You can pick your friends but how about picks!!!

[Me&MyGuitar]

Michel Wegen's picks forever; expensive but perfect grip, amazingly beveled edge, very good attack and tone and looong lasting
I play only fingerstyle and use the Trimus 250:

http://www.wegenpicks.com

[skiltrip]

I am on the Great Pick Adventure myself at the moment.

I've used Dunlop Tortex my whole life, mostly in .60 and .73. Lately I've been experimenting with different types of picks, and a lot of heavier stuff.

What I really like is the Dunlop Delrin 500 1.14. But only for single note flatpicking. If i'm doing strumming, i like to drop it down to a .96, or back to my Tortex .73.

What I do not like at all is the Ultex. Lots of people swear by them, in this thread I've seen a lot too, but I find them way to "clicky" and trebly. I get more warmth out of Tortex or the Delrin 500's.

After a couple weeks of slaving over pick after pick, I find going back to what I've been already using for 20 years is the easiest and makes the most sense to me. The Tortex .73, and the .88 if I want a little stiffer pick.

But everyone is right, picks are little tone machines. And how you use them is another tone machine in and of itself. So go to your music store, go thru that little pick bin at the counter, gather up a whole bunch of different stuff in different gauges, buy 'em and try 'em.

[HHP]

Anybody tried D'Andrea Pro Plec picks? Got some, initially didn't like them but I'm starting to appreciate them. Quiet picks and a lot of control.

[kats45]

I have some V-picks. I don't like their thick heavy ones, but the ultra lite is not bad. I like the pointed edge, but the pick itself is a little too large for me. Their smaller pick has a rounded edge, and I don't like that either.

For years I used nylon picks. More recently Dunlop Tortex. I have a Pickboy, which I like. It's larger than a jazz pick, but smaller than most standard picks.

Has anyone ever used Planet Waves Black Ice?

[mmmaak]

Can I befriend my picks, then?

Originally Posted by Me&MyGuitar

Michel Wegen's picks forever; expensive but perfect grip, amazingly beveled edge, very good attack and tone and looong lasting....

http://www.wegenpicks.com

^
What he said

[benplaut]

I use my nails!

...but when I use a pick, it's a Dunlop Tortex .50mm (Red) or Dunlop Nylon .73

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by $ongWriter

What kind of picks do you prefer and how do they affect the sound of your guitar??

Picks affect the sound of a guitar as much or more than strings do.

Thick picks = warmer,darker tone
Thin picks = bright and thinner tone.
Extra thin picks = more percussion than tone

Most people really don't need a bunch of guitars: they need several gauges of picks and several different types of strings. But then people really do believe they will be happier spending their money on expensive, flashy stuff.

Jim McCarthy

[Darrel]

This thread is dredged up from the past.... almost a year ago... but my pick choice is still the same

Darrel

[doctor_gogol]

Originally Posted by Darrel

This thread is dredged up from the past.... almost a year ago... but my pick choice is still the same

Darrel

HA! I was going to start a pick thread, but found this one instead.

Yesterday I switched gauges.
I was so amazed that simply changing a pick will change your tone, your playing and your enjoyment of playing.

[TaoMaas]

Originally Posted by doctor_gogol

I was so amazed that simply changing a pick will change your tone, your playing and your enjoyment of playing.

It's true! My favorite picks are the old Gibson jazz picks in "heavy". I have some Dunlop versions, but they're not quite the same. Also, a couple of my guitars don't seem to like those picks so I use a slightly different version with them.

[doctor_gogol]

Thats very true. Different guitars like different picks. My Larrivee liked medium picks. My AJ loves the heavies.

[RussMason]

On my first and second fingers I use Dunlop nickle-plated steel or bronze. Sometimes a combination - the bronze on the top two strings, the steel for the middle strings.

My thumb picks vary, depending on the guitar I am playing and the strings I am using (which are either plain old Martin phosphor lights, or medium/lights).

I use Fred Kelly thumb picks exclusively. My three main picks are the medium (orange) speed pick (shaved down a little) and the medium slick pick. I also use the heavy (white) speed pick.

The speed picks give a sharper attack; the slick picks are good for adding strums and chord work.

I rarely use a flat pick.

When I used to strum a mandolin (chords), I got a felt pick and then soaked it in warm water to loosen it up. I could strum like mad and it produced a lovely ringy sound without all the harsh noise that plastic picks can generate. So far as I know, I am the only one who ever did this. Felt picks are definitely worth a try - but soak them first.

[Cue Zephyr]

Taylor heavy gauge
Dunlop Tortex 1.14mm
Dunlop Gel extra-heavy

They sound quite similar to me. The E-H gel pick sounds the beefiest to me, it also seems to be the thickest one of these three. The Taylor pick sounds a bit clearer but also thinner to some degree. The Tortex feels to be the warmest sounding of the bunch.
I prefer thick picks because of the control I get.

For fingerstyle playing I really like my Fred Kelly Slick Pick thumb pick. It's the orange medium gauge one. Works great for strumming and picking. I also like my Dunlop medium white thumb pick because it sounds just a bit beefier than the FK, bit better for just picking the bass strings. Also it's stiffer which feels better and more controlled when doing up and down picking with the thumb. Then there's the ProPik one, with the metal band and the plastic tip. This latter one seems to be the loudest and clearest sounding, but I never seem to be able to find a good context to use this one in.

[Allman_Fan]

Originally Posted by runamuck

Most people really don't need a bunch of guitars: they need several gauges of picks and several different types of strings.

Another thing is that you can alter how tight you hold them.

Also, where you strike the string, i.e., near the bridge vs. near the soundhole.

[druid]

I use the clips they put on bread bags.

What I'd LIKE is a **** pick that doesn't get so slippery I keep dropping it.

druid