49am
After years of using Clayton Ultem 0.80, I found myself forced to explore completely new horizons by completely petty circumstances.
stage 1: my old favourite online shop (let's call it "A") ran out of Claytons just when I needed them. So I quickly made an emergency search on another online shop "B" I normally use for the saxophone thingies for my daughter. "B" don't have Clayton, but they have Dunlop Ultex and I decided to try those, shooting for the nearest thickness 0.88. They sound cleaner, extract more bass, but the trebles quickly fade with the shortlived bevels - good for doublestop accompaniment, no good for lead melody. Soon after, "A" carried Claytons again, and from then on I had two picks ready during a session.
stage 2: "A" shop ran out of Dr. Duck's AxWax string cleaner just when I needed it. So I browsed reviews and decided on Dunlop's string cleaning product, which - you guessed it - is carried by "B". I should mention here that I try to stay above the limit where I don't have to pay for shipping, so I took the opportunity to check out the next lighter thickness of Dunlop Ultex that I suspected might be brighter but still give that clean tone: 0.73. I tried them and was in love. Now I carry 3 picks to sessions, but only until the Claytons are used up, then it'll be only Dunlops. I have deleted shop "A" from my bookmarks already.
What can online shops learn from this: never run out of items!
Mandoist
Feb-10-2011, 7:40am
Aren't we supposed to not talk about the antique "stuff" on here?
At least there's a "Mando Hangout" list where people are allowed to speak freely...and most of the time they do so like adults (not that I haven't walked-a-fine-line myself). Anyway, that's where I spend most my Internet mando reading time these days.
Now I'm off to retouch a couple of antique "stuff" picks I've been working on.
By the way, stay tuned for info on an editorial piece of some sort that a veteran musician is writing on Tortoise Shell picks...I mean antique "stuff".
Brent Hutto
Feb-10-2011, 7:58am
Well obviously I am misinformed. I could have sworn when I joined the Cafe I read an admonition against mentioning or discussing the use or acquisition of tortoise shell. My aplogies for being incorrect. No offense intended.
The board guidelines are pretty specific as I read them. Sale and transfer, antique or not. Which are illegal activities.
With all the great materials out there, I don't see many advantages to shell. The Red Bear picks for example, do everything I would want shell to do, and last longer. (Unless you soak them in water and bend them in half.)
I have been playing with a bunch of Ultex picks recently, and I really am getting to like them too.
Mandoviol
Feb-10-2011, 8:34am
Well obviously I am misinformed. I could have sworn when I joined the Cafe I read an admonition against mentioning or discussing the use or acquisition of tortoise shell. My aplogies for being incorrect. No offense intended.
•Posts dealing in the sale or transfer of tortoise-shell products protected by the 1973 Endangered Species act are not allowed and will be removed. This includes picks made from "antique" shells.
Says nothing about use, but definitely addresses acquisition.
Bertram Henze
Feb-10-2011, 8:43am
With all the great materials out there, I don't see many advantages to shell.
I see none at all.
Anyone who likes the archaic feeling of playing with something genuinely ancient organic might want to cut their own toenails and play with those. :sleepy:
Matt DeBlass
Feb-10-2011, 10:16am
I see none at all.
Anyone who likes the archaic feeling of playing with something genuinely ancient organic might want to cut their own toenails and play with those. :sleepy:
I've never been able to get a good bevel on those.
acousticphd
Feb-10-2011, 12:55pm
For the last year or two (after ~10 yrs of playing), my pick swapping involves fairly minor variations in size/shape, but I almost always use the rounded Golden Gate picks, working them by hand to different degrees of pointiness or bevel. Lately I sort through pick bins looking for GG that are a little more triangular than average. I have tried some other materials, including shell - I don't like the waviness or curling the shell picks get - but the GG continue to feel right to me.
I usually carry 2-3 GG, with a range of point shape and bevel. When my playing feels awkward or not fluid, I'll tend to switch to hoping another feels more comfortable. Usually I get far more benefit by just playing a little slower (!).
