Re: Pick suggestion request
A fellow islander! I grew up and lived near jones beach for the first 30 years.
I tried davas and did not like them.
I am using 1.14mm pitch blacks and with no bevel, they interact about the same as the gators. I don't know if it's the size, weight, or shape, but i seem to have more finesse with these. So much so that the gators sorta feel like a caveman beating on a rock in comparison.
I know what you mean about fighting non beveled tips. I like clayton acetal picks for stiffness but the square tip is a no go. They are good when you play them in a bit to round them off......until they get lost.
I've only used the 1.52mm ones (the small tear drop shape). Maybe i'll try some thinner ones after i get used to playing with the pitch blacks.
Have you found that square tipped picks give a more midrange focused sound? Almost flat and one dimensional?
Lexan picks like the big stubbies are great but very clicky and i find the thin tip also slows me down.
Any other material besides delrin (thanks for that. Big help.) That'll give me that full bodied, thick pick tone?
Yup, been on LI all my life.
I became a bit of a pick collecting junkie as I started searching for my favorite pick so I've tried a silly amount of picks. I'd bet it's all about the shape with the pitch black jazz making you like it more. The points are so much easier to play with when compared to a rounded tip like a standard shape pick like the gators. I can't play regular size picks anymore I'm only comfortable with a Jazz shape pick.
I haven't tried any square tip picks, I like the added precision of a pointed tip so I don't bother with any blunt ones anymore.
You may also want to try the Dunlop Tortex sharp picks. They have an absurdly pointed tip. I find it too sharp actually but it may work for you, worth a shot. I forgot that shape comes in Tortex material.
I tried the big stubbies and just like the v-picks and gravity picks I tried they chirp or squeak when they go over the strings and it drives me nuts. I think that's partly due to the material but also the very thick and rounded shape.
Another one worth trying may be pickboy pos-a-grip or the Jazz size pos-a-grip they're cellulose picks similar to vintage Fender picks (well as close as can be made with modern materials) that will have a fairly neutral sound perhaps not as dull as tortex but not as bright as lexan or Dunlop Gel. The pos-a-grip holes in them make them real easy to hold onto as a bonus. You can usually find pickboy picks on ebay in 5 packs for about $5 or on amazon or musicians friend in 10 packs for $10, they come in 1.2mm and 1.5mm just make sure the ones you get are cellulose and not polycarbonate.
If you only want to stick with a sound similar to Tortex and Gator grip and not anything brighter then you'll be a bit limited in selection since picks only get harder and brighter than Tortex from my findings. I would say it's Gator, Tortex, Cellulose, Nylon, Dunlop Carbon fiber, Dunlop Delrin, Dunlop "stiffo", Ultex, Gel, Lexan, Acrylic, Polycarbonate, metal in terms of brightness.
As CTN mentioned the 2.0mm Jazztone sharp tip 205 may be worth a shot that will sort of combine the 2.0mm thickness of the Gator with the pointed tip and small size of the Tortex Jazz you like. They'll be a bit brighter since they're harder but not absurdly bright and they don't chirp or click across the strings sicne they're more matte finished.
