Johnny Smith's guitar pick?

[WhoisLevang]

Anyone know if he used a particular pick? I am guessing it was a very thick/stiff pick, but I haven't found documentation. Any other clues to his tone besides the famous floating pickup?

edit- Sorry if this subject has been hashed and rehashed before, but I didn't find an answer when searching.

[Flyin' Brian]

Most of his records were recorded direct to the board without an amp.

[cosmic gumbo]

He used this one, but he lost it, and we never heard him play again....

[WhoisLevang]

Groan.... pick of destiny, no doubt... ;-)

I am just trying to figure if he used one of those super heavy inflexible picks.

Gotta go to the crossroads now... it's almost midnight...

[monk]

In a magazine interview some years ago, Johnny Smith mentioned that he used the no longer available black Gibson Star plectrum, which was a chubby teardrop. When he found that Gibson was going to discontinue the pick, he bought up all he could find.

[Flyin' Brian]

Originally Posted by monk

In a magazine interview some years ago, Johnny Smith mentioned that he used the no longer available black Gibson Star plectrum, which was a chubby teardrop. When he found that Gibson was going to discontinue the pick, he bought up all he could find.

I didn't know that he used those. I wish I had done the same. I used to love those picks. They worked much better for him than for me.

[WhoisLevang]

Originally Posted by monk

In a magazine interview some years ago, Johnny Smith mentioned that he used the no longer available black Gibson Star plectrum, which was a chubby teardrop. When he found that Gibson was going to discontinue the pick, he bought up all he could find.

AHA! Thank you Monk! My guess was that style of pick. Others have made them. From a couple of youtube vids, it looked like a thick black pick.
Thanks again!

[Synchro]

I have heard that there was an Ernie Ball pick of similar size that he had been known to use until it was discontinued. I still have a bunch of Stars but I usually use a Jazz III.

[WhoisLevang]

I purchased a couple of "pickboy" picks today. One is a translucent red with perforated grip holes. It's a 1.50 mm. Almost teardrop, thick, and beveled. Is that what the Star picks were like? I was already using a heavy tortex, we'll see if this produces a change for the better in my sound and technique.

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by WhoisLevang

I purchased a couple of "pickboy" picks today. One is a translucent red with perforated grip holes. It's a 1.50 mm. Almost teardrop, thick, and beveled. Is that what the Star picks were like? I was already using a heavy tortex, we'll see if this produces a change for the better in my sound and technique.

The Star was normal thicknesses, thin, medium and heavy. No different than any other Gibson pick of the era. I used to buy them by thr gross.

[monk]

This Dunlop is almost exactly the same as the old Gibson Stars. The ones that I used to use were this shape and not as pointed as the other picture I posted.

[ES350]

I think I have maybe 1/2 gross of those someplace in the closet...I used them quite a while ago.