Pick Thickness & Sound Relationship

#Cruncher · #1 09-03-2011, 07:36 PM

Hello!

Just would like to know how sound is affected by the thickness of picks. Here's my personal experience:

Comparison between 1mm pick versus 0.60mm pick (Both Dunlop)
Picking - 1mm gives clearer sound compared to 0.60mm
Strumming - 0.60mm gives clearer sound compared to 1mm. Strumming with 1mm gives "muffed" sound. FYI - I strum medium to hard.

So, what's your own experience with picks?

HHP · #2 09-03-2011, 07:39 PM

I think you have to combine thickness, material, tip profile, and bevel to estimate sound. Thicker tend to be warmer, thin tend to be brighter.

Dru Edwards · #3 09-03-2011, 07:42 PM

I agree with HHP that thinner picks are brighter. And pick material can have a significant impact on tone.

ChuckHubbert · #4 09-03-2011, 07:46 PM

In the last couple of weeks, I've been going through several picks trying to decide what I like. I even got to play a Blue Chip, which is what made me realize what a difference a pick can make. For now, I'm sticking to cheap picks, though.

Anyway, I've settled on Dunlop Delrin 500 picks. I like the 1.5mm for flatpicking and the .96mm for strumming. I had a couple of people listen and they preferred those picks as well. (The delrin feels a little slick in the fingers, but a few touches with a soldering iron takes care of that.)

Landru · #5 09-03-2011, 07:54 PM

I used an audio spectrum analyzer on three Fender picks - thin, medium, heavy - the results were interesting.

Briefly, the thinner the pick, the less bass. However, all three picks had the same treble response - sorry, but the midrange has been forgotten. Perhaps I'll look up the results and post them.

mr. beaumont · #6 09-03-2011, 08:16 PM

I'm with landru....thickness definitely effects bass, but material effects brightness...

My brightest pick is 3.5mm thick...but I don't usre anything under 2.5, really.

bluesbassdad · #7 09-03-2011, 10:03 PM

I have picks (generally 1.0 mm and up) that sound fine with single-note lines, but sound clicky when I strum chords. By "clicky" I mean that I hear what sounds like the pick impacting the string before the string's vibration takes over.

Comments, anyone?

BrookTrout · #8 09-03-2011, 10:11 PM

Reading stuff like this is what got me to try thicker picks. That is how I handle GAS now. I just buy a new pick. Much cheaper than guitars. I find the heavier picks really let me hear everything my guitar can do. I don't like them for strumming though and stick with something in the .6 to .8 range for that.

I also have a problem controlling "pick click" when strumming with really heavy picks. Any pointers out there? It might be nice to get more bass in my strumming if I can avoid the excess pick sound.

jseth · #9 09-03-2011, 10:21 PM

I use an older Gibson Heavy, a smallish teardrop, black... they were getting hard to find in the 90's, so I bought a gross... and I'm still working through them! I have no idea of what thickness they are, in mm's... anyone know?

I have considered trying a Blue Chip, i just don't have any idea of what thickness to try!

After using heavy picks for quite a long time, anything thinner just feels and sounds "wimpy" to me... strumming really isn't that hard to adjust with a thicker pick; hold the pick a bit looser and use more wrist... the PLAYER is in charge of how and where he attacks the strings, after all! Hit it hard when you need to, back off a bit when you don't want that "wall of sound" effect...

play on...............................................>

John

Landru · #10 09-03-2011, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jseth

I have considered trying a Blue Chip, i just don't have any idea of what thickness to try!

John

Try a 50. BC makes a tear drop, called a TD. I use the TP60 - triangular and a little large but man, do I like the size and thickness. I've been using a jazz 1.5 mm and I'd say your pick is between 1mm and 1.25mm. The BC 50 is 1.25mm.

GibbyPrague · #11 09-04-2011, 12:41 AM

I agree with your general assessment, thicker for pickin' lighter fro strummin'm

I've experimented a lot until a Gibson dealer gave me a set of Gibson medium picks. Best I tried thus far, provide the clearest, true, natural tone of the guitar.

They are around .73 and work well both for strumming and pickin'. For my CW I use Tortex 60's to get that lush, woody tone when strummed.

naolslager · #12 09-04-2011, 05:30 AM

Wow! All these thick-pickers. I use 0.5mm max. Maybe I should try a thicker pick? I'm mostly a strumming but do experiment with "picking" a little.

Hank T. Tone · #13 09-04-2011, 05:41 AM

What does everybody think of bone picks? I tried a few and to my ear they make the strings sound really muffled.

Me&MyGuitar · #14 09-04-2011, 06:36 AM

We know that the sound coming out of a pick is related not only to the thickness but so much to materials and shape, and beveling, and picking angle and profile...
Time ago I made this short test with some of the picks I had, just to give an idea:
http://www.4shared.com/playlist/2aVl...PICK_TEST.html

dannylightning · #15 09-04-2011, 07:02 AM

yep, thicker brings out more low end bass and more low end midrange, the trebel may be the same but i think when you add more low end the low end drowns out some of the treble and makes the guitar sound darker or less bright.

i guess it jsut depends on what your looking for 1mm or 1.5mm are what i like to play with. the nylon dunlop picks are the best sounding inexpense picks i have found for acoustic guitar.