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Educate me about picks.

S

Strat-Mangler

Inactive
Aug 15, 2010
157
2
#1
Mods, didn't know where to post this, so feel free to move it. :)

What kind of picks are there for bassists? I'm a guitarist who would like to dabble in bass.

My setup will be a Hofner 500/1 CT with flats and a Jazz with rounds (I think).

I like the sound of the fingers on the Jazz, but I can't keep up as much as I'd like and I have no problem playing with a pick. So I think a felt pick would be best since I don't want a huge attack. Unless there are alternatives?

On the Hofner, I'll be playing Beatles stuff and am trying to replicate that sound, so wondering which pick I should choose.

Feel free to make any suggestions you wish. Your feedback's definitely appreciated, guys! :)
 
#6
Something awesome I recently discovered: take a thinnish pick (.5-1mm), and wrap it up in duct tape several times till it gets a bit fluffy. Then cut around it in the shape of the pick. I've found this emulates a fingerstyle tone very well and feels pretty good. And, it's virtually slip proof. I use it when I want the extra speed, but want to retain the tone of my hands. Try it out!
 
#9
I started finger-style many years ago and am learning to use a pick. I started with a heavy felt pick, and that has worked OK but there are two problems:

1) The felt pick tends to rotate in my fingers while playing
2) When a felt pick gets worn, it can suddenly start flopping in the middle of a number.

I've moved to heavy plastic, nylon or celluloid picks that either have cutouts in the center or large embossed designs to prevent them from rotating while I play. Right now in my pocket I have a black Jim Dunlop 1mm nylon pick. I also found a pick called "Star Pick" that has is 1 mm and has a star shape cut out of the area where I hold it - that one really resists moving.

I like the slightly less aggressive sound of a felt pick, but as I gain more experience and technique with a pick I'm better able to control how sharp the attack is with the harder picks.
 
#12
jmattbassplaya said:
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-Gator-Grip-Standard-Guitar-Picks?sku=110310

I have found that these in 2.0mm will give you a finger-style tone if you play towards the neck pickup. Anything lighter-gauged will sound too 'twangy', IME.
Click to expand...

I use these picks as well but I play closer to the bridge. However, I use a right hand muting technique that I have developed over 35 years that makes the sound very thick, punchy and heavy. Most people can't tell I am playing with a pick on the recordings.
 
#14
I prefer the sound of the gator picks, at 0.96, anything thicker then that and i find its plucking the strings more, and it becomes hard to play fast. Anything thinner then that and the pick starts to bend to much while digging in, again making it hard to play fast.

The gator picks i find are excellent to resist slip, when they get wet they have a non slip coating so as you sweat, or lick your fingers, it prevents slip.
Love ' em
 
#17
I really like the thumpy tone of a felt pick, but I've found that feel and tone only lasts for a short while. Then the felt starts to wear and gets pretty hard, sounding more like a plastic pick.

I've also tried the Wedgies and while they sound really cool, they made it look like I wrote all over my bass with a pencil and then erased it. IOW the rubber seemed to wear really easily and leave eraser-like schmutz on the strings and bass.

I've found I really like the Big Stubby's. So far I've tried the 2.0's, which are my favorites, and the 3.0's. The 3.0's feel kind of clunky in my hand but work well for playing slower and wanting the deep sound of a pick that doesn't bend at all. The 2.0's are surprisingly thumpy to me and feel much better in my hand that the 3.0's, though lately I'm finding them to still be a little stiff for playing fast.

I just happen to have found out that a pack of Big Stubby 1.0's will appear in my stocking on Christmas morning, so we'll see how I like them.
 

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