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I thought I would start (or maybe restart?) a discussion on picks and their affect on your ability to play fast, change strings, execute difficult lines.
To try and be brief, here are my conclusions for myself:
1) I need smaller picks like the smaller Dunlop Jazz III shape. When I switched from the large Dunlop Jazz III XL picks to the smaller ones, I noticed an immediate increase in agility. Others have told me the same.
2) The pick cannot be too wide or to narrow as viewed from laying it flat. If it is too wide, I have trouble changing strings, and also if it is too narrow.
3) I like a thicker pick. It allows me to blast through the strings the way an Icebreaker ship goes through an ice floe. I have a heavy touch and rather than use less of the tip, on certain phrases, I just like to power through them.
4) Although I do like a thicker pick, (for the last couple of years, I used the Dunlop 3mm little stubby) I like for the shape to taper down in thickness as it goes to the point. The Blue Chip Jazz 100 that I bought does not do this and it has slightly affected my agility.
5) The material of the pick must allow it to slip and slide through the strings. The Blue Chip does this like no other I have tried. They have some sort of "self-lubricating' feature, and it works!
6) I don't like many materials such as Tortoise shell and some other types of picks I have tried.
Just my thoughts on picks. I think I have found the keeper in the Blue Chip pick. I ordered a different-sized pick, the TD60, which will have a slightly larger footprint and longer tip, as well as being thinner than the Jazz 100. I find this size works a little better for Rhythm playing.
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09-04-2016 11:11 AM
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I need more gripping surface than a Jazz III or similar pick offers. I play with the tip of the pick anyway, so the standard shape doesn't slow me down.
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I used Jazz IIIs for a long time but they would slip out of my hand a lot (-after playing awhile, when my hand would get sweaty). That bugged me. But I have recently taken them up again---there are 'grippier' versions available now---and like them. Still not perfect for me but on balance, they seem the best choice.
Spent a couple years with Fender Mediums (-and picks close to them, 351 shape, around .70 mm thickness) while trying to master Benson picking. I finally gave up on that, though I did appreciate the flex of a Medium pick.
I wouldn't say that a larger pick in and of itself slowed me down, though if the issue is accuracy and speed, I think a small pick with a sharp tip is hard to beat.
Joe Pass used to use a regular sized pick but he broke it in half. So he recommended using "half a pick." I've never heard of anyone else doing that.
A happy Jazz III user here:
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Alsoran I too prefer smaller picks, I used the ultex jazz3 and found them just a little too large and I didn't care for the raised lettering. I accidentally came across the jazz3 prime tone picks, they're the same small size of the 3's and feature a textured grip surface that is better than anything I've ever tried. I payed 6 bucks for a three pack, not cheap but not insane.
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I recall trying some Primetones but the tips were blunt, not sharp. Perhaps sharp tips are available too. I remember liking the feel of those picks.
Originally Posted by whiskey02
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Seems like several years ago Dunlop had a line of picks called prime tone that was very much a Gypsy pick, rather blunt as you say, black and very thick, up to 5mm. The current primetone looks completely different, a very dark maroon color. Funny I just read another thread started by AlsoRan and he mentions the 3mm small Stubbies, man I wish they would make that pick shape and taper in ultex and include the pebbled grip on the current primetone. If I have a great dream tonight and Dunlop puts out a whiskey02 signature pick, that's likely what it'll be and of course all forum members will be gifted with a gross, unless my dog wakes me up before my attorney drops that on Jim D.
Last edited by whiskey02; 09-04-2016 at 05:11 PM.
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The Primetones have much better grip than the Ultex and really glide across the strings but I also found the Primetones to be a bit brighter sounding than the regular Ultex. I've settled on the Jazz III Ultex for a good balance of grip, glide, tone and price.
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I like the Ultex Jazz III and the D'Andrea ProPlec little teardrops. I like little picks, big picks are too cumbersome for hybrid picking.
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I'm going to have to hunt up the sharp-tipped Ultexes that I have. Getting back into electric, my speed is not nearly what it used to be, and practice time is not as plentiful as it used to be.
