OK, so I think I have, at long last, found the perfect pick! The quest is over!
Here's the journey:
Going from left to right:
Top Row: The Quest Begins
These are the picks that started all this. Dunlop Gator 1.14 and Ernie Ball Prodigy Shield 1.5. What I wanted was a hybrid: the Gator's flexibility and grip, and the the Prodigy's size and shape.
Second Row: Failures
• Dunlop Tortex Triangle 1.0 (not sure where my 1.14 of this went... it's purple). The full-size Dunlop triangles are just way too big. I know it doesn't look it in this photo, but it really is much bigger and I didn't like this size.
• Dunlop Gator "small triangle" 1.0. Closer to the size of the Prodigy (just a little bit bigger), right shape, but too thin. If they made this in in 1.14 or a 1.2 that might have been the one. It's too bad because they're not too expensive, either.
• Hell Guitars Super Black Cocktail 1.8. They said they play much thinner than they actually are. That was not my experience at all; just way too thick.
Third Row: Almost There
•
Dunlop Primetone Small Triangle 1.3 Grip. Love the way this one feels in my hand. It's a little bit larger Could be a little thinner but we're splitting hairs at this point. The problem is actually the sound. Actually, that's not quite right. It's rounded off so it has a duller sound. This isn't mostly what I want, but there are definitely times I will use this pick because I do what that kind of tone, like using the rounded end of a traditionally-shaped pick.
•
Gravity Thin Stealth Standard 1.1. Had I not found the last pick, I would have settled for this—it's pretty close. Again, just a tiny bit larger than the Prodigy, but the right shape. Could be a little bit thicker, but not far away. These are also the most expensive of the bunch, though at this point that wouldn't have stopped me.
Bottom Row: The Holy Grail
• [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Almost exactly the same size as the Prodigy, and while technically the same thickness, the hole in the middle means it flexes more like a thinner pick. The hole and the textured surface make the grip absolutely perfect. Made out of something called "lupital' that I had never heard of before, but the first moment I put it to strings I immediately loved it, but I know better than to jump to a final conclusion right away. So, played it for a couple hours, alternating between this and the Gravity, and yep, this is the one. Just a fantastic combination of size, shape, grip, and the Goldilocks amount of flexibility: not to much, not too little—just right.
Also expensive, but not as expensive as the Gravity picks. However, they also make them in an "ultem-tak" material (apparently kind of like ultex) which makes them as expensive as the Gravitys. I'll have to try that and see what I think--it'll depend on how it affects the flexibility. It's hard to imagine they're better than the regular ones, but it's worth a try.
It's been quite a journey. Anyone want some Hell Guitar picks or some Dunlop large triangle picks?
