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What kind of pick do you use?
- Thread starter bassanddrums
- Start date
These are what i use to copy a finger tone.
Anyone know of a pick that is like the max grip 1.5 but in a 2-2.5mm size but with the same grip styling or close to it?
Big Stubby 3mm. But I wonder if there is a better pick to use? I got this pick back when I played on roundwounds, but now I play on nylon tapes.
Also when I couldn't find my pick:
\but smelly hands
I play mostly finger-style (about 95% of the time) and I never use a pick. Not even when I play guitar. I like to go au naturel. I have been blessed with tough strong fingernails that work very well as picks. I use my thumb, index and middle fingernails when I play pick-style or when I play lead or rhythm guitar. I just leave few extra millimeters on those three fingers when I trim my nails. Some say it's weird but it works for me, so whatever. 
Mostly finger style, but use Dunlop Max-Grip 1mm & 1.14.
Was using the Dunlop Tortex, but way to slippery. Helped to drill holes in 'em.
Playing fingerstyle and playing really close to the bridge and really digging in can get a lot of attack. Mostly used this style playing in fast punk bands. Guys would come up and ask what kind of picks I was using
Was using the Dunlop Tortex, but way to slippery. Helped to drill holes in 'em.
Playing fingerstyle and playing really close to the bridge and really digging in can get a lot of attack. Mostly used this style playing in fast punk bands. Guys would come up and ask what kind of picks I was using
I've always used my fingers.
I've tried to use regular thin guitar picks for decades with little success.
Now I have discovered thick,unflexible picks.
4.7mm Agate picks.
5.mm Dunlop Primetone Gypsy Jazz.
3.mm Big Stubby
SikPik D35.
It's twisted!
With these I can do rapid alternate picking sixteenth notes without the pick hanging up on the string.
They don't bend at all.
They move the string with no flexing.
All picking energy goes to the string with less hand motion.
I've tried to use regular thin guitar picks for decades with little success.
Now I have discovered thick,unflexible picks.
4.7mm Agate picks.
5.mm Dunlop Primetone Gypsy Jazz.
3.mm Big Stubby
SikPik D35.
It's twisted!
With these I can do rapid alternate picking sixteenth notes without the pick hanging up on the string.
They don't bend at all.
They move the string with no flexing.
All picking energy goes to the string with less hand motion.
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I moved from big stubby 3.0 (and even regular small stubbies which I can't stand now, too small) to your regular delrin picks - Dunlop Tortex .88 and 1.0 and Fender 351 Delrin .88 which is pretty much the same thing except it doesn't have that powder finish for a better grip, but still good. I prefer the feel and sound of those to super heavy picks.
Now just recently, I got a free sample of Snark Neo Tortoise .94 with my string order from Strings and Beyond. Those are now my favorite picks and I ordered a pack right away. They are closer to .88 than 1.0 tortex flex and feel wise (they're even marketed as "plays like .88"), they have a tacky print on one side that helps for a better grip (with exposed tip), and they give me a slightly warmer tone, more fundamental and a bit softer attack than Dunlop Tortex which give a sharper attack, more highs. They also feel better in my hand and glide better between strings (less string noise and scratching). I still like Tortex too, but Snarks are it for me.
And they come in a variety of different looking prints (tortoise wannabe) regardless of gauge, instead of your regular green for .88 or whatever you use
And with a pick file inside the package.
I'm also a sucker for these neat looking packages, weird names and what have ya lol.
There's also Sigmud Freud celluloid picks, but I haven't tried those.
Snark folk don't disclose what the neo tortoise material is: "Teddy picks are a completely different material than Sigmund (NOT celluloid), which we dont disclose what it is, but we have named it Neo Tortoise. It is stiffer than Celluloid. So it gives more attack, which is often something an electric player is looking for.
Sigmund is Cellulolid, but made by a different process than traditional celluloid so the tone is better and they are less prone to breaking and tearing than conventional celluloid."
Anyways, they're cheap and they feel and sound great to me.
Now just recently, I got a free sample of Snark Neo Tortoise .94 with my string order from Strings and Beyond. Those are now my favorite picks and I ordered a pack right away. They are closer to .88 than 1.0 tortex flex and feel wise (they're even marketed as "plays like .88"), they have a tacky print on one side that helps for a better grip (with exposed tip), and they give me a slightly warmer tone, more fundamental and a bit softer attack than Dunlop Tortex which give a sharper attack, more highs. They also feel better in my hand and glide better between strings (less string noise and scratching). I still like Tortex too, but Snarks are it for me.
And they come in a variety of different looking prints (tortoise wannabe) regardless of gauge, instead of your regular green for .88 or whatever you use
And with a pick file inside the package.I'm also a sucker for these neat looking packages, weird names and what have ya lol.
There's also Sigmud Freud celluloid picks, but I haven't tried those.
Snark folk don't disclose what the neo tortoise material is: "Teddy picks are a completely different material than Sigmund (NOT celluloid), which we dont disclose what it is, but we have named it Neo Tortoise. It is stiffer than Celluloid. So it gives more attack, which is often something an electric player is looking for.
Sigmund is Cellulolid, but made by a different process than traditional celluloid so the tone is better and they are less prone to breaking and tearing than conventional celluloid."
Anyways, they're cheap and they feel and sound great to me.
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I've always used my fingers.
I've tried to use regular thin guitar picks for decades with little success.
They hang up while alternate picking.
Now I have discovered thick,unflexible picks.
4.7mm Agate picks.Has a crisp sound.
