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Preserve the tortoise but find me a pick!


Johnt

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Sorry all you finger stylers!

 

About 10 years ago I met a Canadian guy called Gordon who was living in the UK. He came to work with us and I got to know him well. He is a luthier and made some strange guitars and he gave me a disease which of yet I have not be cured!

 

A genuine Tortoise shell pick! Illegal in the Uk then and now!

 

Yeah I know...... and there's no way I would condone the killing of any creature to make my playing sound better but God I rue the day I lost that pick!

 

The point of this is that I need to find a medium/light pick (preferbaly tri-corner cos I am ham fisted (and so mean that i will use every edge!) which is as close as possible to the "real thing"

 

I ordered a Tortis Medium to find that it is actually what I would call heavy!

 

Has anyone any recommendations, playing more finger style has to be one but me old fingers aren't as supple as they used to be!

 

Thanks

 

BR

 

John

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Tortoise Fingerpics! Yeah, that's ticket! Actaully there are some alternative materials. My local dealer has a few, but I am drawing a blank at the moment. I'll make a note of what they are next time I am there.

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For acoustic, I like the thinnest Fender tri-cornered pick made. I don't want to like them--they break easily, don't have enough spine to get a good flat picking volume, and they are increasingly hard to find. But having tried every pick made, I always come back to them for the sharp attack and flex I'm looking for when strumming. But I was breaking them so often that I bought a pack of 72 from Elderly 4 months ago, and I'm still on the first pick!

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I have been a finger picker mostly but have been getting more into rhythem and strumming. I found a pick at a local shop that I just LOVE. It's the Dunlop "Ultex", tri-corner, with the rhino on it. It's a unique material, easy to hold onto while wailing away playing "Nadine" ! I personally like the 0.73 and the 0.88. They are sturdy but not strictly rigid. They have them on Musicians Friend. There are other Dunlop Ultex picks but this one is the "421P" model. I think you'd like them. Also, in the spirit of saving an animal, have you considered just using the entire, live tortoise for your strumming? I think Eric Burdon and the Animals used them. lol Good luck in your quest.

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I've gone back and forth, trying to find just the right pick. I've never actually tried a real tortoiseshell pick, so I can't say what they're like. However, I've pretty much settled on using the Clayton Ultem pick (.72mm). I've been really happy with them.

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Clayton-Ultem-Standard-Picks?sku=110422

 

 

Here's how they're described on the website link above:

"Ultem closely resembles real tortoiseshell in sound, feel, and color, but unlike tortoiseshell these guitar picks will not fracture."

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I Also' date=' in the spirit of saving an animal, have you considered just using the entire, live tortoise for your strumming? I think Eric Burdon and the Animals used them. lol Good luck in your quest.[/size']

 

 

Terry shame on you!

 

Everybody knows that it was Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders who used the tortoises!

 

Refer 1969 book " Capos, Carapaces and Crustaceans"

By C Turtle, with foreword by Terry Pyn

(Oh I am sooo sorry about that one!)

 

To be serious I have not tried the entire live tortoise!

I gave up whilst on holiday on Floria when an armadillo threatened to take me to The Humane Society of the United States for vile abuse whilst attempting the run down in Eb for "Here comes the sun"

 

Thanks for recommendation I will try these and the suggestions offered by others in reply.

 

Thanks to all

 

BR

 

John

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I want a charango even though I think it's heinous and disgusting they make them out of some poor little armadillo. Morbid attraction I guess.

 

Probably the fact that I have a goatskin head on the shelf in my shop in case I score another old banjo is no better.

 

And the only reason I don't have real gut strings on my Kay upright is the $300 price tag.

 

There's a moose skull on my porch that I will do something odd and creative with someday.

 

I have a pile of guns but I've never hunted.

 

I love meat but get physically ill thinking about how it made it to my plate.

 

So I guess I'm 5% hippie, 5% redneck, and 90% confused.

