1.4mm pick???

[JC.]

I like thick picks for single lines. But for me they’re terrible for strumming. So, i no longer use them - I need one pick that can do everything.

[Bluemonk]

Originally Posted by L20A

I don't know why but until recently, most pickers used picks that were thin.
A medium pick was almost unheard of.

Not in my circle. Educated guess, mediums have probably been the most popular pick for years. I think folks are now trending toward thicker picks.

[rokdog49]

I haven’t found a pick over 1.14 that doesn’t dull the tone especially when strumming. I might be weird but the way I hold a pick only about 10-15% of it is exposed. With a .88 nylon I can get a nice strong attack when playing single notes and still have some flex when strumming. A pick that doesn’t flex doesn’t work for me and I feel like I’m picking with a chunk of something or other.

[TBman]

If I were to start playing with a pick again, I'd stick with the ol' Fender medium. Never did like the thins, they split and if they didn't they wore out really quick. I was never a fan of anything thicker than the mediums, but maybe one day I'll try it. Not with a wooden one though, lol.

[J Patrick]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

I haven’t found a pick over 1.14 that doesn’t dull the tone especially when strumming. I might be weird but the way I hold a pick only about 10-15% of it is exposed. With a .88 nylon I can get a nice strong attack when playing single notes and still have some flex when strumming. A pick that doesn’t flex doesn’t work for me and I feel like I’m picking with a chunk of something or other.

....thicker picks generally do dull the tone to a noticeable degree which can be a plus or a minus depending on a variety of factors...that said...some thicker picks are brighter sounding than others...I find acrylic resin picks retain some zingier tone even in 2mm or thicker picks...at least the ones by V-Picks and EML...

[Charmed Life Picks]

Very common. Most Bluegrassers like picks with no flex, so 1.50 mm and up is their choice, some go even 2.0-3.0 mm, or thicker.

sm

[paulp1960]

I play 1.14 mm nylon usually having worked up from 0.73.

1.4 mm sounds ok but not made of wood.

I found I couldn't get the right sound playing a mixture of picking, lead runs and strumming from thinner picks.

I also found I've got more precise control over my playing using thicker picks.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by TBman

I was looking at this wooden pick I received as a perk from Thalia. Does anyone really use a pick this thick?

The thickness is pretty normal but the material is useless (IMHO)

[cdkrugjr]

My "usual, do anything" is either a 0.73 Tortex or an old school celluloid medium.

I USED to think that thin picks were all "Too clicky" but lately I'm finding I like them for certain things.

I use a Tortex 1.15 for more technical picking, though I'm not convinced it's the "Best" solution for my playing. I vary on whether I think it's too dull or too stiff.

Intentionally rough picks distract me, polished picks I drop, so I need a material with a bit of "bite" to it without any knurling. But picks are cheap, I can experiment. . . .

[keith.rogers]

Yes. I used a heavy (~1.0mm) pick on acoustic from the beginning it seems. (At least that's what was in the case when I opened it up after 25 years under the bed...) After reading about all kinds of crazy expensive picks I started trying other picks - just not the crazy expensive ones . Landed on a 1.4mm triangle and haven't moved off it since.

I don't believe wood is a suitable material - at least it would not last long in my hands!

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by L20A

I don't know why but until recently, most pickers used picks that were thin.
A medium pick was almost unheard of.
.

Really depends on your circle...jazz players (especially rhythm players) and bluegrassers have been using thicker picks for ages.

Once you get used to a thicker pick, you'll never go back.

[raysachs]

All these specialized uses. I'm none of that. When using a pick, I'm mostly a strummer, with some picked out arpeggios and the occasional lead fill - I'm nothing to write home about as a player. I like thick picks because I like the way they sound relative to thin picks. I'm using 1.5mm for everything, whether casein for some uses or vespel for others. I just like the feel and sound of a thick pick.

-Ray

[zoopeda]

Thicker pick, thicker tone.

I prefer 1.5 and 2.0 most of the time. I suspect I could get used to thicker or slightly thinner. I'm done with flimsy picks though.

[FrankHudson]

Many have chimed regarding that the thickness isn't unusual, that it's an option that many players have used intentionally.

I've never tried wood as pick material.

The idea with a thicker pick is that you control it and the pick itself doesn't dictate how the stroke works, rather your choice of pick angle and amount of pick that is allowed to strike the string. When this works, it can sound great.

There are certain kinds of light "shimmering" strumming that is hard to duplicate with a thicker pick, even if it's beveled and you strike with only the smallest part of the tip. And on the other side, certain kinds of attack are tough to get on a flexible pick, and exact speedy picking is hampered by the pick tip itself moving after each strike.

As some have already replied, when strumming a flexible pick is forgiving and fine for occasional single string notes as decoration/elaboration. Nor do I mean to suggest it's a "crutch"--many great sounding players have use sub .8 mm picks.

I tend to play acoustic by cross-picking to imitate the sound and approach of a finger-picker with a thumb pick and finger picks. Neither of those finger picks flex in the least, and the plectrum I use tends to be .9 mm or thicker (often, beveled 1.4 and 1.5 mm). I still keep some Fender Medium type thickness/flexibility picks around as my strumming is one of my many weak points as a player and the forgiving nature of a more flexible pick is something I reach for.

[rlb9682]

Originally Posted by TBman

I was looking at this wooden pick I received as a perk from Thalia. Does anyone really use a pick this thick?

The one I use most is 3.0mm; after that is a 2.0mm.