A word about Golden Gate Mandolin Picks

[MarkRhodes]

The pick on the left is the old MP 12, a rounded triangle pick with no size marking. (Once upon a time, only one thickness of this pick was made.)
The pick on the right is the new (current) MP 12, X-STIFF. X-STIFF is listed as 1.3 mm thick. STIFF is 1 mm thick, and then there is the one that is 0.75 mm thick---I don't know that it has a marking.)

You will notice that the pick on the right is smaller than the one on the left. I welcome this change. It suits my hand better. (But it is not a small pick. It is roughly the same length from top to bottom as a 351 pick, though it is rounded at all edges.)

You can't tell from the picture, but the old MP 12 is thicker than the current X-STIFF.

I'm not sure when or why this change took place. Should anyone here know, please enlighten me. I'm curious.

Though often refereed to mandolin picks, they're fine for guitar. The bevel allows for a smooth release. They play faster and smoother than you might expect and they have a nice ring to them. They're what I'm using now. Which is why I bought some new ones and that's when I learned the new ones are different; fortunately for me, the change makes them preferable to the old ones.)

[rpjazzguitar]

I've been using this pick for some years now. Maybe about seven? I'm not sure.

I saw in a store -- the salesman said that it somehow was stickier or easier to grip. I'm not sure about that, but I find that it has a softer sound than some other picks.

I hadn't noticed the change in the pick. Maybe I never used the old one? But, OTOH, I don't recall the X-Stiff designation from back when.

I put what I called, in elementary school, "looseleaf reinforcements" (sold as "labels" - roughly white, dime-sized circles with holes in the middle) on them, one on each side. Improves the grip and makes them easier to find on the floor.

[DawgBone]

Glad to hear you are happy with the change. I have been using the GP-8 thumbpick for about 8 or 9 years now. It's great cause it's fits my thumb perfect out the box with no heating and shaping. So I hope it doesn't change. Maybe I'm wrong but isn't Golden Gate a Saga musical instrument affiliate of some sort? They are sold through Saga's website so I always thought they were associated.

[MarkRhodes]

Glad to hear you are happy with the change. I have been using the GP-8 thumbpick for about 8 or 9 years now. It's great cause it's fits my thumb perfect out the box with no heating and shaping. So I hope it doesn't change. Maybe I'm wrong but isn't Golden Gate a Saga musical instrument affiliate of some sort? They are sold through Saga's website so I always thought they were associated.

Yes, they are associated with Saga now. To be honest, I never heard of (this) Saga until I googled "Who makes Golden Gate picks?" I was hoping to find someone to tell me about the change, when it took place, why, the whole spiel. (My wife says I go down rabbit holes like this to avoid mopping.) I'll contact Saga, see what I can find out.

[DawgBone]

Yes, they are associated with Saga now. To be honest, I never heard of (this) Saga until I googled "Who makes Golden Gate picks?" I was hoping to find someone to tell me about the change, when it took place, why, the whole spiel. (My wife says I go down rabbit holes like this to avoid mopping.) I'll contact Saga, see what I can find out.

Saga is actually a pretty cool company. Blueridge and Gold Tone are both affiliated, I've owned both of those brands and can vouch that they are generally very high quality for very reasonable pricing. Had a 000 Blueridge, nice guitar. Had a Gold Tone LS-8 steel as well. Typical cheap chinese pots but the steel guitar itself was really a nice instrument. And of course the good ol' Golden Gate picks. Didn't figure a jazz guy would be using them so nice to know. Hopefully the company will be around a while. Good luck on your search for answers.

[MarkRhodes]

Saga is actually a pretty cool company. Blueridge and Gold Tone are both affiliated, I've owned both of those brands and can vouch that they are generally very high quality for very reasonable pricing. Had a 000 Blueridge, nice guitar. Had a Gold Tone LS-8 steel as well. Typical cheap chinese pots but the steel guitar itself was really a nice instrument. And of course the good ol' Golden Gate picks. Didn't figure a jazz guy would be using them so nice to know. Hopefully the company will be around a while. Good luck on your search for answers.

Thanks for the info on Saga. I went to their site and asked my questions via Contact Us. We'll see what happens next.

I first heard about Golden Gate picks, and using them for guitar, from this video. (I was interested in Benson picking at the time, which is related to this.)

[MarkRhodes]

Update on the Golden Gate MP 12 investigation.

Heard from Matt at Strings By Mail. (I ordered four picks from them to see how they were. In case I didn't mention it above, I ordered a dozen picks from Amazon but returned them because they were the wrong shape.)

"I am looking into this and will let you know."

As responses go, that certainly is one. If I hear further from him, I'll update this thread.


Also heard from Lee Haynes in the customer service department of Saga Music:

"I was not aware of a change to the thickness of the GG picks although depending on the age there may have been a facility change. I just measured a variety sizes and finishes in X-stiff and came up with 1.3mm give or take .02mm one way or the other. You should probably be able to count on that for future orders from your dealer."


That's a relief. I like the size I most recently obtained and am happy to hear that's what I can expect on future orders.

Now I'm wondering if I should buy some calipers so that I measure my own picks. Maybe open up a lemonade stand with a pick-thickness-measuring sideline...

[spencer096]

I went thru a big pick search before going all in on fingerstyle…still use a pick occasionally tho. The golden gates were my second favorite out of more than a dozen.

all thru college I used the same Dunlop jazztone 205 but switched to the rounded edge of a fender heavy at the end. Got a bunch of different kinds when I got a true archtop…wegen, blue chip, various dunlops, dandrea pro plec in various sizes, etc. the golden gates were my 2nd fav of the group.

ended up back w the rounded edge of the fender heavy after all that. Big waste of time and money.

[MarkRhodes]

ended up back w the rounded edge of the fender heavy after all that. Big waste of time and money.

That's one way to look at it. Another way is as the sojourner who returns home and sees fully appreciates it for the first time.

[spencer096]

That's one way to look at it. Another way is as the sojourner who returns home and sees fully appreciates it for the first time.

yea i like your spin on it better. youre right that it made me appreciate my old friend fender heavy more at the end.

it's not that the search was a complete waste of time...all the picks i tried had something going for them. the wegens were fantastic for single note stuff, but overpowering for chords...very similar to the GG's performance, only i found the GG more mellow (which i preferred). the jazztones all clicked acoustically, but sounded tremendous thru an amp. the pro plec d'andreas in all sizes were more great picks that was just too much horsepower for me comping. but there wasn't any pick i tried that was really garbage...i have a fairly strong right hand, and it could be the extra beef was just too much for my individual technique.