Thick Inflexible Picks.That's the way.

[Matthew_84]

On Friday night, I decided to learn to play with a pick, but the only pick I had was a Dunlop nylon .73mm pick. It constantly spun out of position in my hand and I didn't like how it flexed.

Yesterday, I took some recommendations from this thread (thanks everyone), and went pick shopping with my .73mm pick to compare. Out of all the picks in this thread, the shop only had the Dunlop Gator Grip 2mm, and Dunlop Big Stubbies, 2mm and 3mm.

I noticed the Big Stubbies were a lot harder to spin out of position, so I took both sizes to the bass department for a trial run.

In the end, I grabbed the 3mm. It was less prone to flexing than the 2mm, and I could play quicker 16th notes with it. Also, it didn't feel too much thicker than the 2mm. I think the divot in the middle helps with this.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Adding two more to my fat pick collection.
A V-Pick Big Fattie.5.85mm

And a Wegen Fatone 5.00mm

 

[Watchootognbout]

At this moment a Wegan 7mm is wending it's way to me.
But the V-Pick and the Wegan 5mm have already arrived.

The Big Fattie has a crisp sound.
But not as much as the Agate picks.

The Wegan 5mm sounds,looks,and feels exactly like a Dunlop PrimeTone.
But costs more.So.......

 

[Watchootognbout]

And the Wegan 7mm has arrived.

 

[JimmyM]

Now that is a PICK!

 

[1stnamebassist]

Looks like you could skip that across a pond!

 

[Bass Growler]

I can't imagine that playing very comfortably.

 

[JimmyM]

I can't imagine that playing very comfortably.

Some people don't like them, but then you hear stories about Django Reinhardt, the most influential jazz guitarist in history along with Charlie Christian, using a 5 mm thick pick, and you hear him fly across the strings with it, and you start to think, well maybe there's something to the big thick hunks of pick.

 

[walterw]

you hear stories about Django Reinhardt, the most influential jazz guitarist in history along with Charlie Christian, using a 5 mm thick pick, and you hear him fly across the strings with it

that's kinda what happens, the gigantic pick barely catches the string but mostly slides over it, so you get speed but i imagine less volume or dynamics.

it's heavy picks for me too, but i like them thin as i can get and still not really flex. 1mm clayton big rounded triangles work for me.

either way the idea is i control how loud or soft, bright or mellow the sound is by how tight or loose my hand and the angle i strike the string, as opposed to the floppy pick doing the same floppy thing no matter how i hit it.

 

[JimmyM]

Thickest I've been able to try is 3 mm, was not a huge fan but I liked it and may not have given it enough of a chance. Currently using 1.5 mm.

 

[Watchootognbout]

After playing with this pick for a while,I find that there is a point of diminishing returns.
It seems that after a certain point there isn't really that much of a change in tone from a 5.mm.

It's nice and meaty in my fingers,but I can say that this is the upper limit of thick picks for me.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I can't imagine that playing very comfortably.

Well it does have a deep indentaion in the center.
So it isn't that overwheming.

 

[Jefff]

With a thick pick you can always back off and play with a lighter touch. A thin pick just gets wimpy if you want to really give it a whack. This kind thing may be more important on a guitar or mandolin but it still gives you more control over the sound you want to make.

I tend to use a 1.5 mm or a 2 mm. I don't hit anything hard enough to deflect 2 mm

 

[Mdrummey]

My fav pick is the V pick Large Lite. It doesn't really fall into the thickness of some of these other picks, but it really has zero flexibility. I find that it has helped me get the pick tone I've been after. I'm a big fan of Mike Gordon and Phil Lesh.

I've also been thinking about ordering the Telefunken triangular picks that are supposed to be like the famous Adamas (sp?) graphite ones.

Biggest problem with these V picks is that they are clear. Once you drop one on stage it's all over. Definitely recommend having a few backups

 

[coyoteboy]

I havent dropped my V-Pick yet. Used pearly med. point yesterday. Super hot, sweaty gig.

 

[Watchootognbout]

After all this time,I find out that these picks are called "Manouche"picks.

Thick Wegens,Dunlops and Dugains.
Generally used by Gypsy Jazz guitarists.
Fashioned after the picks that Django Reinhardt used.

Some recent acquisitions.(Except for the white Wegen 7mm)
DjangoJazz and Dugain picks.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Some newer picks.

Top row: Dugain SuperDug Galalith 3mm,Wegen Trimus TR350B,Wegen Trimus TR250B,
Center: TimberTones Gypsy Tones Buffalo Bone 3mm,D'Andrea Pro Plec 1.5mm.
Bottom: Dunlop Primetone large round tip 5.0mm,Miller Galalith Delta 4mm,TimberTones Gypsy Tones Black Horn 4mm.

 

[coyoteboy]

After I got my V-pick FLP, and Primetone 1.4 Triangle, I stopped looking

 

[Watchootognbout]

After I got my V-pick FLP, and Primetone 1.4 Triangle, I stopped looking

Those are thin picks....not Gypsy jazz picks.

 

[Watchootognbout]