#16
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I am really digging the Primetone triangles now. Next month, could be something later and greater.
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Just an old drum playing guitarist now. |
#17
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It also resists buildup of static electricity, which made it good for products like combs and knitting needles (and, some claim, plectrums). (I don't know whether shells of other species have the same quality.) With all the products available, I'm dubious of real TS's superiority except strictly as a matter of tradition. I'm very happy with my casein pick--I like the tone better than other materials I've tried, but more than that it's a matter of feel. I like the weight of it in my hand, and it feels better on the strings (I find the BC material a bit too slick). Thanks, Scott, for this thread! Looking forward to reading more! |
#18
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The reason Wegens perform so well is because their picks are cut (machined) from solid, factory-extruded sheets, not injection molded. 99% of the picks on the market are made through injection-molding (injecting a liquid plastic into a mold, which solidifies as it cools), typically celluloid, but also Ultem, nylon, etc. A major consideration when comparing picks is known as its mechanical ability, that is, how strong and resilient it is. This is directly correlated to the way plastic material is manufactured. It is impossible to achieve the mechanical properties of an extruded sheet with injection molding, just can't get there from here. So that's why people love the Wegens so much. In many of their models, specifically the Bluegrassers and the tris, you'll notice these fairly heavy gouges running across the flat faces of the picks. This tells you these were machined, not molded. Great post. Thanks for your time. Scott |
#19
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For most of my playing life Ive used a flatpick. I didnt like thick picks so most of the modern picks didnt interest me, but Ive had many of different brands. Then I got a real tortoise pick and discovered why they are great, they are.
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#20
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Sometime this week I expect to join the "high end pick club" (thanks again Scott) so while I can't speak to their sound yet, I have noticed something interesting about plectrums and the sound they create.
I am a right handed guitar player whose right ear has lost the ability to hear high frequencies. I wear a hearing aid about 60% of the time to help fill in some of those lost frequencies. In my car, I'm always turning up the treble on my car radio so I can hear more clearly (being an American driver, I'm on the left of the car so the over head speakers are on my right- closest to my "bad" ear.) All this means that as I play, my right ear is over my instrument and I've found what I hear is very different from that which my audience hears. Even if I turn my head far to the right to get my left ear over my guitar, I've learned that I still don't hear what listeners will. It's kind of close but still not the same. I'm mentioning all of this only to ask how much this pick material and resulting tone discussion has been created by what we musicians hear or what our audiences hear. Even with my hearing difficulties, I can distinctly hear the difference between my .6 Dunlop nylon and my .6 Ultex pics and while I like the .6 thickness, my wife thinks thicker picks sound better (I've played some with as thick as .9's but don't like what I hear...) Anyway, I'm interested in reading Scott's next installment to learn more about these necessary yet maddening picks. Best, PJ
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A Gibson A couple Martins |
#21
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Thanks for starting this thread, Scott. It will be fun to follow. I am fairly new to flatpicking and am just starting to get a bit better but my ears know what they like and I have appreciated the variety of picks to choose from these days in the marketplace.
Best, Jayne |
#22
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We used to use the little plastic clips from bread bags. |
#23
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If I may, I'd like to chime in on this, because my own observation actually does not support this notion. I am a huge fan of vespel picks myself, and I agree that at the typical thicknesses they're made of, they are indeed very durable. That said, I do have one amazing-sounding vespel pick with a very thin edge at the picking point, and that edge does get blunt after a while, requiring reshaping and re-beveling. I conclude that while vespel does appear to be very durable, it does wear, albeit at a very slow rate.
__________________
"I've always thought of bluegrass players as the Marines of the music world" – (A rock guitar guy I once jammed with) Martin America 1 Martin 000-15sm Recording King Dirty 30s RPS-9 TS Taylor GS Mini Baton Rouge 12-string guitar Martin L1XR Little Martin 1933 Epiphone Olympic 1971 square neck Dobro |
#24
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Interesting history. As I've gotten better, I am less 'picky' (pun fully intended) about the material a pick is made of. I have a charmed life pick and it's my favorite but to be honest, I like it only slightly better than a boring old Fender Medium. I've played some other exotic materials and yes, they do give different tones but I would be hard pressed to say one is 'better' than another. Certainly a fun topic to discuss, though!
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Original music here: Spotify Artist Page |
#25
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Since we're on the topic, I'd like to throw this out there: I used to love Wegen picks as much as the next bluegrasser. That was until I received a prototype thin vespel pick from Scott, the OP. In a direct comparison between that pick and my other favorites (BlueChip, Fast Turtle and Wegen), the Wegen just stank. I really can't put it any other way. Volume, tone, completely gone in direct comparison to the Charmed Life pick. I have since abandoned Wegens altogether, as much as I used to like them. Delrin simply isn't the same as vespel, was my conclusion.
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"I've always thought of bluegrass players as the Marines of the music world" – (A rock guitar guy I once jammed with) Martin America 1 Martin 000-15sm Recording King Dirty 30s RPS-9 TS Taylor GS Mini Baton Rouge 12-string guitar Martin L1XR Little Martin 1933 Epiphone Olympic 1971 square neck Dobro |
#26
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Thanks for starting such an interesting thread.
I'd also like to thank Scott and Mick for always being courteous and respectful to other manufacturers. It's unfortunately all too rare these days. I've had the opportunity to speak with both and they couldn't be nicer behind the scenes, as well. Scott's picks are better than my talents, but I have 2 anyway. And thanks to some advice from Mick, I'm about to try my first thumbpick. Now back to our regularly scheduled thread
__________________
Strummin' to a different chord |
#27
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I think, at this point, the whole "as good as tortoiseshell" thing is a non-issue. The material is illegal and most people today have probably never played with a thick, unworn, well shaped tortoise pick.
The goal today is to find a pick that allows you to get everything the maker built into the guitar in terms of tone and volume and also improve the control and overall ergonomics of playing with a pick. There's a lot of good stuff out there at all price ranges. The important thing is that a player realize use of a pick of good material and configuration makes playing soooooo much easier. |
#28
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I find it interesting that people who do not hesitate to spend several thousand dollars on a guitar balk at spending $30 for a pick to play it, especially a pick that won't wear out.
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#29
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Also consider, that if you are over 30, the guitar sounds that made you want to play were not made with premium picks. Doc Watson, Clarence White, George Shuffler et al used what was available at the time. They did OK. |
#30
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Thanks for answering my question, Scott. I didn’t even take in account the machining and manufacturing costs and the time and handwork that goes into for a small operation. Defintely doesn’t look like the price of vespel will come
down very much. |