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So I thought I'd found the perfect pick. It was a Fender heavy teardrop I'd gotten at a local music store. I went online to order a few dozen at Musician's Friend. The teardrop they had (358) looked just like the one I was using. So I ordered.
But when I got the picks it was obvious they were a lot smaller. Apparently Fender teardrops come in different sizes. Okay, my bad, I didn't do my homework.
But I decided to try one of 'em before returning the order. To my surprise that little pick kicked butt. The tone was crisp and grip-ability was awesome. It was much easier to hang on to than the one from the music shop. And the tip angle made it glide over the strings much better.
Ha ha, so I ditched the music shop pick and kept the 358s - a happy accident
Tiny picks, try 'em out. You might like them.Last edited by BadJazz; 10-31-2012 at 09:43 PM.
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10-31-2012 07:31 PM
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If you really want to fall in love with a 358 size pick, check out the D'Andrea Pro Plec in that size.
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Originally Posted by Gertrude Moser
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Originally Posted by Gertrude Moser
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Those tiny 358's were key to training me to pick closer to the strings for better control. I still have a bunch of them and other small picks that I use off and on.
But now I buy regular sized picks, sharpen the points, and then hold them closer to the point for the same picking style. Eventually, with quite a bit of playing and reshaping, they end up like the one on the right next to the new (brown) and old (white) style of Fender 358's. I definitely get good value from my 30 cent picks
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Originally Posted by BadJazz
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+1 for 358 Fender heavies.
I used red Jazz 111's for years,really got used to the accuracy of the
tiny pick.
But I found the J111's were too inconsistent in the tone...some batches
sounded too dark...others a bit too bright.
Also some picks had a deeper Jim Dunlop imprint, that I found I relied on
for grip on the more [ahem] dextrous moments.
I got to the point where I'd be trying each pick out, in one of the back rooms at the shop you understand....I'd take all the Jazz 111's they had grab a guitar off the wall and
test first for grip factor, then go through those to eliminate the dull sounding individuals.
The guys in the store knew me and humored the old dude.
All the while I was looking for a more balanced tone from bass to treble
strings...I really was liking celluloid Fender heavies...but you can only get
351's where I am.
So I'd get a 351 & cut it to the shape of a jazz 111 and file and smooth
the butt end [of the pick] ...good for the fatter tone when you want to
kind of "bow" the note.
What a PITA....so went back to Jazz 111's....sounded like shit but
great for execution.......aarghhh
Then I got the amazing idea to see what I could find on the interweb.
Got a 100 or so 358's....everything's cool....they do need a bit of a
feathering with 1200 or 1500 grit wet & dry paper...like I used to use
on my nails in my classical guitar days.....I'm nearly recovered thanks.
So...that's my riveting tale....
Now, anytime I try to find a better pick, I still look around, and have
a drawer full of all my failed experiments, I always, but always get called
back to the humble 358.
BTW I tried the D'Andrea Pro Plec's...for me too dull sounding on the
basses...I use La Bella flats 13-53...plus they don't release fast enough
from the strings.
Not saying that I'm playing that fast or anything,but it's to do with the
expression and variety of tones you can achieve playing at different points along the string that I'm after....the grip factor is better with the Pro Plecs
but I've adjusted to 358's and intend to get another couple of bags of
them while they're still around.
And yep, I'm a real pick nerd and proud of it.....that's where the celluloid
hits the string.
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The material that the D'Andrea is made of is "softer". Don't worry, that actually makes them wear more slowly. They just produce a warm sound with no clicking noise with the attack. They can make some guitars sound like completely different instruments. They absoluletly sound different (better) than the Fender and other brands that look similar.
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Originally Posted by Moonray
. I've never known of anyone to go through so much trouble. But you're right, the pick has a ton of influence on your sound.
I'll get some of the D'Andrea 358s and give them a try too.
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I grew up using the round Gibson teardrop pick. I think it was the 346. Gibson discontinued them, then Fender made them and discontinued them, and now I'm stuck. Nobody seems to make that pick anymore.
I've never been able to get really comfortable with the 358, but maybe I'll have to. If anybody has a line on some NOS 346s, lemme know.
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I used Heavy Fender 358's for many years. Gibson had one very similar except it was black instead of tortoise-colored. D'Andrea makes a 358 and also a very interesting shape - called the 330. But I find I prefer the Dunlop Jazz III shape now. Dunlop makes that shape in a pretty wide variety of materials and thicknesses, and other manufacturers do as well.
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Whatever the brand, once I discovered the little picks, I can't stand the large picks! They are just too much weight to have to manuever. The little picks are great for control and articulation. Next best thing to finger-plucking.
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Yeah Jimmy...there's no going back!
I got to cutting a 351 so I only had the tip segment between finger & thumb.
Obviously a blatant Joe Pass fan boy idea....Joe often spoke about his
"quirk" of breaking a pick in half...He didn't recommend others do that, but
to use a small pick...Well the teeny-tiny pick felt even better to me than
the Jazz 111 cut down 351's....It seems, for me anyway that the closer I
get to the strings the better it feels for control...and also the grip factor
was cool because I could feel the variations in pressure between the thumb
and finger...not just the pick......However the down side was losing the
fat end of the pick...and making damn sure you have the pick with the
point facing the string not one of the rough corners caused by simply
cutting the pick with some side cutters.
[Cool if you want to do some string scrapes in a ballad or something]
Wait for more exciting explorations of a pick freak....c'est chic! ha ha..
ps: I know all this pick/string stuff is a personal matter of choice.....
But....you could see that coming right? ...I just can't get on with those
Pro Plecs...they really slow me down...granted there's no pick click, but
neither is there with a celluloid one.....It's all in the hands....
Altogether now.....Groan....
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Hey, its Saturday morning and I'm having my coffee and thought, you know you're a pick nerd when....
The book btw is: Picks! by Will Hoover. This is one of only two books ever written about picks and it is THE BIBLE for pick nerds. Of course, the book comes with a custom imprint celluloid pick. It was a birthday gift from my wife and its very important to have an understanding/supportive family when you have gone off the deep end with an obsession.
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Funny thing is the size it totally a nonissue for me now.. I went from standard .. to jazztone 205s.. to the little jazzIII (but the carbon fibre ones Maxgrips).. to standard.. . back to little Black Ices.. to standard again.. to Golden Gates.. to jazztone 207s.. to Dawgs (which are the biggest so far) down to Pickboy 150s.
Within reach at any time are the Dawgs, Dunlop Gators 2.00. Jazztone 207s, Goldengates and pickboy 150s.. just depends on my mood.
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I like to try those ones both Fender heavies and D' Andrea pro plectrums to see the differences. Used to use Dunlop 206s for some years.
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Fender 451s are very interesting: same shape as the "standard" fender pick, but shrunken by about 1/3. Great tone on steel or nylon, good maneuverability, and reasonably-priced!
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Been using heavy 358's for best part of 30 years and have some (and still use them) that are that old. I have noticed that are a couple different colors of white - some are opaque and some are slightly translucent - the translucent ones sound a whole lot better but are hard to find.
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Both really good, d andrea and fender. Fender felt a bit better, just ordered 72 pack of extra heavies. Heavy felt a bit too thin, but great picks. D'andrea was great, a bit too stiff or so, to me at least. Might be wonderful to someone else of course.
Floating Biltoft pickup
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