5.mm Dunlop Primetone Gypsy Jazz.Has a dark tone.
3.mm Big Stubby.Has a medium tone.
SikPik D35.Has a medium tone.
It's twisted!
With these I can do rapid alternate picking sixteenth notes without the pick hanging up on the string.
They don't bend at all.
They move the string with no flexing.
All picking energy goes to the string with less hand motion.
And because they are thick you don't have to angle the pick so that it slips off the string.
I've tried to use regular thin guitar picks for decades with little success.
They hang up while alternate picking.
Now I have discovered thick,unflexible picks.
4.7mm Agate picks.Has a crisp sound.
5.mm Dunlop Primetone Gypsy Jazz.Has a dark tone.
3.mm Big Stubby.Has a medium tone.
SikPik D35.Has a medium tone.
It's twisted!
With these I can do rapid alternate picking sixteenth notes without the pick hanging up on the string.
They don't bend at all.
They move the string with no flexing.
All picking energy goes to the string with less hand motion.
And because they are thick you don't have to angle the pick so that it slips off the string.
Last edited:
Put me down for Mick's Picks felt and rubber picks, too.
For over 30 years I used Fender mediums for everything: bass, electric & acoustic guitars.
I bought the felt picks for a jazz song I wanted a softer sound on. They came with rubber ones. I really like them both. The felt pick gives the soft thump I was looking for; and the rubber pics are strong, durable, and punchy without the "clicking" sound you get from thinner picks.
I also heartily endorse the suggestion of grabbing an assortment pack of guitar picks to experiment with. After 30+ years, I also found that I prefer thin picks on my 6-strings.
For over 30 years I used Fender mediums for everything: bass, electric & acoustic guitars.
I bought the felt picks for a jazz song I wanted a softer sound on. They came with rubber ones. I really like them both. The felt pick gives the soft thump I was looking for; and the rubber pics are strong, durable, and punchy without the "clicking" sound you get from thinner picks.
I also heartily endorse the suggestion of grabbing an assortment pack of guitar picks to experiment with. After 30+ years, I also found that I prefer thin picks on my 6-strings.
Ooohhhh those were my favourites for a while, the Dunlop 88's. I was just updating my pick inventory this morning, and I'm down to one, and haven't used it for quite a while.
I've converted over mostly to Dava picks. Their Rock Control Delrin for bass (0.87), and the Control Grip Tip Nylon (1.28) for electric. Gravity Classic Standard 1.50 for this one drone song we have that's written in Ostrich tuning, but that's another story entirely.
I have some others I've messed around with. Iron Age has some interesting ones, I've been playing around with their carbon fibre picks recently. They also make some stones ones which I've tried. Super heavy, kind of cool, but the ones I have just don't have a good feel to them. Like, they feel almost abrasive when you hit the strings. White Aventurine and African Bloodstone are the ones I have in case anyone's curious. I sort of thought that maybe the stone ones would have a really cool sound to them on the bass, and they're super thick and super heavy. But yeh, not for me.
I've converted over mostly to Dava picks. Their Rock Control Delrin for bass (0.87), and the Control Grip Tip Nylon (1.28) for electric. Gravity Classic Standard 1.50 for this one drone song we have that's written in Ostrich tuning, but that's another story entirely.
I have some others I've messed around with. Iron Age has some interesting ones, I've been playing around with their carbon fibre picks recently. They also make some stones ones which I've tried. Super heavy, kind of cool, but the ones I have just don't have a good feel to them. Like, they feel almost abrasive when you hit the strings. White Aventurine and African Bloodstone are the ones I have in case anyone's curious. I sort of thought that maybe the stone ones would have a really cool sound to them on the bass, and they're super thick and super heavy. But yeh, not for me.
.96 MM Jim Dunlop U.S.A Riffs. Nice texture, they have a great grip which is very important as my hands get sweaty very easily (even if I'm just sitting in my chair playing a few riffs) and I get them for very cheap (€0.50 apiece).
Used picks almost exclusively in the early '80s (heavy D'Andrea Pro Grip, if I remember) and then got away from them mostly, with the occasional use of a purple Dunlop 2.0mm. Lately I've been exploring them again, and have been trying lighter picks for a sharper sound, felts for a soft attack, a heavy hard Wedgie, a V-Pick, and some graphite Telefunkens in various sizes and weights. I've not really settled on anything.
Regarding the Telefunkens, I'll pass along a story and you can take it for what it's worth. I was talking with the president of Telefunken USA at last year's AES convention, and he told me that the original Adamas graphites were wonderful but we're long out of production, so he set out to reverse engineer them and after a lot of trial and error finally nailed them. He said in the meantime that Dunlop started producing Adamas graphite picks again (I assume it was Ovation that made them originally, just based on the Adamas name?) but that Dunlop had not gotten the formula right, and that Telefunken is the only company accurately reproducing graphite picks that are the same composition as the original Adamas picks.
Regarding the Telefunkens, I'll pass along a story and you can take it for what it's worth. I was talking with the president of Telefunken USA at last year's AES convention, and he told me that the original Adamas graphites were wonderful but we're long out of production, so he set out to reverse engineer them and after a lot of trial and error finally nailed them. He said in the meantime that Dunlop started producing Adamas graphite picks again (I assume it was Ovation that made them originally, just based on the Adamas name?) but that Dunlop had not gotten the formula right, and that Telefunken is the only company accurately reproducing graphite picks that are the same composition as the original Adamas picks.
