What sort of pick do you use and why?

[Marwen]

I personally use 1.5 mm Dunlops (à la Malmsteen) as I found that they feel much better than thinner picks.

I like to 'feel' the string as I pick it if you know what I mean, besides I want to avoid as much as possible of that "chugging" sound that more pointed picks tend to produce as I rather seek a smoother flow when alternate picking or sweeping...etc

P.S. Does anybody know what sort of pick Michael Romeo uses?


Cheers

 

[schenkadere]

I personally use 1.5 mm Dunlops (à la Malmsteen) as I found that they feel much better than thinner picks.

I like to 'feel' the string as I pick it if you know what I mean, besides I want to avoid as much as possible of that "chugging" sound that more pointed picks tend to produce as I rather seek a smoother flow when alternate picking or sweeping...etc

P.S. Does anybody know what sort of pick Michael Romeo uses?


Cheers

I love the blue Dunlop Gator Tortex 1.14mm...I dig the grip and the beveled edge.

 

[ToastedOveries]

im using some fender custom shop delrins at the moment, not sure thickness, doesnt say on the pick, it feels around 1.20mm, they are great though, hard as god damn nails.

i also use some dunlop delrin 500's, .43mm's, which are great, but i tend to wear them down fast, ive also got some 2 mm dunlop big stubbies, which are great for chording i think. it all depends on how im feeling, with which pick im using.

 

[razoredge]

I've been thinking about starting a pick thread myself.

I've used the blue Planet Wave picks for years, dont know why, because they are there I guess. Work good for me. I see now these are .99 I dont like light picks for my heavier stuff, but do use lighter for my archtop now, that may change with time. My technique for strumming full chords is not what it was and the heavy pick causes volumn spurs right now. Much trickier technique than chopin away with distortion on but a few strings at a time.

I'll have to get a few Dunlops sometime

 

[Kenneth R.]

Snarling Dogs. The red ones. I think they're .72 or something in that range. Thick enough but still flexy, and very grippy. Best picks I've ever used.

EDIT: 73.

The bumps are cut so that they are at different angles, so your finger can't slide around.

 

[noble savage]

I have used fender 358 jazz picks for many years. I only use a tiny fraction of the pick so these smaller ones have been a lot more comfortable.

 

[HackerX]

Most of the time I use Dunlop nylon .60mm because I have a really shitty picking action (which comes I believe from being a left hander playing right handed). Something I need to work on. Also don't mind the Gibson branded Thins (no idea what size, but they'd be around the .60mm mark), but they're really soft so I chew through them.

I do enjoy playing with 2mm stubbies as well though, I like the sound they give, and they're so far on the opposite end of flexible that it's not longer an issue.

 

[TomAwesome]

I used to try different picks every few weeks, but I've pretty much stuck with Dunlop Ultex for a while now. I'm currently using a .73. The Ultex material is just the best pick material I've ever used. It has a very crisp, clear sound and can really take a beating. I used to use 1.14 Ultex before I decided I preferred how the .73 sounded, and those things just do not wear down! I've only ever had to replace one from losing it. The .73s wear down just a tad more, but I've still never worn one down before.

I sometimes use Cool brand triangular picks in .80 because I kind of perfer how it feels on my C-tuned guitar, which is the one I use in my band. The ones I use are made of something they call Uratex, which seems to be pretty similar to Ultex.

 

[Meedleyx10]

I'm sort of in between picks right now. For a few years, I was using the Dunlop jazztone R205 picks, but I've been going back and forth between using those and the Ultex Jazz III's for a few months and I'm really liking the Ultex Jazz III's a lot. After I order more, those will probably be my only pick

 

[progmetaldan]

3mm Big Stubbies, ultra thick, excellent for sweeping and alt picking, very smooth, and then don't slip out of my fingers like some others do...

 

[CantoX]

I'm really liking the Jazz IIIs right now. I would like to try to the Ultex Jazz very soon.

I always used the purple tortex picks and I though the Jazz were too small, but after I played with them for a couple of days I noticed a lot more accuracy, and it has a nice tone compared to the tortex.

 

[noble savage]

I always used the purple tortex picks and I though the Jazz were too small, but after I played with them for a couple of days I noticed a lot more accuracy, and it has a nice tone compared to the tortex.

I really liked the grip those had, but as of yet I haven't been able to find anyones thinner.

 

[prman]

After years of experimenting with different pick materials, shapes and sizes I`ve been down to three different picks for a couple of years now. I use them in different musical situations `cos the way you pick and the pick you use affect your sound significantly.
- Dunlop Ultex Standard 1.0 (default pick for most styles)
- Dunlop Jazztone 206 (for jazz)
- Dunlop Tortex Standard 0.5 (for acoustic strumming)

These work for me.

 

[The Stormbringer]

My fingernails and none else. That's coming from a bassisst though and playing with a "tool" just doesn't feel right to me. I'm also not what you'd call a capable guitar player.

 

[TomAwesome]

My fingernails and none else. That's coming from a bassisst though and playing with a "tool" just doesn't feel right to me. I'm also not what you'd call a capable guitar player.

That's probably okay depending on what you're playing. If you're playing classical or acoustic type stuff, no big. If you're playing rock or metal though... It just sounds awful.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Bass + fingers = awesome tone.

 

[Swabs]

I use Jim Dunlop Jazz IIIs, for the same reasons that others have said.

 

[anacrucix]

Jazz IIIs all the way! They are hard and fast, just how I like it!

 

[The Stormbringer]

That's probably okay depending on what you're playing. If you're playing classical or acoustic type stuff, no big. If you're playing rock or metal though... It just sounds awful.

Like I said, I wouldn't even call myself a proper guitarist... I'm just fooling around. Besides, fingernails are really good for firing pick harmonics. :Smug:

Bass + fingers = awesome tone.

While I love trebly bass sounds when they're done the right way (see Geddy Lee when he played the Wal basses), I'm totally not of fan of the standard pick-y bass sound as well. Sounds too thin for my liking most of the time.

 

[Meedleyx10]

That's probably okay depending on what you're playing. If you're playing classical or acoustic type stuff, no big. If you're playing rock or metal though... It just sounds awful.

Not really. Someone with good technique can get a lot of mileage out of their fingers. Not the best for heavy riffing obviously, but for melodies and solos, hybrid picking is a ridiculously useful technique and is way underrrated/underused.