Taylor Guitar Picks

[rpatkin]

I use the Thermex 1.5, and find they work well for a warm, balanced tone (I hybrid pick to I am always looking for a pick that is sonically similar to my fingertip/nail sound)

[SeaTay]

The Taylor podcast introduced me to the idea that the pick can significantly change the sound of the guitar. That was news to me as I've only been playing a couple years now. Most of the time I gravitate towards finger picking or just using fingernails to strum.

I decided to start experimenting with picks and got almost the entire line of tortex and enjoyed those at the time. The thinner the pick the brighter the sound it seemed to me. However, the thinner the pick, the more "thwap" sound against the strings.

Then I bought almost the entire Taylor line. I like the sound of blue and pink swirls (the type and thickness have rubbed off) for strumming, but I find that I lose grip way to easily and I'm not sure how to fix that. I'm sure there's a skill I'm lacking. The blue and red swirls somehow seem to have have a fairly bright sound, but much less "thwap".

So now I've bought Dunlop Max-Grip .6 and .73 (but the Primetone .73 with texture is on backorder from juststrings ) for strumming. The sound of Max-Grip is a bit too thin and "thwappy" for me but at least I can hang on to them. The Primetone sound is just about right but is less flexible.

The Taylor Thermex Pro 1.5 is my go to for single string picking.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by OKCtodd71

I tried the Darktone large triangle 346 and thought the tip was too rounded for anything but strumming.

Interesting. I've been looking for a triangle ivoroid pick for at least a year, and just ordered a set of the 346s. Being rounded for strumming seems perfect for what I'm after.

I'm grateful to whoever started this thread. The guitar shop I usually patronize doesn't carry Taylor picks, and these may be exactly what I've been searching for. We'll know soon.

[beninma]

I had a lot of trouble with picks slipping in my fingers when I started playing guitar so had experimented a lot and obviously became aware the picks changed the tone a LOT early on in my journey. To me the pick can almost change the sound more than the guitar!

I've had the Taylor picks for at least a year now, I got some 1.5mm Thermex Pro, 1mm, and some of their celluloid ones, they're really excellent picks for the cost. I don't find them slippery and particularly the "Thermex Ultra" picks are just great for tone. The "Thermex Pro" is ultra ultra dark/warm sounding.

I have some Blue Chips too and I go back and forth between the Taylors and the Blue Chips. Lately I've been on the Blue Chips, the ones I like are TD35, so almost the same size & shape as the Taylor picks I have. It depends on what I'm playing at a given time whether I'll want to play the Blue Chip or the Taylor. The Blue chips are better for fast single note runs and such and are generally brighter with a more pronounced attack.

I had never even heard of D'andrea when I got the Taylor picks, seems like they need some more marketing.

[OKCtodd71]

Does anybody know if the D'Andrea Ultra plecs and Radex pick come out warped and twisted, or become so deformed like the ProPlecs? I like the sound of PP's but cannot abide flatpicks that are not flat.

[Matt G]

Originally Posted by OKCtodd71

Does anybody know if the D'Andrea Ultra plecs and Radex pick come out warped and twisted, or become so deformed like the ProPlecs? I like the sound of PP's but cannot abide flatpicks that are not flat.

Radex and Ultra Plecs picks have never warped or cupped for me - just the Pro Plecs. Of the three, Radex slides off the strings faster with less friction, so I can pick faster by a tiny margin. But Radex sounds thinner to me - more zingy and less round.

Pro Plecs in 351 shape are narrow enough that the cupping doesn't bother me much. But it's annoying in the wider 346.

[FrankHudson]

I like the D'Andrea ProPlec 1.5 in the larger 346 shape. Yes, they cup. I could see how that could bother people--since I'm nutty about flat picks, just about anything can bother me some of the time.

That said, they have a nice darker tone, and when you want it they deliver that. The cuping almost feels like a grip aid or a custom finger contour "feature" some days. I could see how those who love a Wegen pick or the like might feel like the ProPlec picks wouldn't feel "right" until they cupped.

I have a single Radex 1.25 in 346 shape. No cupping on mine. I don't use it much, so no comment on the sound.

[anjoga]

Hoping to get this thread going again. I got the new Taylor sampler pack in the fancy box and the standout pick in it to me was the 651 shape Taylex. Plays and sounds just perfect to my ears. Very little to no noise for both picking and strumming, and provides a nice balanced tone. Thinking about ordering the other Taylor 651 shapes, the Ivoroid and the Thermex Pro.

[619TF]

Originally Posted by anjoga

Hoping to get this thread going again. I got the new Taylor sampler pack in the fancy box and the standout pick in it to me was the 651 shape Taylex. Plays and sounds just perfect to my ears. Very little to no noise for both picking and strumming, and provides a nice balanced tone. Thinking about ordering the other Taylor 651 shapes, the Ivoroid and the Thermex Pro.

I've been waiting for the new sampler pack o' picks but haven't seen it on their (poorly maintained) site. Do you have a link?

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by 619TF

I've been waiting for the new sampler pack o' picks but haven't seen it on their (poorly maintained) site. Do you have a link?

I ordered from Musicians Friend. You have your choice of koa and plain tins. Same picks in each I believe:

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...picks&index=14

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...picks&index=15

[GTRGUY005]

I bought this sample pack from Thalia Capos. I was using medium picks until I got these but now see the light on thicker picks. They sound much warmer and feel great. I am enjoying the process of trying to hear and feel the difference between each type.

https://www.thaliacapos.com/collecti...ectors-edition

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by GTRGUY005

I bought this sample pack from Thalia Capos. I was using medium picks until I got these but now see the light on thicker picks. They sound much warmer and feel great. I am enjoying the process of trying to hear and feel the difference between each type.

https://www.thaliacapos.com/collecti...ectors-edition

Yeah, nice. I have that same set. I really love that little 651 Taylex pick. Never expected that!

[619TF]

Originally Posted by anjoga

I ordered from Musicians Friend. You have your choice of koa and plain tins. Same picks in each I believe:

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...picks&index=14

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...picks&index=15

OK thanks. So it's $20 for a wood lid tin vs. metal. Interesting though even more fascinating is the failure of MF to state how many picks come in the tin and what types and gauges you'll get though I'm guessing it's the same 9 shown in the photos posted here (or we'd never know).

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by 619TF

OK thanks. So it's $20 for a wood lid tin vs. metal. Interesting though even more fascinating is the failure of MF to state how many picks come in the tin and what types and gauges you'll get though I'm guessing it's the same 9 shown in the photos posted here (or we'd never know).

The wood one has a nice leather liner too. Maybe not really a good value, but a nice little piece of kit. And yes, the picks included are as pictured.

[Charmed Life Picks]

As others have corroborated, I'm pretty sure the Taylor picks are made by a sub-vendor. The molds for injection molding are not cheap, and for them to dip their toe into a new category the people who control the money who be unlikely to open the purse strings.

Picks are kinda the opposite of Taylor's MO -- they're low volume, high margin, as opposed to large volume, lean margin. I hope they're successful in the category, but time will tell.

scott memmer