Pick Preference

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Bluemonk

And somes are lactose intolerant

Hah! You got me there, Monk!

sm

[RussL30]

Originally Posted by StrumNSing

I am like you with pick preference on thickness with primetone/ultex - I find .88-1.3 to be perfect. I lean one way or another based on the bevel. I lean toward .88 -.96 (without bevel) or 1 -1.3 (with bevel). I have others, too - for example, CLP .94 (no bevel) and Wegen 1.2 (with bevel) that I love.

I am ordering a blue chip pick but I am hesitating on what size to order. I think I'll need a 40, 45, and 50 to compare in order to know for sure.

So I may have to order 3 and send 2 back?

Yeah the bevel is really nice on the heavier prime tones. Learning to use these different sizes and the bevels well well as rotating the pick has really enhanced my playing.

[Guilty Spark]

After running the gamut and a/b/c/d/e/f and g'ing picks of all materials.............I always seem to come back to nylon picks. Depending on what I'm playing, I gravitate mostly toward the Dunlop Maxgrip .60, the Dunlop USA Nylon .73, the Herco Flex 50 (if memory serves it's around .65) and the Dunlop Nylon USA .88.

If I'm not using nylon, I seem to go back to trusty, old cellulose - Fender or Dunlop mediums.

For thumb picks I like the Fred Kelly SlickPick in a large medium or a Herco HE113 (heavy). It's a standard-sized pick on a thumband. You can grab it and kind of hold it like a regular pick, which I have trouble doing with the Kelly or similar, standard thumb picks.

For finger picks, I have next to no finger nails at all, so it's ProPik finger picks all the way. They are simply perfect for my nubs.

[billder99]

I believe you can get decent tone out of almost any pick (exception...not the floppy little thin ones), any thickness, any shape. The thing I care about is the feel of the pick in my right hand, and that it is not always squirming away from my grip (light as a feather). The ones I've settled on are by Cool Music... Cool Pick, Juratex, accu-grip, .8 or 1.0

[mikerofone]

I've tried every pick under the sun and nothing for my ears compares to an authentic t-shell. Yes, they are ridiculously expensive but I used to lose cheap picks all the time. I've never lost a t-shell. I guess when they are that expensive you just pay a little closer attention to where you leave them or keep them (famous last words!). I'm of the same mind as a previous reply in that if I'm spending multiple thousands of dollars on a high-end Martin, I'm not going to skimp on picks. Tone is everything!

[6 Strings MI]

Ah, yes...picks. I collected 20 to 30 of them between 1997 and 2007. Not too long ago, I decided they should be stored in something other than a decrepit zipper bag...and if I was going to do that, why not learn how to play guitar? So, in a way, it is the seemingly humble guitar pick that led me here.

I took the "try different picks and see what you like" mantra a bit too seriously...there are probably close to 300 picks in my box of guitar consumables! Thus far, I prefer the sound (not quite as bright, to my ears) and texture of Delrin and Tortex. I will use a celluloid pick or a Clayton Ultem if I want a brighter sound while strumming. When I'm single-note picking, I don't notice a huge difference in the sound of different materials...or perhaps I've spent too much time using celluloid for that purpose. I'll experiment more with that tomorrow. I also have some older Fender California Clears (I bought a lot of 100) that I need to further evaluate. Earlier today, I received some Clayton acetal picks, .38mm thick...talk about pick noise!

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Most of us have boxes full of old, rejected picks that we have bought over the years before developing our style and finding our ideal pick.

I have a bag o' rejected picks...and I haven't even been playing a full two months! The nylon Lyon by Washburn (they came with the aforementioned lot of Fender California Clears, and I didn't care for the sound) and some heavy Jim Dunlop "gels" (I found them rather reluctant to release) that I still have are in that bag. As of right now, I could probably divest myself of most of my heavy picks without any guilt.

I think the most I've paid for a pick is $1. The ones that cost more than $0.50 apiece go into the binder, and as long as they remain in my possession, will never touch a string.

And that pretty well sums up my thoughts on picks.

[cdkrugjr]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Incidentally, what I’ve found when I’ve had a chance to meet guitar forum and newsgroup participants in person and hear them play is that the guys who are that snobbish over minutia like that are invariably the lousiest players.

Hey now!

I thought I was the lousiest player!

[stratokatsu]

I try to use a variety of materials and textures. I hear such a difference in the sound of my guitars based on the texture of the pick I use. Sometimes I like it and sometimes i don't.

For strumming a guitar that's typically loud, I might prefer a thin pick.

I like to tease that the slapping pick sound is the extent of my percussion talent.

[6 Strings MI]

Originally Posted by cdkrugjr

Hey now!

I thought I was the lousiest player!

I could give you a serious run for your money in lousiness!