Chris Ferreira
Feb-10-2011, 1:17pm
Haven't seen the V picks mentioned yet so I'll chime in. I'd been using Dawgs for a couple of years but tried the V Pick (NFI) about a month ago. I bought a few different Vs to try but have pretty much locked in on the large "Lite" rounded triangle. V's Lite is actually comparable to the Dawg 2 in thickness. I still use the Dawgs when I want a more subdued tone but the Vs really add punch. They also seem to bond with my thumb and I like the feeling of a pick that doesn't slip. V's got a nice selection and I also like their classic lite (Fender-style medium) for guitar.
strings777
Feb-10-2011, 3:44pm
I change picks all the time and have a huge collection http://i544.photobucket.com/albums/hh335/jgwoods1/Picks1.jpg
Picks are cheap, even expensive ones are cheap considering they have more to do with how you sound that strings do, even more than whether you play and A or an F etc.
I like the V picks for the way they warm up to me and I can't drop them, but they make a lot of noise on the strings. I like the Bluechip but it's a little harsh, I have a 1.0mm white Wegen with 3 different corners on it that I like best for tone and how I can play well with it. I also use the rounded corners of most any nearby pick and do OK. Mostly I like that white Wegen.
I noticed two of my favorites in your bowl...a Dunlop Ultex (rhino) and a Clayton White Acetal (eagle). I have a pretty nice collection of picks also, and IMO, they're two of the best sounding inexpensive picks you can buy. I do have a Blue Chip, a Red Bear, various Wegens, a couple of real TS, and a multitude of various other picks from the 60's through the 90's to compare them to. The Dunlop Ultex material sounds closest to real TS to my ears, and I prefer the Dunlop Ultex 73 gauge best. The only problem is the Ultex material seems to crack and split in that gauge after a short time, but the tone is definitely worth it to me, YMMV. I mainly use the Clayton picks for my electric guitars, but they also sound good with acoustic instruments too....you just need to experiment a bit. :)
Gelsenbury
Feb-18-2011, 6:03am
With all the great materials out there, I don't see many advantages to shell.
For me, I think wood will be the way forward. I love my ebony pick. Think I might try rosewood next. :)
fiddler37
Feb-18-2011, 8:00am
I have tried a bunch and keep coming back to the Golden Gate which does the best overall job for me.
Bob Borzelleri
Feb-18-2011, 8:23am
Clayton with serious sanding; JazzMandos with a slightly bitter taste, Golden gates that taste similar, but not quite as bitter, a Red Bear that lasted 20 minutes before breaking (shortest warranty on record); white Wegans that stick to my fingers but are a bit too flexy and one Blue Chip that seems to have come in the wrong color. Oh, then there is the stainless steel triangle that is good for slicing garlic.
300win
Feb-18-2011, 8:37am
Always had some old tortise. Tried the Dawg a while as well as Golden Gates plus others. Nothing came close to the real shell, until my 1st BC. I really don't have a yearning to go to anything else, although I do miss my shells { I gave all of them away to other cafe members } as those had to my ear the darkness I liked, but were constantly wearing down to some extent. The BC comes as close to that darkness that I like plus the wear is, I guess, never going to happen on it. The Dawg and GG had darkness also, but they always seemed to not have the 'snap' I like. With both the shell and BC, I had/have very little pick noise. So I don't think I'll be going to anything else.
300win
Feb-18-2011, 8:42am
Always had some old tortise. Tried the Dawg a while as well as Golden Gates plus others. Nothing came close to the real shell, until my 1st BC. I really don't have a yearning to go to anything else, although I do miss my shells { I gave all of them away to other cafe members } as those had to my ear the darkness I liked, but were constantly wearing down to some extent. The BC comes as close to that darkness that I like plus the wear is, I guess, never going to happen on it. The Dawg and GG had darkness also, but they always seemed to not have the 'snap' I like. With both the shell and BC, I had/have very little pick noise. So I don't think I'll be going to anything else.
Well looks like this will be deleted.
300win
Feb-18-2011, 8:46am
I got to thinking, I wonder how many pro mandolin and/or guitar players have within the deep, dark, hidden corners of their cases, those unlawful items ? If I was a betting man, I'd bet that a whole bunch of 'em do, even ones that have been interviewed on the Cafe.
