Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 26 to 50 of 80

Thread: Again with the picks

  1. #26
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Delran, NJ
    Posts
    2,921

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by Blues Healer View Post
    Tony,
    the best pick depends a lot on your instrument and style of playing

    I think the Dunlop variety pack is a good place to start looking at different materials and thicknesses:

    https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...#productDetail

    you didn't really explain why your guitar pick doesn't cut for you ...
    someone recently posted about JT Pix, and I ended up getting a couple 'multi-packs' of their style 3, which is a beveled mandolin shape pick:
    http://jtspix.com/buy.html
    for the price, I think this is a good way to see if you like this syle
    Two comments. First-The only thing about the Dunlop variety pack is that most of the variety is in the material, They're all almost the same shape. Lots of mandolin players out there prefer the larger triangular shape (346). They don't offer any of those.

    Second, and this is just my opinion, I tried the variety pack of JT's picks and found them to be, by far, the worst sounding picks I have ever used. Four different materials and all of them had a terrible scratchy and bright sound. I sold them two days after I received them.

    I would think a good thing to do is go to a music jam somewhere and ask to try some of the picks that people are using. Different thicknesses, different shapes and sizes. Then you can narrow it down and buy a few that might be appealing.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  2. #27
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    24,807
    Blog Entries
    56

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Don't fall for the other internet hype, the myth that it is all hype.

    Not everything that costs more is pure hype, and not everything that costs less is adequate.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  3. #28
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Saint Augustine Beach FL
    Posts
    6,634

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    This thread got me thinking after I was down to one Primetone-sculpted 1.3 pick. I did some research into any new picks that might be out there and was considering trying some of the Radex "smoke" picks but after reading some reviews I went back to the Dunlops. I own a Bluechip but I like the Primetones better.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  4. #29
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    1,322

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Despite having picks I really like, I frequently buy and try new picks. PAS is WAY cheaper than MAS. Someday I have to go through and sell all the picks I really don't care for......

  5. The following members say thank you to LadysSolo for this post:


  6. #30

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    it's not just the physicality of the pick - material, thickness, dimensions, shape, design, etc - it's also about holding it and using a specific part of it to strike a course of strings for single line legato, or multiple string courses to form chord, all for a specific type of playing effect. there is no right or wrong pick or method of use, as long as the goal of its intent is successful. it's always good to lift the lid and peer out of the box sometimes. this can stir innovation and uniqueness, to set one apart from the herd.
    Mandolins are truly *magic*!

  7. #31
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    central VA
    Posts
    934

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    i'm still making the rounds on picks and have a little pouch of Blue Chips. But i've gone back to the 1mm Wegan and have changed my angle, grip and tension and am more than happy with it and the Martin Monel strings on the A5...the tremolo is hard to beat also. And that brings up another variable -- strings. So there might be more to playing a certain pick might than one might assume.

    Heck, i could just about put on a yard sale with the picks i've bought over the last 10 years.

  8. #32
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    SE Florida
    Posts
    119

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    This thread is interesting hearing the preferences of many players but it got me thinking that somewhere there is a mandolin player with a $49 Rogue and $3,000 worth of picks!

    And they still cannot find the right pick!

  9. The following members say thank you to ukenukem for this post:


  10. #33

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by ukenukem View Post
    This thread is interesting hearing the preferences of many players but it got me thinking that somewhere there is a mandolin player with a $49 Rogue and $3,000 worth of picks!

    And they still cannot find the right pick!
    maybe not exactly a rogue mando but close enuf, and otherwise insanely true. most typically, musicality trumps tools.
    Mandolins are truly *magic*!

  11. #34

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    If you don't end up with 25 or 30 picks, you haven't approached the subject with the proper seriousnes.

    If cost were no object, I'd probably have a bunch of Blue Chips. Wegens hit my cost/performance sweet spot. I like to have a pick for each instrument I own, so I need ten or so.
    Silverangel A
    Arches F style kit
    1913 Gibson A-1

  12. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Br1ck For This Useful Post:


  13. #35

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
    If you don't end up with 25 or 30 picks, you haven't approached the subject with the proper seriousnes. ...
    that, sir, borders on insanity and within the realm of amateur wannabe land.
    Mandolins are truly *magic*!

  14. #36
    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Bozeman, MT
    Posts
    1,252

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by rfd View Post
    that, sir, borders on insanity and within the realm of amateur wannabe land.
    Do you really not hear a difference in sound output with different picks? I do. I have many different picks, some affordable, some $30+, all produce a different sound. I also have two nice mandoz that sound different from each other, talk about extra cost for tone!yikes!
    2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
    2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
    Several nice old Fiddles
    2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
    Deering Classic Open Back
    Too many microphones

    BridgerCreekBoys.com

  15. #37
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,045

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by rfd View Post
    that, sir, borders on insanity and within the realm of amateur wannabe land.
    Yup. And I probably have a couple hundred different picks. It's my money and my choice.

