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Ive read a bunch of threads and Ive tried a number of picks out there.
Im open to suggestions but Im not buying a 40 dollar pick.
Here is my goal: Im playing a carve archtop its mostly plugged in. I play roundwounds (TI Bebops) with a single coil pu. I love the resonance of roundwounds. I have tened to find that the low E string just sounds too muffled with picks 1.3 and up. I guess its too much friction. I have also found that the thicker Dunlops tend to color the sound pretty heavily and a little less so with a sharper tip.
Honestly, Im about to go back to a cheapo Fender Heavy or Gibson ex heavy since the gibsons are a little heavier than the Fender Heavy but thinner than the Fender x heavy. They offer good string separation and they dont seem to add a lot of coloration to the tone...yes, the fancy picks sound wamer and fatter but then again, some definition is lost.
I dont need a ton of attack but I dont want it to disappear. I tried some tortex and I tossed them accross the room. The closest fancier pick I found was the Primetone John Petrucci but it tends to add something on top that sounds just a little nasal...not as much as a couple of other primetones but still....
I also tried nylon for a while but its not in the running at all. Really dont want a pick to define my mix. I love the guitar, I love the strings and pickup but the right pick?
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03-22-2026 07:20 AM
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I came to love smaller picks many years ago, when I started using a Jazz III in my primarily metal days. I’ve tried many over the years and I always end up coming back to the Jim Dunlop Jazztone 205.
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I like the smaller size also. The primetone Im using is small. I cut the Fender picks down to Jazz III size also. The full size just seems a little clumsey. I realize my low note issue with thick picks is, in part, my right hand technique and I think my attack on the top string is a little too much of an angle. However, when I keep the angle proper there are signicicant differences in the sould of the low e with roundwounds. The roundwound resonance kind of gets muffled.
I may give Jazztones a try. The point may help keep the definition I want. In the EU a shop in the Netherlands, "Lord of the Strings", offers sales on individual picks at uninflated prices. So I can try a bunch of picks and end up with dozens of unused picks that I dont like. His shop is also handy becuase its one of the few that carry the TI individual strings. He gives great service so he deserves a "Shout out".
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I too favor the 'Jazz 3' shape. There's a fairly wide variety of manufacturers to choose from.
Depending on the instrument I use Blue Chip, Wegen, Gravity, or Dunlop picks. Try everything!
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Great ideas, but the OP said he's unwilling to try the fancy stuff!
Originally Posted by Tom Karol
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I've used the 204 rounded tip version for years. I can't use anything else at this point so I have bags strategically placed in different cases, pouches, etc. And of course in the dryer. Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
I came to love smaller picks many years ago, when I started using a Jazz III in my primarily metal days. I’ve tried many over the years and I always end up coming back to the Jim Dunlop Jazztone 205.
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This is the way.The only way to know what fits your playing style and sound is to try a variety of picks.I have everything from high end Blue Chips,Red Bear to the lower end Fender medium and have used them all with different guitars and strings.One thing i can never understand is when guys are willing to pay thousands for a guitar,$40 for strings but cheap out when investing in a pick.One general rule of thumb i folllow is the George Benson notion of lighter pick on heavy strings,heavier pick on lighter strings. Originally Posted by Tom Karol
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I dont mind spending a few bucks on a pick but 40 is a bit out of my general comfort zone and sense of value. There are more picks than I will try for well under 10 bucks a pop. To be honest, I dont think a 40 buck pick is going to make me a better player. Im just hunting a "Go-To" solution. Im sure something out there will do that.
Celluloid is just a bit harsh on the unwound strings. Ive been playing the past hour on a primetone small triangle. Its does tend to add more overtones than I want but damn its comfortable. Im not a speed deamon but I can do runs almost without thinking about it with that pick.
Ive also realized the obvious that I was over looking: I need to eq differently between picks...just a tad, but it makes a difference. Im going to try a more but even though this pick is a littler larger than I normally play the ballance is just SO easy.
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One great thing about Blue Chip picks is that they last forever.If you find one that fits your style it will be cheaper than buying bags of cheaper picks over a lifetime.I have found Blue Chips to have the least amount of pick noise and they just have this gliding feeling when used on flatwound strings.I'm sure a lot of us balked the first time buying Thomastik strings but we found out it was worth the price.I find it crazy when people spend $40 or more on Starbucks in a week,paying $40 for a pick that lasts forever seems more worthwhile to me.
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This *might* be of interest if you find celluloid too harsh. I’m just an amateur player, so take what I say with a pinch of salt, or ignore it completely!
I have used the tiny Fender/Gibson 358 “heavy” picks for many years on my jazz boxes - I think they are celluloid and about 1mm thick? I recently wanted a heavier pick for my Maccaferri copy so bought a few 1.5mm D’Andrea Pro Plecs of the same height and width. The Pro Plecs are thermoplastic(??) and definitely more mellow than the Fender/Gibson picks, so while they are cool picks they weren’t right for my Maccaferri, but something in the Pro Plec range might be worth a try if celluloid is too bright? - you can get them from Lord of the Strings.
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I do use the Thomastik strings but here in the EU the bebobs are 18 a set and flats are a buck or two more.
If I had the chance to walk in and try blue chips I might but its not like the old days where you can walk into a store and the owner pulls out several flats of picks where you can try them and grab those that hold your interest enough to take home.
Bill, I may give the Pro Plecs a try. I dont want a lot less brightness...just a little so something around 1mm in a material thats a little warmer may do the trick. Its worth trying.
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I like the Dunlop JazzTone picks also. Another one that I like is the Ernie Ball Prodigy 2.0 mini (jazz size). It comes in different shapes and sizes.
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I like the Prodigy picks too. They are probably my second choice after the JD 205. The Prodigy is a really good choice for someone who prefers a more slick feeling pick compared to the JazzTone. Originally Posted by Freddels
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I guess I don't understand the mentality of being willing to drop a grand (and often substantially more) on a nice archtop, and then a decent amp, which also isn't inexpensive, but having a problem with trying a $40 pick. In the world of picks that really isn't very expensive tbh. Originally Posted by nyc chaz
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I find the Dunlop John Petrucci Ultex jazz 3 the best of the cheap picks, and regular Fender Heavy picks are a close second.
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Picks are very subjective, though. What you like isn't necessarily what I like. I use Blue Chip picks about 90% of the time. I make a wish list on the Blue Chip website, and provide that to family and friends who ask what I want for Xmas and birthday. I've bought a few, but most of the ones I have were gifts. My kids are happy enough to buy a $30 gift for me. YMMV.
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Me too! Originally Posted by sgosnell
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I try to stay away from the tortoise/turtle shell picks because they are slow.
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It seems that warping is becoming a more common problem (or more widely recognized and acknowledged) -
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I dont need that pick. Im alread warped.
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Haven’t seen warping in casein picks 1.5 mm and thicker. Thin ones often curl over time.
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I like the ultex line of Jazz IIIs. But back when I played regularly I depended on Planet Waves Black Ice and Tortex Jazz IIIs. However, I will say I’ve drank—as of last year—the Blue Chip Cool-aid and am a firm believer now. They feel great in the hand after long sessions, smooth reaction on the strings, and come in a nice variety of shapes. Though, I do for whatever reason go up to their 2mm size as opposed to my usual 1.5mm max.
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Big fan of Dunlop Jazztone.
For better grip I have to drill a hole in it.
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These have been around for a good while...... Originally Posted by Two5one
Guitar Picks
– Moshay Pick Company
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