300win
Feb-18-2011, 8:49am
In my other post that I'm sure will be deleted, the ones I was talking about those _______ picks, were ones that came off a big old mud ________ my dad captured years ago. Good picks, good eating !
backwoodsborn10
Feb-18-2011, 11:04pm
if i had a pick that improved my right hand tecnique by tenfold in 2 days, surely that would pique your interest. improved my overall playing unbelievably in 2 days, and could see instant difference as soon as i tried it, you would think you were reading an infomercial. your gonna think i'm crazy(if you've ever seen any of my posts you know i am!),but i have a gumlike substance we call aquaseal where i work. it is designed to keep water out of elec. connections. it's very sticky. i placed a little piece of it on both sides of my pick. it sticks to both my finger and my thumb. it is impossible to drop my pick. it doesn't turn or move.it allows me to play with my right hand very loose and relaxed. being i no longer had to think about ,even though i didn't realize i had been, keeping up with the pick, my playing instantly improved. within a couple days my right hand tecnique had improved ten fold. i am playing rythems and tremelo picking like never before. don't know how any of you could get your hands on any, but i wonder if double sided tape or something on that order might work? i also noticed it increased my right hand tecnique on a pic without it after using it a few days. is that cheating?:grin:
Bertram Henze
Feb-19-2011, 1:40am
i also noticed it increased my right hand tecnique on a pic without it after using it a few days. is that cheating?
Nope. Just a normal learning aid.
http://www.rehakids.de/phpBB2/files/p04657n00001_179.jpg
Rick Cadger
Feb-19-2011, 11:30am
Darn it. I've just converted back to Blue Chips after straying to Black Ravens for a year or so.
I still love the Clayton Ravens, but I'd forgotten just how amazing the Blue Chip TP 60s are.
B. T. Walker
Feb-20-2011, 3:29pm
I have lots of different picks, but I find Fender Heavy, Fender Extra-Heavy, and Dunlop Jazztone 207 to be the picks I come back to again and again. Good all-around picks. I have a Blue Chip, but I cannot hear a difference between it and other picks, nor do I drop it any less than economically-priced picks, so what is the use of the excessive cost? Golden Gate and Dawg picks are pretty okay, too, but not so easy to find as the Fenders and Dunlops which are in virtually every music store from Big Box to Mom and Pop.
don't know how any of you could get your hands on any, but i wonder if double sided tape or something on that order might work?
I have used Gorilla Snot (http://www.firstqualitymusic.com/p_GS/Gorilla-Snot.aspx). Perhaps its similar to the aquaseal stuff.
inkjazz
Feb-20-2011, 5:34pm
Guys no two picks are created equal. I cringe when I read someone say that they bought a $35 and it didn't change their playing in two days. Of course it won't change your paying in two days. Buying a premium pick requires you to change VERY subtle things about your playing. If you don't want to spend the time to do that and reap the benefits and rewards then keep to the $1 picks and be happy where you are at. If you ARE a player who is willing to spend $35 trying to improve their playing then KEEP AT IT and take the time to learn the nuances of the pick. It will come and you will see the very real progress. It's all an investment.
That being said, I bought and play with a CT-55 from Blue Chip. I can't express the tonal advantages I have from learning to play with that pick. Playing speed will drop at first because you must learn how to milk everything out of the motion of your picking hand to get it. But it's there. THEN the speed will come (and it does!). I had to completely change the way I pick but now it's so completely worth the struggle that I would do it again in a second. People will notice with their ears. And to properly use this pick like Chris Thile you must learn how to play with almost NO TENSION in your wrist and your grip. But then this pick becomes blazing fast and tonally superior.
It takes time though. If you want to get to that next level in your playing then invest the time (not just the money).
Shelagh Moore
Feb-20-2011, 5:43pm
I was liking Wegens and still use one from time to time but, after trying most types, am back to using D'Andrea or Dunlop el cheapo orange tortex picks which, for me, give the best combination of clean sound and tone. And I won't have to take out a mortgage if I lose one.