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i used for a while the dunlop jazz iii but now i found the answer to all my problems with the ibanez paul gilbert signature picks: they are perfect,especially the white ones(which are thicker). the only problem is wear(every 2 weeks you'll need a change) Also the ibanez heavy picks with sandpaper for grip are really good, and for me faster than jazz iii, without the strong attack of it. for sheer speed i practice frank gambale chop builder when i'm out of shape.
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AlsoRan,
You said,
"Although I do like a thicker pick, (for the last couple of years, I used the Dunlop 3mm little stubby) I like for the shape to taper down in thickness as it goes to the point. The Blue Chip Jazz 100 that I bought does not do this and it has slightly affected my agility."
I was thinking, what if you tapered the thickness on the BCJ 100 with a little sandpaper or other abrasive? I've been using the Dunlop's myself, and would like a little taper, so I think I'm going to try that. I've been accumulating a mountain of pics trying to get one I'm really comfortable with. Maybe some 'customization' is in order. Wouldn't cost much. They're 3 for a dollar, I think.
Anyway, my 2 cents.
Steve
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I have a coffee cup FULL of picks on top of one of my amps. It contains everything from small, Gibson and Fender "jazz" picks of varying thicknesses, to antique tenor and plectrum banjo picks, to big, fat "Django" picks, to thumb picks for Merle and Chet stuff.
I find that the kind of pick I use automatically causes me to adopt a different right-hand technique. If I grab a Fender 351 medium pick, I automatically adopt a Nashville-style pick and three fingers right-hand style.
If I pick up a Gibson heavy teardrop jazz pick, I automatically use a Herb Ellis-style "turn the key in the lock" right hand technique.
With a Dugain 4mm acetate pick I use a modification of the H.E. technique above.
With a thin triangle pick I automatically adopt a George Benson type of loose grip on the pick and use two fingers...less of the hand and wrist.
If I don't pick up a pick, it's right to Joe Pass territory.
I have played for so long that I'm afraid that I don't even think about any of this, much, but different picks cause different approaches to the guitar. All styles are pretty fast and fluid.
Some guitars like some picks/styles more than others. My ES-175 responded to the little teardrop picks well. My big Super Eagle likes the 4mm Dugain acetate pick. My Tele works very well with a medium 351 pick, or with a thumb pick. My Unity is great with fingers, but also with a thin triangle pick. Go figure?
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Oh...the Strat likes the Dugain.
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For the time being, at least, I've settled on 4 picks, one for each of my 4 guitars:
Eastman AR403 with roundwound 12's - Blue Chip Jazz 60 (1.5 mm);
Godin Montreal Premiere with roundwound 11's - Blue Chip Jazz 50 (1.25 mm);
Martin 000-28 with 80-20 bronze 12's - Wegen Twin (2.5 mm);
Vagabond Travel Guitar with 80-20 bronze 12's - Wegen Big City Jazz (1.8 mm).
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I dug out some of these yesterday---I think they're called "jazztone" now but were called "primetone" when I bought them a few years ago.
Attachment 35450 They have a better grip than Jazz IIIs and seem to fit better in my hand.
And here's the 205:
Attachment 35451 The slight difference in length (from tail to tip) makes a lot of difference for me. The shorter one (the 204) keeps me outta trouble. ;o)Last edited by MarkRhodes; 09-05-2016 at 02:59 PM.
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Thanks for this great suggestion. But I really don't want to "mess" with this Blue Chip since I have actually adapted to it. This is an exaggeration but compared to my Little Stubby 3mm, at first felt like I was playing with one of those standard pink erasers. Now, I have adjusted, thank goodness. Originally Posted by skykomishone
I can live with it since I spent so much on this thing.
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These mandolin picks look interesting. Reviews on Amazon and Mandolin Cafe are very good with a couple favorable comparisons to boutique picks. The round tip should offset the brightness of the Primetone Jazz shape while having the supper slick Primetone feel against the strings.
Available in 1.3mm and 1.5mm thickness, with and w/o grip (looks like the 514 has the raised grip and the 515 does not have grip).
Last edited by MaxTwang; 09-05-2016 at 04:52 PM.
