tweaking the pick

[dan in va]

i just might be too picky about picks...no way of knowing how many i've tried and bought; probably need to sell a bunch, and i mean a big bunch.

The 3 that suited me best are the rounded PrimeTone 1.3 w/ printed logo, rounded Wegan 1mm, and Blue Chip CT55. The PT sounded the warmest but lost volume up the neck, Wegan was a little thin, and the CT55 a little too warm and clicky. So i tried the slightly thicker Wegan and BC, but they were too thick sounding, and BC just as clicky.

What is working best is to reshape the PT point like the CT55 and put that bevel on it. Pretty much have the best of both worlds and wish i had seen the process that's obvious now. Maybe this journey will benefit someone out there.

[lenf12]

I'm using the Primetone 1.5 rounded triangle picks with the raised lettering (very grippy) and ended up modifying the RH bevels by rounding them over just a bit. They seem to slide off the strings better than the standard PT bevels. I was so impressed by this slight modification that I tried a rounded off bevel on a Golden Gate pick and it definitely made an improvement in performance and tonality. Same results with a large white Fender triangle extra heavy pick. It works great on guitar. I recommend slightly rounded RH bevels with a bit of polishing to enhance sliding off the strings. YMMV

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Jeff Mando]

i just might be too picky about picks...

Naw, that's just part of the fun!

[sblock]

i just might be too picky about picks...no way of knowing how many i've tried and bought; probably need to sell a bunch, and i mean a big bunch.

The 3 that suited me best are the rounded PrimeTone 1.3 w/ printed logo, rounded Wegan 1mm, and Blue Chip CT55. The PT sounded the warmest but lost volume up the neck, Wegan was a little thin, and the CT55 a little too warm and clicky. So i tried the slightly thicker Wegan and BC, but they were too thick sounding, and BC just as clicky.

What is working best is to reshape the PT point like the CT55 and put that bevel on it. Pretty much have the best of both worlds and wish i had seen the process that's obvious now. Maybe this journey will benefit someone out there.

Have you tried the Dunlop Primetone model 512P140 pick, rather than the one with the raised logo that you currently have, but need to modify? This model is made from a different plastic, and it is darker brown and opaque, not partially transparent. It is 1.4 mm thick (= 0.055") and identical in shape and thickness to the BlueChip CT55. There is no need at all to reshape the point with a bevel like the CT55, since it already comes with an identical bevel on it! You may find that it is less 'clicky' than your current Primetone pick, as well.

[dan in va]

Thank you for the Primetone 512P140 tip. i didn't recall seeing this one when ordering the assortment a few years ago. The only negative might be its size -- a little bigger than i prefer. But it may be just fine as is.

The one by this # looks like the raised letter transluscent pick (512P140), instead of the opaque brown printed model (513R140). The tone of the brown has been good with those i've tried, so i may have to branch out and order both with the next string order.

lenf12, the Golden Gate worked down to the same size as the modified PT was pretty close, but the PT seems just a bit better to my ear.

[MontanaMatt]

Thank you for the Primetone 512P140 tip. i didn't recall seeing this one when ordering the assortment a few years ago. The only negative might be its size -- a little bigger than i prefer. But it may be just fine as is.

The one by this # looks like the raised letter transluscent pick (512P140), instead of the opaque brown printed model (513R140). The tone of the brown has been good with those i've tried, so i may have to branch out and order both with the next string order.

lenf12, the Golden Gate worked down to the same size as the modified PT was pretty close, but the PT seems just a bit better to my ear.

Don't know the number, but they make a smaller one too

[Ivan Kelsall]

Try one of the 'teardrop' shaped Primetones. I use 1.5mm thick ones, & on my 3 mandolins,they give me a crystal clear,punchy sound. Any rounded edged pick won't push the strings as well as a more pointed one,they tend to slide over the strings & give less volume,
Ivan

[HoGo]

What is working best is to reshape the PT point like the CT55 and put that bevel on it. Pretty much have the best of both worlds and wish i had seen the process that's obvious now. Maybe this journey will benefit someone out there.

For reshaping you can use fingernail files for rough shaping and strips of fine sandpaper 400/600/1200/2000 grit for polishing. use it wet for best results. 2000 grit gives almost mirror finish on plastics or you can use car polish paste on cloth for further polishing.
There are both smaller and larger triangle PT's and they have more rounded bevel than the sharp BC bevel.

[DavidKOS]

Try one of the 'teardrop' shaped Primetones. I use 1.5mm thick ones, & on my 3 mandolins,they give me a crystal clear,punchy sound. Any rounded edged pick won't push the strings as well as a more pointed one,they tend to slide over the strings & give less volume,
Ivan

Not to mention round picks have that tone color that comes from NOT plucking the string.

I use those primetones too, more on my archtop jazz guitar, but they are an excellent pick and are not expensive.

This whole notion of a pick "gliding" across strings rather than plucking them is one of those essential divides in mandolin world.

Let me say that none of the pre-1970's method books that I have read suggest anything other than plucking strings.

