Does Pick Shape Influence Tone?

**Retroman1969** · 02-09-2012, 11:30 PM

Well, turns out there was a small guitar shop near where I had a photo-shoot today that had both the Gator Grips and Jazztones, so I picked up a few and had kind of a "Jazz Pick Shootout" when I got home.

To be honest, these three are so close, that I'd be perfectly happy with any of them. They'd easily be the top three choices of any other picks I have yet tried.

-They all produce that dark blunt tone and they do all occasionally make that "denk" sound. I guess that's just a characteristic of such thick hard picks. Admittedly, the Stubby probably made the loudest "denk", but not by much.
-Really, at first I didn't like the Gator because the odd textured material made a loud "schuff" noise and dragged a bit against the strings, but soon the tip started smoothing out and I'm liking it better the more I play it. It had a slightly warmer, fuzzier tone than the other two, which were a bit cleaner and more defined.
-The Stubby, probably because of the size, gave me the most control.
-The JazzTone 207 ended up being my favorite just by a hair. The shape, size, and composition made it grip the best. It made the least noise against the strings, and struck a great balance between dark and defined tone (almost identical in tone to the Stubby... But I really do like the slightly "smokier" tone of the Gator as well).

**Jazz_175** · 02-13-2012, 05:57 PM

Hey Retromann69, how's going with the picks!
Keep using the Gator until it smooths out.
If you like picks with small dimensions I just wanted to suggest another pick, which is PickBoy Jazz 1.5 mm, not easy to find, but I like it.

**Retroman1969** · 02-13-2012, 10:10 PM

Thanks Jazz, the Gator and JazzTone are quieter than the Stubby and that's becoming more apparent the more I trade back and forth, but I keep gravitating more and more to the JazzTone. For my purposes, it just feels perfect in my hand, easy to control, nice clean dark thumpy sound, and ultimately the quietest against the strings during the attack.

**Gitarguy** · 02-13-2012, 10:32 PM

Picks are very important to the sound. Most people don't really ever think about it, but the size, shape, thickness, and composition all can make a difference. It ranges from subtle to drastic, but we all should experiment and find what works for different situations.

A new kind of pick is the cheapest set of new pickups you can buy.

**capt_kurk** · 02-14-2012, 12:33 AM

Picks are not only important to general sound and tone, but in general, the attack of any sound is quite defining. Imagine recording the same note being sustained on multiple different instruments, then removing the attack and the end of the decay on each track. Then get someone to blindly compare and identify each instrument in the recording. It's quite the difficult task.

Otherwise, I feel like anything else I could add has already been spoken for. Shape of the point (related to thickness, composition, contour) all factor quite heavily on the attack and emphasis of certain frequencies on the string. Ever wonder why thumb picking can sound so dull?

**AmundLauritzen** · 02-14-2012, 04:54 AM

I think people perceive the sound different as well. Of course, the mass of the pick is going to determine the sound in some way because of gravity and force, so you can have two picks with the same surface area striking the strings, but they can sound different. A more pointy edge creates a sharper sound, while a more rounded edge gives a more dull(not dull as in boring) sound.
You can also have the exact same shape and size of two picks, but if one has a softer material, it'll sound different. A good example of "soft" picks is the dunlop jazztone. I used those for about a year and a half before I moved on to the Wegen 3.5mm picks which I've currently settled on since they give me the best of both worlds: Warm tone, but still with brightness and clarity.

I think you'd choose different picks with depending on the string gauge. I think too heavy pick with too light strings could give you a hard time with the precision. Too light pick with too heavy strings could become tiresome to play, and you'd have to use a lot of force. YMMV - everybody is different. This is just my experience.

Wegen 3.5mm picks seem to work great with .13's. Because the pick is heavy, I don't have to pick as hard to get a great tone. I think my lack of carpal tunnel syndrome in ten years will ensure I'm grateful for making the decision. It's very ergonomical to play with no discomfort. I've stuck with this for a long time now because I'm yet to come across a combination that works better for me.
Still waiting for my order of .12's to see how that combination works. Tried it out with .15's and .14's and it wasn't my cup of tea.

**Retroman1969** · 02-14-2012, 08:24 AM

Thanks for the extra insight guys.
It's a fun journey to finding just the right guitar/strings/pick etc. for you, if sometimes frustrating and confusing.
As for strings, I've settled into nickel round wound .12s which seem to be a good match for any of the above picks, but especially the JT 207.

Early on I had gotten the same picks my instructor uses (Tortex .60mm) but they sounded thin and bright to me. I couldnt figure out how he got the tone he did out of them, until I realized that he holds them sideways and picks with one of the fat round corners.

**Geert** · 02-14-2012, 01:52 PM

I have a lucky pick..
It's a 2mm Moustache gypsy pick. I sanded it to have a pointy tip.
I lost it some time ago and allthough 2 shops in town carry them, they weren't able to order them on short notice. I tried a lot of picks since but couldn't find the one..
Last week my wife found it

When I played it I immediately feld what I had been missing.
It is not so much the tone as the feel of the pick that is so distinctive.
I just seem to play better, more fluid with this pick...
I even have a favourite side (thumb on the M) to play.

Just to say how important the right pick is to me.

