Pettine picks

[Scott Tichenor]

What can some of you tell us about Pettine picks, and by chance do any of you use or own them? Curious to learn about them and doesn't seem to be much that I'm able to find on the web about them, other than apparently being desirable to some people and that they're difficult to come by.

There's a purpose behind this question but for now I'm just satisfying a bit of curiosity. Why I'm asking will be revealed tomorrow at some point. And no, I'm not selling them, but I do know where some will become available.

[Neil Gladd]

I used them for a few years, many years ago, and bought them directly from Pettine's son, who sold those and the methods by mail order. I probably still have some lying around.

[vkioulaphides]

I had some made to order on Pettine-esque specs, one in deer antler (by Peter Klima), one in ivory (by bratsche), and a couple more in nondescript plastics (by various pick-makers). Very nice picks, all of them!

I have since "gone Roman" and do not use Pettine picks any more, for as much as I like the ones I own. I suspect, Scott, that some others will gladly snap up whatever Pettine picks become available. They work very, very nicely indeed!

Cheers,

Victor

[Plamen Ivanov]

Scott, you may contact Richard Walz regarding Pettine picks. He is quite familiar with these and could provide detailed information, pictures, etc.

[mandoisland]

Ibought 4 Pettine Picks from Pettines son when I ordered the Pettine books - that was in the 80s. There were two sizes, a scan of those 4 picks can be found on my homepage:

MandoIsland Picksibition

You will see that the last one has a bad edge - I got it like this, but due to shipping costs to the US I did keep it. The smaller size is really small.

I think the material is very standard, the same as eg. used for Fender or Gibson Picks, might be celluloid.

So if you want a Pettine pick, just buy a big enough standard guitar pick and use a file to bring it to the Pettine form. As a better material I prefer the Clayton Acetal and Clayton Ultem or Dunlop Tortex.

For me the point of the Pettine pick is much too sharp, is prefer a more round point.

[Amandalyn]

Giuseppe Pettine was a world class mandolin player. These picks date from the 1930s, and are hardly ever seen for sale. A true collectible of a bygone era. They are often called "sharks teeth" picks. They come up on ebay once in awhile.

[David Westwick]

Ibought 4 Pettine Picks from Pettines son when I ordered the Pettine books - that was in the 80s. There were two sizes...

The smaller size is really small.

Someone in the PMO gave me a Pettine mandolin pick (the small size) back when I lived in Boston and commuted to Providence to play with them. Recently, Mark Davis sent me a Pettine mandolcello pick (the big size). In my experience, the Pettine picks produce very little pick noise. Part of that is due to the sharp point. However the material is very smooth, so that it glides smoothly over the strings. I find that they wear pretty quickly (esp. on the mandocello), so that I am constantly filing them to restore the edge/point.

[margora]

I have quite a few, I use them every so often but find them problematic on many levels. Best Music Source on Ebay should have some in stock (or used to) at $7 per.

[Jim Garber]

I bought a few also from Best music Source. I generally use a pointy pick but don't really use mine either. OTOH GP is one of my mando-heroes so it is great to have a pick with his name on it.

Jim

[Bob A]

I too have a few Pettine picks, mostly from ebay, although Richard Walz was kind enough to send me one when I bought some music from him.

I find it complements my L&H mandolin quite nicely.

I've made it a practice to amass a pile o' picks over the years, and tend to try to mate them with my instruments*; some sound better with some, others with others. Pettine goes well with many, but as they're so dear and so uncommon, I tend to limit their use.

*So far, no reproduction, alas.

[Eugene]

A have a couple of each the "large" and "small", some thanks to Richard. I tend to prefer the traditional Neapolitan shape (which is at least similar to the large Pettine).

[Greg Stec]

I have some Pettine picks too. #"Mediums" I believe. #Bought them back in the late-1980's. #Still have some of them. #Gave most of them away to people who like them. #That's my point. #My hand (and fingers) are too big for them. #

The methods I used for "controlling" them:
1)ream small holes through them a la Wegen;
2)hold them close to the point (But often times I would graze the strings with my fingernail if I did that);
3)put some glue on the pick. #

Some one mentioned them gliding over the strings. #They would glide around my fingers. I could never get a decent grip on them. #They were/are small and move around on me.
Got a better grip with good ol' Fender-style guitar picks. #

Hey, Scott! #I could give you some.
Greg

[mandoisland]

I just add the scan of my picks here:

[june39]

I ended up with some of these from the estate of a former mandolin orchestra member on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and wondered about them. I find them unsuitable for my needs but are welcome additions to my pick collection.

Doug McCash

[Scott Tichenor]

Here's the information mentioned yesterday: Plucked String Foundation, Inc. and Pettine Mandolin Picks.

[Martin Jonas]

I have one of the small shape, a gift from Jon Springall who uses them on his Vega and makes them by cutting down Martin medium picks. Interesting, but not for me, I think. The tone I get with it is far too thin.

Martin

[Arto]

I have a few Pettine picks I bought from eBay seller Summer-something ("ex-Plucked String" stuff). I like them but have not yet got used to them enough - I find tremolo difficult with a narrow pointed pick. I know the problem is with me, not with the pick.

What was surprising to me, was that I get the cleanest sound of any picks with these. Clear sound with extremely little pick noise. I don´t really know why, because I have not been too happy with some other pointed thinnish picks I have tried. I don´t know if it is the shape, stiffness, edge shape or what, but these really work for me sound-wise. If only I could get that tremolo, too...

Then the interesting part. Have you known that Gertrud Weyhofen has played with these, too? When I was in Trossingen mandolin symposium in 2004, Marga Wilden-Huesgen showed the audience the Pettine pick Gertrud had. If I remember right it was after Gertrud´s concert where she had played Calace preludes with her Calace mandolin - I am not altogether sure if she used that pick in her concert, but that was the impression I got. (With her German mandolin she uses a German pick.) In any case Ms Wilden-Huesgen considered the pick interesting enought to present it to audience.