Papa's Got a Brand New Pick today!

[f5loar]

Just got my first "Papa's" exceptional quality faux tortoise shell professional plectrum pick from the Acoustic Corner in Black Mtn. , NC. Wasn't really looking for a new pick as I'm pretty happy with Bluechip and hope to try out the new McCrays at IBMA next week but they had one for demo so I tried it on a vintage Martin D18 they had hanging on the wall and oh man I had to buy that $12 pick. It's been 2 years since this pick was last discussed at the café and that thread seemed to have gotten hijacked by Red Bear picks and I didn't really see much response on the Papa's pick. I got the "lite" and it feels like a 1.25MM. Not crazy about the shape but good enough to hold and it does give a different feel than BC. I would like to hear from others that have stayed with the Papa's pick. I've got a few shows next weekend so will give it a good try out against a BC TD40.

[Franc Homier Lieu]

Thanks for the report, f5loar. I think I will give these a try. I have some Pro Plecs on the way to A-B with my Blue Chips, so I will throw these into the mix too. The Papa's website lists the 'light' as ~0.9mm. I use TAD 60 and 80, sometimes CT 55, so I will probably go a little thicker.

[Dan Krhla]

...and I just ordered mine... I pefer a 1.2, ordered the 1.7 over the .9

thanks for the post. I'll add my $ 0.02 when I get it

[AlanN]

Here's mine, it's a good, tough pick

[f5loar]

If they are saying about .9mm then it's a strong .9mm. Feels closer to between 1 and 1.25mm to me. I'm not feeling a .9 flex to it. They seem to have a really smooth edge which is hand done like the McCary. That has to play into the tone.

[Phil Goodson]

I ordered one sometime last year out of curiosity. Felt okay, sounded okay but a little brighter than my taste. Biggest problem for me was that the choice of size and shape, as best I could determine, was limited to that in the picture above. Way too small for my fingers which need the BC TAD size to be happy. Overall, to my ear, about like Red Bear but small.

I just pulled it out and tried it again; no change in my assessment.

[Steve Sorensen]

Interesting. I was just looking at information about Papa's and also Pickboy picks this week. Its the never-ending quest for for casein style plastic tortoise-like 346 shaped picks that are affordable enough to lose now and then.

Got a few Pickboy 1.2 mm through Amazon since it was the less expensive option -- nothing remarkable. Very similar to the Planet Waves/D'Aaddario 1.25 mm X-Heavy. Perhaps a little stiffer and brighter.

Decided I like the Sorensen logoed 1.0 mm D'Andrea 346 picks better . . . go figure.

Now I'm curious about Papa's again. Thank heavens PAS doesn't break the bank!

Steve

[Franc Homier Lieu]

I own a bunch of BCs (CT 55, TAD 60, 80, 100, SR 60) and love them, so I was not expecting too much from this Papa's pick, but it is my new favorite. I have the 1.7 mm faux tortoise (actually now two of them). I got a bunch of Pro Plecs around the same time (watching all those Mike Marshall videos on his mandolin school had a powerful effect on me). I like the mellow tone of the Pro Plecs, so when I got the Papa's pick I was really blown away. I did not think I would find a pick that made my TAD 80 sound 'thin'. These picks also feel incredible in my hand, play almost as smooth as the BCs (one thing about Pro Plecs is that they don't go through the strings as easily as my BCs) and have incredible tone. I had a big thick Red Bear pick, but it never sounded as good as the Papa's. I wish they made a triangular pick, and I can't imagine this pick will last as long as a BC, but I don't wear out picks like the BG players 'round here.

Thanks for the tip f5loar.

[Charles E.]

I have been playing the John Pearse FT pick (1.2 mm) for six months or so and love them.

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PKFT-T.htm My only complaint is that they tend to warp a bit. The Papa's look basically the same, only a tad thinner. My question is will they warp more then the JP's? Are they really different then the JP's?

[Franc Homier Lieu]

Probably very similar material to the JP. I can use all three corners on the Papa's, so while not triangular, it is closer than the JP.

I find the feel of the Papa's totally different than the Red Bear, the only other casein pick I have tried. The Papa's feels sort of like a piece of candy (except not tacky) and warms up nicely and grips really nicely.

I also like the contour of the pick, and it looks like the JP has that too. The only thing about the BCs that has always bugged me a little is that when you have a thick but perfectly flat pick, it feels slightly funny between my finger and a thumb.

Might have to order some of the JPs now...

[Mandobart]

I like the Papa's picks. I've used the 1.7 mm, 2.2 mm and 2.7 mm. I like the 2.2 mm the best. Elderly's carries them now, by the way.