G
[IMG]

[/IMG]

**drobniuch** · 02-14-2012, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

Well, turns out there was a small guitar shop near where I had a photo-shoot today that had both the Gator Grips and Jazztones, so I picked up a few and had kind of a "Jazz Pick Shootout" when I got home.

To be honest, these three are so close, that I'd be perfectly happy with any of them. They'd easily be the top three choices of any other picks I have yet tried.

-They all produce that dark blunt tone and they do all occasionally make that "denk" sound. I guess that's just a characteristic of such thick hard picks. Admittedly, the Stubby probably made the loudest "denk", but not by much.
-Really, at first I didn't like the Gator because the odd textured material made a loud "schuff" noise and dragged a bit against the strings, but soon the tip started smoothing out and I'm liking it better the more I play it. It had a slightly warmer, fuzzier tone than the other two, which were a bit cleaner and more defined.
-The Stubby, probably because of the size, gave me the most control.
-The JazzTone 207 ended up being my favorite just by a hair. The shape, size, and composition made it grip the best. It made the least noise against the strings, and struck a great balance between dark and defined tone (almost identical in tone to the Stubby... But I really do like the slightly "smokier" tone of the Gator as well).

funny somebody likes the same picks (mean the Stubby and JazzTone) like me..

What I found about picks is that the sound of a falling on a desk pick can tell what sound they will generete e.g. the Stubby generates more warmer sound the JazzTone whet falling on desk and .. the same gets out when playn on guitar so when I chose picks in guitar store I listen tho their sound

**Retroman1969** · 02-14-2012, 06:12 PM

I understand where you're coming from Geert. I've wanted to try those myself.
Drob, lol you're right. The Stubby has a unique composition. I don't know how such a brittle feeling pick can make such a warm sound.

**Jazz_175** · 02-14-2012, 06:41 PM

Well, at this point I have to find somewhere this Dunlop JazzTone and try.

**AlsoRan** · 02-14-2012, 10:19 PM

The 2.0 and 3.0 little Stubbys came in! I love their size and I am even willing to accept the little point edge. I will be away from my guitar and amp for a couple of days, but I will get back with my opinion.

Plunking around for 5 minutes on an unplugged Sheraton yielded this preliminary conclusion. The 2.0s sounded brighter but I liked the added control of the thicker 3.0.

This weekend I will give them a full test. I can hardly wait!

**Retroman1969** · 02-14-2012, 10:27 PM

Cool, I'm curious to know what you think. I definitely like using the 3.0 a little better.
Jazz175, those JTs really are worth trying out. Hope you can get your hands on some without much trouble.

**AlsoRan** · 02-19-2012, 10:20 PM

Well, Senor Retroman,

I have decided on using the little Stubby 2.0. It is around the size and shape of the Jazz III Stiffos I have been using, but allows me a little more control and also tames the sound of my higher strings (1st and 2nd strings) so they don't sound quite so metallic on my Epiphone Sheraton II.

I love the warmth of the 3.0 little Stubbys but they exposed a weakness in my technique - I sometimes can't get them to ring out when I am playing certain passages.

Maybe one day, I will work on technique more so I can take advantage of their more blunted sound, at least for when I am playing Jazz.

Thanks you so much for your tip. It has been really helpful.

**Retroman1969** · 02-20-2012, 07:41 AM

Thats great, I'm glad they worked out for you.

Taming the sound is a good description.

**kamlapati** · 02-22-2012, 03:40 PM

Sorry to be late to the party.

I am also a big believer that picks can have a big impact on tone. I started using an imitation tortoiseshell pick made by Red bear a few years ago, and it really helps getting the tome I like.

But I also use different picks occasionally when I want something different, like a Fender medium for folky strumming or a heavy for playing the blues.

Here's a guy who appreciates picks.

**ruiner54** · 02-23-2012, 01:30 PM

I was feeling stupid when day and saw a big pick at the music shop packaged by itself. It was made of some sort of stone/mineral and when very nicely cut and polished. I think it cost me $10 for the 1 pick :S
I was in a spending mood. Anyway, it had an extremely nice soft tone..like no pick I have ever heard but was WAY too big for me to realistically use (bigger than a bass pick).

I decided I was going to break it into smaller pieces and make 2 or 3 mini picks and smooth the edges back out. Using a hammer was about as stupid as buying $10 pick in the first place. Its shattered into a bunch of pieces which shot in every direction in the garage.....now I know.

**SamBooka** · 02-23-2012, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by ruiner54

I decided I was going to break it into smaller pieces and make 2 or 3 mini picks and smooth the edges back out.

Henceforth you shall be known as Ruiner!

**jorgemg1984** · 02-23-2012, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by ruiner54

I was feeling stupid when day and saw a big pick at the music shop packaged by itself. It was made of some sort of stone/mineral and when very nicely cut and polished. I think it cost me $10 for the 1 pick :S
I was in a spending mood. Anyway, it had an extremely nice soft tone..like no pick I have ever heard but was WAY too big for me to realistically use (bigger than a bass pick).

I decided I was going to break it into smaller pieces and make 2 or 3 mini picks and smooth the edges back out. Using a hammer was about as stupid as buying $10 pick in the first place. Its shattered into a bunch of pieces which shot in every direction in the garage.....now I know.

Ha ha don't want to be rude but wasn't kind of obvious it was a bad idea?