Bass pick different than guitar pick?

[Bushmaster]

There's quite some material, thickness and shapes to chose from. Not to speak of the notorious issue of playing technique.

But things also depend on which strings (most notably the gauges) one plays on which bass or guitar.

I find myself using more rigid and thicker picks on jazz guitar than on bass. E.g. Dunlop JD Jazztone or even stone picks.

On bass, over time i've gotten just used to standard (351) shape. As for material, I like celluloid best (medium to heavy gauge), it has a nice attack, good dynamics and a decently warm and natural tone.

I never was too wild about nylon. This is a relatively soft material, so tone is less bright than with celluloid. Guess 1 mm is considered standard for bass.

Tortex is said to have been developed as an approximation to since long illegal tortoise shell picks, but I find it way too rigid for my purposes.

As for technique, I prefer a lateral full contact, yielding a full-bodied "clicky" attack.

If you're looking for a different type of sound, you might try some diagonal scraping which yields a bright scratchy attack (think Steve Swallow). Or you even might try "shoveling" beneath the string which yields a pronounced crisp attack (think Joe Osborn).

 

[HelpImaRock]

My picks have gotten thicker and stiffer over time (hehe). I started out eons ago with Tortex Purple and changed to the same gauge Ultex. In 2020 I started experimenting with 2mm picks and landed on Dunlop Ultex again. Gator Grip (which are the same delrin as Tortex) felt like they were absorbing the attack. In '21 I tried 3mm Primetone and have stayed with them on bass since. I don't like how they sound on guitar, I'm still with Ultex 2mm there.

 

[WillyW]

7ender heavies...

I buy two different colours to keep my bass and treble geetar picks separate.....

 

[_Some Dude]

On bass I generally alternate between yellow and green Dunlops (.73 and .88). Thicker picks don't put enough edge into the attack.

On guitar I was heavier for a long time (1.14mm and up), but I've gradually been going thinner as I find they have better dynamics and control than the thicker picks.

 

[Zbysek]

Does anybody use thumbpicks?

 

[rob_thebassman]

I've started to use dunlop flex .60s after using tortex orange for almost a year

 

[spector_boogie]

I used to use the blue Tortex 1.00 and before that the green Tortex .88s.
Now I use the black Tortex .88s. Can't really explain the difference in the black and green ones, but, I just find myself happier with those. But any of those 3 work fine.

 

[ElectricBass72]

Tortex yellow or green for bass

Tortex orange for guitar

 

[Seth DuSith]

I just use regular ol Dunlop nylons. Not even sure the size, but they're a but flexible, but not overly. I like their scratchy sound

 

[HelpImaRock]

My picks have gotten thicker and stiffer over time (hehe). I started out eons ago with Tortex Purple and changed to the same gauge Ultex. In 2020 I started experimenting with 2mm picks and landed on Dunlop Ultex again. Gator Grip (which are the same delrin as Tortex) felt like they were absorbing the attack. In '21 I tried 3mm Primetone and have stayed with them on bass since. I don't like how they sound on guitar, I'm still with Ultex 2mm there.

Weird thing happened today. I decided I wanted a thinner pick. I got down to the Gator Grip 1.5mm before going back up to the Ultex 2mm. It just feels better. But never in my life have I gone back to a thinner gauge of pick. I do prefer the Primetone feel, but the Ultex 2mm cost about 30% of what the Primetones cost. And both have nearly doubled in price since I last bought them. So I'll stick with what I already have.

 

[Polfuste]

M-picks 0.75 4/4 are my perfect ones.

⌂ HOME ⌂

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I was a fingers only player on bass for 20+ years. When I picked up guitar I used Fender thin picks. So that's what I used on my bass when I started pick playing. No other reason than convenience.

 

[rockinrayduke]

I don’t use picks much, but for bass I prefer a larger rounded triangular shape that is thick and has tapered edges so they slide off the string smoothly. I make my own from bone/tusk and buffalo horn, which I sometimes dye with the juice of berries and vegetables from my garden. Here are some of both the large and traditional size picks I’ve made recently.
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NICE!

 

[edwinhurwitz]

Asking for a friend.

I use two different picks. A standard Fender heavy or extra heavy for my short scale with flats basses (seen in my profile pic) and a Telefunken reissue of the Jim Dunlop Big Stubby graphite pick for my Modulus with rounds. The former is a guitar pick, the latter pick is for just about anything.

 

[Hyoga]

Setting aside the thickness, I prefer the larger triangle ones for bass.

 

[Phaidrus]

I can't play with a pick for the life of me. Unfortunately, as I'm into post punk / goth at the moment, which is not so easy, sometimes almost impossible, to play fingerstyle.

So I bought myself some picks (0.96, 1.20, 1.50) and the thicker ones sound better, but as stated above, it's like learning to play from scratch.

 

[frankie5string]

It's not just the thickness, but the shape and size (lol!) ... I did what Bobby Vega said to do... Plectrums are cheap, so I ordered a whole bunch of different sizes, shapes, and thicknesses. So far the Tortex FLEX .73 feel right in my hands. Some of the more traditional shaped ones feel weird.

Just try a whole bunch and have fun with it!

 

[edwinhurwitz]

I just discovered one of my favorite picks, the Telefunken reissue of the Dunlop Big Stubby 1.6mm graphite pick is discontinued. Along with the reissue of the Adamas graphite pick.

Not good.

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[jd56hawk]

I've never used a guitar pick.
I'm satisfied with this...better suited for a bass, IMO.
Eleven years and I still haven't dropped one!