Just a curious question. What picks do you use?

[Kipp Harrington]

I’ll have to give rubber a shot one day. What I like about leather is that you can harden and soften it to your liking.

I'm sure leather gets a nice "soft" tone. Just wondering about its durability.

 

[Badwater]

I like the dunlop medium delrin types. Use them mostly with guitar, but on occasion with the bass. I use the fat end, same way SRV used picks. It takes out the quack and snap, and produces a fatter attack.

 

[Member8675309]

I'm sure leather gets a nice "soft" tone. Just wondering about its durability.

In regard to its durability, I’ll probably lose the pick before I ever wear it down. Of course, maybe not, but probably.

The one in the photo has a good two years on it. I’ve been using it to pick flats on a Gibson SG, so I can’t say much for how it’ll hold up using rounds.

As for tone, it depends on a few factors. For one, the type of leather used. Secondly, the cut. Third, the prep. If I soak it in mink oil, it’ll give me a soft tone and will play extremely fast. It’ll play like a thin pick with substantial heft in its delivery. If I soak it in water then let it dry out, it’ll have a much more sharp, precise attack with little bend similar to a 1mm pick.

I’ve been addicted to leather picks since I first found one in a souvenir shop on Broad in Nashville. I thought it was a gimmick souvenir until I used it that night. I’ve been a fan ever since.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Great story! I will keep them in mind.

 

[biguglyman]

Dunlop Tortex .73mm

 

[TuneSalad666]

Dunlop USA Nylon .73 mm

But recently I began using a pick like finger technique where I put my thumb and index finger together like using a pick but instead use the nail and the edge of the index finger as I would use a pick.

Gives me a little less emphasis on the attack than I would get with a pick but still much more than I get with regular finger picking, also I find that I get a little more control over the dynamics and precision as to how I hit the strings.

 

[kittywithabanjo]

I like these I play Bobby Vega style find that works best for me.

 

[Luciferiad]

Dunlop nylon 1mm. I've tried a lot of different stuff, always come back to those.

And interesting one I tried was the Dava Master Control pick, which has a nickel insert on the striking point. A curious thing, fun to noodle with. Haven't found a practical use for it in my playing.

 

[JimmyM]

Dunlop Max Grips, 1.5 mm. Would use thicker if they made them. Used to enjoy the Dunlop Gator 2 mm picks but they would slide and turn in my hand so I switched to the Max Grips.

 

[sears]

Once you get into picks that don't bend, say 1mm, what do you feel is the benefit of extra thickness above that? Or maybe they do bend.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I don't want the tip moving, so I like heavy gauge. As long as there is some grip so they don't pivot in my fingers, I don't care what they say on them.

 

[Kriegs]

 

[two fingers]

I usually have about 10 different kinds on my mic stand pick holder. I use different ones for different attacks and sounds I am going for. Sometimes the room and/or stage will determine whether or not I need a pick with in edgy tone or one that is a bit more subtle. I use a pick about half the time.

My default picks are the medium Tortex picks. .60, .73 and .88 These are what I use for practice and rehearsal in a dry room. The .60 is mostly for when I am playing up and down 16th notes. The .88 is for harder downward chopping on 8th notes. The .73 is for moving around a lot and doing up or down strokes as needed.

I'm working on getting used to a thumb pick so that I can switch from fingers to pick mid song. Upstroke on those is "weird" so far. But I'm working on it. The goal would be to leave that pick on the whole show and switch to it when I need it. I might not pull it off though. It's a fun experiment anyway.

 

[ONYX]

I don't use a pick very often, but this is my go-to---anything purple automatically sounds great:

 

[mercbass]

blue brain picks. the 1.6mm

 

[stratovani]

Good old Fender 351 medium celluloid pick. I turn it sideways and play it with the blunt side, like Bobby Vega.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I like thick,inflexible picks.
Why?


Because there is no flexing,there is no delay of motion transfer.
So all the pick motion energy is transferred to the string.
The blunt,rounded tip slips easily over the string.
It's like using your index finger tip.
Moving the string only.

Top left to bottom right:
Big Stubby 3mm,Dunlop Primetone 5mm,Timbertones Agate 4.7mm picks.
SikPik D35.It's twisted!Wegen 5mm,Wegen 7mm,V-Pick Big Fattie 5.85mm.

 

[Oddly]

Picked up a TimberTones Bloodwood pick yesterday (and a Marine Band Harmonica!).
It seems especially suited to playing the Peter Gunn Theme...

I mostly play with fingers, but I have felt and leather picks too...and a few more 'normal' ones.

 

[hrodbert696]

I go between the blue Dunlop Tortex and the white Clayton Acetals, either of them in 1.0 mm. They feel very similar (are Acetal and Tortex the same thing?) and I can use either pretty interchangeably.

 

[Resonance129]

I've been going through different picks like crazy for a while and of all the models I've tried, the picks I love best (for sound/tone, feel, grip, and size) would be:

the .88mm Dunlop Primetone Standards

or the Dava Grips