Best pick for nylon?

[BoneDigger]

Perhaps a strange question... For those that flat pick a classical guitar, do you use the same gauge and type as with a steel string? Does light, medium, or heavy generally work best? I'm mostly playing single string notes, not so much strumming.

Todd

[MojoRisin]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Perhaps a strange question... For those that flat pick a classical guitar, do you use the same gauge and type as with a steel string? Does light, medium, or heavy generally work best? I'm mostly playing single string notes, not so much strumming.

Todd

I don't really do it all that often, but when I do I'm usually trying to work on building up some kind of hybrid picking technique. So I want something that can stay secured to my thumb. I've tried a few different thumb picks, but the one that seems the most comfortable to me is a Jim Dunlop Herco pick. I've tried a few different ones, but I think I'm liking the medium one the best. It seems to work good for just about anything. But I have tried just about all of the picks I have for steel string and they all work well enough. Maybe the best advice is to stick with one you're already comfortable with.

As a side note...I was at a Mexican restaurant a few weeks ago where a performer was playing mostly spanish/flamenco style and I took note that he was playing a Yamaha classical instrument with a Herco pick most of the time.

[Bikewer]

I play my two nylon-string "Mini" guitars with a pick occasionally, almost like a mandolin.
I use the red Dunlop "jazz" picks. They are quite rounded in profile and give a decent tone without worrying about damaging things.

[Brent Hahn]

Nylon pickers unite! I use Fender Heavy or even Extra Heavy (hard to find). I like a roundish sound, and I'm incapable of speed so that's a non-issue.

Pretty sure this was done with an Extra Heavy:



And this was probably a Heavy (in the bg and hard to hear, sorry):

http://radioactive.la/711_leaves.mp3

[Brent Hahn]

duplicate -- oops

I rarely use a pick on my classical guitar, but when I do it is usually a Dunlop Delrin .46. This is lighter than what I use on my steel string. I generally play my steel string with finger picks, but when I use a flatpick, I usually use a Delrin .71 or Tortex .73.

[pf400]

I do blues and many other tunes that sound best with a pick, often looping the chords fingerstyle and adding leads or looped melodies using a pick. 1 mm picks are my favs, and sometimes a Dunlop 1.5 - the one with a dragon head printed. The latter brings out a deeper tone, hard to explain, but sounds really nice on wound strings. I use a Dunlop thumb pick for some tunes but the bare thumb works best for some tunes. Best thing to do is experiment. I put a note "tpick" on my songlist for the tunes that sound best with thumbpick. LOVE the playability and tone of my nylon string hybrid.

[Red_Label]

I use a pick most of the time (ala Rodrigo from Rodrigo Y Gabriela). I've been playing this way for years, because I was having trouble getting the picado speed and accuracy that I wanted with fingernails. I use Dunlop Jazz III XL picks exclusively. I like the accuracy of the sharp point, and the stiffness of that pick (which results in no pick-flop lag when playing fast). I used to use D'Addario extra hard tension composites. But these days I much prefer the bright, snappy flamenco tone of the Luthier Populare Supreme 20 set. Because of their regular tension, they are much easier on my guitar necks as well.

[SprintBob]

Like a steel string, you'll get a palette of tones from different picks on a nylon string guitar. You should experiment with thin and thick picks and trust your ears. It's a fun science project.

[rolavine]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Perhaps a strange question... For those that flat pick a classical guitar, do you use the same gauge and type as with a steel string? Does light, medium, or heavy generally work best? I'm mostly playing single string notes, not so much strumming.

Todd

PICK? Sacrilege, a device used by a barbarian or otherwise commercially motivated heathen. Only one exception, Willie Nelson!

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by rolavine

PICK? Sacrilege, a device used by a barbarian or otherwise commercially motivated heathen. Only one exception, Willie Nelson!

Then Grady Martin was a sacrilegious, commercially motivated heathen, and quite possibly a barbarian as well. His Devil's horns must've chafed uncomfortably under that medieval helmet.

[Dave T]

Originally Posted by MojoRisin

As a side note...I was at a Mexican restaurant a few weeks ago where a performer was playing mostly spanish/flamenco style and I took note that he was playing a Yamaha classical instrument with a Herco pick most of the time.

He was not playing "Spanish/flamenco style". That would be with fingers and thumb. He was playing what I think of as "Mexican restaurant style", generally involving a mid-level, nylon stringed guitar played with either a flat pick or thumb pick. Perfectly suitable for gringo audiences. (smile)

Dave

[mr. beaumont]

I do occasionally use a pick on nylon (great for many latin styles and jazz) and I do use the same pick as I do on steel strings--but just because I got lucky and it works.

I use a D'Andrea "Pro-Plec." Nice quiet attack, no "click," which can be really bad on nylon with some materials.

[StephenHD35]

I use a Blue Chip TP60 when I play my Martins 00-18g and 00-28g. I really like the way these guitars sound with a flat pick. They are, however, the only nylon string guitars I play with picks.

[BernebeM50]

I have never used a pick on a classical guitar. It doesn't seem right somehow as I have only used nails for the past 25 years. At least you wouldn't have to constantly care for your nails. I hate it when I break one, it throws my playing off completely until it can grow back the right length. I should try finger picks to see how they sound and feel.