Picks

[solspirit]

What kind of pick do you use?

I've been using a quarter pick. Not a full quarter but a quarter shaped into a pick.

I know Brian May uses a coin but I don't know if its shaped or not.

I've been using coins for about 20 years since the first one I made and tried. I use a 5 colone coin from Costa Rica for electric guitar and a regular Dava pick for acoustic.

 

[ErikH]

For bass? Heavies. For softer attack, the orange tortex is nice, I believe Flea uses them when he uses a pick. But, most of the time I play bass with my fingers.

For guitar I like mediums mostly.

 

[Hsb]

My understanding is Brian does not shape his picks and he uses a very light grip, Billy Gibbons did or still does use a Peso also.

I use the Jazz III carbon fiber picks, before that I was using the even smaller Fender Jazz picks. I like the carbon fiber picks, they dont slip as much as most picks. I wouldnt necessarily mind finding something in between a full size and JIII pick to try either.

 

[Blille]

I try to play bass with fingers unless the song is a cover that really calls for pick. Is usually play guitar with a pretty hard one, Dunlop 207 held sideways, but for bass I use a medium, for the tone more than feel.

 

[solspirit]

My understanding is Brian does not shape his picks and he uses a very light grip, Billy Gibbons did or still does use a Peso also.

I use the Jazz III carbon fiber picks, before that I was using the even smaller Fender Jazz picks. I like the carbon fiber picks, they dont slip as much as most picks. I wouldnt necessarily mind finding something in between a full size and JIII pick to try either.

I guess that confirms my suspicions that neither Gibbons or May shaped their picks. I can totally hear it. I've experimented with a bunch of different coins and found that I like the shaped 5 colone coin pick the best for electric because it gave me the most vicious attack while still being comfortable. The 5 colone is about the size of a dime so its kind of like a modified jazz pick I guess.

 

[ICTGoober]

I use a .88mm thick Cat's Tongue....
Very grippy, hard to lose. It doesn't turn in my dried out, arthritic fingertips.

41vbMtI88KL._SL500_AC_SS350_.jpg (350×350) (ssl-images-amazon.com)

 

[Mincer]

Mine are Jazz III size made out of delrin, like tortex picks. I get them custom made online. I don't like to get attached to any particularly expensive picks at the rate I use them.

 

[dave74]

Max-grip carbon jazz3 / favorite overall

JP trinity (tri-tip)/ fast technical alt-picking specialist

dunlop tortex .5 red/ strumming cleans

 

[NegativeEase]

Orange Tortex for Strumming -especially on Acoustic.

Green Tortex for Shred.

Yellow Tortex for Hybrid.

Dunlop Primetone Durex medium .73 or .88 for most everything.

 

[Aceman]

Electric: Yellow Tortex
Acoustic: Dunlop 1.0 Textured grip
Bass: Clayton .80 big triangle, when I use a pick

 

[Erlend_G]

I rarely play bass with a pick. It feels like making out with a dude .

But if I had to, or was playing an EB-0 (shortscale), I'd love to try a metal pick. That gives punchy lows, and alot of that "grit" that you'd like to let come buy, in the mix.



-E

 

[Hsb]

I rarely play bass with a pick. It feels like making out with a dude .

But if I had to, or was playing an EB-0 (shortscale), I'd love to try a metal pick. That gives punchy lows, and alot of that "grit" that you'd like to let come buy, in the mix.



-E

Umm are you admitting something we dont know about you ?

I have tried metal picks and it gave me just the opposite effect you are describing, it was harsh, overly bright, hated the feel of the picks on the strings and not for nothing I was afraid of gouging the guitar with it. Think the ones I had were brass and absolutely hated them.

 

[Erlend_G]

Umm are you admitting something we dont know about you ?

I have tried metal picks and it gave me just the opposite effect you are describing, it was harsh, overly bright, hated the feel of the picks on the strings and not for nothing I was afraid of gouging the guitar with it. Think the ones I had were brass and absolutely hated them.

lol no I'm quite certain about my bassology. ... that, one exception exists- playing with picks on a short scale.

I've been thinking about ordering the "Timber TOnes" metal pick set. But I think it will be too bright.

All I play these days (and since I discovered it) is wooden picks!!

-Erl

 

[chadd]

1.0 Delrin for bass, same or less for guitar.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Current favorites are the Jazz III .88 Tortex Flex and the Jim Root Dunlop sig pick. I'm almost 100% fingers with bass.

 

[Mincer]

I do use the same pick no matter what instrument...electric, acoustic or bass. I couldn't keep track of different picks for different things.

 

[jeremy]

i usually use .88 tortex or .90 ultex. i do have two metal picks and i use em. pretty thin but very stiff, not sure what they are made of but i like em

 

[solspirit]

I do use the same pick no matter what instrument...electric, acoustic or bass. I couldn't keep track of different picks for different things.

I wish

 

[solspirit]

Umm are you admitting something we dont know about you ?

I have tried metal picks and it gave me just the opposite effect you are describing, it was harsh, overly bright, hated the feel of the picks on the strings and not for nothing I was afraid of gouging the guitar with it. Think the ones I had were brass and absolutely hated them.

I think it has to do with the mass of the pick. I've never liked a metal pick that I bought because of exactly what you describe but I find it to be the opposite with a shaped coin pick.

 

[formula73]

Generally, I play with my fingers because I have better control muting the strings that way but sometimes a pick is nice for attack.

I use Dunlop Sharp 1.5 on guitar but I lean lighter for bass because there’s never really a need to dig in. It just makes the notes ring sharp and makes fret noise. I honestly haven’t found the right thickness, yet.