Pick's Effect on Sound

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

Have you tried any Graph Tech Tusq pics? They fit your description to a tee.

You can buy them in three different tonal offerings. Sweetwater carries them.

Found some; and on your recommendation have ordered a pack of .88 in 'white'. If they're no good you're in big trouble!

[JMYMusic]

Originally Posted by musicman1951

Yes, considerable difference in sound and feel.

Your range of experimentation is far to narrow (IMHO), lots of picks out there with wide differences in materials and thickness.

I assume this note was for me as the OP. Yes - still in my early stages of learning, so I am just starting to experiment. Don't want to drive myself crazy with too many choices at the moment

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Found some; and on your recommendation have ordered a pack of .88 in 'white'. If they're no good you're in big trouble!

You will should find the .88's pretty stiff. They will give you a crisp tone. The question is will it be too stiff and too crisp. I have used them in the beige color which they claim are slightly warmer than the white ones. I have also used their .68's which are as stiff or stiffer than most other .88's or .90 ultex or even the .96 gator grips. I actually use Graph Techs when my strings start going very dead to brighten up the tone.
Let us all know what you think.

[Shadowfox]

I just can't figure out why anyone wants to go under .75mm on a pick. On my martin DX1 it likes 1.14 ultex, and it sounded great.

On my GA Alpine/Cocobolo Furch, it loves the Brown Charmed Life picks, as well as the Primetone and Ultex. The new Ernie Ball Everlast pics are pretty solid too! However, I never go above .9mm on my GA.

[OneThing]

Wouldn't this forum be boring if we all used the same picks, guitars, strings, and amplifiers! I have a large collection of picks, from very expensive to super cheap. I hang on to all of them, but I only use one type of pick..... the 2.5mm Badazz III from Chickenpicks. When you buy Chickenpicks they come with a black and yellow warning sticker..... "Warning these picks are not for everyone" or something like that. They are right, my guitarist friends gasp when they pick one up. I love them though and I can't get the same tone with any other pick.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by JMYMusic

…I'm curious - For those of you who are experienced guitarists, do you intentionally choose certain pick/string combinations to achieve a desired sound?

Hi JMYM

From a listener's viewpoint (I taught for 40 years and sat across from amazing players), the pick choice makes as big a difference as string choice.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Mr Bojangles

Did you miss the part of my post where I said that I have hundreds of picks?

Uh-oh, Plectrum Food Fight.

[Mr Bojangles]

Apparently the post was meant for the OP and not me.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by JMYMusic

Hello all,

As I continue my journey as a beginning acoustic guitar player, I have been experimenting with different picks and how they affect sound quality.

My observations so far:

Dunlop .46 nylon - makes the guitar sound thin and tinny
Dunlop Tortex Flex .50 - Nice balance between brightness and mid-range - so far my preferred sound
Dunlop Tortex .60 - Louder and very "throaty" tonal quality

I have enjoyed reading the threads on string selection and how it impacts sound, but I found myself very surprised by the difference pick selection can make. I can understand that a thicker pick is going to help the strings ring more, but in addition to volume, the tonal characteristics really change as well.

I'm curious - For those of you who are experienced guitarists, do you intentionally choose certain pick/string combinations to achieve a desired sound?

Hi, I've read throught the responses so far and so I'll add my bit :

picks are lke underpants! Everyone has their own preference and what is right foe me won't be the right thing for you, but ......

It is my experience that as we develop our playing style, we tend to start with light / thin picks and slowly go up in thickness over the years. Of course - this is a generalisation, but it happened to me and many others that I know.

The thinner the pick, (less than 1 m/m) the easier it is to strum the strings, but the more difficult it is to play more intricate melody lines or to get the best tone.

Very thick picks - (2 m/m plus) give very little "feedback to your picking hand, can sound rather dull, and need precise control - often favoured by jazz guitarists and very skilled bluegrassers etc.

I am more a bluegrass style picker, and I use 1.25 m/m large triangle (Blue chip TAD 50) picks for dreads and 1 m/m (TAD40) for smaller guitars.

I don't recommend these for relatively new guitarists, but you might try some cheaper picks such as Dunlop Tortex - say 1 m/m, and also maybe try some large triangles (which I find easier to hold and control and see if they work for you.

Like underpants, you gotta try a few types before you find what suits you, and most of us have large collections of picks we've tried ... and rejected.

Good luck!

[Charmed Life Picks]

Well stated. Thanks, Andy.

sm

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

You will should find the .88's pretty stiff. They will give you a crisp tone. The question is will it be too stiff and too crisp. I have used them in the beige color which they claim are slightly warmer than the white ones. I have also used their .68's which are as stiff or stiffer than most other .88's or .90 ultex or even the .96 gator grips. I actually use Graph Techs when my strings start going very dead to brighten up the tone.
Let us all know what you think.

Ok, the Graph Tech .88 'bright' white picks arrived this morning and I do like them. The stiffness:thickness ration seems about right, and they are definitely more rigid for the same thickness than either Tortex or Ultex (the latter being my preferred so far). Tonally they seem a bit darker than Ultex, but not drastically so-and they are easier to manipulate for flat-picking where a less stiff pick would lose articulation and flop around too much. So far so good, and thanks again for the recommendation.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Ok, the Graph Tech .88 'bright' white picks arrived this morning and I do like them. The stiffness:thickness ration seems about right, and they are definitely more rigid for the same thickness than either Tortex or Ultex (the latter being my preferred so far). Tonally they seem a bit darker than Ultex, but not drastically so-and they are easier to manipulate for flat-picking where a less stiff pick would lose articulation and flop around too much. So far so good, and thanks again for the recommendation.

Thank you for the update and I'm happy you won't be flying across the pond to come after me.
On another note, I have to pay a compliment to the Newtone String folks of the U.K.
Overall IMHO, they are the best non-coated strings I have used and I buy them quite often. Just trying to do my bit to keep the trade balance.