What Makes A Great Pick Great? Is It Science or Smoke & Mirrors?

[LSemmens]

Scott, I appreciate you efforts to explain the differences in picks and so on. I was pleasantly surprised that you were willing to cite your competitors as viable alternatives. To me, that shows an absolute confidence in your product and the ability of us all to determine the veracity, or not, of your statements.

Personally, I prefer, Dunlop Ultex, but that is more about longevity and the feel as I play. It has less to do with sound, given that I am primarily a strummer, that would explain my preference. I can totally see the reasoning that the science involved in aircraft, etc, has a bearing on the pick. It all adds up to strength, flexibility and smooth contact with the string.

You have convinced me to seriously consider a CL pick in the future.

I'm sure that there would have been some form of research into these materials and the suitability for plectrum materials, possibly a subject for a doctoral thesis including double blind tests of different materials would make for interesting results.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by LSemmens

Scott, I appreciate you efforts to explain the differences in picks and so on. I was pleasantly surprised that you were willing to cite your competitors as viable alternatives. To me, that shows an absolute confidence in your product and the ability of us all to determine the veracity, or not, of your statements.

Personally, I prefer, Dunlop Ultex, but that is more about longevity and the feel as I play. It has less to do with sound, given that I am primarily a strummer, that would explain my preference. I can totally see the reasoning that the science involved in aircraft, etc, has a bearing on the pick. It all adds up to strength, flexibility and smooth contact with the string.

You have convinced me to seriously consider a CL pick in the future.

I'm sure that there would have been some form of research into these materials and the suitability for plectrum materials, possibly a subject for a doctoral thesis including double blind tests of different materials would make for interesting results.

That would be fine, except that you would have to remove the human from the equation. We're too 'variable' for consistency, and personal preference isn't scientific.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

I liked the P1 for the same reason I like valve (tube) radios, vintage 35mm Canon cameras and steam locomotives; they're built to last; my Grundig 2035/W3D set sounds as good today as it did in 1956!

Grundig. Wow, Andrew, you go WAY back. I used to be in the home hi-fi biz. One of the coolest things I owned was an enormous Luxman tuner-amp.

Sorry for delayed response.

sm

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by LSemmens

Scott, I appreciate you efforts to explain the differences in picks and so on. I was pleasantly surprised that you were willing to cite your competitors as viable alternatives. To me, that shows an absolute confidence in your product and the ability of us all to determine the veracity, or not, of your statements.

Personally, I prefer, Dunlop Ultex, but that is more about longevity and the feel as I play. It has less to do with sound, given that I am primarily a strummer, that would explain my preference. I can totally see the reasoning that the science involved in aircraft, etc, has a bearing on the pick. It all adds up to strength, flexibility and smooth contact with the string.

You have convinced me to seriously consider a CL pick in the future.

I'm sure that there would have been some form of research into these materials and the suitability for plectrum materials, possibly a subject for a doctoral thesis including double blind tests of different materials would make for interesting results.

LSemmens, sorry for taking so long to respond to this. This discussion was hot and heavy, so I let it sit for a while.

Appreciate the kind words. For me, it's more about integrity and the Golden Rule. Frankly, there are so many excellent pick companies and products, I'd actually be lying if I said they didn't make great products -- and that becomes a reflection on me, not them. My reputation is more important than any commercial considerations. What else does a man (or woman) have that is more important than a good name?

However, there's another, more practical reason for not lying. Many years ago I had the good fortune to be a field sales rep for Alpine Car Audio. They had a regional manager who lied through his teeth to all our customers; worse, he told a different lie to different people. I realized -- again, from a very pragmatic perspective -- that if I just told the same story, if I just told the truth, I didn't have to remember which lie I just told to which person.

Thanks again for your comments.

Have a Good One,
Scott Memmer

[00-28]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

However, there's another, more practical reason for not lying. Many years ago I had the good fortune to be a field sales rep for Alpine Car Audio. They had a regional manager who lied through his teeth to all our customers; worse, he told a different lie to different people. I realized -- again, from a very pragmatic perspective -- that if I just told the same story, if I just told the truth, I didn't have to remember which lie I just told to which person.

Thanks again for your comments.

Have a Good One,
Scott Memmer

I am honest because it is morally wrong to lie, not because it's too hard to remember which lies I told to who. I never had to consider any practical reasons not to lie.

......Mike

[HHP]

Originally Posted by 00-28

I am honest because it is morally wrong to lie, not because it's too hard to remember which lies I told to who. I never had to consider any practical reasons not to lie.