    I can hear a difference. And some I like better than others on certain instruments. Then again, I own 2 Gibson A style oval holes and can hear a difference. Guess that also makes me a wannabe.
    Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Big Muddy M-11, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
    https://www.facebook.com/LauluAika/
    https://www.lauluaika.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/Longtine-Am...14404553312723

  16. #38

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by MontanaMatt View Post
    Do you really not hear a difference in sound output with different picks? I do. I have many different picks, some affordable, some $30+, all produce a different sound. I also have two nice mandoz that sound different from each other, talk about extra cost for tone!yikes!
    i think far Far FAR too much emphasis on picks is detrimental to actually spending time learning how best to actually play and produce meaningful music. then again, most of these kinda posts are from amateurs who believe that gear is more important than musicality. sure, mess around with different picks that will surely offer subtle differences, but it's your playing chops that will matter more than a $50 pick for a $500 mando. this is so very like the guitarist who needs to have the flavor-of-the-month pickup in his tele, strat, les paul, ad nauseam. yeesh, why do i even bother ....
    Mandolins are truly *magic*!

  17. #39
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    1,322

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by rfd View Post
    i think far Far FAR too much emphasis on picks is detrimental to actually spending time learning how best to actually play and produce meaningful music. then again, most of these kinda posts are from amateurs who believe that gear is more important than musicality. sure, mess around with different picks that will surely offer subtle differences, but it's your playing chops that will matter more than a $50 pick for a $500 mando. this is so very like the guitarist who needs to have the flavor-of-the-month pickup in his tele, strat, les paul, ad nauseam. yeesh, why do i even bother ....
    Yes and no. I have been a musician (on multiple instruments) for 54 yeas of my life. Maybe that's not enough experience, but my ear picks up things I just cannot stand with certain picks on my mandolins. For example, my church has two (theoretically) identical pianos -same make, bought at the same time, same model - but they have different sound and different action. Now I can make them both sound fine to the congregation, but they sound different to me and one is easier to play than the other. Same thing with mandolins and picks - to the average person, they may sound fine with whatever pick I use on whatever mandolin, but it does not sound the same to me. So call me a "wannabee" but if I want to hunt for a pick that helps me get the sound I want, it's my money and my life.

  18. The following members say thank you to LadysSolo for this post:


  19. #40
    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Bozeman, MT
    Posts
    1,252

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by rfd View Post
    i think far Far FAR too much emphasis on picks is detrimental to actually spending time learning how best to actually play and produce meaningful music. then again, most of these kinda posts are from amateurs who believe that gear is more important than musicality. sure, mess around with different picks that will surely offer subtle differences, but it's your playing chops that will matter more than a $50 pick for a $500 mando. this is so very like the guitarist who needs to have the flavor-of-the-month pickup in his tele, strat, les paul, ad nauseam. yeesh, why do i even bother ....
    I thought you sold flavor of the month pickups?
    2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
    2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
    Several nice old Fiddles
    2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
    Deering Classic Open Back
    Too many microphones

    BridgerCreekBoys.com

  20. #41
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Boulder, CO
    Posts
    550

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by rfd View Post
    i think far Far FAR too much emphasis on picks is detrimental to actually spending time learning how best to actually play and produce meaningful music. then again, most of these kinda posts are from amateurs who believe that gear is more important than musicality. sure, mess around with different picks that will surely offer subtle differences, but it's your playing chops that will matter more than a $50 pick for a $500 mando. this is so very like the guitarist who needs to have the flavor-of-the-month pickup in his tele, strat, les paul, ad nauseam. yeesh, why do i even bother ....
    Are you a pro or an amateur?

  21. #42
    Registered User Randy Mallory's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    56

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott R View Post
    You can also skip all discussion and go order a Blue Chip CT55 for $35 plus $7 shipping here:

    http://shop.bluechippick.net/products/CT55.html

    These are the Cadillac picks that you will be hearing everybody talk about if you hang around here long enough. (Not an endorsement, just an observation--I like them fine, but I like my JazzTones and others just as much)
    I've been using this pick for a few months and I really like it. I had been using medium guitar picks prior, and it just didn't get the job done.

  22. #43
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    SE Florida
    Posts
    119

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Sound differences - yes I hear those, mostly a variance of brightness and volume, but also differences in feel across the strings which (to me anyway) shows up in my (improving) tremolo. Strings/style must play a part. I use lighter strings than most (10's) and my style does not include BG.

    Right now I am leaning towards the Dunlop Tortex .60/.73 normal point. What's great is that there are so many choices nowadays.

  23. #44
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Saint Augustine Beach FL
    Posts
    6,634

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    People, people, people! You are all stuck in the past with the "plectrum".

    This is the wave of the future........

