Can i still get that "Deep,wide,felt" tone with a pick?

Vacume · #1 03-08-2006, 06:19 PM

I play in a metal band and I first played with 2 fingers but the riffs are getting faster so I started playing with 3 fingers and im getting pretty good, but I have a much easier time keeping up with a pick. But the deep tone that you kind of feel more then hear is a big part of our sound and I heard with the pick u are "heard more" but with fingers you are "felt" more. So can i still get the tone I want from a pick?

barthanatos · #2 03-08-2006, 06:26 PM

That's funny... at first I thought you were going to say something about a plectrum made of the material "felt". 'Cause they use those on, like, autoharps or something. Maybe one of those would be more similar to fingers, though...

Hellbastard · #3 03-08-2006, 06:30 PM

Why don´t you try playing with your fingers closer to the bridge, there the strings don´t vibrate to much and you can play faster. I have a metal band too, and that´s what I do.

seanm · #4 03-08-2006, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barthanatos

That's funny... at first I thought you were going to say something about a plectrum made of the material "felt". 'Cause they use those on, like, autoharps or something. Maybe one of those would be more similar to fingers, though...

So did I. I have used a felt pick. It is somewhere between fingers and a hard pick in sound. However, it would probably be slower than both since the felt seems to slow you down.

Vacume · #5 03-08-2006, 08:41 PM

Well i dont think i could play much closer to the bridge, when i play with 3 fingers my ring finger is about 10 cm away from the bridge, if i went any closer I wouldnt have anywhere to put my thumb because i rest it on the pick up

g00eY · #6 03-08-2006, 09:04 PM

what?

you're picking hand rests on the nut?

emor · #7 03-09-2006, 07:49 AM

Check out the guy in this Freddie King video. (Anyone know who he is?) Really grooves with a pick. Is this the sound you're going for?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25MyK...=freddy%20king

Nico3535 · #8 03-09-2006, 08:19 AM

As far as metal goes i like the tone you get when you have new strings and play with a pick. I use to play in a metal band and played with my fingers and my sound was so round and thick you could feel it but it got lost in the mix (unless pete was doing our sound). Also one thing that helped my friend who play in a Phish (mike gordon, bass player for phish plays with a pick) cover band was gettinga bbe sonic maximizer, it thickened up his tone very well. Scoop the mids away i say as well!

seanm · #9 03-09-2006, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nico3535

Scoop the mids away i say as well!

That's why you where getting lost in the mix. With a pick you might get away with scooped mids; with fingers you won't. Period.

Guitars can get away with scooped mids because of the higher frequencies involved. Too much low end just adds mud and sucks up all the power from the amp. Bassists live and die by their mids.