Good Picks

[TSOROCKS123]

Hi, I just bought my 1st mandolin, a Rover RM-50. It is a great instrument, it sounds great, plays great, feels great, looks great; however, I need a good pick for a good instrument. I picked up a Musicians Friend Medium and Heavy, a Yamaha Thin, and I met a guitarist, who also plays mandolin, who gave me a Dawg (heavy?) pick. I feel that the thin makes a more hollow sound and the thick pick makes a rich sound. Is the Dawg pick the best, worst, OK? or should I find a new pick? Any suggestions are welcome!

Happy Playing!

[Michael Bridges]

If you read through this thread http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...not-a-bluechip, you'll see that pick choice is extremely personal, and everybody has their own opinion on what is the "Right" pick. Some folks love the Dawg picks, others hate 'em. General consensus is the Blue Chip picks are amazing, but you might not want to spend $30+ on a pick. Wegen, V-picks, Gravity, all have proponents,too. Right now, I'm going back and forth between a Dunlop standard 1.5 mm, and a Big Stubby 2.0. Each one feels and sounds different. Until you get up into the "premium" picks, it's a cheap way to experiment with your sound and style. I'd say buy several different types and see what works best for you. I will say that having played other stringed instruments for my whole life, pick differences have more effect on a mandolin than anything else I've played! Good luck.

[Wolfmanbob]

Most of the better players on acoustic instruments, especially mandolin, feel that in order to get good tone, you need a heavy pick. The Dawg pick is a good example. Many players for years used Fender heavy or super heavy. Now there are all kinds of special picks on the market, most of them good. Again, you'll get the best tone with a heavy pick.

[greg_tsam]

Then as you get more acquainted with your instrument you will start to notice differences in picking angle and attack, different types of bevels on picks, differences in pick materials and how it affects sound, ditto for thickness, and durability factors that will take into account your personal picking style. Some players tickle the strings while others bang away.

Until you spend some time on the instrument you're not going to be able to tell much difference. So...just pick one and get on with it. Play. Play some more. Go buy a handful of picks in different sizes. Play until you start noticing the differences. Don't worry. It will happen.