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRPr...ature=youtu.be

    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  24. The following members say thank you to Charles E. for this post:


  25. #45
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    SE Florida
    Posts
    119

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Certainly harder to lose and less likely to jump into the soundhole. Would the mandolin version be proportionately shorter?

  26. #46
    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Posts
    5,293

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by rfd View Post
    i think far Far FAR too much emphasis on picks is detrimental to actually spending time learning how best to actually play and produce meaningful music. then again, most of these kinda posts are from amateurs who believe that gear is more important than musicality.
    That's a false dichotomy. It's possible to pursue musicality while at the same time experimenting to find the best gear to express that musicality. It's not either/or.

    The pick is the interface between your hand and the strings. It serves the same critical function as the bow for a fiddler. If you think mandolin players are constantly obsessing about finding the best interface, you haven't ever talked to a fiddler about their bows! As mandolin players, we just get to experiment for a lot less money than fiddlers.

    That word you keep using -- "musicality" -- is the end result of many factors. It's a result of how hard you practice, how well you learn to listen to recordings and other musicians you play with, your natural affinity for a given style, and the gear you use to express it. It all goes into the pot, including that interface you're holding in your fingers.

    P.S. since this thread is also something of a survey, I use a Blue Chip TAD40-1R, playing Irish and Scottish traditional music. Probably too thin for a Bluegrasser, but it works for me with this music. I use the same pick for mandolin, octave mandolin, and acoustic guitar. I'm currently in a monogamous relationship with my BC picks, because I haven't found anything that works better for me. But I still keep a roving eye out for anything better that might come along.

  27. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to foldedpath For This Useful Post:


  28. #47
    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Bozeman, MT
    Posts
    1,252

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Right on the mark foldedpath. I’m a fiddler too, and my bow collection is in the range of a nice mando for expense. I giggle when cafe members talk about how much picks or strings cost. Many classical violin string sets cost over $100.
    As for survey results
    I have two favorite picks, Hense casin, and RedBear Med. big picker. I enjoy the click tone of the casin for live performance attack and cut.
    Second tier is onyx Itone, tp40BC, 1.4 primetone, redbear toughtone bigpicker med., john Pearce fast turtle med-light.
    The second tier picks all have smother attach, and darker sound, which I prefer for practice time and playing at home.
    I am a professional player, playing ~100 gig a year. 14yrs making a living with music. I am a gear and tone fussy, and have tried most pick and string combinations on my mandolins. Thus I have a strong opinion about how my gear works and the subtle nuances of the variables.
    2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
    2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
    Several nice old Fiddles
    2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
    Deering Classic Open Back
    Too many microphones

    BridgerCreekBoys.com

  29. The following members say thank you to MontanaMatt for this post:


  30. #48
    Registered User Murphy Slaw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Southern Illinois
    Posts
    400

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by foldedpath View Post
    That's a false dichotomy. It's possible to pursue musicality while at the same time experimenting to find the best gear to express that musicality. It's not either/or.

    The pick is the interface between your hand and the strings. It serves the same critical function as the bow for a fiddler. If you think mandolin players are constantly obsessing about finding the best interface, you haven't ever talked to a fiddler about their bows!
    I agree. Picks make a HUGE difference in tone, there are many youTube pick comparison videos that will prove that. Anybody who can't hear the difference in different picks should chose another profession. I honestly don't see how this can even be argued.

    My choice changes with different instruments, songs, even humidity.

    My taste bounce around Blue Chip TD35, Wegen Bluegrass 1.0, Primetone 1.0, Ultex 1.0 and even a Wegen m100 from time to time. I used to like Tortex, but my taste has obviously changed.
    1933 Gibson A-00 (was Scotty Stoneman's)
    2003 Gibson J-45RW (ebony)
    2017 Gibson J-15

    The Murph Channel
    http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkomGsMJXH9qn-xLKCv4WOg

  31. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Murphy Slaw For This Useful Post:


  32. #49
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,045

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Just had a nice pick experience yesterday playing a farmer's market. Was warming up with a certain pick and decided on a whim to get out one of my BC picks. Immediately both my wife (who was listening) and a band mate said "yes!" Much louder and more defined tone. Easier for the folks walking by to hear me play.

    Now sure, was playing just my inexpensive Eastman OM, but on that instrument, a pick really can make a difference.

    But again, am just a wannabe who plays music because I want to play music and don't make a living by it.
    Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Big Muddy M-11, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
    https://www.facebook.com/LauluAika/
    https://www.lauluaika.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/Longtine-Am...14404553312723

  33. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Eric Platt For This Useful Post:


  34. #50

    Default Re: Again with the picks

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles E. View Post
    People, people, people! You are all stuck in the past with the "plectrum".

    This is the wave of the future........

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRPr...ature=youtu.be

    Ugh. A rasqueado emulator. Abhorrent.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •