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frustration with pick tone

Sharko

Sharko

Jun 18, 2009
2,209
5,288
Washington, DC
#1
Most of the music I play lends itself to pick playing, but recently I can't seem to get a pick tone that I'm happy with and I'm not sure if it has to do with EQ'ing the amp, strings, technique, or all of the above. It seems that all I hear is the clicking of the pick over the strings and the thwack of the release. Played alone it sounds dull and woody, like thumping on a wooden box, and with the band all I hear is plastic clicking in the mix.
Any pick players out there with suggestions?
 
#3
billbern said:
To reduce the sound of the pick, I use a pretty heavey gauge pick 1.5-2. MM, have the pick parallel to the strings (don't cut across the strings), boost the very lows mids and cut the highs a little.
Click to expand...

This. The few times I do play with a pick I eq the amp where it sounds really boomy if you're playing fingerstyle. The pick (I use the Dunlop 1.14) sound adds enough bite that it lends to a nice full tone.
 
#8
What equipment do you have? I tend to roll down my highs alot and boost mids alot and boost the low just a tad. Your pickups will make a big difference too. I just found a new tone I really like using the bridge pickup and dialing out all the highs and maxing the mids.

you can also try different picks, gels would be softer, felts even softer.
 
#10
I use thick hard picks (.80 to 1.0 mm) specifically to get a tone not possible with fingers. It's all about the attack, the click of the strings. I get a lot of tonal variation with a pick by using varying degress of palm muting. I don't use a pick all night, it only lends itself to certain songs. If you are trying to mute the attack of a pick with softer, gentler plectrums and clever EQ-ing, I question the use of a pick to begin with. If you're not happy with pick tone, maybe you should stick to fingerstyle.
 
#11
A lot of people are saying use fingers instead, but I think they're kinda missing the point. I know the difference between finger and pick tones, and for this particular set of songs I want a pick tone, I just don't want the particular pick tone I'm getting.
For example, on cover songs where the originals are played with a pick, when I play with a pick I'm not able to get quite the same tone.
To the people who said thicker picks and more mids/less highs, thanks, that was a good step in the right direction.
 
#12
I find I can vary pick sound not only by thickness and amp EQ but also the composition of the pick. Various plastics can reduce or increase the noise associated with pick playing. I find swapping from a Dunlop 1mm black to a Herco flex 75 grey gets me most of the pick tones I need. The Herco seems to be more matte and stiffer for it's relative thickness. For recording I use a 2mm thick pressed felt mandolin pick or a hard 2mm "wedgie" (sp?) rubber pick to get those 60's studio sounds.
 
#14
heroesofalma said:
I find I can vary pick sound not only by thickness and amp EQ but also the composition of the pick. Various plastics can reduce or increase the noise associated with pick playing. I find swapping from a Dunlop 1mm black to a Herco flex 75 grey gets me most of the pick tones I need. The Herco seems to be more matte and stiffer for it's relative thickness. For recording I use a 2mm thick pressed felt mandolin pick or a hard 2mm "wedgie" (sp?) rubber pick to get those 60's studio sounds.
Click to expand...

+1. I was on a long quest for the "one" with picks when I needed a good pick tone in one of my old bands (I'm 95% a fingerstyle player, but all these people saying "use your fingers" are simply missing out on a whole dimension of tones that cannot be accomplished using only the meat of your fingers!).
One early favorite that I know many people use are the Dunlop nylon picks- I like the blue colored ones, I think they are around 1.1 or 1.2 mm gauge. These give a nice warm tone with just the right amount of percussive edge for me. The 1mm gauge (black-colored ones) are nice too if you like a lighter pick. The other ones I really like are the Dunlop "Ultex" (if I remember correctly) picks with the picture of the Rhino on them- 1.2 something mm gauge (they are clear-yellowish in color). They made of a plastic with much less of the clicky response of standard picks, but a little more edge/attack than the Dunlop nylons.

I don't know how so many people get by with standard heavy gauge picks- it took me quite a while to find a pick tone I really liked, and most picks are about 70% "click" to my ears!

Karl
 
#17
I'm gonna throw you a curve ball. Try some flat wound strings. I know, I know. I HATED them for the longest time. It took me forever to figure out that they sound like "thud" when you are playing by yourself. But in a band mix, THEY ARE AWESOME! I've been playing for 23 years. I have NEVER used flats until recently. I play with both a pick and my fingers. The "right" frequencies cut through using flats. I know it sounds crazy. Just trust me. Better yet, look up Incubus - Live at Red Rock on YouTube. Check out Ben Kenny playing a Lakland Jazz with flats. Listen to it through GOOD speakers or head phones. The tone is amazing and there are a LOT more mids and highs than you would think.
 
#19
Get felt picks! They are kinda hard to come by and a bit expensive ($1.25 each), but they are REALLY thick and give a nice, mellow sound without the irritating 'click'. Sort of in between fingers and tort picks. If you can't find felt picks, get a pretty thick old leather belt and cut a bunch of picks out of that. I've used the homemade leather picks for years and they give a nice funky sound as well as looking cool.
 

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