Well I've jsut got my bass and was wondering if there are really good long lasting picks, cause I currently have guitar picks for my guitar and they wear out pretty quick if I play bass with them. thanks.
What are some good bass picks?
- Thread starter madcheese9377
- Start date
Picks!? 
Are you insane!? Blah!
Nah, just kidding. Sometimes, I play with picks, depending on the tune.
Your best bet would be to use one of the thicker guages for picking a bass, around 1 mm or thicker. There's more material for you to go through so, obviously, your picks will last longer. For those times I do pick, I use Clayton USA 1.5 mm picks. I also use them on guitar for heavy downpicking stuff.
Play around with different guages and brands until you find something you're comfortable with and that won't break down easily.
Are you insane!? Blah! Nah, just kidding.
Sometimes, I play with picks, depending on the tune.Your best bet would be to use one of the thicker guages for picking a bass, around 1 mm or thicker. There's more material for you to go through so, obviously, your picks will last longer. For those times I do pick, I use Clayton USA 1.5 mm picks. I also use them on guitar for heavy downpicking stuff.
Play around with different guages and brands until you find something you're comfortable with and that won't break down easily.
NAD
What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse
Dunlop Jazz III black picks, it's the only pick I use for bass. Nothing wrong with playing bass with a pick, as long as it isn't all the time.
Oh yeah, I hear ya. I just like picking for now on the really fast stuff. My hand is still getting used to stretching far and strumming fast again, I really like that it's giving my strength and endurance back that I lost last month.
Thanks for the suggestions.
"Bush bushwaketies! bush bushwaketies! bush bushwaketies!"
now do, the Milano mosh.
Thanks for the suggestions.
"Bush bushwaketies! bush bushwaketies! bush bushwaketies!"
now do, the Milano mosh.
genocide roach
DOOOOOOOOOOM
- Aug 18, 2002
- 9,421
- 16
- 38
your fingers. its best to start at the beginning instead of starting with a pick and switching. it makes leaps hella easy
~gR~
~gR~
Bryant
Mr. Sleepy
My first suggestion is to piss off the finger players and pick players alike and learn how to do both..... One style can't truly emulate the other, but if you can do both, you already have an advantage over either of them.
My second suggestion is to not get fancy. I believe in technology as much as the next guy and own a brand new Digitech GNX4 that I play my guitars and bass through, but I have been through bunches of picks and the good ole "oldschool" Fender heavy in the standard shape (though I don't play a Fender guitar, their picks rock) is hard to beat on bass or guitar. I often use a medium on guitar as well though. I always buy the white color as well. If you lay a tortoise shell colored pick on your amp, you can't see it, especially under stage lighting. Some manufacturers make neon colored picks and stuff as well, but you can't beat a white colored Fender heavy. You won't lose it as easy as other colors and it is comfortable in your hand.
Having said that, if you are a heavy sweater on your hand, the Fender pick can get slick because the plastic it is made of has a smooth finish. If it slips a lot on you, try a Tortex pick. It's still a smooth surface, but the material is not as slick. Everyone has different tastes, but I have tried those fancy picks and I find they are cumbersome and expensive.
Bryant
My second suggestion is to not get fancy. I believe in technology as much as the next guy and own a brand new Digitech GNX4 that I play my guitars and bass through, but I have been through bunches of picks and the good ole "oldschool" Fender heavy in the standard shape (though I don't play a Fender guitar, their picks rock) is hard to beat on bass or guitar. I often use a medium on guitar as well though. I always buy the white color as well. If you lay a tortoise shell colored pick on your amp, you can't see it, especially under stage lighting. Some manufacturers make neon colored picks and stuff as well, but you can't beat a white colored Fender heavy. You won't lose it as easy as other colors and it is comfortable in your hand.
Having said that, if you are a heavy sweater on your hand, the Fender pick can get slick because the plastic it is made of has a smooth finish. If it slips a lot on you, try a Tortex pick. It's still a smooth surface, but the material is not as slick. Everyone has different tastes, but I have tried those fancy picks and I find they are cumbersome and expensive.
Bryant
Cool Bryant, I use Tortex picks for my guitar playing, and my hands do sweat a lot after a couple of minutes of playing hard. I used to use Dunlop hard, they were transperant red, but slipped too many times. And I hear you about those easy to find picks, I've learned my lesson, I have a lot of black clothes and would lose them all the time, buy new ones and when I got home and opened the new ones I'd run into the ones I though I lost. Oh well lotsa picks for me.
Weel of morality turn turn turn, tell us the lesson that we should learn. It pays to play with the mean green Tortex'.
Weel of morality turn turn turn, tell us the lesson that we should learn. It pays to play with the mean green Tortex'.
Clammy
Heavy Metal MANIAC!
My personal choice is Dunlop Gator Grips @ 1.14mm. I actually use them for both bass and guitar!
Cheers!
Cheers!
USMC0341
Dead Cold Day
Infinity Cubed
Prophecy Of Imminent Doom
Use 3mm Big Stubby picks from Jim Dunlop. Those picks are really hard wearing. I've had mine for a year now. Shit, it's the same pick I used when I first started learning how to play guitar and bass.
NAD
What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse
I've worn down countless Dunlop Stubby picks.
Oh yeah the way I found "the pick" is every time I went to a music store I would buy a handful of different picks and try them out constantly. Of course that's good advice for playing style too, try a variety and see what comes comfortably to you. I use picks, fingerstyle, slap/pop, strumming, fingerpicking, and several other techniques. Nothing wrong with playing bass with a pick, just remember there are about 14 other styles that don't involve one.
Oh yeah the way I found "the pick" is every time I went to a music store I would buy a handful of different picks and try them out constantly. Of course that's good advice for playing style too, try a variety and see what comes comfortably to you. I use picks, fingerstyle, slap/pop, strumming, fingerpicking, and several other techniques. Nothing wrong with playing bass with a pick, just remember there are about 14 other styles that don't involve one.
