Best pick for CF guitar?

[douglasfan1]

Recently heard that thinner pick (less than 0.8mm) is better for CF guitar. I've tried thicker pick (1.0mm) but the tone is a bit odd...

Anyone use thick pick for CF guitar still can get a good tone? And would like to see what pick other people use

[jdinco]

Blue Chip TAD 40 works great for me, wood or CF. I've tried a lot of picks.

[Earl49]

As a rule, any pick that works well on a wood guitar will generally do well with CF too. IMO, it is more about technique and playing style. I tend to use heavier picks these days for everything. You will just have to experiment.

I recently ordered the V-picks sampler pack which contains seven of their mos popular models. Some are quite nice and some simply don't work for me (too small). The Tradition Ultra Lite is too light for me, and Tradition Lite seems to be my favorite -- for now. I keep all of them on my table next to the guitar chair and switch freely. It can be almost startling how much difference in tone there is between them. https://v-picks.com/shop/starter-kit-2/

[Captain Jim]

My pick choices have been Charmed Life NFR 1.15 and the Gravity Picks Gold Series, also 1.15. I can go a bit thinner on the Charmed Life black or brown series, .8 with my electric guitars.

Pick choice does make a difference, both in material and thickness.

[douglasfan1]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

My pick choices have been Charmed Life NFR 1.15 and the Gravity Picks Gold Series, also 1.15. I can go a bit thinner on the Charmed Life black or brown series, .8 with my electric guitars.

Pick choice does make a difference, both in material and thickness.

Strange. I heard that electric guitar usually stick with thicker pick as they need to play solo, starting from 1mm thick.
On the other hands, when I play my wooden acoustic dreadnought guitar, I'm OK to use 1mm thick pick. The tone is similar to 0.8mm thick pick, just a bit louder. However, when it goes to CF guitar, the tone is quite harsh for me. It will give a better tone when I down to 0.8 - 0.7mm.

I just wonder is it related to:
1. Wooden VS CF guitar?
2. OM VS Dreadnought size?
3. 013 Guage VS 012 Guage?
4. Other aspect?

[Earl49]

All of the aspects you listed will factor in. I switched to heavier picks years ago after hearing demonstrations of various tones by an instructor at a guitar camp. The richness and fullness of the tone from a heavier pick was appealing, and it also got rid of the "clacky" overtone that I was getting from thin picks (Tortex orange at 0.60" or yellow at 0.73"). Those thin textured pics are easier to hold and to strum smoothly, but yield an overall thinner tone. In crude terms, it is kinda like hearing a clock radio versus a good stereo system. I order a gross (144) of the orange ones just before switching, and have plenty of them left. I now give them away to students. I now use Tortex 1.14" purple picks or celluloid heavy gauge, among others.

My latest conclusion is that each guitar needs its own specific combination of string type and picks for optimum tone. In the past, it was whatever strings were up next in the box and whatever pick was on hand -- on any of my guitars.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Earl49

I recently ordered the V-picks sampler pack which contains seven of their mos popular models. Some are quite nice and some simply don't work for me (too small). The Tradition Ultra Lite is too light for me, and Tradition Lite seems to be my favorite -- for now. I keep all of them on my table next to the guitar chair and switch freely. It can be almost startling how much difference in tone there is between them. https://v-picks.com/shop/starter-kit-2/

I got this set quite some time ago too. Much to my surprise, I find myself liking the Medium Round, at 2.75mm thick, the best. Also, like you, Earl, I was astounded by how much difference there was between them.

I don't think there's anything specific about CF that dictates a certain pick thickness - I'm firmly of the opinion that there is no such thing as a "CF sound". Rather, it's the combination of guitar, strings and style together that determines which pick sounds and feels best. There may very well be more than one.

[Strumalot]

I have been using 1.38mm Dunlop Carbon Fiber Max Grip picks for a while on both acoustic and electric. I modify them with some grip stuff made for drum sticks.

The CF picks give you good control, mellow tone, and they last until you lose them.

Thinner picks with plastic type materials will give you more of a "thinner" treble sound

Depends on what you like. Picks can make as much of a difference as strings and warrants buying a lot of them for experiments (I have a box with hundreds of 'em!).

Enjoy your journey to pick perfection!

[douglasfan1]

Originally Posted by Strumalot

I have been using 1.38mm Dunlop Carbon Fiber Max Grip picks for a while on both acoustic and electric. I modify them with some grip stuff made for drum sticks.

The CF picks give you good control, mellow tone, and they last until you lose them.

Thinner picks with plastic type materials will give you more of a "thinner" treble sound

Depends on what you like. Picks can make as much of a difference as strings and warrants buying a lot of them for experiments (I have a box with hundreds of 'em!).

Enjoy your journey to pick perfection!

I wish I could able to use 1.0MM pick as I think it's the best for solo picking. However, when it comes to strumming, it cann't give me a good tone (I've tried ask other to do that play the guitar with that thick pick so that I can listen too, but still wired tone for my ear which is not the case in my wooden Dreadnought acoustic)

I heard that ppl claim thicker pick should be held more (thumb should cover most of the pick?) in order to give a good tone comparing to thinner pick. Is that true?

[mountainmaster]

Originally Posted by douglasfan1

I heard that ppl claim thicker pick should be held more (thumb should cover most of the pick?) in order to give a good tone comparing to thinner pick. Is that true?

I always thought people did that to get a better grip. Due to its stiffness a thick pick is more likely to get dropped.

Personally I cannot hold on to any pick even if it is thin as a piece of paper.