Re: Steffey inspired Revelation
Originally Posted by
DavidKOS
I have never understood the need for really thick (much less rounded) picks for mandolin; .90 is plenty thick enough, .73 of ultex is stiff and thin enough, like real tortoiseshell.
I guess it all depends what tone you are seeking. For myself, I feel the mandolin is a rather bright sounding instrument by nature of its' small scale and steel strings. I am a bit sensitive to higher frequencies and therefore the brighter tone irritates me a lot. That's why I can't stand the sound of bronze strings and that's the main reason I use a thicker pick. I agree there is a point where it becomes a bit absurd. V-Picks offers a 11mm pick!!! Who uses that? I think it also depends on material. Some material sounds just fine at 1mm or 1.25, while with others 1.5 might sound good. I used a Wegen 1.4mm 346 shape and it sounded too bright and harsh to me so I tried a 1.8mm and eliminated the bevel and the tone it just right.
Everyone has different tastes and opinions. I really don't like a pick that is too rounded, but also I don't like it too pointed either. I know someone who uses a pick that is a perfect circle. I don't know how anyone gets any tone out of that. I tried playing with it and got nothing but a scraping noise from it. But, like I said every player is different.
Lots of people like to use thinner picks in the .73 to .90 range as you pointed out. It seems that most Bluegrass or Jazz players like a darker tone that is much more difficult to achieve with thin picks.
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
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