Picks?

[afzoomie67]

This isn't the age-old pick v. fingerstyle thread, but I got a question.

For punk and classic rock, what picks do people use?
Thickness, brand, etc. for the more famous musicians and what you guys here on TB use..I'm looking for a Klaus Flouride (from the Dead Kennedys) sort of sound.

[Buster Brown]

I play my Ric with a pic (fingers for everything else) and I use "Cool" brand pics (nearly IMPOSSIBLE to drop one!) .88......wouldn't use anything else.

They are fairly expensive, but like I said, nearly impossible to drop

Brands - COOL PICKS - Elderly Instruments

Tha "cat tongue" surface actually works like a charm!

[noetical1]

I like playing both with-pick and fingerstyle bass...
when I use a pick, it's invariably a MOSHAY, either blue (thick) or black (extra thick)

Moshay Pick Company

been using moshay's for over 30 years now: playing punk, surf and funk on the old Fender Bass...

ps: MOSHAY's have the "never-drop hole" grip...seems like a theme here in bass land: don't drop your pick!

also HERCO makes a real nice pick with a textured grip surface...

[FBS1996]

Originally Posted by afzoomie67

This isn't the age-old pick v. fingerstyle thread, but I got a question.

For punk and classic rock, what picks do people use?
Thickness, brand, etc. for the more famous musicians and what you guys here on TB use..I'm looking for a Klaus Flouride (from the Dead Kennedys) sort of sound.

I use the green Dunlop Tortex 0.88mm (I know they are EXTREMELY common but they just work well for me)

[Selta]

Gravity picks all the way for me, now.
Gravity Guitar Picks — Home

I use a Striker 1.5mm

[jabsys]

I like the green dunlop tortex picks, cheap & last for ages.

[shtik]

Dunlop Manufacturing :: Guitar Picks :: :: Gator Grip

Can't use other picks after I got used to these. I use 1.5mm gauge (The green one).

[kcole4001]

I have a couple of 1980s Min'd Picks I really like(if anyone remembers them).

Polished agate, though very slippery when your hands get sweaty, and they're fragile, so you I have to be very careful not to drop them, but they can add a great zing to your sound, or be very heavy.
They're quite easy to use to vary the attack and articulation of a note, though I don't use picks much these days.
Just for certain sounds I want.

[SKATE RAT]

green Dunlops for me too. .88

[joe_the_wolfe]

Well, as far as picks go, Cool Heavys are pretty rad, as already been stated, they don't slip, you can't lose 'em. But I personally think Dunlop 2.0 is the best tonal pick, especially if you like punk or grunge.

[bassgod0dmw]

I have used Dunlop Jazz III's for the last 15 years or so. I can't use anything else. I've been using the Ultex ones lately, they seem to be the hardest and last the longest when being used against SS strings.

[stingray96191]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

Gravity picks all the way for me, now.
Gravity Guitar Picks — Home

I use a Striker 1.5mm

So I got one of these picks from is free trial offer here several weeks back, and truthfully i just don't get it. I mean its okay... its not worth $4... no way no how. Is there something i'm not getting? I use either a .72 Clayton Ultem Triangle Pick, or a .80 Clayton Acetal Triangle. I also have hundreds of Dunlop .60 and.73 ultex standard picks from before i realized i liked the triangle shape better. In a pinch i use a fender medium shell material. I'm really not all that Picky.. Pun intended... As long as its not super thin.

Erin

[Selta]

I just love the size and shape. A few bucks for those picks is nothing. I don't lose mine, so they'll last a long time too.

[Blue_Whistle88]

I use Dunlop Nylons, the 1mm ones. I play with my fingers more than with a pick, but I like playing with pick at times because of the more immediate attack you get and the nice, grindy sound (though to be fair, I also get that with my fingers with some knob twiddling and aggressive playing). I used to use the plastic Dunlop .73mm ones, and they're good, but those plastic picks just wear down like mad. To be fair, I would keep mine for waaay too long but the nylons last so much longer, you can thrash the crap out of them for months and they hardly get worn down.

Another thing with those plastic Dunlops is the writing on them, it makes for a good grip but after a couple of months it's all worn off; the nylons have engraved (as oppose to printed) writing on them which never wears off. Another thing I didn't notice until I'd been using nylons for awhile and tried plastic again, is that plastic picks tend to make a slight "flicking" sound, which the softer nylons don't do. Probably because the plastics tend to be stiffer and so you use thinner picks, but still, it's annoying if you want clean pick tone. On the whole I really love my nylon 1mm's, great picks that sound good and last for ages, and really comfortable for guitar or bass.

[Aspidites]

I don't use a pick that often but when I do it is a V-Pick. I will be trying Gravity picks starting soon.

V-Picks Guitar Pick, Electric & Acoustic Guitar Picks

Gravity Guitar Picks — Home

[M.R. Ogle]

Used to use the Dunlop Tortex purple 1.14's, but a friend turned me on to the Green 88's.

Green Dunlop Tortex 88's from now on, I think.

[Augment]

I've been using the same blue Dunlop Tortex (or maybe Fender Heavy, the writing has been gone for years) 1mm pick for about the last 6 or 7 years. Obviously, they tend to hold up for extremely long amounts of time.

Anything less than 1mm seems to break a little too easily with my playing style (I beat my Ric like it owes me money). They're flexible enough to play fast and hard yet not break.

Recently bought these from the guy who makes the "George Pick" from quarters:



The one on the left, made from a 1925 Liberty coin is a tad too small and slippery for me to use for critical playing, but for an everlasting practice pick it serves me fine.

The one on the right, "The Coffin" seems to be made from the handle of an old piece of stainless steel silverware where the underside is concave. It's actually pretty comfortable to use due to this; it has a nice curve to it and sits really well against the side of the index finger, like so:



It's the most ridiculous and awesome pick ever created. It can be a bit awkward sometimes due to its length and shape, but the more I use it the more I can play with it just as well as anything else.

Sorry to go on and on about it, but I figure now's my chance. Also, if anyone takes the logical TB forum step and creates a "What's the best pick FOR METAL?" thread, a mod can just link here and close it, because... look at it!!

[ghostdog93]

When I use a pick, I usually go between the Dunlop Tortex green at .88 or the purple at 1.14.

I also have an ugly, beat up, chipped, no name, black, hard plastic monstrosity that is probably in the 2.00mm range. It was jammed under the strings of a Squire P I bought on craigslist. For some reason, I kept it, and I'll use it if I'm feeling the need for a sharper attack.

[Calebmundy]

Fender Heavies exclusively here.

[darkstorm]

Thickness will make the most change in tone rather then brand or which kind of plastic its made from. I use 1.14mm dunlop and whatever other heavy gauge picks I have around. Same picks for both guitar and bass.