Pick & J-pup's

[AppliedStucco]

Hello everyone...

Whenever I play with my band (punk-grunge-rock) I usually play with a beat-up Jazz copy (Collins! anyone heard of that company?) straight into the mixing board. (Sometimes I do use a D.I. for the sake of it).

As a genuine punk bassist I use a pick, but last time I noticed that when I hit the pickup's pole-pieces with my pick, it makes an awful clack/pop sound.

As a Physics student, I cannot explain how this happens (satisfactorily, at least) and it's driving me nuts. Does any fellow engineer out there have a valid and scientifically sound explanation?

"It just works like that" is not an acceptable answer...

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Are you sure its the pick? No chance its the string?

Is it a metal pick

I dare say it could be a cheap pickup going microphonic?

And not all genuine punk bassists use picks

Just as a fix, try lowering the pickups a little.

But my physics doesnt go beyond the basics, plus the quantum effects of nanophysics and general electron behavour molecularly. (biochemistry, woo woo )

[AppliedStucco]

Thanks for the questions... I do sense a familiar way of systematic thinking.

Yes, I am sure it is the pick AND the pickup. No it is not the string. At some point I carefully hit the pole-piece forcibly with my pick without touching the string and again I got the "clack!".

No, it's a plastic 3mm Jim Dunlop "Big Stubby" pick.

No. It does not happen when I play fingerstyle.

I know, but I like to associate the two. For, pretty much, all of the other styles I play with my fingers.

I don't think that would help.

Applied and Engineering Physics Rulez!

Thanks man...