My bowl's not quite that full yet, but I'm on the way, as I tend to buy picks every time I spend any significant time playing in a shop. My favorite mando picks remain the Wegen TF140s, but I use different picks on almost all of my instruments, as they each respond a little differently (and I play them differently). I was quite surprised to find that a Gibson Heavy, which I always found too flexible for mando or or my dread, works nicely with a newer guitar.
Rick Cadger
Feb-21-2011, 4:40am
For mandolin I like a heavy pick. About 1.5mm - 2mm is good.
For guitar I use the kind of light, flappy Dunlop nylons (60s, I think) that tenor banjo players tend to favour. Unsurprisingly, I also use those on tenor banjo.
Guys no two picks are created equal. I cringe when I read someone say that they bought a $35 and it didn't change their playing in two days. Of course it won't change your paying in two days. Buying a premium pick requires you to change VERY subtle things about your playing. If you don't want to spend the time to do that and reap the benefits and rewards then keep to the $1 picks and be happy where you are at. If you ARE a player who is willing to spend $35 trying to improve their playing then KEEP AT IT and take the time to learn the nuances of the pick. It will come and you will see the very real progress. It's all an investment.
That being said, I bought and play with a CT-55 from Blue Chip. I can't express the tonal advantages I have from learning to play with that pick. Playing speed will drop at first because you must learn how to milk everything out of the motion of your picking hand to get it. But it's there. THEN the speed will come (and it does!). I had to completely change the way I pick but now it's so completely worth the struggle that I would do it again in a second. People will notice with their ears. And to properly use this pick like Chris Thile you must learn how to play with almost NO TENSION in your wrist and your grip. But then this pick becomes blazing fast and tonally superior.
It takes time though. If you want to get to that next level in your playing then invest the time (not just the money).
A different pick won't improve your technique but it can still make you sound better, even if you don't change your technique. For reasons of material, thickness, weight, smoothness, shape, it may just sound better because of what it is - a better pick that suits you and your mando. It may just work better for you than a previous favourite pick. Every so often you find something that just feels right.
The things about eliminating tension and working on technique to milk the best out of your picking hand... Well that's true just as a basic principle, regardless of which pick one uses.
Jeff Budz
Feb-21-2011, 8:17am
Picks don't change your technique, they make you sound different. I've got a CT55, golden gate, and Ultex that I like for mandolin. Other picks I've had or years just don't sound good to me, like nylon, fender plastic, Tortex. But they work on guitar instruments just fine, and for some strummy acoustic stuff I even use a fender medium.
I favor and cherish my CT55, I'm thinking I want to get another BC, similar to the CT but without the bevel. Maybe a teardrop shaped too for guitar.
BTW, pick choice seems much more important on acoustic instruments than electric. Pick is to mandolin as bow is to violin. We are lucky to get off for only $35
Oh yeah, I would love to try the wood picks mentioned in this thread, I imagine they are very warm but not so durable(?).
Rick Schmidlin
Feb-21-2011, 8:51am
I had a pick I used for five years, I changed and thought it was a new tone. The new one lead me into a downhill slump.
For my new Red Diamond Vintage 22 A I am back to my old pick and still very happy with it.
Jeff Budz
Feb-21-2011, 9:00am
Maybe you should get a Red Bear pick to go with your Red Diamond Mandolin? You could order it in Red Jasper color!!!
Just thought I'd bring that up...
journeybear
Feb-21-2011, 9:45am
Back in the Days That Time Forgot when I started with this, I had an official mandolin pick like the one Ed posted in #6 (and a violin pitch pipe for tuning). Haven't seen one of those in decades. Hard to hold onto, and kind of thin too. It took some doing to convince myself I wasn't "selling out" somehow, but I switched to a guitar pick for easier gripping. For years I used Fender extra heavy, until I discovered Dunlop 1.5mm and 2mm - even thicker, and purple too. I see one of those in the front (bottom) of the bowl. I switched back to a Fender for a while because it was a Little Feat pick given me by Paul Barerre after a show, and I would still be using it if it hadn't sailed its little winged shoe away while busking one day. Back to the Dunlop, which got more and more worn down till it was getting close to resembling a Dawg pick - ie, replacement time (I need some kind of a point). The timely gift of a Wegen triangle (I think it's a 1.4mm) during Festivus solved this matter for me. I like its thickness and grippability. I still have a Dunlop 3mm as a spare - a bit of a club it is, though the grip is nice - which I have moved over to the electric, as subtle differences in picks seem less important there.
