Plectrum Field Guide

[Eddie Lang]

The topic of picks comes on a more or less regular basis and I thought that I would offer a review of a few picks. I am hoping that this thread may become an ongoing one on the subject, a collaborative Plectrum Field Guide where everyone can post their impressions and reviews of the picks that they try/play with.


Plectrums Review

Clayton Picks

Ultem Gold Tortoise Pick - Small Teardrop 1.20 mm
This has become my favourite all around pick. Perfect size and shape for my taste, with the right thickness, stiffness and bevel for both rhythm and single line playing. It provides a very nice warm tone.

Wegen Picks
Wegen picks are expensive, but they all have a good grip and provide good tone. They will last a lifetime if you don't loose them. I choose the white ones because that's the colour that is usually the easiest to spot if you drop the pick.

Wegen - Fatone

Wegen - Twin
Both the Fatone and the Twin are the perfect picks for "four to the bar" type of strumming in swing and jazz as well as gypsy swing rhythm playing. They help provide the tone, speed, control and volume needed for these styles. Very fat and dark sounding. The Fatone is the loudest of the two.

Wegen - Big City
Nice little jazz pick. Dark tone, but brighter than the Fatone and the Twin. Works well for single line playing.

Wegen - TF-140
Nice large pick. Good for rhythm and flatpicking. I find it better suited for folkier than jazzier music and therefore don't use this one that much.

Wegen - The Button
Big fat pick that almost looks like a crude rock, but it's got all kinds of bevels as you turn it around. You couldn't tell just by looking at it, but it works well in many situations.

Miscellaneous Picks

Dunlop Big Stubby
Nice affordable pick. Good grip. Nice tone and good volume. Could be considered a cheaper alternative to Wegen's Fatone, Twin and Gypsyjazzpick, although it sounds brighter and does not provide as rich a tone. It does on the other hand handle single note lines better than these three.

Golden Gate
My favourite application for the Golden Gate is when I play tenor guitar. Not sure why...

Red Bear TT-XH
Nice large pick with a nice grip, but I never got as comfortable with it as I am with the picks mentioned above. The nice thing about it: the three points offer three different feels. It is quite expensive though and I feel like I could cover the tone colours that it provides with cheaper picks. I have only one of these and I would not replace it if I lost it.

Dunlop Felt Picks

Dunlop Nick Lucas Felt Picks
Nice pick. Good for "four to the bar" swing and jazz strumming. It gives a nice muted but very full tone. It sounds as close as anything to the tone you get when you play with the flesh of your thumb. Very much quieter than the Wegen Fatone and Twin, it is also not as bright and it offers a nice dark tone. It could be a very useful tool in a small string swing combo where you don't want the dynamic rhythm to be louder than the soloist. It also works well on a ukulele or if you have to play bass with a pick. It does wear quite a bit.

Dunlop Standard Felt Pick
Stiffer than the Nick Lucas Felt Pick, the tone of the Standard felt pick is somewhat brighter and louder. Contrary to the Nick Lucas, it does "click" a bit, but not as much as a "regular" pick. It does not wear as fast as the Nick Lucas.

[Eddie Lang]

Horn Picks

Nice and very stiff picks. They can be made in different shapes and sizes with various bevels. I prefer them to real tortoise (you can't legally get them anyway) or ivory (can't get them either) picks. And they are cheap! They sound brighter than all those mentioned above.

Wooden Picks

I have rosewood and ebony picks. I don't hear much difference between the two types of wood. The ones that I have have a very nice and comfortable grip. They are cheap and very durable. They sound good and play well, both for rhythm and single notes. Being wood, it is relatively easy to modify the shape and bevel to suit your needs.

Wedgie Rubber Picks

Too flabby. I find them too slow, especially the thicker (and softer) ones. The 3.1 mm thick ones can work well on the ukulele though.

