The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

[Jackson Distortion]

Ok. After trying a load of various guitar pick materials and gauges, I would like to know your preferences and what kinda music you're playing them with. I never thought it would be so hard to sift through a buncha picks and find it hard to settle on one -- though as someone may point out, "Why limit yourself?" But, when it comes pick tone and performance, I want that one I can turn to automatically and call "mini-me."

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

Fender Derlin or dunlop Tortex Mediums (.77mm, both yellow). Also .88mm Dunlop Nylon are pretty good. I like these cause I do a lot of strumming and some picking and so the guage fits.

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

Tone is why I switched from Jazz III's to Tortex Jazz III's.

Gotta try out those Ultex Jazz III's, though... ****it.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

Tortex Jazz III's were what I thought I was going to settle on pretty much, but the size made me hafta use something else. Though there are Tortex "The Wedge" picks that give you standard size and the sharp tip.

Yeah, tonally I found the Jazz III's to be kinda too smooth sounding, the Tortex Jazz's gave more gain to the sound.

 

[metlking]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I grabbed a .55mm Dunlop Tortex one night onstage, mid song.......I instantly fell in love with the tone I got from them and I've used 'em ever since! You don't get much life out of them but you'll probably never break a string again!

Can't go wrong with the turtle either:

 

[Sanford]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I usually go with something in the 1.0 mm range. Brand doesn't really matter to me, but a standard triangle shape with a bit of stiffness to it suits me pretty well. As far as type of music, I'd say mostly "classic rock type white boy blues ripoff" is probably the best way to describe it.

 

[DTSH]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I love the black Jazz IIIs... just ordered a couple dozen red ones though, figured the glossier finish might feel better. We'll see.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

i just bought several types of picks and the ones i'm sticking with are...

-Jazz III XL (both red and black) these are the thickness and shape of a regular Jazz III but are the full size of a typical pick. i tried the regular Jazz II and Jazz III but they feel too tiny to get used to and the XL version solves that problem.

-Snarling Bogs Brain in .88mm and 1.0mm the grip on these are great, no way these are falling if you get sweaty.

-Dunlop Tortex .88mm which have been my standard for years until my recent pick search which found the others i'm using mentioned above.

it's amazing how different my playing and tone is when i switch from pick to pick so i stocked up on all my favorites of the ones i tried and switch between them.

-Mike

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I've been using the Dunlop Tortex .46mm (pink) picks lately. I've found that my playing is alot smoother sounding with thinner picks...

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I like the Malmsteen ones. I think they're Dunlop Delrin 500 1.5mm. Smoothed tip etc.

 

[Rusty Shackelford]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I grabbed a .55mm Dunlop Tortex one night onstage, mid song.......I instantly fell in love with the tone I got from them and I've used 'em ever since! You don't get much life out of them but you'll probably never break a string again!

Can't go wrong with the turtle either:

That's what I'm using now. I can hit the strings hard so with these I dont have to worry. Plus I do alot of alternate picking and these make me much faster, especially on bass.

 

[Redmist]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

Dava control pick.
Slightly thinned at tip with wet and dry, then scraped up with a hacksaw for grip.
Grinding desert metal.

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I use tortex Jazz's, 1.14 Ultex (that ultex jazz is a must try) I think that something like 0.6 - 0.8 is the best thickness in terms of dynamics and then something like 1.0 is good for tight alternate picking and metal rythms. And a medium sharp (Tortex - Jazz III) edge is fine.

 

[Wattage]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I grabbed a .55mm Dunlop Tortex one night onstage, mid song.......I instantly fell in love with the tone I got from them and I've used 'em ever since! You don't get much life out of them but you'll probably never break a string again!

Can't go wrong with the turtle either:

My pick as well, can't use anything else anymore since I am used to them. I use 11's and play Rock N Roll, to the heavier side.

 

[Pete Galati]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I might start looking for another guitar pick. I used Fender Mediums for years, but they wore out too fast. I found out that Dunlop Tortex .60mm (orange) feel and play just like them, but I have to reshape them. And when I need a pick fast, I don't want to have to sit there and reshape a pick to make it work right.

Dunlop shapes their picks with a blunt nose. Like someone already played the tip off it! I have no idea why they'd do that. And I bought a half gross of the things too.

I might just buy another gross of Fender Mediums.

 

[sosomething]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

Switched to the pointy 1mms and haven't looked back. It's like the best qualities of a standard pick and a jazz pick without the disadvantages of either.

I'd like to find the Ultex version to try, though. I'm not even sure if Dunlop makes those.

 

[scottish]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

i use 2mm graphite pics for all electric stuff and pretty much anything that is around a medium or hard for acoustic stuff.

btw, i used to have a steady supply of dunlop adamas 2mm graphite picks...the only 2mm graphite picks i could find. but now they dont make em anymore so if any1 knows where to get 2mm graphite pics then i would be very happy.

chers

 

[Pete Galati]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

Switched to the pointy 1mms and haven't looked back. It's like the best qualities of a standard pick and a jazz pick without the disadvantages of either.

I'd like to find the Ultex version to try, though. I'm not even sure if Dunlop makes those.

I didn't know they made a "Pointy" pick. That's pointier than I'm used to, but that'd probably work better for me than their blunt tipped picks.

I suppose I should dig around their website to see what they have.

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I love the black Jazz IIIs... just ordered a couple dozen red ones though, figured the glossier finish might feel better. We'll see.

+1 to the black Dunlop Jazz III's - I love them because they're small enough to be out of the way, but sharp enough for a clear and precise attack.

I play prog and metal (DT is my fav band), as well as modern rock worship music in my local church's band. I still revisit a lot of 80's metal licks though, that's where it all started for me. I just try to take it forward through my other influences and actually make music with it now.

Whenever I use "regular, full-size" picks now, they feel weird to me...

 

[lex666]

Re: The Pursuit of Tone: Picks

I usually use Tortex picks in .88 gauge. My fav's are the SHARP shape, but I use both. I like the sharp's for doing tricky lead work, they have a more precise feel.

For Valentines day my girl got me some custom picks. They're they same as dunlop tortex picks in .88: