Pick help - soft sound

[HHP]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

I really do not see why such an elaborate discussion of buying new picks abounds in this thread. No pick will give you control of your dynamics. That is in your fingers.

The pick defines the limits of what you can do with your fingers.

[VJP5]

Originally Posted by HHP

Get the thickest pick you can find with a rounded edge. Try a 1.92 Clayton Acetal.

You do not want the $50 pick, as it is designed to do just the opposite of your goal.

Thanks! I will try one. Good to know on the $50 pick too!

Originally Posted by Cobby

It sounds like you're in the same boat as a buddy of mine. He likes to use Wedgie Rubber guitar picks to get that softer sound that you describe.

Originally Posted by Mooh

Try a Wedgie Rubber pick:

Thanks. I will give that try

Originally Posted by Oldguy64

Have you tried a Dava pick yet?

No....but I will now

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

I really do not see why such an elaborate discussion of buying new picks abounds in this thread. No pick will give you control of your dynamics. That is in your fingers.

I guess some people, mainly myself, just aren't as smart and talented as you are. So a wood pick and a .40 nylon pick can give you the same tone due to your fingers?

[Bingoccc]

Another vote for Clayton Acetal as relatively quiet pick. Try drilling two or three small holes in it. This will let you grip it more loosely. As I think was said, with more experience you'll find that a lot of the tone control will come from your hands.

[Dirty Bill]

I tried the V Pick "Screamer" and it really made the guitar quieter. Too quiet for me. I use med strings on a D-35.

[VJP5]

I've had a week or so with both the Clayton and the Wedgie and here are my findings:

Clayton Acetal 1.90 - Picked it up and thought "Da-- this is thick!". Strummed my first chord and it was louder than all get out - both in volume and in "clicking" sound. Disappointment in full swing. I could barely hang on to the pick, so out came the drill. Huge improvement once I drilled a couple small holes. Now that I was able to hold on to the pick better, I was able to control it more. And by sheer accident, I hit the strings just a little bit off the point and a HUGE smile swept across my face. Almost no click and a perfect mellow tone.

Pros - phenomenal mellow sound without the click. It is a thick pick so drilling a hole or two definitely helped with my ability to control the location. You can change 'tone' within a song by changing the attack spot (true of most picks, but see below for difference)

Cons - it takes some playing time to find 'the spot' and then hit it consistently (not there yet but working on it ).

Wedgie - as it literally is some kind of rubber compound, I had a weird look on my face as soon as I picked it up. I have no other 'rubber-like' picks so it is definitely a strange feeling. That look went away on the first down strum. An absolutely beautiful, subdued tone. No searching for 'the spot', just an instant sound I was looking for. That was until I tried to strum up. For whatever reason (probably all lack of skill), the pick would 'stick' when I strummed up. It would hang up just enough to where you could hear a break in the sound. Nothing major, but clearly noticeable. After a couple days, I found a better attack angle for the up strums and that 'hitch' is all but gone.

Pros - no sweet spot to look for..you can hit at any spot on the pick.

Cons - the up strum takes a little work (but certainly not insurmountable). You cannot really change the tone (sharp, crisp to mellow) with this pick. It's all mellow.

I will definitely continue to use both as I like the characteristics of them. But I can see me leaning towards the Clayton as I can really add more style to a song by switching from clear/crisp to mellow.

Thanks for all the advice and input. I hope this review helps someone else searching for a different 'sound'. Thank God picks are cheap. I will probably order a Dava pick next just to see what that one can do.

Keep strummin'