Novelty Picks

The Jellifish
Some people call it a mini stomp-box. I call it a gimmick. Now, it is obviously not aimed at players like me, but more for electric rock guitarists looking for effects...

Bakelite Picks
A novelty really. Something cool, beautiful and affordable for the collectors. Not really to play with...

Rawhide Picks
Now surprisingly, this is a very nice pick. Stiff, fast and playable. It's got a nice tone and is easy to hold. They can come in different shapes and thickness . The problem is: I only know one source for them and it is Mike Barclay (a.k.a. hushnell on the UMGF - Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum) who makes them himself.

⁃

[paynow]

They make a pic from Bakelite? Don't people collect old retro radios and other things made from that?

Very cool review. I'm a big Clayton guy. I have an order coming from Musician's Friend for some triangle rounds (guitar) and their "variety pack," which I think may have the teardrop in it. I actually use the triangle bass pick on some things, to get a certain sound.

[NSJ]

thanks for taking the time to put all that info up.

I'm going to check out some Wegen picks tomorrow at this gypsy guitar place on the north side of Chicago. What's the closest Wegen as compared to a Big Stubby or Red Bear Lil Jazzer? I find that small but weighty size to be optimal. Thanks.

[JRguitar]

Gypsy jazz place on the northside of Chi-town? What's it called?

[NSJ]

Gypsy jazz place on the northside of Chi-town? What's it called?

Caravan Guitars: Gypsy jazz guitars for sale, new and vintage
4754 N Rockwell.

PS-no one I know calls it "Chi Town". . unfortunately, some people think the greater metropolitan area is actually an amusement park --"Chicagoland".

[Pierrot]

In french, but no need to understand the language: hundreds and hundreds of picks of all categories....

Tout sur les médiators, pick, plectre (Test page 3 et 4)

[mr. beaumont]

Caravan Guitars: Gypsy jazz guitars for sale, new and vintage
4754 N Rockwell.

PS-no one I know calls it "Chi Town". . unfortunately, some people think the greater metropolitan area is actually an amusement park --"Chicagoland".

Caravan's a cool little shop. Call before you go.

I'm still hooked on the John Pearse "Fast Turtles" for all my electric playing...great picks.

[Patrick2]

I use Dunlop 1.14 (Turtle), or my fingers. Never saw a need for anything else. I'm kinda resistant to change. As such, if I find something that works for me . . even only fairly well . . I stick with it. The whole process of experimentation/exploration seems very boring and at the same time, very frustrating. The only thing that concerns me about the Dunlop picks I use, is how much harm I'm doing myself swallowing all that ink. I constantly put the picks in my mouth. All of the ink that's used to stamp the logo and pick guage is being ingested. I hope like hell they're using FDA approved food dye.

[almonds]

Great post! It's amazing how much a pick can affect your tone. I personally use the Eric Johnson Jazz IIIs. They're a bit thicker than the normal Jazz IIIs and have a rounded edge.
Here's a good article on the types of picks available today: How to Pick your Pick - Premier Guitar


Also, anyone know what type of picks Jim Hall, George Benson, and Pat Metheny use? I know Scofield uses a 2m Derlin and Kurt Rosenwinkel uses a 3m Big Stubby. I'm especially interested as to how George Benson gets that crisp tone of his.

[NSJ]

Caravan's a cool little shop. Call before you go.

I'm still hooked on the John Pearse "Fast Turtles" for all my electric playing...great picks.

I did call first. Nice guy. As it turned out, I bought a pair Wegen Twins. Sadly, I also discovered that my prized Red Bear pick had shattered in half. RIp lil Jazzer.

Turns out he shares space with the luthier who made Matt Warnock's guitar.

[sdr]

Let's not forget the humble Fender Medium. It's a safe bet that we've all used them from time to time and that it was quite likely the first pick you ever played a note with.

[FrankyNoTone]

Here's a relatively recent pic of my picks. I picked up some more when those empty compartments became too annoying. And yes, there are some Fender Mediums in the upper right hand corner:



Some general notes (I've got ~60 pick notes on a secret spreadsheet):

Thickness labels are almost meaningless since there is no standards on medium/heavy/etc. or how accurate millimeter measures must be. A Dunlop Delrin 500 1.14mm pick is actually 1.04mm whereas their Ultex 1.14mm pick is 1.27mm. So consider this if you are swapping manufacturers or models.

Hard/polished materials tend cause "chirping", which is an already vibrating string hitting the pick as it approaches. Roughing up the pick contact surface can reduce the effect.

Pick materials have a significant impact on tone because the string sliding over the pick's edge/surface creates overtones much like a bow, or fingernails against a chalkboard. Soft materials like celluloid are darker and hard ones like polycarbonate or ultem are brighter. This effect can be adjusted by polishing or roughing up the surface/edge.

Plastic picks can be modified pretty easily by carpet scraping or filing/sanding/cutting to suit. For example, I can scrape a 1.5mm Dunlop Gator Grip on the carpet a few times to sharpen its point to be the same as a Dunlop Jazz III XL. Now I have a thicker, darker, scratchier tone Jazz III with better grip. A finger nail file/buffer can then be used to bevel to taste (I like a shallow right hand speed bevel).

I made the two picks on the bottom right from a CD. All CD's are made from 1.2mm polycarbonate which is the same plastic as Fender California Clears or Dunlop Gels yet the CD blend is tougher and brighter sounding. Some basic handyman skills and workshop tools can turn 1 CD into about a dozen picks for a fun craft project.

[RyanM]

Dunlop Jazztone: I like the small 205 ones. It feels sloppy when I use a normal sized pick now. The 208 is normal size. They're really stiff and don't flex, but not too thick.

[paynow]

Here's a relatively recent pic of my picks. I picked up some more when those empty compartments became too annoying. And yes, there are some Fender Mediums in the upper right hand corner:



Some general notes (I've got ~60 pick notes on a secret spreadsheet):

Thickness labels are almost meaningless since there is no standards on medium/heavy/etc. or how accurate millimeter measures must be. A Dunlop Delrin 500 1.14mm pick is actually 1.04mm whereas their Ultex 1.14mm pick is 1.27mm. So consider this if you are swapping manufacturers or models.

Hard/polished materials tend cause "chirping", which is an already vibrating string hitting the pick as it approaches. Roughing up the pick contact surface can reduce the effect.

Pick materials have a significant impact on tone because the string sliding over the pick's edge/surface creates overtones much like a bow, or fingernails against a chalkboard. Soft materials like celluloid are darker and hard ones like polycarbonate or ultem are brighter. This effect can be adjusted by polishing or roughing up the surface/edge.

Plastic picks can be modified pretty easily by carpet scraping or filing/sanding/cutting to suit. For example, I can scrape a 1.5mm Dunlop Gator Grip on the carpet a few times to sharpen its point to be the same as a Dunlop Jazz III XL. Now I have a thicker, darker, scratchier tone Jazz III with better grip. A finger nail file/buffer can then be used to bevel to taste (I like a shallow right hand speed bevel).

I made the two picks on the bottom right from a CD. All CD's are made from 1.2mm polycarbonate which is the same plastic as Fender California Clears or Dunlop Gels yet the CD blend is tougher and brighter sounding. Some basic handyman skills and workshop tools can turn 1 CD into about a dozen picks for a fun craft project.

Were we to give an award for "best 1st post ever," this would get it. At least from me. Great advice. I keep my picks in a tackle box, but not nearly as organized as this.

[Flint]

I recently went through another pick evaluation. My last set of experiments left me liking the Clayton cork grip picks, the V-Pick screamers and medium rounds, and the Dunlop big stubbies.

