A question for mandolin players who also flatpick guitar

[californiajed]

2 questions, actually:

Do you use the same pick you use for your mandolin?

Presuming you pick your mandolin with the forward edge of your pick, do you do the same on guitar, or alter to a different pick position?

I ask because I used to play guitar (badly) with a standard shaped guitar pick (fender medium), and I used the trailing edge when strumming. For the past year I have played almost exlusively mandolin. Just tonight I picked up a guitar and played with an oversize mandolin pick. When I finally took note of how I was strumming, I realized I was using the forward edge, as I do on mandolin, and I felt like I sounded better than I remembered. Curious to know what you do.

Thanks!

[almeriastrings]

1. No.

.88 standard Dunlop Tortex on guitar, 1.5 Bluechip on mandolin.

2. I use different pick positions on guitar vs. mandolin.

[JeffD]

I use a heavier pick on mandolin than on guitar.

[bro.craig]

I use a Wegen TF120 on mando & guitar, angled forward on both.

[Ryk Loske]

Same pick on both .... a Jim Dunlop Fast Turtle 1.2mm. Same stroke.

Ryk

[UsuallyPickin]

Same shape different thicknesses ...... I use a BC-55 on mandolin and a TPR 60 on guitar..... I also use a Wegan TF 120 and 140 occasionally. R/

[chrisoff]

Same pick (0.98mm pink dunlop), same method. No reason to do anything different between the two instruments.

[Jim Adwell]

Thick pick for mandolin, not so thick pick for guitar.

[Jim Mullins]

I use (mostly) a Blue Chip TAD 60 1-R on both; sometimes I'll use a TAD Chris Thile model (55).

I tend to have more of a forward angle on guitar than mandolin, on which I use a flatter attack. I did that intentionally on the mando, which is my second instrument, in order to get better tone up the neck on the E-strings, and to be able to tremolo double stops better.

I find that my pick grip is slightly different btwn guitar and mandolin. On guitar, the pick rests more on the 1st joint of my index finger, whereas on mando, it rests closer to the 2nd joint. And I tend to grip the pick somewhat looser when playing mandolin.

Cheers!

Jim

[stevedenver]

I CAN use any pick on either,

I think it comes down to technique
and when I started to play guitar decades back, my wrist was a bit stiff, so a softer pick was helpful in not hanging up on strings
and my aim wasn't as precise, so a smaller pick could help too by being a bit closer to finger tips and strings

I tend to use larger and much heavier with a bit of rounded point picks on mando-mando takes more grip on the pick especially over a few hours as compared to playing guitar

fwiw I use heavy picks on guitar too-like 1.2 to 1.5, but sometimes as light as .88, depends on the material in the pick

I can no longer really use floppy thin picks

I use different picks for different attack/cut

[catmandu2]

I CAN use any pick on either,

Yeah, me too. But I use picks of every type--for every type of playing and instrument. Most of my exp is with fingernails--so probably can't wean the fastidiyasness from meh

[foldedpath]

Same pick (Blue Chip TP40-1R), different corners. I use the one rounded "shoulder" corner on mandolin, and the sharper point at the bottom for guitar, and also for octave mandolin. The rounded corner has a thicker, darker tone that works well on mandolin. With guitar I like it a little brighter. The grip is a little tighter and more "choked" when playing mandolin. It floats a bit more on guitar.

This is a thinner pick than I'd probably use on mandolin for Bluegrass, but it's easier for me to hit the treble articulations in Irish traditional music with a thinner pick (your mileage may vary on that). It also helps avoid overdriving the guitar when I'm strumming Irish trad backup, where the general style is usually not as heavy and forceful as it is in Bluegrass (unless you're John Doyle!). I've seen people play this music with heavier picks, it's just what I prefer. Everyone has different taste in picks.

[Steve Ostrander]

I use thicker triangular picks for mandolin (Dunlop ,Tortex, Rhino) and regular guitar picks (Fender medium) for guitar, but the picking technique is different.

[Greg H.]

I use a Fender extra heavy using the pointed end (on just a teardrop pick) for guitar, while on mandolin I tend to use the shoulder of a BC 50. Yes, I could use the BC on the guitar or the Fender on the mandolin, but they just seem to work best as such.

[fentonjames]

i use dunlop ultex 1.0's for both guitar and mandolin. i 'generally' use the point for both, but on occaision, turn the pic point towards my palm and use one of the other rounded corners.

