John Pearce Casein

[personatech]

I own both a John Pearse casein (1.14mm) and a Charmed Life flame casein (.75). I much prefer the CLP, but whether it's because of its appearance, or thickness, or the material it is made of, I can't say.

[Melt in the Sun]

Maybe your answer was so informative that nobody else needed to comment?

I had a JP casein pick, and I absolutely hated it and wondered why anyone would ever use this on a guitar! For my taste, it sucked all the treble out and I didn't like the absolute inflexibility (even of the 1mm i had) for strumming. Then, I tried it on my mandolin...absolutely magical. It tames the screechiness in that soprano instrument.

I broke it in half while fidgeting with it during a meeting. I've got my name on the list for the traveling pick sampler over on that mandolin forum, so will be buying another (or some other brand) once I get to try a few.

[kizz]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

I just want to point out what happened here. As I predicted, as soon as people saw my post in this thread, they immediately abandoned it, stopped posting, and now it has withered and died.

I've seen this happen a thousand times. You guys had a great discussion going until I posted. My post killed it. This is the reason It's why I've learned to stay out of these discussions till they age.

Here's the plan. As soon as one of you see this post, please post something new in the thread. That will bump it back onto the first page, where it was before I intruded. I'll then contact the mods and ask them to remove my posts, at which point you will get your discussion back.

So strange. But such is life.

scott

I don't see anything wrong with your posts Scott, you explain things nicely so maybe people just got the answers they were looking for, at least i did. Threads go to sleep and wake up, that's normal.

[drtedtan]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

I just want to point out what happened here. As I predicted, as soon as people saw my post in this thread, they immediately abandoned it, stopped posting, and now it has withered and died.

I've seen this happen a thousand times. You guys had a great discussion going until I posted. My post killed it. This is the reason It's why I've learned to stay out of these discussions till they age.

Here's the plan. As soon as one of you see this post, please post something new in the thread. That will bump it back onto the first page, where it was before I intruded. I'll then contact the mods and ask them to remove my posts, at which point you will get your discussion back.

So strange. But such is life.

scott

I’m sure it had nothing to do with your post; you merely provided some clarification.

Shifting to a tangential topic, how does casein work in thinner thicknesses? I have casein picks, but they tend to be thick (between 1.25 and 2mm), but am interested in picking up some thinner casein picks if they hold up.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by drtedtan

I’m sure it had nothing to do with your post; you merely provided some clarification.

Shifting to a tangential topic, how does casein work in thinner thicknesses? I have casein picks, but they tend to be thick (between 1.25 and 2mm), but am interested in picking up some thinner casein picks if they hold up.

i have a couple of large triangle casein picks in a .75 thickness, all but given to me by a pick maker because they didn't think they should sell them that skinny (could break, could warp, could wear unacceptably fast, etc). I've been happily playing them for a couple years with no issues. They're brighter sounding than similar shaped and thickness vespel picks, and I go back and forth according to what sounds better to me that day. So it's not like I play them constantly, but I play them plenty, with no ill effects. This is mostly for strumming - I prefer thicker casein picks with sharper corners for picking.

-Ray

[dnf777]

Originally Posted by drtedtan

I’m sure it had nothing to do with your post; you merely provided some clarification.

Shifting to a tangential topic, how does casein work in thinner thicknesses? I have casein picks, but they tend to be thick (between 1.25 and 2mm), but am interested in picking up some thinner casein picks if they hold up.

I agree with Ray, above. IMO, casein is best suited at 1.5mm. Or above. They are brittle, and prone to breakage when thinner.

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by drtedtan

I’m sure it had nothing to do with your post; you merely provided some clarification.



Shifting to a tangential topic, how does casein work in thinner thicknesses? I have casein picks, but they tend to be thick (between 1.25 and 2mm), but am interested in picking up some thinner casein picks if they hold up.

I have casein picks made for me in both tri’s and teardrops by Charmed Life and Nik (his D shape) from Apollo that are anywhere between .90mm and 1.2mm. They won’t replace them for breakage at these thicknesses but I have a fairly light to medium attack and haven’t lost any so far. I’ve played with some thicker ones but prefer the sound and feel of the ones that are .90. I have a couple of .75mm but they sound a bit thin to me.
Best,
Jayne

[Br1ck]

I'm a total believer in Charmed Life picks. They are the only casein picks I've played. They feel great, and sound great on both guitar and mandolin. I won't be trying anything else, because when I like something, I tend to stick with it. Dazzo pickups and SunnAudio Preamps are some other products I like.

The very best products that I buy tend to be more expensive than cheaper offerings, and I keep buying them. I haven't worn out a CL nor have I lost one. My only problem is not needing more. Perhaps a pretty new color is in order.

Originally Posted by personatech

I own both a John Pearse casein (1.14mm) and a Charmed Life flame casein (.75). I much prefer the CLP, but whether it's because of its appearance, or thickness, or the material it is made of, I can't say.

I am a +1,000 for Charmed Life. They are literally life changing picks. Did not think it was possible, but it's true. I started with a pair of the Blem .75s, got addicted immediately and ordered another set, plus a 1.0 blue one so I could try a bit heavier pick on my new guitar. They are all really nice. I strum energetically but not "aggressively," so the .75s are perfect for me. They are beautiful and feel good. They are plenty sturdy. If someone has a very heavy strumming style, a thicker one would probably be better anyway.

Originally Posted by dnf777

I agree with Ray, above. IMO, casein is best suited at 1.5mm. Or above. They are brittle, and prone to breakage when thinner.

Have not had that experience myself. YMMV and all that. Was it a CLP that broke or a different brand? If it was a CLP, contact Scott. He really cares about his customers, and I'm sure he will help you out.

[HogsNRoses]

Originally Posted by drtedtan

I’m sure it had nothing to do with your post; you merely provided some clarification.

Shifting to a tangential topic, how does casein work in thinner thicknesses? I have casein picks, but they tend to be thick (between 1.25 and 2mm), but am interested in picking up some thinner casein picks if they hold up.

Thin casein picks are the bomb, IMHO. I have a few that are about 0.75mm and thinner. They come from thicker casein picks that warped, and I sanded away the warp.

At that thickness, they define “warm.” Nice and bright without harshness. They are loud - as loud as Wegen picks.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by dnf777

I agree with Ray, above. IMO, casein is best suited at 1.5mm. Or above. They are brittle, and prone to breakage when thinner.

If I’m the “Ray, above” you were referring to, you misread what I said. Yeah, I prefer thicker casein picks for picking, for reasons having to do with sound and attack. But I’ve been using very thin, .75mm casein picks for close to two years, primarily for strumming, lots of it fairly aggressive, and those couple of thin casein picks are still going strong, with no damage or warp age or anything. Mine feel like they should be somewhat brittle, but they haven’t been in practice…

-Ray

[Robin, Wales]

There are 3 aspects that define a pick's timbre:

Shape: particularly the shape of the part that strikes the strings.

Thickness: this also affects the shape of the part that strikes the strings.

Material: this impacts the timbre created by the shape of the part that strikes the strings.

For me - the JP casein picks are the wrong shape and the wrong thickness but the right material. I have made a bunch of casein picks myself, and I really like the material It takes quite a lot of effort to make one pick and I am inconsistent when making my own picks, so I rarely use them now. I buy commercial picks instead of making them now because of their consistency - if I find something that I really like then I can buy it again. But from having been through the process of making my own picks I can see why boutique picks are the price that they are.

[drtedtan]

Thanks for the feedback on thinner casein picks. Looks like I need to buy a couple and try them out for myself.