This time, I tried the following:
Clayton wood and exotics - too long and pointed for my taste
Dunlop jazztone 207 - surprisingly comfortable, I like these
Dunlop primetone 5mm - the small ones are too small, and the large rounded are backordered.
Pro Plec 1.5mm - ???Nothing to recommend these. Not particularly comfortable or easy to hang onto.
Dava picks - much to thin for my taste
Wedgie 5mm rubber picks - hard to use, and flake off like an eraser
Clayton stone picks - these are exactly the same as Dunlop big stubbies
Dunlop jazz III max grip - not bad, but small and hard to get used to
Dunlop Adamas graphite pick - pretty generic feel, nothing exciting.

After all this, I'm still sticking with the V-Pick medium rounds and the Clayton cork grip 1mm picks for the most part, but also sometimes using the Dunlop 207s. I have high hopes for the primetones when and if they ever arrive.

Finally, I notice that I have two nearly identical picks here, the 1mm brain pick (gray) and a 1mm pick in baby blue, same size and shape of pick and grip pattern, but the blue ones have much sharper grips, easier to hold. Where the gray ones say "brain", the blue ones have what looks like an apostrophe. I can't find what these are but I like them.

AHA, I found them. These are called PHAT CAT TONGUE picks, and they have great grips.

[SamBooka]

I have been looking around to find the TUSQ picks that came out in Jan.
a buck a pop .

[Chordchunker]

I have been using a Blue Chip for the last 3-4 years. I play 4-5 bluegrass/swing gigs a week, practice constantly and it still shows 0 wear..

[Eddie Lang]

Thanks for the replies. Keep them coming and please post your own evaluations.

Pierrot, thank you for that link. Very informative. Not sure for those who don't read French, though...

--

I was at a music camp from Friday to Monday. I had a great time. I also received a gift: a Red Bear Style A Heavy "Speed Bevel".

I mentioned above that I did not really like the Red Bear TT-XH. Well, I like this Style A a lot! Good size for me, nice grip and great tone. On the brighter side compared to the Clayton Ultem Gold Small Teardrop. Apparently though, Red Bear has discontinued this model... It could become a favorite of mine, behind the Clayton Ultem Small Teardrop and the Wegen Twin.

Speaking of the Twin. I am falling in love with it again. Works much better than I remembered for single note lines and what great tone it has, if you like fat and dark...



In my original post, I included the measurements of some of the picks, but I realized afterwards that there is nothing like a visual comparison to something we already know. Since we all know the "standard" pick, I have scanned some of the picks again next to one of these.

[Flint]

Done some pick testing, and here are my impressions. YMMV, of course

1) V-Pick screamers. These are acrylic, transparent triangular picks with sharp points. I find them confortable, and the beveled edges make them easy to play fast. The attacks are sharp and clean. Good shredding picks. V-Picks have the nice quality that when they get warm, they stick to your fingers even when your fingers are sweaty, so you won't drop them with fast strumming. Good picks.

2) V-Pick medium rounds. Same material, same qualities. Triangular picks with rounded tips, for smoother jazz-style attacks. For me, these are real keepers. However, bear in mind that V-Picks are expensive, about $4 a pick from most places, though JustStrings has them for 3.50 each.

3) Cat's Tongue picks. These come in different gauges, and I've tried the 1.00 and 1.50mm versions. Good grips, much better than the (similar) Brain Picks. For energetic strumming, these can't be beat, and they run about 50 cents a pop. These heavier gauge are called Phat Cats, but the thinner versions get very thin if that's your preference. I use these a lot.

4) Clayton wooden picks. These have indentations for the thumb on one side, and are pretty confortable, but they are very large and the tips stick a LONG way out past your fingers. The tips have very sharp points. I haven't figured out what they're good for. For me, they keep hooking under strings and make picking hard.

5) Clayton stone picks: These are identical in every way to Dunlop Big Stubbies - same material, indentations, size, shape, almost the same color. Not bad picks, but they (and the Big Stubbies) don't quite make the cut for me.