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I’ve been using red Jazz 2s for a few weeks. They sound and feel great, but I was amazed at how quickly they wear. The white Jazz 3s feel OK and don’t wear much, but they’re a bit brighter than I like. Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
I was a happy ProPlec user. They sound great on all my guitars - arched, solid, & flat. I stuck with them when others here started complaining about warping…….until mine started warping. To be honest, I don’t understand why the concavity bothers me, since I feel like I should be able to play just as well with the pick hugging my thumb. But I really find it to be annoying.
One night, I found a Little Stubby that looked brand new on the keyboard. So I tried it. The feel was great, but the tone was a little brighter than I’d like. I bought a small pack and used them for a few weeks. Then I went back to the larger black Dunlop Jazztones I’d bought years ago and liked the tone more but the feel less. When someone here suggested the Stubby in nylon, I tried them. Tone and thickness are great, but they’re bigger than I like - I wrongly assumed from the post that they were the same as the small Stubbies but made of nylon.
So I bought a few Jazz 2s because they have a slightly rounded tip that I like and they’re nylon, so they sound great on all my guitars- warm and full. But they wear fast, and I’m a gentle picker. So I’m still still stuck without a favorite again. I’m going to try to reduce and reshape a black Jazztone today and see how that works on tonight’s gig. But if D’Andrea fixes the warping problem in the ProPlec, I’ll be a very happy guy.
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I was a long time user of jazz II picks and around 4-5 years ago developed a preference for Dunlop jazztones, at the suggestion of a friend. I did struggle bit, however, with the feel of the them so a couple years ago I went on a quest and bought a bunch of random picks and started testing and comparing.
That's how I found the D'Addario Acrulux Nitra Jazz 1.5mm and there's no turning back!!! I find them to be fairly comparable to Pro Plecs in terms of warmth, tone and feel... but no warping. They're not as cheap as some others, and certainly not that popular around here, but I can't envision myself ever changing. For those curious, give 'em a whirl sometime.
Acrylic Nitra Jazz Pick | Accessories | D'Addario
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Small “jazz” picks are uncomfortable for me. I need to shift my grip regularly from lead to rhythm so a larger surface area helps facilitate this.
Wegen 2.5mm on electrics for me.
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Thanks! I just ordered a 3 pack. Originally Posted by LifeOnJazz
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I tried the Acrylux picks when they came out a few years ago but the Nitra were very dark and dull sounding to me.I liked the red Reso much better especially when played acoustically. Originally Posted by LifeOnJazz
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Instrument / Pick (always subject to change):
Eastman AR403ce Archtop Electric Guitar / Blue Chip Jazz 60
Godin Montreal Premiere Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar / Blue Chip Jazz 50
C. F. Martin 000-28 Acoustic Guitar / Blue Chip IBJ 55*
Gibson Parlor Rosewood 2019 Acoustic-Electric Guitar / Blue Chip IBJ 55
Vagabond Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar / Dunlop JP Jazz III 1.5
Recording King Swamp Dog Resonator Acoustic Guitar / Wegen Big City Jazz 1.8
Fender Mustang PJ Bass / Wegen Twin 2.5
Eastman MDA315 Mandola / Wegen Bluegrass 1.4
Eastman MDO305 Octave Mandolin / Wegen Bluegrass 1.4
Kentucky KM-270 Mandolin / Gravity Sunrise Big Mini 1.5
*If I could have only 1 pick for everything, it would be a Blue Chip IBJ 55
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For me it's Blue Chip TD35 for 10-46 guitars, TD40 and TD50 for jazz arch tops and acoustic (Martins etc).
I like the Large Jazz shape as well, but the tip is slightly more rounded on the TD which I prefer.
They are pricey, so don't lose them! They wear very well and as they warm up they stick to your fingers a bit, so they never spin out on me, nor do I drop them.
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I have a Blue Chip IBJ55, but I rarely use it. It's the dullest sounding Blue Chip pick I own, and I have a dozen or so. Which I prefer depends on the guitar and the amp, whether I'm playing just rhythm or solo, and the phase of the moon or something. Currently I'm mostly using a TP1R 50, but I also like the Large Jazz 40 that I have.
This thread had been dead for a very long time until the necromancer came along.
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