Which pick do you use when......

[David Rambo]

This question is for those of you who switch between mandolin and: mandola, mandocello, or octave mandolin. Do you use the same pick on all your instruments, or do you feel is it wiser to use different picks as string tension and instrument size change?

[Jim Garber]

I don't even use the same pick on my various mandolins. Some of it depends on the instrument and others depend on what type of music I am playing.

[Paul Hostetter]

Generally I use a large fairly heavy pick for guitar and a Fender medium for mandolin/double-course instruments. Like Jim, I have a pocketful of various ones, mostly home-made, and switch depending on the instrument in hand. It's fun fooling around with different picks.

I just found out recently that Jethro Burns's pick of choice was a Fender medium. He seemed to do alright with them.

Lots about picks here.

[Mandolin Mick]

I don't know if this is straying from the thread, but I use a Dawg pick for my mandolins, a Fender medium for guitar and a Hofner extra heavy for bass.

[Mandobart]

I use the same picks on all my mando instruments (mandocello, octave mando, mandolin, and electric mandolin) : sometimes a golden gate, sometimes a wegen 1.5 mm, sometimes a tortex 2.0 mm; or the Gator 2.0 mm. Depends on the sound I want. Lately I've been using the Wegen on just about everything.

[foldedpath]

I use one pick for all my acoustic instruments that are flatpicked -- a Blue Chip TAD40-1R (medium semi-triangle 1.0mm, one corner rounded):

• Mandolin -- rounded corner, for a darker, meatier tone.
• Octave mandolin -- rounded corner if I'm playing melody lines or a counter-melody backup, and the sharper tip if I'm going for more of a strummed backing sound.
• Acoustic guitar -- the tip, to bring out the higher frequencies in the strum.

I didn't plan it that way, with the idea of consolidating everything in one pick. It just worked out as the best combination after comparing with all the picks I've accumulated over the years. It sure is convenient to only keep track of one pick. Standard disclaimer: what works for me might not work for anyone else, yada yada... but if you haven't considered the flexibility in using both the rounded shoulder and tip of the same pick (not just this Blue Chip, any pick), then you might want to give it a shot.

[Jim Garber]

Paul's photo above sort of looks like my arsenal of picks. I probably have a clown barf Dawg pick but unlike the majority of North Americans I never got used to playing with it. I have a Blue Chip Jazz pick I think 35 which I use for most old time playing and a larger rounded triangle BC for rhythm guitar. I use a Roman pick -- the odd shaped elongated and pointy one -- for classical and John Pearse jazz or those discontinued Gibson heavy jazz picks on mandolin when the mood strikes me.

[JEStanek]

I have different preferred picks for different mandolins. Even then, it sometimes changes. I find the D'Andrea Pro Plec (that came with my JazzMando strings) to be pretty good across them all but I have a Wegen that sounds great on my Eastman with F holes but not so good on the Labraid or Spira (Archtop oval and flat top oval respectively). Different picks (even with the same technique and strings) can really vary your tone, in my experience.

Jamie

[smokyt81]

I'm a proplec man too. I use it on everything I play, but that's mostly because I find when I go to a different gauge or shape it confuses my hands when I go back to my proplec. To change my tone with it, I chief kind of alter my technique: sometimes I play from my fingers, sometimes my wrist; closed fist or knife blade. It's all a means to an end I guess.

[JeffD]

I change picks for different mandolins, for different venues, for different types of music and even for different tunes. The pick used makes so much difference I can't see sticking to one for any reason.

My goto tenor guitar pick is a Dugain horn pick. Great for guitar, terrible for mandolin.

[mandobassman]

I use a Blue Chip XR60 for my Breedlove, a Wegen TF-140 for the Johnson (because it is quiet and the Wegen is louder), and a Fender X-tra Heavy triangular for guitar.

[CES]

I tend to go lighter gauge and more flexible as string tension lessons. Wegen TF140 for my f--holed mandos, TF120 for my pancake and for most guitar purposes, but I'll go as thin as 0.73 Ultex when I'm primarily strumming guitar. I'll use Fender Heavy or Ultex 1 mm as good "all-rounders", and don't mind Fender mediums on electrics. But, if I'm just flatpicking guitar solo at home, I like the 140 for that application as well.

I try out new picks all the time. The Fender heavys are my "old standby" picks, but the Wegens and Ultex picks are my current favorites.

[Big Joe]

I got tired of different picks for different families of instruments. I use a Blue Chip 40 in a larger triangle for everything. It works well for all mando family instruments, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo (rarely use a pick on banjo), and even ukulele. That simplified my life substantially. It works very well on all instruments.

[kkmm]

I thought I am the only one struggling with picks. I share the same opinions as most in this thread.
I have 3 guitars, 2 mandolins, all using different picks.
The pick that works well for my Ovation mando, does not work that well on the Fender mando and guitars and vice versa.
I just cannot mixing picks and instruments. And I also made some of the picks myself too.