Different picks

[markipoo]

hey guys... ive been playing mostly with those fender picks at 0.7 to 1mm and my friend suggested we try out a higher end one... what are the obvious differences between the V picks / Gravity picks / Red bear pick / Bluechip and Blackdiamond picks... i heard the black diamond never wears LoL haha we mainly do flat picking and strumming any picks to recomend? thanks

[GibbyPrague]

Most of those picks you'll need to keep in min are quite thick at 1mm + weights. If you like that then give it a go, personally I find picks in that weight range (over 1mm) to sound god awful.

[markipoo]

i have a dunlop stubby... sounds like im finger picking/strumming LoL is that right?

[GHS]

I too have found that the heavier than 1.5 mm picks, if they are not of a very hard type of plastic, muddy the sound, loss of brightness I'd say.

[CoffeeGuitar]

alot of these companies do 1mm picks which sound pretty good but personally i like buffalo horn plecs

[HHP]

I haven't tried them all. In general, the higher end picks tend to provide most advantage if you are playing complex single note lines or crosspicking, less if you are strumming rhythm. The thicker stock tends to give you more control and the material and shape/point/bevel will shape the sound. Thinner plastic picks tend to have a "playing card in a bicycle wheel" sound to me. The better high end picks provide clarity, articulation, and a tonal range free of a lot of sonic junk. They are different so you have to try them to find what suits you but many of the more costly brands offer money back so the risk is small.

[rlouie]

I started out using a .60 mm and gradually went up as my playing got better and I learned to control the pick. I am now at about a 2mm pick. I'd start with the cheapest and work my way up. I could never go back to a thin pick now as I think they sound flimsy and clicky......learning a good picking technique will help you enjoy those thicker picks...........

[bfloyd6969]

Thick picks (say in the 1.5mm ~ 2.0mm range) can sound dull and muddy... if they are not beveled. I bevel all my own picks in the higher thickness', and that's all I use now. My favorite guage is in the 1.2mm ~ 1.5mm range. A tip on how to bevel - take an extra heavy Fender white celluloid pick. Play for an hour or so and look where the pick is dirty. This is your picking style. Now, take an emory file, or some medium grit sandpaper and sand on the dirt marks at a 45 deg angle a bit to the tip. Don't sand too much, but enough to create a bevel. For most right handed players, this area will be on the right side of the pick, on both front and back. Once you've created the bevel, use a very fine grit and polish it up to smooth things back out. The end result will be a brighter sounding, full bodied tone

Of course this is very subjective from player to player, but I find most players I talk to like this approach.

[RussMason]

I play fingerstyle, and don't flat-pick or strum very much.

But I'll tell you what I once did when I played (strummed) mandolin. This might be useful to you.

If you are playing rhythm and strum a lot, but don't like the clacky sound of a plastic pick, here is something to consider.

If you look around, you can find a fairly hard white felt pick. It's about 1/8" thick and very dense. Then you soak it in warm water for an hour, or maybe less.

After that it becomes very pliable and can 'flap' back and forth.

When you strum with this softened felt pick, you get a very mellow sound, that is kind of a nice drone, but can still make your guitar ring if you handle it right. I made a few of them, and still use them from time to time if we're just singing camp songs, or songs that just need a strumming rhythm.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

I mostly play fingerstyle, but recently bought some gravity picks and a Wegen 2.5 Trimus to try. The gravity picks are very good, but I think a little small. I like a bigger pick and in my opinion the Wegen is superb. I guess it all depends on how you play, like the others have mentioned, thicker picks are better for single note playing. The only thing is to buy a few and try them, I would never go back to a cheap store bought pick again.
Hope this helps,
Malcolm

[frankhond]

+1 for Wegen, they come pre-bevelled and even the thick ones still have a lot of brightness. You need clean pick technique though, otherwise there is a lot of noise.

[rmyAddison]

To me thin pick, thin sound. I don't know any of my playing friends who use thin picks anymore, and we pretty much all did when we were younger.

I use tortoise and Blue Chip in the 1.5mm range. Heavier picks with a good bevel provide way more control than thin flexible picks, my experience, my opinion. Different strokes................

[Fatstrat]

Altho I tend to use the same type/brand of pick for most picking. (Medium Store cheapies that I have several of). I have other picks that I use if I want a different tone.
Approach picks like you would strings. Experiment and note the differences. Then choose what best suits you.
I personally don't buy into the high dollar picks. My most expensive is a horn pick that cost me $2. Not that I might not become a believer. But I'll have find one to sample before I break out my wallet.

[Garthman]

I use a Dunlop Nylon 3mm Big Stubby.

[gtr1x]

Does anyone here use a different pick for different guitars? I have a darker sounding guitar that sounds better with a thinner pick (.73). I usually use an .88 on a custom mahogany OM.

mark