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  #1  
Old 07-21-2020, 08:06 AM
anjoga anjoga is offline
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Default Can’t pick a pick!

My pick preference seems to change daily. A little background, I play a Taylor 214ce-k DLX. Sounds great, plays great. It has a bit meatier sound compared to other 214’s I’ve played in stores. I’m still experimenting with what strings I like on it best, and right now I’ve got Martin Lifespan 2.0 on it. I bought them because they were cheap on sale, and they were one of the few strings I haven’t tried yet. To my surprise, they sound really great on this guitar.

Anyway, I can’t settle on one pick to use to practice and play with consistently so that I can just focus on the music. One day the .88 prime tone grip sounds great, the next it seems too clicky. Then the 1.14 Dunlop nylon max grip sounds fat and warm, with good detail thanks to the slightly sharper point, the next day it sounds dull and lifeless. Then the classic fender medium feels perfect, smooth and buttery with excellent clarity, the next day it sounds harsh and scratchy. I could go on and on with my ridiculous collection of cheap picks.

Does anyone else have this problem? I really want to settle on one pick for consistency and not think about it, but it seems like my guitar or my ears change daily.

Last edited by anjoga; 10-04-2022 at 08:00 PM.
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Old 07-21-2020, 08:19 AM
Lillis Lillis is offline
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I’m the exact same way but recently I keep gravitating (To my surprise) to Dunlop gel mediums. Great feel,tone and price. The heavies are nice too.
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  #3  
Old 07-21-2020, 08:23 AM
anjoga anjoga is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lillis View Post
I’m the exact same way but recently I keep gravitating (To my surprise) to Dunlop gel mediums. Great feel,tone and price. The heavies are nice too.
I don’t actually have those....I’ll add it to the list to try!
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Old 07-21-2020, 08:31 AM
rmp rmp is offline
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D'Andrea picks have been working for me. Tear drop 0.73m..

That said, the majority of my acoustic playing is fingers, although I do use Pro Pick thumb picks as well as bare thumb...
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Old 07-21-2020, 08:32 AM
Goat Mick Goat Mick is offline
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I firmly believe that choosing a good quality pick makes a difference, however you're allowing that obsession get in the way of your practicing and it's being detrimental. Pick up some good Ultex picks around 0.88 - 1.00 in thickness and use nothing but them to practice. Don't allow yourself to start down the rabbit hole and derail your practice time. Ultex is a good neutral material and those thicknesses are very stable and easy to handle. You can use your couch time when you're not seriously practicing to chase down pick nirvana.
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Old 07-21-2020, 08:39 AM
Shepsdad Shepsdad is offline
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Have you tried the dunlop ultex picks? I’ve pretty much settled in on the ultex .60, yes, it’s a thinner pick, but it’s rigid. I drifted from pick to pick for the last year or so, and like you, I’ve amassed a vast collection, but a few months ago when my ultex variety pack arrived, I was absolutely hooked on the.60. I still occasionally use a Flow.73 but 95% of the time it’s the ultex now. Tone, feel, and grip are exactly what I was looking for.
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Old 07-21-2020, 08:40 AM
pieterh pieterh is offline
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I guess I have had similar experiences in the past which have led me to where I am now.

I don’t like regular plastic picks on the whole any more. Many years ago I started to use nylon picks even though they felt odd to begin with and now I rarely use anything else though I’m ok with Tortex.

It meant I needed to experiment with gauges in order to find out what worked for me. My conclusion was that the black Dunlop (1mm) is ideal for me for acoustic flatpicking and pretty much all electric playing, 88mm is ideal for most other acoustic work, and 73 is lovely for soft acoustic strumming where that soft pick noise on the strings is desirable.

Anything thicker gives a sound that is too hard for me though I fully understand why others love thicker picks. Very occasionally I will use thicker picks with bass guitar to get that hard attack but usually I play with fingers and most of my bass jobs don’t need that kind of sound.
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Old 07-21-2020, 08:41 AM
MakingMusic MakingMusic is offline
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I have given up on finding the one "perfect" pick and now have my preferred cluster.

When selecting picks, there are a number of things to consider. One of the hardest decisions is determining the best thickness. That seems to change a lot. Deciding on the shape of the tip is easier. Generally, I use a more rounded pick for strumming chords and a more pointed pick for playing leads. And just when you have that down, you have to consider size and material.