I did have a tortoise shell pick, fashioned from a shell my luthier found washed ashore - no lives were lost there - but it is gone. That was what was stuck in the strings of my F-12 when it was stolen. :( Neither has shown up on ebay, as far as I know.
Steve Ostrander
Feb-21-2011, 10:02am
Tried the Dawg, tried GG, tried Wegen, but I keep going back to my Dunlop Rhinos.
i-vibe
Feb-21-2011, 3:38pm
Oh yeah, I would love to try the wood picks mentioned in this thread, I imagine they are very warm but not so durable(?).
that's been my exp. i've used the John Pearse rosewood and ebony. the ebony wears better but i prefer the warmer tone of the r-wood. wear isn't too bad, and it's easy enough to clean up the wear w some light sandpaper and steelwool. as is usually the case...YMMV
Mandoviol
Feb-21-2011, 8:43pm
I have to wonder if people use horn to make picks. What would those sound like? An rapprochement de la tortue?
Rick Cadger
Feb-22-2011, 7:30am
Yeh, plenty of horn picks out there... and hoof too, for that matter.
Bertram Henze
Feb-22-2011, 7:36am
Which brings us back to fingernails...
Mandoviol
Feb-22-2011, 11:23am
Which brings us back to fingernails...
It's the cycle of keratin!
Brent Hutto
Feb-22-2011, 11:25am
It's the cycle of keratin!
I don't know that one. Can you start in A-minor and play through it for me?:redface:
Paul Busman
Feb-26-2011, 7:54am
(mis-posted)
Paul Busman
Feb-26-2011, 7:57am
Haven't seen the V picks mentioned yet so I'll chime in. I'd been using Dawgs for a couple of years but tried the V Pick (NFI) about a month ago. I bought a few different Vs to try but have pretty much locked in on the large "Lite" rounded triangle. V's Lite is actually comparable to the Dawg 2 in thickness. I still use the Dawgs when I want a more subdued tone but the Vs really add punch. They also seem to bond with my thumb and I like the feeling of a pick that doesn't slip. V's got a nice selection and I also like their classic lite (Fender-style medium) for guitar.
I'm with you. I just got two large rounded V-picks and so far love them. Dawgs and Golden Gates always rotate in my fingers, despite my drilling holes in the pick for more grip. The V-Picks stay put. I just may have to order a couple of their glow in the dark models...
JeffD
Feb-26-2011, 12:42pm
I have to wonder if people use horn to make picks. What would those sound like? An rapprochement de la tortue?
Lots and lots (http://www.dugainpicks.com/)of options.
Bumpasses
Feb-26-2011, 12:54pm
little intimidated by all this pick talk...
im a beginner with a flatiron 3mc
not sure where to start pick wise (i have sweaty hands)
j
I would start with Fender or Gibson heavy pics and get some gorilla snot (http://www.bonedrymusic.com/PhotoDetails.asp?ShowDESC=N&ProductCode=103-1) to keep them from moving around, and concentrate on all the other wonderful aspects of playing. Right now the important thing is not getting the "right" pick, but avoiding a pick that is too "wrong".
Randi Gormley
Feb-26-2011, 3:14pm
Going back to Laird's original question ... I never thought about picks much until about a year ago, when my teacher and I were trying out different picks on my bandolim to see what sounded better. He let me try a couple of BC -- really nice, by the way -- but it was the jazz-size tiny picks in medium that sounded best (I'm at work, and the pick is at home, so the name escapes me). Which led me to look at the picks I'd been using for more than a decade off and on on my other instruments and get dissatisfied with what I was using. So, yeah, I'm in the same boat.