What's a good pick gauge?

[thor16]

I've been playing for a couple months now, and I've been playing fingerstyle. I would like to at least familiarize myself with playing with a pick. So what gauge do you guys suggest? I know they have to be heavy, but some brands come in mm measurements.

[slugworth]

I use Clayton .80mm

Slug

[Squidfinger]

This is something you're going to have to find out for yourself. Just go down to your local music store with a few bucks and buy a selection of picks in different shapes, materials, and thicknesses.

I prefer the smaller teardrop shaped picks over the traditional triangle picks. As for gauge, I prefer Dunlop big stubby 3mm's.

[Jace The Bass]

I Like hard picks hate soft or flexible picks ( too weak ) anyway I use a jim dunlop stubby 3 mm but thats just me it really is up to you and what you feel comfortable with

[jenderfazz]

I use heavies or mediums, maybe .80 to 1 mm or so. Too floppy gives a poor sound in my opinion, but I like a little flexibility.

[Adam Barkley]

I'll go against the crowd this time, I use a .60mm nylon I tried heavies but I ended up pulling the string to hard. Also I couldn't play up empo at all with anything over a 1.0mm.

I also like them to have a good flex to them.

p.s. If you want to see something cool check an old NAMM video of Jauqo III X slapping with a pick in between his pinky and ring fingers. He would slap and then add faast embellishments with the pick, very very cool. I picked it up with a little practice, something to try if you want to learn a new technique.

[Chris A]

Let's put this here thread in Misc.........


Chris A.

[Brendan]

I like the Dunlop 1.0mm and 1.14mm ones (sky blue and purple, respectively) whenever I end up using picks.

[Mr. Zebraface]

Dunlop .96 or .70, 70 allows really good strumming (Rise Against - Like The Angel_ but .96 feels better.

[BassGod]

If I decide to use a pick, I like to use the Dunlop Tortex 1mm triangles. They're the blue ones.

Peace,
Graeme

[nonsqtr]

Mostly I use the black Dunlop 1mm picks, available at any GC. Once in a while I'll use a blue (medium) Sharkfin. But the "genuine" Sharkfin (tm, made in Sweden), not the Tortex knockoff junk. The genuine Sharkfin has a tiny hole in the pick point that contributes to playability and gives it a lot of its unique sound and feel. They're somewhat hard to find these days, but if you search Google I'm sure you'll hit a US distributor. I ordered a gross of them through Freedom Guitar in Hollywood, before they moved away.

[Brad Barker]

Originally Posted by Brendan

I like the Dunlop 1.0mm and 1.14mm ones (sky blue and purple, respectively) whenever I end up using picks.

1.14 for me

[Aaron Saunders]

On bass, I prefer a really, really stiff pick. On guitar, I use Fender thins. On the rare occasion where I actually use a pick on bass, I just grab the stiffest pick on hand. On the rare occasion I ever bought picks, I really, really liked a thin stainless steel pick. It was thin enough to be comfortable for the grip, but rigid as a 5mm plastic one. Just don't hit that finish!

[The Golden Boy]

I prefer the Herco .75mm Nylons or the Dunlop 1mm Nylon.

[McHack]

This is an interesting thread to me... I have avoided using picks my whole life, but sometimes you just need the click, like Soundgarden - Would? I finger style that pretty well, but it just didn't bite quite right, unless I really hammer on hard, to get the clank.

I know I need to be able to pick, so I can when I need to... so...

[Adam Barkley]

Originally Posted by McHack

This is an interesting thread to me... I have avoided using picks my whole life, but sometimes you just need the click, like Soundgarden - Would? I finger style that pretty well, but it just didn't bite quite right, unless I really hammer on hard, to get the clank.

I know I need to be able to pick, so I can when I need to... so...

Are there two songs named Would?, are sure you aren't thinking Alice in Chains?

[McHack]

Originally Posted by abark000

Are there two songs named Would?, are sure you aren't thinking Alice in Chains?

No, there's NOT two songs, I just had a brain fart... It IS Alice in Chains...

[The Golden Boy]

It's that Seattle thing...

[7flat5]

Sooo...Back to the subject at hand. I second or third several mentions of the Dunlop Big Stubby 3mm, but I like the big triangle shape. Down by the bridge, where you might be after a Chris Squire type piano sound or a more agressive metal thing, it doesn't matter much. But, if you use a Fripp-style or Kaye-style traditional grip and play up closer to the neck for more of a bass-like sound, if you will, the big triangle shape helps a lot. More control over tone production, in my experience.

[ADbassman]

My favorite pick are dunlop sharp tortex 1.5mms . Best pick I ever used.