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  #1  
Old 08-18-2012, 02:53 PM
Irishanthem Irishanthem is offline
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Default Picks for recording rhythm guitar??

What gauge or thickness of picks do you recommend for recording strummy rhythm guitar tracks? I've been using mediums with my CA's and Taylors and I can't get a nice balanced tone in my small studio. I am considering a fender thin pick but I'm curious what any of you use to record.

Does anyone know how many mm a Fender thin pick is? I've read that for rhythm guitar a 60 mm pick is ideal and even at 73 mm the tone of the guitar begins to get raspy. I'm guessing a Fender thin pick is about 60 mm but I'm not sure. If anyone has any input I'd appreciate it. Thanks!!
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Old 08-18-2012, 02:58 PM
HHP HHP is offline
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A thin is about .46. I would think you might go heavier to reduce the slap noise and warm up the tone. It does take a little playing to adapt but it may move you in the direction you want.
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Old 08-18-2012, 02:58 PM
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Default Picks for recording rhythm guitar??

I generally find a medium gauge pick, something in the ,75 to .88, to be about perfect for strumming. My favorites are the yellow Dunlop Ultex picks.

Todd
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Old 08-18-2012, 03:14 PM
Irishanthem Irishanthem is offline
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I actually found a bunch of old pics to compare. It looks like the Fender thin is round 60 MM and maybe a bit thicker than that. A medium looks like about 73 mm.

Does anyone have an idea what Jars of Clay uses to record strummy rhythm tracks? They have the best sounding acoustic guitars on their recordings, in my opinion.
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Old 08-19-2012, 02:20 AM
PaulS. PaulS. is offline
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Take this with a huge grain of salt because I am hardly the expert, and don't record. I played with thin picks for years. About a year ago, I switched to Fender mediums. They are thick enough to play hard without the "click" a lighter pick gives off, and I can always back off a bit when I need to.
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Old 08-19-2012, 03:11 AM
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Try a Dunlop standard nylon like a .60 or .73 for a start.

You're focusing on pick thickness but not the material the pick is made of.

You might want to also try a Herco Flex 50.

Or a Fender celluloid thin...

Or a Dunlop Standard Nylon .46mm...

Or a Tortex .50mm...

Last edited by Guest 429; 04-23-2014 at 01:48 PM.
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Old 08-19-2012, 04:10 AM
Everettrg2 Everettrg2 is offline
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Hi Irishanthem,

The suggestion of a .73 nylon pick is a good one, they're generally still a bit more flexible than celluloid of the same thickness. However, I find that a quality .73 (medium) Celluloid pick is one of the best all around picks for Rythm and Lead work, especially If swapping between the two. My two must-have picks are Martin branded medium celluloid, and Dunlop L-M Gel Picks, the green ones. They give a warmer, smoother Rythm tone, but don't give you that slapping noise from thinner picks. Very quiet, and thin enough to not be getting to much bass unless you try for it. To each their own, however.

Best of luck searching!

Cheers,
Everett
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Old 08-19-2012, 04:28 AM
Irishanthem Irishanthem is offline
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Thanks for all the good advice! I appreciate it. Any micing techniques you guys recommend for someone recording in a small room that doesn't sound the greatest?
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Old 08-19-2012, 07:01 AM
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Bob Womack Bob Womack is offline
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Back to picks, I'm going to break with the pack here. Besides being an avocational and sometimes sessions guitarist, I'm a full time recording engineer. Rhythm guitar is, by and large, really a rhythm instrument. A high-end rhythm instrument. You want upper-end chirp and you don't want a really full sound. If you as the guitarist don't provide that that engineer will simply have to make it happen with EQ. As a result, a full-bodied pick quite often doesn't contribute. I worked with people who used everything from stiff and thick to thin and have found that for ensemble rhythm work, the various mediums are on the upper end of what I use and recommend. Lights show up pretty often. I've got a clear blue extra light Washburn pick from the '70s that I sometimes use as well.

It all comes down to the guitar's position in the mix. If we are talking about a "special," guitar and voice only, I'll go up as far as the Dunlop Delrin .71 sometimes. If we are talking about the chinka-chinka sound in a full group I'm usually on a Fender medium or light.

Honestly, the best way to counter a bad room is to eliminate it via proximity. I've gotten good results using 90' coincident mics placed at the joint of the neck for rhythm guitar. I've had to roll off bass because of the closeness of the cardioid mics, but I've gotten good results with it in a bedroom. By the way, a full room with a rug kills reflections better than an empty one with hard floor.

Bob
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Old 08-19-2012, 07:42 AM
JayMack JayMack is offline
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Strumming requires highly developed technique, like anything else. I know players who can perform any kind of strumming you want with a very thick pick. I have seen less experienced players accomplish the rhythmic aspect of strumming more easily with a very thin pick ---BUT the tone they produced was awful from a recording point of view (think playing card in bicycle spokes).

So, does that mean thick picks are good and thin, bad? No, but I think the judgement that thicker tends towards a more substantial tone and thinner tends toward less tone and more "click/clack-iness."

My goal when recording acoustic guitar is to capture the sound of the guitar that is appropriate to the context of the musical presentation which can vary greatly:
  • Rock band w/extra guitar (acoustic, heavy strummer)
  • Acoustic guitar duo
  • Solo singer songwriter
  • Electronic pop song

I will almost always ask a strummer with a thin pick to try a thicker pick or one of a different material. I keep a tin with dozens of types of picks at the studio.

jay
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Old 08-19-2012, 10:56 AM
silvertone62 silvertone62 is offline
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I concur with Bob Womack, and having myself been both a rhythm guitar session player( and producer), he hit the nail square on the head. Rhythm guitar is a rhythm instrument, and the striking (or flapping) sound of the pick is part of the package. Fender medium picks can be heard on so many recordings-they are truly the Swiss Army Knife guitar pick. Need more flap? Try a lighter gauge. Hard "plasticky" materials provide more sharp strike than nylon.

Currently my favorite rhytmn flat picks of choice are Cool Picks Ultra .8mm and Cool Picks Juratex .8mm. Both can be found at Elderly at a decent per pick price. The Ultra has a tad bit more bite than the Juratex.

Have fun with your search.
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Old 08-19-2012, 12:54 PM
audiosoul audiosoul is offline
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I am suprised no one has asked this question. What gauge strings are you using? This will have a effect on what gauge pick to use for the sound you are after....
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  #13  
Old 08-19-2012, 03:57 PM
Guest 429
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Womack View Post
Back to picks, I'm going to break with the pack here. Besides being an avocational and sometimes sessions guitarist, I'm a full time recording engineer. Rhythm guitar is, by and large, really a rhythm instrument. A high-end rhythm instrument. You want upper-end chirp and you don't want a really full sound. If you as the guitarist don't provide that that engineer will simply have to make it happen with EQ. As a result, a full-bodied pick quite often doesn't contribute. I worked with people who used everything from stiff and thick to thin and have found that for ensemble rhythm work, the various mediums are on the upper end of what I use and recommend. Lights show up pretty often. I've got a clear blue extra light Washburn pick from the '70s that I sometimes use as well.

It all comes down to the guitar's position in the mix. If we are talking about a "special," guitar and voice only, I'll go up as far as the Dunlop Delrin .71 sometimes. If we are talking about the chinka-chinka sound in a full group I'm usually on a Fender medium or light.

Bob
Bob, thanks for your reply. To my own surprise...can get what I need with a Fender 355 medium large triangle celluloid (shell).

Last edited by Guest 429; 04-02-2019 at 09:30 AM.
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