[wildpikr]

To answer the OP:

1. No - Red Bear Style E Heavy for guitar, Blue Chip TAD-1R 50 for mandolin are my go-to choices at present

2. Pick position is close; there is a longer range of movement around the sound hole of the guitar to play with for tone and/or volume but my basic grip doesn't vary.

That being said, I've found the V-Pick Saga and Ruby Red models to bring out interesting tones on either instrument...so I'll probably order a few more to put into each case to play around with [pun intended]!

[9lbShellhamer]

just adding to the pool of answers...

CT55 for Mando.

I prefer a thinner pick for guitar, either .7 or .9.

I have a loud guitar and don't need the volume a thick pick provides. I also prefer the softer tone of something under 1.2 for guitar.

[Cue Zephyr]

I currently use a Wegen TF120 on mandolin and a Wegen BG140 (sometimes a BG180) on guitar. Both are beveled and I depend on it - I can't play as well without those bevels.

I'm considering to invest in some Blue Chip picks - a CT55 for mandolin and (probably) a TAD60

I try to pick the same way on both instruments. However, I think my pick is slightly more parallel to the strings on mandolin than on guitar due to my hand's position relative to the strings.

[fentonjames]

dunlop ultex 1.0 on both.

[marcodamusician]

I use all wood picks for mandolin and guitar. I got hooked on the wonderful sound they create when I used my first surf pick and then I began testing other woods. Also, what's nice about wood picks is that they are environmentally friendly. So, they sound good and they won't clog up a landfill when they're worn out.

[Chip Booth]

ProPlec for both. I use roughly the same technique on acoustic guitar and mandolin. I use Ultex on electric guitar and play with a modified technique.

[Dr H]

2 questions, actually:

Do you use the same pick you use for your mandolin?

Presuming you pick your mandolin with the forward edge of your pick, do you do the same on guitar, or alter to a different pick position?

I use the same pick on every instrument I play with a pick, except bass (which I only rarely use pick on).

I like a small, heavy pick, like the Dunlop Tortex small teardrop, in 1.14mm or heavier; rarely lighter than 0.88. I round the pointed end off just a tad with a file.

For single-string/solo picking I use the pointed end. I tend to hit the strings with the edge of the pick first, at a slight angle; the angle is adjusted for different instruments -- a little more "flat" on single strings, and a little more "edge" on double and triple courses.

Sometime for a long series of fast chords I'll switch to the round end of the pick.

Like some others here, I'll occasionally use different picks for different effects -- if I want a lot of pick-slap in the sound, I'll choose a larger, thinner pick, and less angle to the stings. On the rare occasions when I use pick on bass, I uses a larger pick like the Tortex TIII, but in heavy gauge. I've also used compressed felt autoharp picks on amplified acoustic guitar for special effect.

I got the feel for small, heavy picks from my first (and best) jazz guitar teacher. He was of the opinion that anything larger than the absolute minimum necessary to hang onto interfered with the freedom of your picking hand, and that stiffer picks gave more control. Certainly worked for him. For years I used to make my own teardrop picks out of stone (slate). I loved them for precision and speed, but they were hard on the strings, didn't last long, and were a PITA to make, so I finally compromised with the Tortex.

Pick Trivia: Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top liked really stiff picks, and for a while he used a quarter (coin) as a pick. Then he switched to old Mexican pesos, and finally he had a machinist bevel peso coins down to a pick shape. If I had my own machinist on retainer, I'd probably still be using stone picks. Or pesos.

[JRcohan]

I also have gotten to a point where I only like rectangle shaped picks for both mandolin and guitar. I used to play a tortoise shell pick a friend gave me that I loved, although frowned upon is some circles. Now I use a Wegan, or pec 1.5. It depends on the sound but comfort should come first I fell.

I've tried many different things. I am starting to think, using the same pick all the time is a good thing.

[jmp]

Fender extra heavy on mandolin, Fender heavy on guitar

[Steve Zawacki]

Have gotten used to using a medium/heavy plastic thumb pick on both instead of any other kind of pick. No longer dropping them either in the sound hole or on the floor (sure, it never happened to you!). If you keep your index finger and thumb in contact just like you would with a flat pick, you still use the same stroke (at least I do). Yeah, I'm a bit nontraditional.