Do a search here on those wedgies. I think I read that someone was saying that they disintegrate like those felt picks and leave rubber all over your bass. If anyone's tried them and that's not true, please post. That's all that's stopped me from trying them.
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a good pick to use with bass?
- Thread starter mike costelow
- Start date
I use Dunlop Gator Grip 2.0's. Love them, plus, how much more black could they be? None, none more black...
I had a really nice one from a company called In Tune for a while that i caught from Rex Brown at a Down show
. They have a cool grippy sort of texture but aren't rough. Too bad I lost it on a gig.
. They have a cool grippy sort of texture but aren't rough. Too bad I lost it on a gig.
In Tune makes some cool wood picks too, both in Rosewood and Ebony. I wonder how these would sound versus nylon, rubber or felt?
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Dunlop triangle yellow (.73mm) here too. Playing low-tuned metal with heavy picks is like turning the bass know from your amp all the way down... All you get is the attack and no punch at all. Besides, I tend to switch between pick and fingers and heavy picks are too loud compared to fingers. I'm not so much a compressor guy that I would like to compensate that big difference. The yellow Dunlops are pretty much perfect for me, the orange ones are too soft for fast riffs and green ones have too much attack.
I agree that just go and buy a bunch of different picks and try them all out, there are huge differences between the plastic picks only, not to even mention other materials (metal picks suck by the way, the tone is nothing but attack and they wear the strings out in no time). And as you can see, some of us use .50mm picks and some use 3mm and everything between. One size fits none, all different sizes fit all different players.
I agree that just go and buy a bunch of different picks and try them all out, there are huge differences between the plastic picks only, not to even mention other materials (metal picks suck by the way, the tone is nothing but attack and they wear the strings out in no time). And as you can see, some of us use .50mm picks and some use 3mm and everything between. One size fits none, all different sizes fit all different players.
wood picks sound interesting i will keep an eye out for those,and the big stubbies.I found the wedgies and i really like them,they have a softer attack and they have different thicknesses.They seem to be durable,keep in mind i play rock,blues and country so they may not be as durable for you metalheads, i dont know.
I recently recieved an order of metal picks from DR picks in Texas.
http://www.drguitarpicks.com/
I got a bronze, brass, and stainless steel. Each has a very distinct tone (particularly in the mids and highs) , which is cool for adding something a little different
- Brass: Most mellow, with a Swallow-esque character to it. Good for jazz and mellow singer-songwriter tunes.
- Bronze: Slightly brighter than brass, has a similar midrange character. I use this the least.
- Stainless Steel: Easily the brightest. Very defined highs, works particularly well with overdrive. I use this in more hard rock and metal applications.
I highly advise with these that you don't use the pointed end, partly because the metal-on-metal will likely work its way thru the strings. I use one of the rounded edges and angle my attack to be a little more precise.
http://www.drguitarpicks.com/
I got a bronze, brass, and stainless steel. Each has a very distinct tone (particularly in the mids and highs) , which is cool for adding something a little different
- Brass: Most mellow, with a Swallow-esque character to it. Good for jazz and mellow singer-songwriter tunes.
- Bronze: Slightly brighter than brass, has a similar midrange character. I use this the least.
- Stainless Steel: Easily the brightest. Very defined highs, works particularly well with overdrive. I use this in more hard rock and metal applications.
I highly advise with these that you don't use the pointed end, partly because the metal-on-metal will likely work its way thru the strings. I use one of the rounded edges and angle my attack to be a little more precise.
Steve Swallow uses copper picks. Playing with a pick doesn't usually appeal to me but, I like to know different ways to use my right hand.
I found a nice selection of metal picks in my local store. Different metals, shapes, thicknesses & textures. I bought 4 metal picks & test 1 or 2 every few weeks.
I still prefer my fingers ...
I found a nice selection of metal picks in my local store. Different metals, shapes, thicknesses & textures. I bought 4 metal picks & test 1 or 2 every few weeks.
I still prefer my fingers ...
Fender Heavy picks - the tort looking ones.
Played with Dunlop's for many years, they were good and lasted a long time but find the Fenders give a better defined attack.
Played with Dunlop's for many years, they were good and lasted a long time but find the Fenders give a better defined attack.
