Does anyone here use Celluloid anymore?

[Wade Hampton]

My longtime personal preference for picks is for D’Andrea medium-heavy Classic Celluloid picks, which are the exact same thing as the Fender medium-heavy picks that Fender marketed for a while in the 70’s and 80’s. I use them on almost every stringed instrument that I play, except for clawhammer style five string banjo.

I’ve mostly switched over to Blue Chip Vespel TD-35’s on mandolin, and use those pricey little numbers about half of the time on my acoustic baritone guitar, too. But on mandolin especially that choice is as much about the durability of the Vespel picks as it is about the sound.

Celluloid picks sound sweet to my ear in a way that all of the other plastics besides Vespel don’t. Also, while I have given other more modern pick materials like Delrin and Tortex the good old college try, they don’t hold their shape nearly as well as celluloid - instead they start becoming curved like one of those Frito “Scoop” chips intended for scooping up dip.

So that spoon-trending tendency of many of these more modern plastics drives me crazy; I need to have the pointy tip or rounded edge of the pick I’m using to be right where it’s supposed to be, not gradually leaning in one direction and listing in the wind like a sailboat.

As for the more recent plastics being used like these Ultex, Vespex, (?) Primetone and others, they don’t share the same tendency to try turning into a scoop shape to the same extent. But I just don’t like the tone that they generate as much as celluloid‘s tone.

So like my fellow travelers in our shared, clandestine loyalty to celluloid picks who’ve posted in this thread already, I get lots of D’Andrea medium-heavy Classic Celluloid picks and have abundant supplies of them in the house and perhaps half a dozen in each instrument case except for my five string banjos.

In the past twenty years the availability of the D’Andrea medium-heavy celluloid picks in music stores has gone from difficult to find to virtually impossible. But fortunately they remain available by the half-gross on Amazon, so I get them there.

For me celluloid medium-heavy picks are the ideal pick because they have just enough slight flex to them for playing rhythm parts, but are rigid enough to still give a good tone when playing melodies and lead licks.

Which is basically what I do on guitar, mandolin, mountain dulcimer and every other instrument to varying degrees. “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing,” and playing solid rhythm parts on all of the instruments I use professionally and at home is every bit as important so far as I’m concerned as playing lead parts, perhaps even more so.

So I have to have picks that can handle both jobs, and for me it’s much easier to have just one type pick so that I can reach into a pocket and grab, knowing that no matter which pick I choose is going to be the correct one.

For me, only medium-heavy celluloid picks can do that, so that’s what I use.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[frankmcr]

I have tried Blue Chip picks and did not like them, but I am glad they bring happiness to others.

As for celluloid, I think the Fender 358 Medium is still the best all around guitar pick in the business. I have a box full of them stashed away, and I keep half a dozen or so in every guitar case and around the house in ashtrays for instant availability.

PSA - do not store celluloid guitar picks in ashtrays if you or anyone you know still smokes. Trust me on this.

[DukeX]

I use Celluloid on my electrics, Tortex or Ultex on acoustics.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

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

Yeah, and they’re unpleasant neighbors, besides: if you put a bunch of different picks into the case pockets of your guitar cases, the celluloid picks are the ones that get into screaming arguments with their significant others in the middle of the night, play their horrible music too loud, and never correct their kids’ misbehavior.

Plus they’re terrible drivers, too, always knocking over their neighbors’ garbage cans and sometimes denting their cars, as well: “Hey, sorry about that, Mr. Fancypants casein pick, sorry I dented your widdle Toyota Prius, heh heh heh...”

So I fully understand your reluctance to let them mingle with your better-behaved picks, Bufflehead.

Oh no, that celluloid pick just said: “Hey, y’all, watch THIS!!”

Better duck and cover...


Wade Hampton “Yee Haw!” Miller

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

PSA - do not store celluloid guitar picks in ashtrays if you or anyone you know still smokes. Trust me on this.

Oh, yeah - that’s like the unparalleled excitement of setting off Roman candles in the comfort of your own home!


whm

[Matt G]

I use celluloid picks -- extra heavy and thicker on days when I want the mellow, smooth tone of celluloid.

[aeisen93]

I just bought Fender Celluloid 351 Shape picks today. They seem great!

[Scotso]

I use whatever is around, But Fender heavy seem to around a lot. Have some tusq and others around. I chock down on em so even the floppiest pick becomes stiff. So doesn't make much difference to me

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

So I fully understand your reluctance to let them mingle with your better-behaved picks, Bufflehead.

Oh no, that celluloid pick just said: “Hey, y’all, watch THIS!!”

Better duck and cover...


Wade Hampton “Yee Haw!” Miller

The one that scares me is the celluloid pick that says, "Here, hold my beer."

Well, to be honest, I used to have room for a couple celluloids in my guitar case until a certain Wade Hampton turned me on the the little BlueChip box he uses to avoid using expensive picks. Bought one. It's cute, very, but there's no room for celluloid in one of those babies.

[LifesShort]

I use Fender Heavy quite often, though I do use vespel and casein, too. It just depends on the guitar, the song, and my mood.

[Silly Moustache]

Hi, I do b'lieve, that D'andrea first used celluloid waaaay back as an alternative to ts and other organic materials.

I have always thought that it wore very quickly and then made a scratchy nasty sound.

Before I discovered Blue Chip picks, (and Wegens) I used TS (still got loads) and Martin picks in delrin and nylon.

[BadWithNames]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

PSA - do not store celluloid guitar picks in ashtrays if you or anyone you know still smokes. Trust me on this.

OTOH might cause them to quit.

Also reading Wade Hampton’s post made me feel better. At my level of play I have no business holding a strong idiosyncratic preference, but I still love Fender 351 medium and heavy picks.

Now, let’s talk about colors - moto or clown barf?

[Earl49]

Yup, I do. For many years I used Tortex or other textured picks of thinner grades like 0.63 or 0.73. But I slowly got into thicker picks and ended up preferring the heavy Fender celluloid pick. I scored packs of them at several different Taylor Road Shows (because everyone else wanted thinner gauges) and that is mostly what I prefer these days. The graphics don't matter, but the pick sure feels nice to work with and sounds good -- for me. As a plus the glossy surface sticks well to a slightly moistened finger, better than the Tortex ever did.

[Mike McLenison]

I have an array of picks from bone to horn to plexi but I favor my 3 mm Dunlop Stubby picks. The best fiddy cent spent.

[J Patrick]

I typically use a bunch of different picks in a single session....I spect it’s because of my ADD.....in any case...i have Casein, Vespel, Acrylic resin, Peek, Delrin, Wood and Celluloid picks in my pick case...the only thing they have in common is that they’re all relatively thick...1 to 2.5 mm....I am often amazed at how little difference there is in the tone between them all....subtle differences when I’m really paying attention but overall they all sound fairly similar....I think the biggest difference is on the dull to bright spectrum.....that you can change a lot with pick choice....and .they do feel different which affects my playing a bit....and the different shapes and bevels are quite noticeable and also impact my playing....

....so even though I’m technically a pickaholic I could easily get by with any one of them...except maybe the wood pick...it sounds and feels great but I doubt it would hold up over time....a celluloid pick would certainly be just fine....