First, I'll say that I've been a fingerstyle player pretty much exclusively since I started playing bass almost 15 years ago. I used a pick once in a blue moon for one or two specific instances of needing the pick sound, but I just used whatever pick I could find in the bottom of a pocket, gig bag, or pick up off the floor. lol
Realizing that picks are a good tool to have in the sonic toolbox, I got a wild hair a while back and decided to got on a pick exploration. I went to Guitar Center and picked out a few varieties from what they had in stock, I hit up ebay for some weirder varieties like the felt, bone and rubber picks, I even got my hands on some more boutique picks like the V-picks, and even a
Red Bear Medium Speed Bevel pick (not pictured) on loan from the guitarist at my church who got one at NAMM.
I've been meaning to post an actual shootout with information/ratings and audio clips of each, but haven't yet gotten around to sitting down and recording clips...
Out of all I tried, the Dunlop Big Stubby 1.0mm are my personal favorite. It's the ideal balance of amount of flex/grip/feel/speed/attack and the beveled edges give it a quickness that regular flat picks don't have.
My exploration hasn't converted me to being a pick player by any means, but now I have a much better understanding of different picks/sounds. I keep a few different kinds and weights in a mint tin on my pedalboard.
5sg.