[Jim Taylor]

I used a Papa's 1.7 exclusively for 4 years. Wears good, no maintenance. Finally broke down and got a BC TPR60, which is for the last year is what I reach for. Main reason is the pick shape/size and feel. I like the Papa's tone, however the face got a little 'crackled' and it doesn't stay put like the BC. It's still in the case, and it does sound good! Somehow, the Papa's seems to 'grab' the string (like the 'natural' picks of olden days), whereas the BC sort of 'slides' off. Good picks!

[Kenneth Newell]

<removed by site owner>

Posted by site owner: We get what your choice of pick is. 13 posts over-enthusiastically cheerleading a single product that is not the subject of this discussion in just over 12 hours is enough, and really without precedent on this site. Please review our posting guidelines and if you are unable to adhere to those your posting privileges and membership will be removed.

From the posting guidelines:

- Use of the forum to aggressively market or sell various products and/or services or over-promotion of external web sites is not permitted.

[AlanN]

Then you should start a thread about those, or add a note to the threads already out there about those. This thread is for Papa's Picks.

[MikeEdgerton]

I become suspicious when people continually post about a product to the point where they have only 1 or 2 posts that aren't about that product. We ask that people associated with a manufacturer identify themselves as such or we simply make sure they stop posting. I really like some of the products I've bought over time but I can't recall stepping on entire threads to evangelize about them.

Feel free to discuss Papa's picks, that's what the thread is about.

[Jamie S]

Papa's picks sound ok, but what about the fresh, cold taste of coke on a summer evening to really get that picking hand moving? It really is the real thing. Comes in four refreshing flavours.

Sorry, yes, I have been looking for a new pick because I can tell that my Gibson Pure H picks are too thin and pointed and inhibit a warm sound (although easier for a beginner to use). However, I find the Golden Gate picks too rounded, to the point where I sometimes don't get any purchase on the strings.

I am most comfortable with the JazzMando ProPlec (1.5mm) but I have now purchased some Papa's picks at 1.2mm and 1.7mm to see how I go. I'll report back (they're coming from Ohio to the UK....).

[Frank Farley]

I love trying out different picks. I like my BC TD 40 but am not so hung up on it or my Red Bear that I wouldn't use anything else. Where is the best place to find PaPa's picks? This is the first I recall hearing of them but I would like to try one.

[Franc Homier Lieu]

Where is the best place to find PaPa's picks?

Someone above mentioned that Elderly carries them, and I got mine from the Papa's website.

[MikeEdgerton]

Google tells me that Pap's website is at:

http://papasproducts.com/

[Franc Homier Lieu]

Yeah, I was going to post a link but started to get a little, ahem, worried about appearing over zealous in my promotion of Papa's picks....

[Cheryl Watson]

It's always a great feeling to find pick that really floats your boat, isn't it.

A student of mine gave me a Papa's medium (1.2mm) and it is softer sounding than my 1.5mm Red Bears (my favorite picks). It's good for my teaching guitar, which is on the bright side, but it is smaller than what I use for mandolin. I wish they made the 1.2mm in a larger elliptical size pick.

[Polecat]

Interesting that there are so many picks made of polymerised milk protein around; until I read this thread I thought the only ones available were these ones, which are what I use. I like the way galalith gets slightly tacky and sticks to my fingers, without softening up at all. Unfortunately, Papas picks do not appear to be available in Europe, but I'm certainly going to try out the John Pearses.

[Ron McMillan]

I'm one of the stubborn diehards who reject all efforts to impress me with overpriced goo-gahs like the dreaded BC and their ilk, but even I am intrigued by the Papa. If I lived near a store that sold them, I'd check them out, and try hard to remain skeptical. It's not an iron-clad resolve, but I'd try.....

[alias2a]

Papa's picks sound ok, but what about the fresh, cold taste of coke on a summer evening to really get that picking hand moving? It really is the real thing. Comes in four refreshing flavours.

Sorry, yes, I have been looking for a new pick because I can tell that my Gibson Pure H picks are too thin and pointed and inhibit a warm sound (although easier for a beginner to use). However, I find the Golden Gate picks too rounded, to the point where I sometimes don't get any purchase on the strings.

I am most comfortable with the JazzMando ProPlec (1.5mm) but I have now purchased some Papa's picks at 1.2mm and 1.7mm to see how I go. I'll report back (they're coming from Ohio to the UK....).

Do you still have those Gibson Pure H picks laying around? If so, want to part ways with them?