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JohnT, since Mike sent you and actual link to his pick of choice, here's the ones that I mentioned. I'm going to order more of them (unless theyr'e cheaper at my local shop, 50 cents apiece) and aslo try some of the ones that Mike mentioned. The only problem I have with these is that I keep putting one in the little watch pocket in my jeans and then lose them in the washer/dryer! These are tri-cornered and measure about 1 1/2 in. from point to point. For you Limeys that's 37.10 mm.lol Also-Terry Pyn? Ha, that could be a new alias! Remember, You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose. But you can't pick your friend's nose. Especially with a tortoise!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-421P-Ultex-Picks?sku=110032

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It does appear that the Clayton's and Dunlop's are very similar. The edges do wear after a while' date=' but I really like them.[/quote']

 

Mike, how wide are the Claytons across the top and top-to-bottom length? I'll take your answer off the air!

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Mike' date=' how wide are the Claytons across the top and top-to-bottom length? I'll take your answer off the air! [/size']

 

We will soon find out Terry and Mike

 

I took your advice and ordered both yesterday Claytons and Dunlops!

 

Have also tried to put an order on for the Tortis (readbear Trading) ones but the UK is out of stock.

 

Haven't been called a Limey for ages ( since I was thrown out of the "Slash" Gibson forum for laying down a clean track.

 

Blessings to all

 

BR

 

John

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Perhaps you have already started trying some of the suggestions. I want to second the Dunlop ULTEX. It comes in 2 styles I know of, the tri-tip is one of them. I keep perhaps 30 to 40 on had. However (and I don't know what else to call them but) the regular size pick in ULTEX is the best sounding and feeling pick I have used in over 40 years of

picking. I would like very much to try real tortis soon. I too would not kill or have an animal killed to improve my sound. As I type this I ,... no I wouldn't have one killed. But I certainly want to try NOS.O:)

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I also just ordered some of Mike's Claytons so we'll soon see how they compare.

JohnT' date=' I used "Limey" as a term of endearment, not to offend. Also, is that Avatar photo recent or were you still in high school? lol (I'm kidding)[/size']

 

Not in the least offended TW. Or at least I didn't think I was until I "googled "limey"

 

Thus

 

(Lee Tockar) A lounge lizard in a reptile leather jacket.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki_Bar_TV

 

North America The American slang name for a British sailor - from the lime juice ordered by the British Merchant Shipping Act to be issued to the crews of British ships as an anti-scorbutic.

www.britishempire.co.uk/glossary/l.htm

 

To which definition were you refering?

 

The lounge lizard may explain all the flattened ninths( musak) I keep playing and also gets us back to reptiles which was th point of this thread!

 

Thanks for the comment re the Avatar! That's Lily our neurotic Irish Wolfhound. God man I look so much better than that. For a start I don't have a beard!

 

My stuff arrives today so I will post my opnions re Claytons and Dunlops tommorrow!

Br

 

John

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Did your picks arrive Johnt?

 

Funny you should say that!

 

They did today when I was doing battle around the M25!

 

I opened my parcel and was just sitting here trying to play "Sunny" on the 12 string and do you know what I still find it hard even with the Clayton .72mm!

 

To be serious the .72 Clayton is really good. Doesn't of course have the attack of a real tortotiose shell ( But Hell i lost that 10 years ago and why I think I can remember the feel of that when I can't remember my wedding anniversary I wouldn't know LOL)

 

The Clayton .80 is a little hard for my lazy hands but preferable to the "medium" tortis (Red Bear)

 

The Claytons win over the Dunlop on shape. The tortex again have a good feel to them but I like a tri-corner and not just because they last three times longer!

 

TW I made a mistake when I ordered them (thought I'd ordered ,72 + .80 and they sent .72 which again are very good and .88 which I am contemplating using to scrape the underseal off the bottom of my Volvo!

 

Think I might even go down a gauge on the claytons below .72 but you are right they are a good substitute and infinitely preferable to the fender ones I have been using.

 

Whilst ordering I got a couple of sets of Elixirs 10s for the SWD so am now about to embark on my least favourite routine on a 12 string, that is changing the strings, not forgetting, of course, to test and if necessary replace the battery!

 

Thanks again fellas,, very helpful and reached a good solution

 

Oh well back to it.....

 

Gm Bb7 Ebmaj7 Am7 D7

Sunny, yesterday all my life was filled with rain

 

God I hate Ebmaj7

 

 

Br

 

John

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