Gasp! Guy reviews picks, likes affordable best

[Shortfinger]

He's a solid player, has reviewed many many fine old Martins and other guitars on his YouTube channel. Five picks played, all recorded so you cannot see which, then he reports what sounds and feels best to him.

Prices between under a buck up to $25.

Likes the Jim Dunlop Primetone best. The three-buck-chuck of picks. Hat tip to Trader Joe's.

I like them too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxlI0Z7krsI&loop=0

[MaurysMusic]

Jeremy is a good dude. Thanks for the heads-up; I look forward to watching & listening.

[CosmicOsmo]

Primetone small triangles are my go-to for acoustic. I actually slightly prefer them over blue chips, as I find they're just a bit brighter with just the right amount of pick attack. The blue chips have so little pick noise they sound just a bit "dead" to my ears. The primetones don't last nearly as long as blue chips, but they're still very long-wearing and the price advantage more than makes up for it.

[lowrider]

I think a lot of those who use ''boutique'' picks use a much heavier pick. Maybe that has something to do with it.

[Osage]

I've used yellow Dunlop .73 for probably 20 years. During the pandemic I ordered over 100 different picks at all different price points. I tried every single one of them and in the end, my favorite was a free white Chicago Music Exchange branded one one that CME had tossed in with an order of some other picks. I called them up and their white pick is just a Dunlop .73 just in a different color. i'm glad I tried them all out but thought that it was pretty funny that my favorite pick was just the ones I was already using, even if I didn't know it. Bonus points that they costs about $0.35 each. I like fresh picks and just did a two week tour with a new pick every night and it cost me about $4.

[Marshall]

I like Dunlap Primetones too. They are in my top 3 at the moment. But my new favorite are D'Addario Duralin .70mm.

Pick preference is a personal thing. I've tried $35 picks. They're OK. But I prefer these $.39 picks best. They don't seem to wear down quickly and nick like my old celluloid picks. There's good feel and balance between stiffness and flexibility, and have excellent tone. And the yellow color will make them easier to find.

[tinnitus]

I'm perfectly okay with players willing to pony up $3-40 for a single pick if that's what they like. They're typically too thick/heavy for me (the picks not the players) and they don't feel/sound good with my electrics or acoustics.

+1 here for the Dunlop Tortex .73, which can be used in countless ways to elicit tons of different sounds and effects. Takes me a song or two to custom "bevel" the edges, and a gig or two to wear one out completely. Toss, replace, repeat.

[Osage]

Originally Posted by tinnitus

+1 here for the Dunlop Tortex .73, which can be used in countless ways to elicit tons of different sounds and effects.

One of the things I really like about them is exactly this! You can really make them sound like a thinner or thicker pick depending on how you use them and that can't be said for all picks.

[Jaxon]

and for all the v-pick lovers here haha-hardy-har...I've been using a traditional lite 1.5mm teardrop v-pick for years, has never broke or worn any but now I don't beat and bang the hades out of a pick/guitar, no need to and minimal strumming. i'm involved in NO volume competitions and never will be...

[Br1ck]

Yeah, such a guy. Bought a BRZ D 28 from an old guy for $3500 and flipped it for over $6,000. Someone felt so bad they bought the guitar to give back to the old owner.

Picks were up to $25? Most of the picks I use have been $45 +. I wish it wasn't so but it is what it is. Charmed Life Casein for me. I do not think people picking a Primetone are wrong. They are very good picks, particularly if you need brightness. But to really know, you have to try. I was at one time an I'll never pay that much kind of guy. Times have changed.

Primetones are IMHO the best affordable pick I've tried.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by Shortfinger

He's a solid player, has reviewed many many fine old Martins and other guitars on his YouTube channel. Five picks played, all recorded so you cannot see which, then he reports what sounds and feels best to him.

Prices between under a buck up to $25.

Likes the Jim Dunlop Primetone best. The three-buck-chuck of picks. Hat tip to Trader Joe's.

I like them too.

Yup. I have some Primetone 1.3s for when I play mando. It's the first time I've liked a mando pick.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

Yeah, such a guy. Bought a BRZ D 28 from an old guy for $3500 and flipped it for over $6,000. Someone felt so bad they bought the guitar to give back to the old owner.

Originally Posted by Br1ck

I wish it wasn't so but it is what it is. Charmed Life Casein for me. I do not think people picking a Primetone are wrong. They are very good picks, particularly if you need brightness. But to really know, you have to try. I was at one time an I'll never pay that much kind of guy. Times have changed.

Primetones are IMHO the best affordable pick I've tried.

All of this ^.

I have to admit for me, and it's just me, the hardy har-har from those intent on making fun of the more expensive pick users gets pretty biblically old around here. It reminds me of the "humidity problems are a wives' tale" crowd. I'm sorry to be so blunt and I'm not pointing fingers specifically, but I'm willing to bet a decent proportion of those who wag their fingers, boast their opinion, and chuckle from their high horse probably couldn't hear the difference in the first place.

Sorry to be on the grumpy side here but expensive picks, for those willing to learn to take advantage of what they offer, are undoubtedly, indisputably and palpably usable tone generators some of which are much, much better, at least for me, at the task than other less expensive choices.

I too like Primetone picks and they are usually my second choice so I would never discount them as anything short of a great choice for a very wide variety of applications. They are far too bright for most recordings, but as a sit-down and just play they have a great projection, a decent touch, and decent push-back. My pick basket is full of 75mm's so I'm very familiar with them. The only picks I own are Charmed Life, Primetones, and BlueChips. But for me, and again it's most likely just me, they can't come close to the tone, variability, touch, and sonic of my Charmed Life picks, or in other applications (recording), my BlueChip.

Use what works...all good there. Gloating, (and that's how it often comes across, not always, but certainly often) that the cheap pick wins and "inferring" (that's how it often comes across) the expensive pick is a ridiculous price to pay and doing so distills to falling for snake oil, gets Titanically old. There is folk here that I know spent a holy fortune on a capo but chuckle at the $30.00 pick. I can guarantee the pick makes a bigger difference as to tone than the hand-made capo. As I said what works, works and I'm A-O-K if ya choose to use a broken 1970's Fender light pick or $500.00 capo. I wouldn't presume to make a detrimental judgment either which way. The proof is always in the pudding. No finger-wagging here.

[UncleJesse]

He says there are 3 main types of pics, nylon, tortex, and synthetic tortoiseshell. Ask anyone here and you're bound to get another half dozen types of material commonly used in picks. Just off the top of my head, I can think of Vespel, Peek, PEI, Casein, Celluloid, acrylic, horn, bone, shell, metal, and tusq.

[DanR]

Primetone .88 picks are my favorite and work for me with both acoustic and electric guitars.

[SRL]

I personally only use picks carved from pure uranium, I always give them glowing reviews!

Seriously though, I like Dunlop primetones for bright picks and Dunlop Gator Grips for a darker sound, mellower on the ears for long practice sessions.

Fancy picks are fine and all but keeping track of them stressed me out...