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#1
04-17-2018, 05:37 PM
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Take your pick (NPD)...
I put this in the Carbon Fiber sub-forum intentionally, because of comparing various picks on my Emerald X20 and X7 guitars. Yep, New Pick Day.
For some disclosure, I spent almost 50 years using mostly cheap picks... I considered them disposable, often going through several Wabash Blue picks a night. Years ago, I was given an actual tortoise shell pick, but put it away because I was using those cheap picks. When I did pull out that tortoise shell pick and started using it with my acoustic, I developed a new appreciation for the difference a good pick can make. When I wore that pick out years ago, I started on a quest to find something I would like as much. Today, I received a couple Charmed Life Picks that I ordered a while back: a red series 1.15mm and an n series (natural) .95mm. I already have a brown and a black CLP that I have been using for the past year. I have to say I am really enjoying these new picks! Here are some I compared today...  a - The Charmed Life Red (1.15mm) b - The Gravity Gold (1.1mm) c - The Charmed Life Black Series (1.0mm) d - The Charmed Life N (natural) Series (.95mm) e - The Gravity Acrylic (1.5mm) f - The Charmed Life Brown Series (.75mm) http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2018/04...your-pick.html Each has a different tone, and that varies somewhat on which guitar, as well. My new favorites: The Charmed Life Red on the X20 and the Charmed Life Natural on the X7 (different thicknesses on each of those). Since someone may ask: yes, I have tried carbon fiber picks in the past - didn't care for 'em. 
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#2
04-17-2018, 05:56 PM
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Don't you folks have fingers? Just asking.................
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#3
04-17-2018, 06:13 PM
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Quote:
Plus, I can break a fingernail while working on a boat and it won't mess with my guitar playing.
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#4
04-17-2018, 06:17 PM
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As a desert rat, I've never had the opportunity to break a nail on a boat--that's the thing that floats on water, right? I started life with a shovel, and I'll probably go that way. The important thing, though, is that there is no one way to heaven. You pick ahead, I'll finger along.
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#5
04-17-2018, 06:37 PM
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Quote:
I discovered I have a battle on my hands!! My thumbs are opposing my fingers (or digits some may say)!! Ok,ok I got that from my own quote just below in my signature...
__________________
YUP.... Emerald: X-20, Center hole X-10 (Maple) and X-7 (redwood), Spalted Chen Chen X 10 level 3, CA: Early OX and Cargo McPherson: Early Kevin Michael Proto Some wood things by Epi, Harmony, Takamine, Good Time, PRS, Slick, Gypsy Music, keyboards, wind controllers.. etc
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#8
04-18-2018, 02:48 PM
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Jim, thanks for the post, and to the other posters as well.
scott memmer
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#9
04-18-2018, 04:41 PM
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Quote:
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#10
04-19-2018, 12:14 AM
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Jim, thanks. It's been great getting to you a bit as a friend as well. That red material is to die for.
Enjoy! Scott
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#11
04-19-2018, 06:38 AM
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We fingerstyle players are always looking for the best possible thumb pick so I sent an email to Scott at Charmed Life. He got back to me that afternoon and said that a thumb pick was in the works but a year or two down the road. So, the good side of this situation is that I can continue blaming my poor play on existing thumb picks.
__________________
Jim in St. Louis Taylor NS34c Tayor 616 (2016) Emerald Custom X20 Artisan Some past guitars: 1968 Martin D35-S Martin 00-28VS Rainsong Dread
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#12
04-19-2018, 06:47 AM
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How do you find the Gravity gold versus the acrylic? I only use two kinds of picks- Wegen and Gravity. I like the heavier picks- 3-3.5mm. But I have only tried the acrylic Gravity, never their gold series. Do you hear/feel much of a difference?
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#13
04-19-2018, 07:54 AM
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Quote:
Until trying a variety of materials and thickness with picks, I could not have imagined the pick makes much of a difference. Just like different strings. I rotate through picks when I add some new ones, getting a feel for which I prefer with each guitar. Like discovering ergonomics in guitars makes a big difference in the playing experience, picks also feel different... some are slick, some warm up and feel stickier as you play with them. Some glide over the strings, some give more power. I started this "pick journey" years ago when my wife bought me a Pick Punch. At first, I did the "punching out credit and gift cards," then tried some of the different materials offered by Pick Punch. There is a limit to how thick of a material you can use with that. That's when I started trying different upscale picks... at first, I thought $5 for a pick was outrageous. When you consider you will spend 3 times that on a set of strings, then change 'em out in a couple months, $20 to $40 on a pick that will last for years doesn't seem out of line. Well, that's my justification.
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#14
04-19-2018, 08:07 AM
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Is your acrylic Gravity one with the rough edge or smooth? I got a pack of picks from them that had a variety of shapes and sizes from Gravity. I have noticed a huge difference between the smoothed and rough edges that came with that pack. I tend to prefer the smooth edge with acoustic and rough edge with electric.
Give the Wegen picks a try. I think you’ll like them. They’ve got a nice bevel and a really smooth sound. They have a perfect indention for your thumb too. I think spending $10 on a pick makes sense. The sound difference is huge. What is this Pick Punch?
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