[pops1]

I get plenty of volume from a rounded pick and very rarely use one with a point. I think it is all about technique.

[DavidKOS]

I get plenty of volume from a rounded pick and very rarely use one with a point. I think it is all about technique.

It's also about style and sound concept. If you like the sound of a round pick, feel free to use one!

I just can't deal with the sound and feel for my own playing, nor have I met any other Italian-style players that use round picks.

But those Primetones are nice picks for the money.

[pops1]

I can hold my own in a jam with a rounded pick, unless it get to be quite a large jam. Even then I could, but would have to physically play harder. A rounded pick requires more right hand drive than a pointed pick. It also is a little deeper sounding and warmer on the highs. I especially like a rounded pick when plugged in, I can play very lightly, glide over the strings or dig in for leads and it sounds much better than a pointy one for me. It's not that I don't use a pointed pick on occasion, I just prefer rounded for most things.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Pops - I can get plenty of 'volume' using a rounded pick ie. a Dawg pick,but at the great expense of 'tone'. They kill any semblance of tone from any of my mandolins,so i steer well away from them. Possibly on some mandolins,there won't be any loss of tone,
Ivan

[Paul Busman]

I use the Primetone regular triangle picks with the molded in grip. I like to round one of the points slightly for easier tremolo. The nice things is that this still leaves me with two pointy corners, so I have two picks in one.

[pops1]

Ivan, I have never cared for a Dawg pick for sound or power. I have used the rounded corner of any pick, but BC for a long time and Wegen these days. Using the triangle Wegen against the rounded Wegen the rounded pick has more depth on the G string and a nice sound. I will use the triangle for a jam so I don't have to work my hands as hard, I do believe the rounded picks take more power to really drive them, but they can sound good. It's just like anything else right pick, right strings, right technique for each of us.

[ukenukem]

I tried some thicker picks when starting mandolin but not any of the booteek ones. I finally settled on a plain medium guitar pick I got from a string vendor. Maybe they feel best because I have played guitar for so long they are just comfortable.

Well, based on this thread I stopped by the Guitar Center and "picked" up a pack of the Primetone regular shaped .73. NICE! They do have less friction and should improve my tremolo skills. Sound was duller than the picks I had used but I might try making them a bit more pointy.

Would the thicker ones likely sound brighter?

I prefer regular shaped picks as I have pick holders glued to the straps of all my instruments for storage and access. I hate hunting for picks.

Thanks again for the tip!

[dan in va]

ukenukem, i've found that thinner usually sounds brighter and thinner is darker, pointy is brighter and rounded is darker, more bevel is brighter and less is darker. The material makes a difference as well. More rounded can make tremelo easier. There are lots of combinations, such as a thinner rounded pick or pointy thicker pick. And you'll find there are the dynamics of how you hold the thing...tight or loose, exposing more of it or choking up, the angle of the pick on the strings, and closer to the bridge or neck. There is lots of good advice and experience here on the cafe. It's also interesting to pay attention to what our classical friends do.

[dan in va]

Ooops, as some may suspect, that first line was supposed to read: "Thinner usually sounds brighter and THICKER is darker..."

[dorenac]

I like using a BC TAD60 with rounded bevel. It provides a point and a darker sound because there's no speed bevel. Works great for me.

[Martin Ohrt]

What about the Wolle picks?
I mostly use Wegens, sometimes the opaque rounded primetones, but love the Wolle when I want to avoid pick click!
Also, they produce a really warm tone. But of course, they feel quite different from the thinner and rounded picks.

[ukenukem]

Thanks Dan, that is what I surmised from guitar playing but wanted to ask. The dreaded pick click I do find annoying and the Primetones do not have that. I will experiment with hold and angle, focusing on trem I think.

At least we have many choices!

[Eric Platt]

Had a couple of mandolin classes last week with Patrick Sauber and one of the picks he uses is a modified Dawg pick. He thins them down a touch and re-bevels the edges. Liked it better than the stock Dawg, but not sure how much of that was his work or the fact that the plastic used has changed again from the last time I purchased Dawg picks.

Right now, both my 1910 A and the octave seem to be happy with Dunlop Tortex .73. At least the other members of the band liked what they hear in practice and want me to keep with this one for now.

[HoGo]

Original Dawg picks were palin celluloid the newer version could be probably some kind of acrylic and are almost 2mm thick. You can buy sveral other brands (Stagg, CFMartin, Fender etc..) of celluloid picks in large triangle up to 1.6mm thick and reshape the points/edges/bevels to your taste. I fount the brown Primetones are almost indistunguishable (by listening) from celluloid and much more durable (though I'v been playing the same celluloid pick for almost 10 years without excessive wear, but that may vary with different players)
I've been laminating two or three thinner large triangle picks together for final thickness 1.4-1.6mm for years (I' don't know if that changes the properties somehow, I started doing this after Dawg picks disappeared and before the thick versions became readily available). After I reshape the edges they end up a bit smaller than large triangle, somewhat larger than the small triangle size. I have to make new batches regularly as pickers (both guitar and mandolin) visiting me always want one when they are leaving...