Just a curious question. What picks do you use?

[Russell L]

Fender #346, medium.

 

[foolforthecity]

Just curious... I know, old thread!

Which thins do you use. I wanted to get better at pick playing and used some thicker picks originally but found that it hampers an alternate picking style. The pick got “caught up” on the strings. I think a more flexible pick may be the answer. Thoughts?

I like Dava picks these days....thicker, tactile grip area with thin pick-end inserts. YMMV, but for me it has the grip feel of a heavy with the picking feel of a light or medium.

 

[Feral Feline]

Lately I've been punching out credit-cards with a pick-puncher. Still a bit too thin for bass though.

I also picked up a bag of electronics pry-opener picks to try as bass picks. They've got a funky ridged edge on one side, so they're not great right out of the bag, but with some filing and/or minor melting... super duper!

 

[Hattie]

When I started practising picking style on the bass I used the 1.5 Dunlop Gators I had lying around. I loved the dampened mellow sound but they were too big and not precise enough for my taste. I tried 2.0 Dunlop Jazz III Ultex, very cool but ultimately too scratchy for me.

I settled on the Dunlop 3.0 Big Stubby Nylon. It's very comfortable and I love the sound I get from it.
I play fingerstyle most of the time, but there are songs I just need to play with a pick. Think Twist'n'Shout, Good Vibrations, Itchycoo Park...

 

[Jenra]

Hey guys!

So I've been playing long enough that I've been requested to play with my thumb, finger tips, slapping, tapping, sweeping and with a pick. To this day I've been able to work around it, but I've reached a peak in my performance with a pick, I think I might be using too small picks (Dunlop Jazz III)..

So, my question, what do you use? And what would you recommend that I try - preferably larger than the Jazz III.

Best wishes
Casper

 

[ricknote]

I hadn’t barely touched a pick in 30 years, but just recently got into a hard rock band doing covers. The pick sound is really needed for a lot of the stuff like Van Halen, KISS, Nugent etc. I’m about 50-50 pics/fingers in this band. I’ve settled on a regular shape Clayton .63. I find them to grip really well and they’re slick off the string. I use the round end not the pointy part.

 

[B-Mac]

Hey guys!

So I've been playing long enough that I've been requested to play with my thumb, finger tips, slapping, tapping, sweeping and with a pick. To this day I've been able to work around it, but I've reached a peak in my performance with a pick, I think I might be using too small picks (Dunlop Jazz III)..

So, my question, what do you use? And what would you recommend that I try - preferably larger than the Jazz III.

Best wishes
Casper

I use a Gravity 3 mm acrylic pick and love them

I also just started experimenting with the 3.1 mm Wedgie hard rubber pick

 

[bholder]

My goto pick these days for almost anything is the Pickboy Ceramic 1.0 mm - very grippy and stiff without being overly chunky.

 

[Rib 13]

Ive avoided picks for thirty years (except studiowork when requested) but have recently been adding into my live play bag ...my fave is the basic Tortex green .88mm......

 

[Lobster11]

By the time this thread ends you'll get recommendations for every kind of pick ever invented. Just get yourself an assortment of picks of varying sizes, shapes, and materials and experiment until you figure out what works for you.

 

[Haans]

Dunlop Ultex 1 or 0,88, depending on which is in my pocket at the moment. Good grip, good size, quite stiff and takes a beating. Longest lasting picks I've ever used. These are very good for hard playing, but I would go with a softer type if I was more light-handed.

 

[BassHappy]

My fingers are a little clumsy, so I have always gravitated to oversize dulcimer picks. I believe mine were made by a company called D'Andrea and they apparently haven't made them for many years. While they call them mediums they have very little give and are closer to what most folks would call "heavy" in weight.

I am in love with them, they are amazing and I bought out their entire stock many years ago, which was about 6 gross. Sorry to recommend picks which are not available, though.

I also use felt autoharp picks when I am after a softer attack on more mellow material. They are treated somehow and are very stiff with a very nice thin beveled edge. They do have a tiny bit of "grab" so you have to get used to them, but they sound amazing especially on tapewounds:

 

[Gustopher]

I use Dava picks. They have rubber on the grip and end and are firm. They feel right in my fingers and I don’t drop them like I do other picks.

 

[BassplayinBob]

Fender 355 Heavy, been using these for about 25 years. love them

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[MynameisMe]

I don’t exclusively play with a pick but when I do I use a Dunlop purple 2 mil. It has a nice thumb inset.

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

I've been using the Dunlop Stubby 3mm for years and still love them. Great sound and really comfortable.

 

[emblymouse]

I am using a pick much more often these days. I have been using Guitar Moose picks which have grippy sticky rubber. Now they make just the adhesive rubber appliqués, these are not as thick and are ideal for me to use on my choice of whatever I want. Not cheap though.

 

[mdogs]

By the time this thread ends you'll get recommendations for every kind of pick ever invented. Just get yourself an assortment of picks of varying sizes, shapes, and materials and experiment until you figure out what works for you.

This is what is was going to say. 40 years of pick playing and I have used everything under the sun. But, I always see to come back to good old Fender mediums in the normal shape whatever they are called. The type of pick you use can and will make quite a difference is in the sound.

 

[BassGreaser]

Not a heavy pick player, but I love BlueChip picks as they wear so slowly and last forever! (They are pricy though)

 

[lermgalieu]

I like Clayton 1.0 mm. Any thinner is too thin (for me).