I knew that Swallow uses copper pick, I was just hinting that the brass (out of the three I've got) offered the closest to it. I avoided copper since they have a tendency to wear quickly.
I agree fingers are the way to go, diversification though is a good quality to show to potential clients and bandmates, though.
- Feb 27, 2005
- 3,218
- 125
- Disclosures
- Full disclosure, I'm a certified Fender technician working in a music store that carries Fender, Yamaha, and Ibanez products among others.
I play with a pick now and then, and I use Dunlop Jazz III's. I prefer the red ones, they stay "sharp" longer.
I'd advise against the Wedgies, they grab and pull the string before they actually sound the note. It threw my timing off something fierce, especially since it wasn't consistent. If you want a mellower pick sound, look for felt picks made specifically for bass. IMO.
I'd advise against the Wedgies, they grab and pull the string before they actually sound the note. It threw my timing off something fierce, especially since it wasn't consistent. If you want a mellower pick sound, look for felt picks made specifically for bass. IMO.
I use Dunlop tortex 1.00mm (blue) picks. They're good for flats and rounds, and I use them on mandolin as well. For me, the angle at which the pick intercepts the strings is the defining tone factor, not the material or shape. If the pick is parallel with the string when it strikes, the sound will be clear and full. When the pick hits at an angle, the resulting sound is too scratchy for me. But there are alot of great pick suggestions here, sure is cheaper experimenting with picks than with strings 
Another tortex triangle orange .64 user here. Might try out the yellow sometime. I came across a couple bags of the orange years ago and have a billion left.
I played in a band for a couple years that really demanded (to my ears) a tight pick sound. I did lots of searching and tried all sorts of picks. Alot of pick players don't even realize the difference in tone that different picks can have- the use of different materials can give you anything from click to boom, and the feel and "give" of different picks if you play fast is significant too. I posted a similar question when I was on my quest and several people seemed surprised to hear that different picks actually sounded different!
I liked the *feel* of heavier dunlop jazz picks the best for their precision, but they did tend to have a really clicky attack and quick decay (and I needed an articulate/defined high midrange, so I couldn't just turn down the tone knob like many do). "Normal" heavy gauge picks all tended to have the same problem- quick decay and exagerated attack. My "go to" pick in the the long run ended up being a nylon Dunlop pick- I believe either the blue or violet colored one (over 1mm gauge- maybe 1.26 for the blues and a little heavier for the violet if I remember correctly, but not the heaviest one- a good balance between the aggressive midrange attack you would get with the lighter nylon pick and the clicky thud but precision of a heavier pick). For a little more attack, the Dunlop Ultex "rhino" picks (the ones with the picture of the rhino on them) worked well- I think I used a 1 or 1.26 mm for the best balance between attack and decay. These picks are a little more muted in the attack than normal plastic picks, so you can use a heavier gauge without as much "click".
Anyway- it's been a long time since I've used a pick on bass, but for certain tones I don't think there is much alternative (without a whole lot of extra EQ and unnecessary technique adjustment!)...
Karl
I liked the *feel* of heavier dunlop jazz picks the best for their precision, but they did tend to have a really clicky attack and quick decay (and I needed an articulate/defined high midrange, so I couldn't just turn down the tone knob like many do). "Normal" heavy gauge picks all tended to have the same problem- quick decay and exagerated attack. My "go to" pick in the the long run ended up being a nylon Dunlop pick- I believe either the blue or violet colored one (over 1mm gauge- maybe 1.26 for the blues and a little heavier for the violet if I remember correctly, but not the heaviest one- a good balance between the aggressive midrange attack you would get with the lighter nylon pick and the clicky thud but precision of a heavier pick). For a little more attack, the Dunlop Ultex "rhino" picks (the ones with the picture of the rhino on them) worked well- I think I used a 1 or 1.26 mm for the best balance between attack and decay. These picks are a little more muted in the attack than normal plastic picks, so you can use a heavier gauge without as much "click".
Anyway- it's been a long time since I've used a pick on bass, but for certain tones I don't think there is much alternative (without a whole lot of extra EQ and unnecessary technique adjustment!)...
Karl