6) Dunlop Primetones. These come in half a dozen sizes and shapes per thickness, which is 3mm and 5mm. I have tried 2 5mm sizes, the small pointed and large rounded versions. The small version (the size of Jazz III picks) are a bit too small for my hands, and the attack is quite sharp. The large rounded version turn out to be the pick of my dreams - comfortable, good grips, beveled for the right smooth but fast attack. I ordered a dozen of these (about $1.00 per pick), and they might last forever. Great picks.

7) Clayton cork grip picks. These today only come in the "standard" (i.e. Fender Medium) shape, though they used to come in larger triangular format. These are great picks, comfortable and easy to hold, don't move around in your fingers, good standard attack, not too bright and not too mellow. And not too expensive, either.

8) Dunlop max grip. These are small Jazz III-sized picks with better grip surfaces. If you like the Jazz III, you'll like these better. I find them too small for my hands (like the primetone small picks).

9) D'Andrea Pro Plecs. These are 1.5mm large triangular picks with nothing special about them. No grip surface, but nice rounded corners. If they fit your style, you might like them. They are very inexpensive.

10) Dunlop 207s. Dunlop makes a variety of picks in this series, and the 207s are the larger rounded picks. I was initially disappointed because they looked like they had a grippy surface, but it's just a normal smooth plastic. But they work really well for me, comfortable and stable. Recommended.

11) Dava picks. These looked really good on the screen - plastic picks inside rubber grippers with bars and holes in the rubber. Super grip, right? Uh, no. They are thin and flabby, the rubber isn't grippy. the bars and holes don't do anything, and they don't seem to come any other way. I know some people love them, but I just couldn't use them.

12) Dunlop Adamas graphite picks. I got these on a whim. These are 2mm picks, they have some moderate grip, but they don't slide nicely off the strings like the primetones or V-picks or 207s. And you can't get them anymore anyway.

13) Wedgie rubber picks. These are 5mm (very thick) picks, and I have tried the light, medium and heavy versions. These all feel the same, and I think they are best on bass, because they sound like fingerstyle attacks. They're not too expensive, except that they wear as fast as a pencil eraser doing lots of erasing, and the eraser scuzz gets all over the bass and sticks so it nees to be cleaned off a lot. Good for some bass lines in certain songs.

After all this, for me it's the primetone large rounded 5mm picks, followed closely by the V-Pick medium rounded picks. I also like the Clayton cork grips, the Dunlop 207s, the V-pick screamers and the Phat Cat picks.

The stone-big Stubbies, the wooden picks, the Dava picks, the pro Plecs, and the graphite picks don't make the cut. The rubber bass picks are specialized, but good for certain sounds.

I simply did not have the budget to experiment with the $15-each Wegen picks or the $35-each Blue Chip picks. They might be fantastic, but I'm getting the sound I want from what I have now. YMMV.

[mitch_33]

Im currently using Dunlop Jazz III's, just placed an order for some Dava picks, and hoping they help with my sweaty fingers. Ill post a review when I receive them.

[Flint]

Im currently using Dunlop Jazz III's, just placed an order for some Dava picks, and hoping they help with my sweaty fingers. Ill post a review when I receive them.

Good luck. I found they didn't work for me. If you like the Jazz IIIs and have sweaty fingers, you might like the Dunlop max grips. Same size and thickness, but better grips.

[Archtop 13]

Lollar ships a promotional pick with his pickups which is made from the bobbin material he uses. Nothing short of amazing for acoustic use. Very unique. Similar to a Felt pick with more attack(the best I can describe it).

[Eddie Lang]

Hum... I guess I'll have to buy a Lollar pup now...

[mitch_33]

Good luck. I found they didn't work for me. If you like the Jazz IIIs and have sweaty fingers, you might like the Dunlop max grips. Same size and thickness, but better grips.

Thanks for the tip, ill try and pick some of those up locally to try as well.