......Mike

How long have you been single?

[00-28]

Originally Posted by HHP

How long have you been single?

. My kids continue to remind me of those good days long past.

.............Mike

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by HHP

How long have you been single?

Haha! Luckily, I've been married to the same wonderful and amazing woman for 34 years. What saved our marriage was when she stopped listening to me, about twenty years ago.

There are those "little" lies, such as the response to, "Do I look fat in this dress?"

sm

[HHP]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

Haha! Luckily, I've been married to the same wonderful and amazing woman for 34 years. What saved our marriage was when she stopped listening to me, about twenty years ago.

There are those "little" lies, such as the response to, "Do I look fat in this dress?"

sm

Marriage was the 5 happiest years of my life. Unfortunately, I was married for 20.

[muscmp]

one pick isn't great. varieties of sizes and thicknesses as well as materials is what is great.

play music!

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by HHP

Marriage was the 5 happiest years of my life. Unfortunately, I was married for 20.

I don't know if you're old enough to remember Henny Youngman. Two of my faves:

1) I've been in love with the same woman for 45 years. If my wife finds out, she'll kill me.

2) Fortieth anniversary and the wife says, "I wanna go somewhere I've never been before." The husband says, "How about the kitchen?"

[merlin666]

I am totally clueless about manufacturing picks, or even about most of the materials that can be used. But I can state what makes a pick great for me: I started looking for the perfect pick as I became more diversified in my playing and I used an acoustic sic string, acoustic 12 string, a solidbody electric, and a semiacoustic. I used all of these four types of guitars for strumming, flatpicking, and leads and once I realized what a great effect the pick had on the sound I went on a quest to find a pick that sounded great on all types of guitars I used and everything I would want to play. So the perfect pick for me really is a multipurpose tool. I tried all picks that were avaialble in the late 70s, and the one I found that fit the bill was a black medium thickness Gibson pick made of a material called "Eboneen" and I bought a whole bunch of them. So I wore down my supply over the years and when it came to buying replacements I had to learn that these were no longer produced (a fact that is also lamented on other guitar related boards). Anyway, I am now using white Fender celluloid picks (as they are easy to find) but they are not close to the sound or comfortable feel of the old Gibsons.

So yeah if someone could find the formula to recreate those Eboneen picks that would be huge.

[HHP]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

I don't know if you're old enough to remember Henny Youngman. Two of my faves:

1) I've been in love with the same woman for 45 years. If my wife finds out, she'll kill me.

2) Fortieth anniversary and the wife says, "I wanna go somewhere I've never been before." The husband says, "How about the kitchen?"

Can't remember his name but he was Dean Martin's uncle..

"I'm in negotiations to do a nude love scene with Scarlet Johannsen"

"How's that going?"

"Fine, I want to do it. They don't want me to do it"

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by merlin666

I am totally clueless about manufacturing picks, or even about most of the materials that can be used. But I can state what makes a pick great for me: I started looking for the perfect pick as I became more diversified in my playing and I used an acoustic sic string, acoustic 12 string, a solidbody electric, and a semiacoustic. I used all of these four types of guitars for strumming, flatpicking, and leads and once I realized what a great effect the pick had on the sound I went on a quest to find a pick that sounded great on all types of guitars I used and everything I would want to play. So the perfect pick for me really is a multipurpose tool. I tried all picks that were avaialble in the late 70s, and the one I found that fit the bill was a black medium thickness Gibson pick made of a material called "Eboneen" and I bought a whole bunch of them. So I wore down my supply over the years and when it came to buying replacements I had to learn that these were no longer produced (a fact that is also lamented on other guitar related boards). Anyway, I am now using white Fender celluloid picks (as they are easy to find) but they are not close to the sound or comfortable feel of the old Gibsons.

So yeah if someone could find the formula to recreate those Eboneen picks that would be huge.

Merlin, very interesting. I've never heard about this material. Would love to see if another member here knows anything about this stuff.

Anybody out there?

Thanks,
Scott

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by HHP

Can't remember his name but he was Dean Martin's uncle..

"I'm in negotiations to do a nude love scene with Scarlet Johannsen"

"How's that going?"

"Fine, I want to do it. They don't want me to do it"

Henny Youngman had a similar one:

"We were discussing doing a movie with Farrah Fawcett. They said $25,000. I said, 'I'll pay it!"

Hey BTW, have you found a photo hosting site that does 3rd party hosting, to replace Photobucket?"

thanks,
scott