Basses and picks

[Soma666]

Hey dudes, been thinking about this a bit lately. What picks do you use in your playing? Are there certain basses that you just can't use a pick on? What affect would different materials have on the tone of your playing? For instance, bone, ebony, abalone, or horn?

Just kinda curious I guess... Would different pick materials yield a different tone?

 

[bassybeenz]

i find its more the hardness rather than the material, super hard picks have a very quick attack, thin pics yield a more natural sound. experiment, picks are cheap so why not?

 

[purpletornado]

I like Dunlop Tortex or Gator Grips. Thickness/stiffness depends on personal preference. Get yourself several different kinds and see what you like.

 

[SurferJoe46]

I like the felt ukulele picks. They can make you sound like a stand-up if you use them near the lower end of the fretboard, closer to the middle of the strings.

But I use several different types of felt picks. On some I use Super Glue to attach a Fender Medium pick to one side of it and get a "double-pop-thump" out of it.

Hard to explain but it sounds very Euro - like the early Bert Kaempferdt recordings. Remember "Wonderland By Night"? That bass had a very unique voice to US ears.

There are some HUGE gray felts and some thinner and tougher-made white ones that I like the best.

They leave a lot of dust on the body though. I wear a couple out in two or three gigs, so I keep a few dozen on hand.

 

[Gabeja15]

definitly the dunlop tortex. i like the green ones myself

one thing to never do though is try to pick on a bass with metal pickup covers (fender ashtray ones) they'll chew up your hands for sure

 

[Showdown]

I use a pick about 20% of the time, otherwise fingerstyle. When I use a pick it is a Dunlop Tortex 1.14mm, the purple ones, although I was just given a 1.2mm green one and might switch because I like it.

 

[Craig_S]

Let me start by saying I've tried a lot of different picks recently. I play nearly as much with a pick as I do with my fingers in my current band. We do a lot of classic rock covers. A pick suits a bunch of them.

I like standard heavy celluloid (like Fender) and heavy polycarbonate (Dunlop Gels) picks. I think they sound best. I've found the Tortex picks smooth the sound a bit. I use the Dunlop Tortex 1.0mm (blue) and 1.14mm (purple) if I need to shave a little edge off the attack. I used to use the yellow Tortex, and still will if I have to, but I don't care for the feel after using a stiffer pick for a while.

I especially like the sound of a heavy celluloid pick on my P-Bass with LaBella 760FL strings. What a GREAT sound!

 

[James Judson]

The biggest thickest pick I can find (if I'm gonna use one at all). I mostly use fingers.

 

[JonPol]

jazz iii's are really clean sounding. a little tough to get used to though.

 

[orestes71]

When I use a pick its usually a heavy one, the thin ones bend and give a bad sound to me.

 

[A-Step-Towards]

Dunlop .73 tortex is all i have used like 3-4 years

 

[Soma666]

The reason I'm asking is Invalid Link Removed

i have bought some bone, ebony and horn ones. Awaiting delivery. Kinda intrigued by these. I'll let u all know how they go when I get them

aren't they pretty?

 

[darkstorm]

Heavy gauge, mainly tortex. I use either of the more rounded edges. Rather then the pointy one. And combine pick with the finger edges and sometimes thumb edge holding the pick. I dont like super hard picks.

 

[JulienJeff]

I uuse the purple dunlop tortex (1.0 mm I think).
They are great. But I play more and more with fingers. Though I like the sound with a pick when I play alone, I sit better in the mix when I play with fingers

 

[lindseyp]

...
Just kinda curious I guess... Would different pick materials yield a different tone?

Yes; I never use a pick live, but I practice with them just in case. My favorites are the Wedgie Rubber Pick and the large V-Pick Medium Rounded.

 

[Thornton Davis]

I don't use a pick very often but when I do I'll only use a Jim Dunlop .60mm or .88mm. Don't like hard non flexible picks.

TD

 

[TechJunky]

I'm more of a finger style player anymore, but I used to use pick primarily when I first started. I still play certain things with a pick though (fast punk is just that much easier with a pick). I use dunlop tortex, either .5mm (red) or .6mm (orange). I personally don't like thick picks, as I tend to fumble with them and drop them. As for changing tone, I just change how I hold the pick. If I play with the pick parallel to the strings, I can get a crisper, more focused attack. If hold it at an angle or perpendicular to the strings, it softens the attack a bit but still retains enough to keep it clear.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Dunlop Black Nylon 1mm.

Regards
Sam

 

[plankspanker13]

Fender 1.2mm red celluloids; bought a gross of them a decade ago, and still have plenty. I have also gotten a handful of 1.5mm Dunlop Gator Grips, but there is less high end when those are used. I'll be playing an all-pick 2-hour show tomorrow (Green Day tribute, and Dirnt is a pure picker; I'll be using the reds). All picks currently used are the 351 shape. When I was younger and played P-basses exclusively, I used white celluloid 346's.

I have been picking a bit more the past few months, since I have been playing so much fingerstyle that I had developed tendonitis in my right thumb. I have modified my positioning a bit to alleviate that, and more picking also helps. I am about 60% fingers still.

 

[Mr. Mig]

I like Fender 351's Medium size. But, I have other brands and sizes in case I want another sound.