So after trying dozens of permutations of the above, I’ve found that there is not just one “right” pick. The style of music I'm playing, the brightness of the tone I’m looking for, the volume, the part I’m playing, etc. all factor in. Maybe that’s why guitarists always have so many picks! And maybe that's why there's so much variety on the market.
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Old 07-21-2020, 08:41 AM
pieterh pieterh is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shepsdad View Post
Have you tried the dunlop ultex picks? I’ve pretty much settled in on the ultex .60, yes, it’s a thinner pick, but it’s rigid. I drifted from pick to pick for the last year or so, and like you, I’ve amassed a vast collection, but a few months ago when my ultex variety pack arrived, I was absolutely hooked on the.60. I still occasionally use a Flow.73 but 95% of the time it’s the ultex now. Tone, feel, and grip are exactly what I was looking for.

Interesting! I will try them when I can, thanks for the tip.
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  #10  
Old 07-21-2020, 08:42 AM
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UncleJesse UncleJesse is offline
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I go back and forth on picks. BC TD60, CT55, TAD50, and a CLP Black Triangle 1.5. Depending on the guitar and the day. I will say about once every few weeks or so I find myself A/B'ing them against one another instead of just playing like Mick said. Don't do that!
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Old 07-21-2020, 09:24 AM
anjoga anjoga is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Goat Mick View Post
I firmly believe that choosing a good quality pick makes a difference, however you're allowing that obsession get in the way of your practicing and it's being detrimental. Pick up some good Ultex picks around 0.88 - 1.00 in thickness and use nothing but them to practice. Don't allow yourself to start down the rabbit hole and derail your practice time. Ultex is a good neutral material and those thicknesses are very stable and easy to handle. You can use your couch time when you're not seriously practicing to chase down pick nirvana.
This is solid advice, I’m sure of it. I do have ultex picks in a few thicknesses and shapes, but they don’t really do much for me. Out of all of them, I think I like the .73 ultex the best, but I’m not really drawn to it. I’ll give them another serious try and and see what happens. Thanks.
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Old 07-21-2020, 10:10 AM
3notes 3notes is offline
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You need to try a 3.0mm pick. Or at least a 2mm pick. Seems to me you're not happy with what you've got and everyone is pointing you to the same range of thicknesses. You need to change it and going from a .60 to a .88 has been tried. You need to try different, heavier picks. But above all, you need to settle into one or the other.

Also, while I understand picks can 'sound' different, it's more about the strings and the guitar. Not the pick.

Big Stubby from Dunlop. 3.0mm.
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Old 07-21-2020, 11:27 AM
anjoga anjoga is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3notes View Post
You need to try a 3.0mm pick. Or at least a 2mm pick. Seems to me you're not happy with what you've got and everyone is pointing you to the same range of thicknesses. You need to change it and going from a .60 to a .88 has been tried. You need to try different, heavier picks. But above all, you need to settle into one or the other.

Also, while I understand picks can 'sound' different, it's more about the strings and the guitar. Not the pick.

Big Stubby from Dunlop. 3.0mm.
I do actually have a primetone 1.5mm and 2.0mm. I don’t really like either of them. Lol... Maybe the big stubby would be different.
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Last edited by anjoga; 07-21-2020 at 11:39 AM.
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Old 07-21-2020, 11:40 AM
bufflehead bufflehead is offline
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This month, for me, is the Taylor Ivoroid 346 in 1.21mm. You can get a six-pack of these for $12. The ivoroid enriches a guitar's warm tones.
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Old 07-21-2020, 03:00 PM
CASD57 CASD57 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anjoga View Post
My pick preference seems to change daily. A little background, I play a Taylor 214ce-k DLX. Sounds great, plays great. It has a bit meatier sound compared to other 214’s I’ve played in stores. I’m still experimenting with what strings I like on it best, and right now I’ve got......gulp.....Martin Lifespan 2.0 on it. I bought them because they were cheap on sale, and they were one of the few strings I haven’t tried yet. To my surprise, they sound really great on this guitar.

Anyway, I can’t settle on one pick to use to practice and play with consistently so that I can just focus on the music. One day the .88 prime tone grip sounds great, the next it seems too clicky. Then the 1.14 Dunlop nylon max grip sounds fat and warm, with good detail thanks to the slightly sharper point, the next day it sounds dull and lifeless. Then the classic fender medium feels perfect, smooth and buttery with excellent clarity, the next day it sounds harsh and scratchy. I could go on and on with my ridiculous collection of cheap picks.

Does anyone else have this problem? I really want to settle on one pick for consistency and not think about it, but it seems like my guitar or my ears change daily.
I've tried a lot of picks even the Primetone. But always go back to Dunlop Ultrex 1.14 large triangle it just sounds best for me
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