Pick Thickness

[Matt Liebenau]

When I use a pick on bass I like the orange Dunlop Tortex picks, for guitar I switch between the orange and red but mostly the red on guitar. I’d have to look at them when I get home for thickness. Basically though, try some different ones and see what you like. Picks are cheap and most music stores have a variety so it’s easy to experiment.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Tortex blue if you like a little flex...
Purple if you don't.
And in my case..."Hey, do you have an extra pick?"...in a pinch.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

Hello guys. I want to play with a pick, because so bassist that inspires me plays with a pick. And i couldnt decide which thickness it should have. So, would you give me advice? Thank you.

I bought three "sampler" packs with 15-20 different size/shape/widths in each one. Then I played all of them. And formed my own opinions of which worked better than others, and why. You need to make your own choice on this one! The experiment won't cost more than $40 or so. Have fun.

 

[Five or Six]

Can't help with a pick., never used one. I "pluck" or play with 3 fingers so my speed has always been there. I wish I would have learned both ways, more versatile, IMHO.

 

[G-Lol]

Clayton white acetal triangle in either .63 or 1.0. I tried all kinds of picks over the years, and these just felt right, so I've been using them ever since.

 

[BeyondFiredUp]

When I use a pick, I primarily use the red Dunlop Jazz lll. They are smaller than standard size, easier to do fast runs, pointed enough for accuracy and speed or melodic parts. Very comfortable. Used these for years.
I would like to try the Dunlop James Hetfield White Fang. They come in different thickness and have got me curious about them...

 

[wintremute]

that looks nice. thank so much for advice, but imo .71mm is too thin for bass. But ngl, the raised lettering for gripping sounds amazing!

According to Adam Getgood, thinner picks are better than thicker picks. He uses 0.6

timestamped video:


So I go with what others have said, find what's most comfortable and works best for you, but will add - don't dismiss thinner picks before trying them.

 

[DrBnz]

You're just scratching the surface here. I've tried many but in the end I have a collection of picks that I keep close by and chose depending upon the song. They all have a distinctive feel and sound. So some do better going fast, some have deep tones and some (depending upon material) have different sounds at attack. Some clack, some thump, some do very little. And they give different feed-back to the player.
- Gavity 0.9 for going fast and low attack noise.
- Gavity 1.5 - 2.0 - 3.0 Very comfortable to play, great feedback, distinctive attack noises. I like the 3.0 tone, but if you're going fast this isn't the one to grab.
- Dunlop 1.5 - 2.0 I like the tone of the 1.5 and the 3 sided 2.0 is for the long haul or playing out as its loud, easy to hold, low attack noise.
- Wood - as you can see that's a favorite of mine. It just does well for me. If in doubt I'd likely grab this one and its thick. 2.0 or more I'd guess.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Hello guys. I want to play with a pick, because so bassist that inspires me plays with a pick. And i couldnt decide which thickness it should have. So, would you give me advice? Thank you.

It's entirely personal preference.

If you want more "snap" to the sound, go thinner / if you want more thud, go thicker.

If you want a more responsive feel, use Nylon / if you want greater stiffness, use Delrin.

Whilst Delrin has more "clack", and Nylon has a softer attack, those things effectively disappear in a mix; the "snap" or "thud" provided by the thickness has the greater impact (particularly when you factor in compression, and EQ).

If you want a middle ground between Nylon, and Delrin, and with improved grip (if you suffer from sweaty fingers), look at Tortex, and Gator Grip.


For extreme ends of the spectrum, there's Metal (super bright and clanky), and Felt (more like sausage fingers).


My personal favourites are the D'Andrea / Planet Waves 1mm Delrin picks, but I almost never use them (except for sometime when recording), because the Dunlop 0.88mm Nylon pick sounds pretty close, but has far better responsiveness - and in a mix, the differences disappear.


TLDR : Dunlop 0.88mm Nylon.

 

[FugaziBomb]

Edit: just for the goof. These are probably ridiculous to use

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I used Fender Mediums for years, but have settled on .070" Tortex, they don't seem to "squirm" in my fingers like the smooth Fender mediums. Decent compromise between flexibility and "heft" hitting the strings. Get a pick assortment pack (like Tortex) and try them all until it feels right, and then stick with it.

 

[Relsom]

I started with the big felt picks many years ago, went through a stage where 1mm was pretty good, and eventually settled on the Dunlop .88 Nylons with or without the little grippy nubs. The embossed logo usually provides enough grip. I still mostly use my fingers or thumb, but need to pull out a pick a few times per gig. It's all what you get use to and how your playing evolves. Just like many other aspects to the instrument, its whatever suits you the best.

 

[Topkat13]

Find one you like.

 

[evs]

I went down the rabbit hole of picks a couple of years ago.
I tried a bunch and settled on yellow tortex 0.73.

Then at one of our gigs, I dropped my pick.
The guitarist had a bunch of picks attached to a holder on his mic stand.
I grabbed one and kept playing.
It was thicker than I was used to, and I really enjoyed it in the live mix and it felt easier to play with.

I now use Max Grips blues 1.5

 

[J Wilson]

It's entirely personal, so I'd suggest trying as many shapes and soft/hard variations as you can get your hands on. You'll know when you hit the right one.

Personally I've always used the big Fender 355- style picks in Heavy (or the often easier to find D'Andrea clones)



.

 

[Chrisk-K]

I love the Dunlop .73 mm Tortex for basses and the Dunlop 1.0 mm Jazz III XL for guitars.

 

[farace]

Get a wide variety. I don’t use picks often, but when I do, I lean toward the purple 2.0mm Dunlop. However, for some recent songs, I like the snappier attack of a .73 (or thereabouts). Different picks have different sounds, varying both with thickness and material. Thicker picks will give you less of a pick sound, thinner gives you more snap. Don’t dismiss thinner picks offhand, thinking they’re not appropriate for bass. Different materials flex in different ways. So, get a bunch of different picks, they’re cheap (though not like when they were four for a quarter), and experiment with different picks, and also where along the string length you pick. You’ll discover a whole range of sounds, and then you can decide which beat suits the music you’re playing. And you’re not limited to using just one.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

My experience is that thicker picks offer a thicker tone with less bright overtones, while thinner picks sound thinner and brighter. Personally, I prefer the sound of the thicker picks, so my preference is the Dunlop Gator 2mm. I also have a bunch of 1.5mm, and thinner ones for when that suites the pick tone I'm going for. I prefer the stiffer feel of the thicker picks, but have no problem using thinner if it fits the sound I'm going for.

 

[pineweasel]

I love the Dunlop .73 mm Tortex for basses and the Dunlop 1.0 mm Jazz III XL for guitars.

Exactly the same for me. But picks are so cheap you can experiment and find your own favourite.

 

[fauxtoe]

You pick the pick that sounds and works best for you. Different thickness, material, and tip shape all play a part in how it sounds and feels. Grab a whole bunch and see how far down the rabbit hole you go. You'll probably be shocked how much of a difference you'll find between them. For bass I think between .88 and like 1.18 is a pretty good start.