Swicket Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Any of you tried any of the "high-end" picks out there? You know, horn, ebony, ivory, etc. Even Colosi sells an ivory pick. What do you think? Love em, hate em, let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchabalk Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 *bam* http://www.brossardpicks.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Guy Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Once I bought my TAD 40 Bluechip pick, I've never touched another one! http://shop.bluechippick.net/categories/TAD/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburude63 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Red Bear Picks ! its all about tone ! There is a big difference in tone from pick to pick ! http://www.redbeartrading.com/flatpicks.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgwoods Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I use Wegens on the mandolin and I have a Bluechip as well. Both are too stiff for guitar, at least for me. On th emandolin I think the Wegen gives better tone, the Bluechip is slicker/faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Dunlop - - Tortex Triangles - yellow .73mm - effective and inexpensive :- I'm not down talking expensive boutique type picks, but for me personally, a pick that costs upwards of a $1 is too expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 The great debate continues! Pick selection, in my opinion, is the single most influential "tone changer" for acoustic guitars. Given the same instrument and playing style, a dozen different picks will produce a dozen different voices, tones, sounds......whatever name is applied. Which voice from your guitar you like will determine which pick you end up with as your mainstay, and if you're a tone freak, as many of us here are, how much that pick costs matters not - it produces the sound you want so it's got to be that pick. For many, the 4-for-a-dollar plastic 351 style picks do the job just fine. For others it's a Red Bear or a Bluechip, very expensive as picks go. Still others prefer something from the middle of the price pack. Just because a pick cost $20 or $30 dollars doesn't make it the pick for you. What makes a pick the one for you is the sound it produces when you use it, be it plastic or delrin or wood or whatever. So the trick is to experiment to the extent that your budget will allow. Find the pick that feels right to you and produces the sound you want to hear from your instrument. Heaven knows we all have different ears, styles of play and guitars........no one pick is the savior of all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkharmony Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I spend 90% of my time strumming, so I play fairly light picks. But on the rare occasion I do some picking (and when I play Mandolin), I love the Dunlop Tortex picks. I can only imagine what an tortoise or ivory pick would be like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I finally committed to learning how to use a flatpick. I'd always fingerpicked or strummed with bare fingers. Starting as an adult- from scratch- I went out and bought all kinds of inexpensive flatpicks. I thought the finder medium/heavy options were the best for me. Until I lit on the Wegen line. It's all I use. Wegen has some very thick picks for mandos, but I use the 1 mm triangle. ($7.50 each) Their bluegrass pick is also on the practice stand, but not something I've been able to warm up to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Which pick do you recommend for someone who doesn't use pics??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Which pick do you recommend for someone who doesn't use pics??? The nose pick. BTW - Buc McMaster - nice post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Which pick do you recommend for someone who doesn't use pics??? I'd recommend a thin pick to begin with. Most "pick beginners" tend to feel better with something soft that flexes easily until they gain control of the pick. As control improves many move to thicker, less flexible picks that respond to player input quicker and more predictably, but much of this depends on style. Speaking generally, strummers usually like some degree of flex in their pick while pickers like a stiffer pick for better single string attack. Try something thin to start out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertjohn Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 As a teenager I always used a thin pick for electric and acoustic. When I took up the guitar again 9 years ago, my teacher recommended using the heaviest pick you feel comfortable with. The heavier the pick, the better you will learn accuracy and subtle variations. A heavy pick is pretty unforgiving when strumming. And you can get a variety of tones by holding the pick in different ways and striking the string at different angles. I use Fender heavies for electric and Fender mediums or sometimes heavies for acoustic. The regular tear shaped pick. Cheap as chips - just my style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I like the white pointy Tortex ones, the ones you could put someone's eye out with. I've always liked Tortex because I can hold onto them, and the pointy end is a bonus. If I use a regular shaped pick, I may shift my hand position and it has an affect on the tone, sometimes getting a scrapy noise. I find with the pointy end, that has much less of an impact. Having said that however, I am trying hard to just use whatever pick is handy. Ditto for strings, strap, ..... guitar even. I'm doing my best to be the anti-prima donna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swicket Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 Thanks for all of the great advice. The Red Bear looks very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacdubro Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Currently I like the Black .88 best. http://www.snarlingdogs.com/products/brain.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburude63 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I use Wegens on the mandolin and I have a Bluechip as well. Both are too stiff for guitar' date=' at least for me. On th emandolin I think the Wegen gives better tone, the Bluechip is slicker/faster. [/quote'] Both these picks are used almost exclusively by Bluegrass Flatpickers for attack and tone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I don't think I'd spend $35 on a pick, only because I know I would lose it. Between myself and my four year old son, I need at least two picks in every room of the house (and one in my pants pocket). Every two months or so I go to the music store in town and "stock up". In dire circumstances I have even used the stummer that keeps the bread bag closed! Interesting reading on the whole tone issue. I think I will do some experimenting with different materials. I have found some picks too that have a rubberized logo in the middle that is very easy to hold onto, even with sweaty fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Back in the 70s Martin made (or at least sold) a pick that had a thicker section where you grip it. I mean really thick. It had the Martin logo and that surface had like a diamond or lattice type embossing.... God, I can't think of the right words tonight. Anyway, now they're collectors items and I've seen them on ebay for $12 each. THOSE I would lose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburude63 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 You know I used to lose sunglasses all the time! I'd buy them for $5 ect. Then I found out about good sunglasses . Ray Bans ,Maui Jims , specialized ect. $60 a pair $150 a pair ect. After paying a bunch I never lost another pair ! Do you think the more you pay for something the more you respect it? Or dont want to carelessly lose it? Its the same with me and Red Bear picks. The tone alone is worth the price ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Found some cheap. Maybe fuzzy memories, but I remember liking them. Old Martin picks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swicket Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 The Red Bear is still in transit, but I picked up a pack of Wegen Bluegrass 1.0's in black. I absolutely love them. IMHO they blow away all Dunlop and fender and Clayton I have tried in terms of tone, feel, and looks. Looking forward to comparison with the Red Bear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 I use the Gibson wedge shaped picks most often, in either heavy or medium, depending on the guitar. I've tried lots of other picks from the usual suspects, but I like those the best. I use the standard shape, too. I keep a dish of picks in my playing areas, and I always carry a bunch (which are always spilling out when ever I take something out of my pocket). Like Gilliangirl, I have bunch caught in the dryer... I'm intrigued by those Red Bear picks that suburude linked to. Maybe one day I'll try their wedge shaped one. I'd like to find an old tortoise one, too. I hear they have a big impact on overtones. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburude63 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Heres a warning about Red Bear picks. 1) Dont get them wet. They are made of a protien based compound . This is why they sound so much like real tortis. 2) Dont carry them in your pocket they break much easier than plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I have a bone one, at this point the normal ones just feel too thin. It seems to warm up the tone a bit and I'm more comfortable with it. Its formed with a bowl of sorts for your thumb. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.