I think I may have graduated to the next pick level

[Woolbury]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

Wool, thanks for your post. I just saw your signature. Tell ya what. I'll trade you straight across for your '46 LG. The offer is only good till the end of today.

I love these kinds of threads. I'm not here to patch any particular products, including CLP, but I know a lot about the pick marketplace out there, having studied it for many years. If I can help people choose a pick that fits their needs, I love doing it.

And as far as Dunlop goes, they are the clear industry leader. They came in about forty years ago and really started to munch Fender's lunch. Love it. No company is more deserving.

Take Care, Folks,
Scott Memmer

Mmmm, probably not Scott. I have an unreasonable emotional attachment to that guitar. I'd probably trade my dog or one of my kids first

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Woolbury

Mmmm, probably not Scott. I have an unreasonable emotional attachment to that guitar. I'd probably trade my dog or one of my kids first

I'd trade the WHOLE FAMILY first -- and I've told them so.

memmer

[Frogstar]

The 1.14 Ultex has become my default pick. I still use others in various situations (I like my 2mm Delrin on my all-hog Guild 12 string, for example), but overall, it's the workhorse and the one that goes in my pocket.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by Vinnie Boombatz

Not sure I'd call it "graduating to the next level". More like you're preferences changed and you like something different.

This happens to me every two or three years. I suddenly find myself wanting to switch to an entirely different size and shape of pick. Sometimes I'll go back to a pick I was using ten years ago.

No idea why this happens, especially because I haven't switched string preferences in a long time. About a year ago I switched from Clayton Ultem rounded triangular picks back to Fender 358 Jazz picks. A couple years from now I might rediscover the Claytons.

Sometimes a switch makes sense stylistically. At one point, years ago, I decided that I'd switch entirely from strumming to flat-picking and I switched to those huge Fender triangle picks, which helped me pick up a bit of speed. That was wonderful until I suddenly got old.

But I have to agree with Vinne B., the "graduating" metaphor doesn't entirely work here.

[3notes]

Bob Weir uses a Dunlop pick, just for the record. I got one off of his mic stand.

Dunlop Jazz II or III. Relatively small pick in size. I used it for several months and liked it.

I can't see myself moving awat from the Dunlop Big Stubby. I find it to be out of this world.

[RussL30]

Those are nice picks and as a guy that only played .73 for years, the Ultex 1.14 is very comfortable.

I would also recommend trying the Ultex sharp in 1.14 for a slightly different sound and feel. Also try the prime tones without the raised grip. Very similar to the Ultex but feel just a little smoother to me.

[noledog]

Originally Posted by jfitz81

FWIW, there seem to be two different types of Primetones. One (which I think you're describing) is reddish-brown in color and translucent, with raised bumps/texture. The other is dark brown, not transparent, and with a smooth, matte finish (the lettering looks like gold-foil and is not raised). I've tried both, loved the latter and disliked the former. I don't know whether the actual material is the same between the two, but they don't really look or feel very similar to me at all. If you google image search Dunlop Primetone picks, you'll see the difference pretty quickly.

+1...I use heavy celluloid and Primetone 1.0 non-grip matte finished picks.
Primetones are made of Ultex which is basically polycarbonate. Both the grip and non-grip Primetones are made of this same material, however, they have a different finish and thus a very different tone.

* The grip version are brittle to me and I don't like the harsher, brighter tone, plus I don't like grips on my picks.

* The non-grip have a smooth matte finish, yet are not slippery to hold. They sound warmer, articulate, no pick noise and glide over the strings; plus they last me through a week of my shows which are typically 4 hours long...$5 for a three-pack & they lean favorably towards my Bluechip imo.

eric

[Johnny K]

I was always a Jazz III shaped pick guy, and played Stubbys and red Jazz III's with my electrics for years. However I got turned on to the Primetone recently and have found that the one i like the best is the 3 corner triangle Primetone. I bought them for playing my bass, but I find the shape to be pretty good for flatpicking my acoustics. I have a bunch of Ultex picks too, but they seem to be more slippery in my fingers than the Primetone. The triangle pick has relief printing on it to add to the grippyness.

But still, I dont have a locked in preference for picks. What ever is in my pocket will do.

How many of you guys never leave the house without a pick in your pocket? How many of you have wive's that complain about picks in the dryer?

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Johnny K

I was always a Jazz III shaped pick guy, and played Stubbys and red Jazz III's with my electrics for years. However I got turned on to the Primetone recently and have found that the one i like the best is the 3 corner triangle Primetone. I bought them for playing my bass, but I find the shape to be pretty good for flatpicking my acoustics. I have a bunch of Ultex picks too, but they seem to be more slippery in my fingers than the Primetone. The triangle pick has relief printing on it to add to the grippyness.

But still, I dont have a locked in preference for picks. What ever is in my pocket will do.

How many of you guys never leave the house without a pick in your pocket? How many of you have wive's that complain about picks in the dryer?

I often leave the house, for some reason, with no pick in my pocket or car, and sometimes no business cards.

yes, I am a genius business owner.

memmer

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by RussL30

Those are nice picks and as a guy that only played .73 for years, the Ultex 1.14 is very comfortable.

I would also recommend trying the Ultex sharp in 1.14 for a slightly different sound and feel. Also try the prime tones without the raised grip. Very similar to the Ultex but feel just a little smoother to me.

Primetones and Ultex are both made from Ultem, and I like them both, but boy, at less than a buck a pick the Ultexes are hard to beat.

scott memmer

[mdshax]

Originally Posted by buzzardwhiskey

Thank you for the suggestions!

A representative model from the Dunlop Primetones was in the assortment I bought and although briefly in the running was not chosen because of the sharply raised lettering that occasionally grabbed at the string.

I have heard of Wegens and will need to find one at some point. They look very interesting... hyper thick.

I play with the big triangle wegens, 1.2 or 1.4 mm. IMO, best pick out there. Good grip because of the holes, little to no pick sound.

[ahorsewithnonam]

See signature line.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by mdshax

I play with the big triangle wegens, 1.2 or 1.4 mm. IMO, best pick out there. Good grip because of the holes, little to no pick sound.

Those are great picks. And at about $7 a throw, an excellent bargain.

BTW, if anyone wants to know WHY those Wegen picks perform so well, it's because they are not injection molded but machined from finished plastic stock. This is the case with all the best picks in the industry. It is impossible to create superior mechanical properties through injection molding.

scott memmer

[SprintBob]

A Wolfram glass nail file with the coarse/fine filing surfaces has worked quite well for bevelling picks IME. You have a lot of control with it.

[baimo]

Scott makes the best picks. I gave up my blue chips and only use the Charmed brown tri .75. Scott has even made some thinner than that for me. They .75 play easy without any added noise. That is feat for a thin pick.

And they cost so much I hardly ever lose them.