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Thread: Fender 385 Pick

  1. #1
    Orrig Onion HonketyHank's Avatar
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    Default Fender 385 Pick

    A few months ago I bought a bunch of instructional books for mandolin from an MC member who was retiring from mandolin due to physical problems. About a month later, while perusing one of those books, an itsy bitsy teeny weeny fake tortoise pick dislodged itself from the book. Yes, it was kinda polka dotted, but not yellow. And it wouldn't cover nothing, so I would not recommend trying to wear it.

    My initial thought was that it was a pretty strange pick, maybe for jazz or classical, but surely ole Bill would never use it. I threw it into the tin with my miscellaneous picks and more or less forgot about it.

    This week I have been experimenting with various variables trying to improve my play sul tasto (which I have learned is the really sophistated way to say "way up there over the fretboard"). That pick jumped into my fingers and I really think it has helped. It is so small that it forces you to use just the very tiniest bit of the tip.

    Anybody here use this pick? Do you find it beneficial for more than just sul tasto? Are there similar ones I should dry? Photo shows the 385 in the middle of four other more familiar picks. The pick is a Fender 385 heavy.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by HonketyHank; Feb-12-2018 at 12:28am. Reason: forgot the stupid photo - grrrrr
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  2. #2
    Chief Moderator/Shepherd Ted Eschliman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    I believe it is a Fender 358 pick. Available in thin, medium, and heavy shell.
    Ted Eschliman

    Author, Getting Into Jazz Mandolin

  3. #3
    Fatally Flawed Bill Kammerzell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    Quote Originally Posted by HonketyHank View Post
    A few months ago I bought a bunch of instructional books for mandolin from an MC member who was retiring from mandolin due to physical problems. About a month later, while perusing one of those books, an itsy bitsy teeny weeny fake tortoise pick dislodged itself from the book. Yes, it was kinda polka dotted, but not yellow. And it wouldn't cover nothing, so I would not recommend trying to wear it.

    My initial thought was that it was a pretty strange pick, maybe for jazz or classical, but surely ole Bill would never use it. I threw it into the tin with my miscellaneous picks and more or less forgot about it.

    This week I have been experimenting with various variables trying to improve my play sul tasto (which I have learned is the really sophistated way to say "way up there over the fretboard"). That pick jumped into my fingers and I really think it has helped. It is so small that it forces you to use just the very tiniest bit of the tip.

    Anybody here use this pick? Do you find it beneficial for more than just sul tasto? Are there similar ones I should dry? Photo shows the 385 in the middle of four other more familiar picks. The pick is a Fender 385 heavy.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1297.JPG 
Views:	245 
Size:	485.0 KB 
ID:	164861
    I recognize it. I have but one, in my vast collection, and have used it. Not regularly, but yes, experimented with it. I have a Heavy thickness. My guess, is it was from my initial foray into the mandolin world in the mid to late 1970's. I still have a couple Gibson Heavy picks from back then also. Those are barely legible as Gibson's though.
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  4. #4
    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    My guitar playing friend uses a pick in that shape all the time. He plays blues and jazz.

  5. #5
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    I have used those small picks in the past on bowlbacks; now I just use a regular size pick. The little ones are lovely for certain playing but I can get a bit more volume out of a slightly larger pick.

  6. #6
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    For small picks I'm a fan of the Blue Chip Kenny Smith 35 or 40, I switch between those and my Blue Chip TPR35.
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    Registered User mzurer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    For reasons now lost to the mists of time, when I started out a handful of years ago, I tried a variety of small and tear-drop shaped picks. I think I just wanted something very different from my guitar picks. I've settled in on a variety of larger triangles, and now I'm just as likely to use those for guitar as well. I don't feel like I get enough control from my meaty fingers without more pick to grasp onto.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    Yeah, I think 358 is the generic model number. I have some of these d'Andreas, nice picks. I'll occasionally pull one out and a large triange pick also and alternate single note and choral runs on guitar. Not sure what it teaches me but it's pretty darn difficult to switch picks back and forth.

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    Orrig Onion HonketyHank's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    Quote Originally Posted by gtani7 View Post
    Yeah, I think 358 is the generic model number. I have some of these d'Andreas, nice picks. I'll occasionally pull one out and a large triange pick also and alternate single note and choral runs on guitar. Not sure what it teaches me but it's pretty darn difficult to switch picks back and forth.

    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...10865000415161
    Thanks for that link - it is worth reading the reviews. It looks like the old Fender picks were d'Andreas and the new Fenders are something less than the old ones. I may try the d'Andreas.
    Last edited by HonketyHank; Feb-13-2018 at 11:40am.
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  10. #10
    Orrig Onion HonketyHank's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 358 Pick

    In my mildly slick-dexic dotage, I managed to get the style number wrong. Just noticed. It is a 358, not a 385. I got the 3 positioned right. One digit out of three aint bad.
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  11. #11
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    Many (many) (no really many many) years ago I used that same pick, in medium at first, then in heavy, almost exclusively. (I think it was the 358, it was a while back).

    The reason I wandered away from it is kind of lame. I thought the three point picks would last three times as long. That was really the only reason.

    When I consider now how much the mandolin life has cost me, in measurable dollars, and of course opportunity costs, well saving on picks seems kind of ridiculous.

    I remember one of the quirky things I liked about them was that nobody but mandolinners used them. They were "ours". Guitarists and banjonistas had their picks and I had mine.

    I can see they might provide specific advantages in certain situations. I am going to get one or two, if only for the nostalgia value.
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  12. #12
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    Like Evan Marshall does, .. Id have to glue such a small tear drop pick to my finger to keep it in a playing position,
    without it rotating , slipping or being dropped..
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  13. #13
    Registered User mandolinstew's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    I used that pick for 25 years.Starting with guitar then switching to mandolin.Have recently changed to Dandrea.(same pick,they used to make them for Fender)They have an interesting web site.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    With the thicker d'Andreas I think drilling a few holes in the grip part gives it a nice grip (really small drill bit, like 1/16) , but I can't find ones that i've drilled.

    and my teacher told me not to use small picks, that was enough for me. Here he is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1v7zafUqO8
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  15. #15
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender 385 Pick

    I used to use jazz picks exclusively. Over the years I have liked the black Gibson small teardrops, then John Pearse jazz picks, then Blue Chip large Jazz picks. These days I use a larger BC pick but occasionally go back to those smaller ones.
    Jim

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