Does anyone here use Celluloid anymore?

[anjoga]

Seems like everyone uses either Blue Chips or Casein or other fancy custom picks. Granted, I still haven't tried a Blue Chip, and my Casein experience is limited to JP fast turtles and clayton nutones, but I keep coming back to my extra heavy celluloid picks, especially on my new AD17e Blacktop. I've got some nice D’Addario 1.25mm celluloid triangles and standard shape picks that have a nice warm tone with very little pick noise. The primetone smooth 1.3mm and 1.5mm I have are close seconds, but celluloid just sounds and feels right to me.

I'm assuming people have moved on to more modern pick materials for good reason, but I keep coming back to classic celluloid.

[Bluemonk]

I use two materials - celluloid (various brands) and vespel (Blue Chip). I have an incredible casein pick, but it is thicker than I prefer and I haven't gotten comfortable enough to use it. If I could find a good 358 (small teardrop) casein pick at 1.2 mm, I would be all over it.

[Yale C]

I like celluloid, keep a few of the clown barf golden gates on hand, but I bevel them just a bit.

I’m just spoiled by speed bevels (usually use charmed life casein, Blue Chip, and Wegen CF 140, or small triangle primetone), and once you use those for so long, the round edge celluloid and other materials seem slow and dull.

I’ve used celluloid to a point where it wore its own bevel, but’s it kind raggedy at that point.

Try one of the picks I mentioned, you may be surprised.

[Cameleye]

I use the heavy celluloid picks from Collings.

[Rev Roy]

I’m a cheap date. Celluloid all the way. Buy ‘em by the dozen. Have ‘em all over the house.

[Shaneh]

I use all sorts of picks but I feel different guitars seem to like different picks but maybe I am crazy. I found that there are many I like, ultem, fender mediums, Clayton protein picks, but the Dava green picks work for me on most guitars so I use them a lot. I have some wegen and had a CL but they didn’t bring anything special to the table for me personally. Though I like wegen mandolin picks for mandolin almost exclusively

[D-Guitar]

I use celluloid picks because of the smooth finish. My slightly moistened fingers stick to the slick celluloid finish like a suction cup on glass. I have tried many other picks of various price ranges and I "think" I perceive a better tone from some that are not celluloid but I like the ability to hold on to the fender 351 and 346 celluloid picks.

[MartinGibsonFan]

I don't use any Celluloid (cellulose)

But I sure have plenty of it !!



MGF

[gfspencer]

I make my own water buffalo horn picks.

[FrankHudson]

Celluloid? Somehow there's a Kinks song playing on in head....

I used an 351 Fender Extra Heavy for electric and sometimes for acoustic for years. As I've mentioned in other threads, I've become nutty about picks in my old age and often go through 2 or 3 before I think "Yes, this one today" when playing something. I'll still use that old standby, though I'm most often using a 346 sized pick nowadays made of other materials.

I've also mostly moved over to beveled picks, often a Primetone. The old Fenders would get bevels from playing after quite a bit of playing. I like the one casein pick type I have, which is unbeveled, but the natural "slickness" of that material to the string seems to have some of the same benefits as a bevel.

For someone who likes celluloid and doesn't want to do their own bevel, or wait for a bevel to form "naturally," they could try the Fender F Grip Picks. Sweetwater has them in 351, 346, and 551 shapes.

Fender F grip picks

This is a thick pick (1.5 mm) that sounds a bit thinner, made in a Oreo sandwich manner. The middle "filling" sticks out give the effect of slight bevel, a little greater than just a round over, but nowhere as large as other bevels. I haven't had mine long enough to know how it'll wear over time, but it's an interesting pick and the grip function from the side that has the F logo also works well as a grip aid.

If you're a Fender Medium kind of player, this pick won't likely work for you. If you've played a Fender Heavy or Extra Heavy, this is a bit stiffer than an extra heavy and sounds a little closer to a heavy.

[lowrider]

I like Fender Celluloids; medium and heavey with a slight bevel. The fanciest I got with picks was Primetones and I thought they sounded dull, so it's Fender celluloid for me.

[anjoga]

@FrankHudson I'm going to have to try one of those F grip picks. Thanks for posting that.

I never liked the 346 style picks, feel too big in my hand, but grabbed the 346 extra heavy D’Addario pick out of my pick box and it sounds great on my AD17e Blacktop. I like it enough that I ordered the same shape primetone in 1.4mm. Hopefully I find a winner there.

[MikeBmusic]

Fender Heavy for over 4 decades...

[rwmct]

I use a few different picks, all inexpensive, including the Fender medium and the Dunlap Gator .96.

I don't have enough of a touch to really notice the difference, to be honest.

[bufflehead]

I use vespel, casein, ultex and ivoroid picks. No more room in the case for celluloid.