Any recs for a pointed, Jazz III-style *celluloid* pick?

Gear
#1

Hey, all! I’m a long-time Jazz III fan, but simply wanting some variety (and pining for the feel and sound of my old Fender Mediums), I’ve been searching for some celluloid picks that have the same tip architecture–curved to a point, beveled edge–as the Jazz III.

Yesterday I took a Fender Heavy and some sandpaper and filed it down to an approximation of the same tip, and it’s pretty satisfying-feeling, but it seems like maybe a little more effort than I want to go to every time I need a new pick.

Does anybody use something like this, or have recommendations for similar? The nylon J3s are totally great; the Ultex ones are a little too “slick” on the string, and don’t abrade. Open to suggestions!

#2

Fender 551 is as close as I can find, they are not exactly the same but have the sharper tip.

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#3

The celluloid picks that I have all wear down too fast and sometimes split. Though I’m not sure if I’ve ever used a thick one…

Apparently the Jazz 3 is nylon? I didn’t know that, it feels much harder than my other nylon picks.
What is your main picking style? I ask cus if I do single pick escape the picks wear nicely and get that sweep on each side, but if I do alternate it digs into the pick and ruins it. The softer picks that is.

#4

You can get Jazz III in a variety of different materials. I like the Ultex ones myself which are somewhere between Tortex and Primetone and the Tortex. I use the larger XL ones. I’d probably use a celluloid one if I could find one in that size as I used Fender confetti heavy for years and years myself. They wear quicker but were also cheaper and I liked the sound.

#5

The ultex one is awesome, the text on it really gives a grip that I like too, some picks like the max grip nylons stop you from fiddling your fingers around much as the pick moves to much, but the ultex jazz three doesn’t do that, yet still has a good grip even if you’re sweating. Thats one reason I like tortex, it seems to have a grip even if you’re sweating a lot, it’s weird as it’s surly not absorbing your sweat…

I also have noticed my favorite picks are ones that have worn themselves away a bit, molding around your playing technique, tho those kinda picks seem to be rare and they will wear out to the point of breaking, and for whatever reason they seem to be picks that have no brand on them, so i’ve no idea what I was playing with. Picks are weird like that from my experience lol

I know it’s a little bit off topic but perhaps not as the jazz three is small. One type of pick I’ve really found interesting is a very small one, I made a video ages ago with it…

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I seen you made a topic about pick feel awhile ago @Achilleus if you’ve never tried these small ones they are a cool change. Kind of show you where your grip force is you know.
I think the pick being really small lets you feel your hand more. And apparently if you change from a big pick to a small one regularly you’ll increase the control in your hand, Troy has a full video on this with Noa Kageyama about this if I remember correctly? Based on scale and mouse dpi.

#6

I’ve never used those Ibanez ones specifically, but they do look pretty cool. Lately I’ve been using nylon red Jazz IIIs; they suit my technique pretty well. I use a fairly high amount of edge-picking. That abrasion on the edge is something that I do enjoy about the nylon ones, and I think the lack of it is what keeps me away from the Ultex ones. The various sizes available don’t seem to affect my playing at all; I use either regular small J3s or the jumbo-sized ones interchangeably, and I don’t even really notice a difference. The one thing I AM picky about (heh) is the shape of the tip.

I may go get myself some of those Fender 551s in the near future and see if sharpening them a little bit more gets me to the desired feel.

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#7

I have a jazz three, it feels just like the ultex to me in terms of slip and abrasion. Do you notice a difference? It might just be me because I had no idea it was nylon, it doesn’t feel soft at all.

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#8

I have a nylon (Eric Johnson sig) Jazz III and a couple of the John Petrucci Jazz III’s, in Ultex.

I go back and forth on which one I like, but what I do know is that the Ultex imparts a brighter/snappier sound to the note. I doubt anyone listening in a band context could hear it.

The feel of the two materials is also different, both in the hand and on attack, but again…not really enough to care a whole lot.

#9

I think how you feel changes a lot, A guy at uni needed cool glasses on to sing better lol. I don’t think he was wrong.

#10

Guitar players can be so particular, they give cork sniffers a bad name.

While you tend to play a Strat a little differently than a Les Paul etc…if a pick material is the difference in confidence/tonal bliss…stop the train. I want off. :upside_down_face:

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#11

I think enjoying the little things in life is very important, and enjoying can come across as obsessive to people who have a different perspective. Take your pick.

And I’ve never heard that term, cork sniffer lol Is that about sniffing a wine cork? Apparently it is from googling it. Tho… I don’t disagree with that concept.

#12

This is a material that might be a change?

https://www.jimdunlop.com/products/guitar-picks/delrin-500/

#13

I don’t disagree. Being obsessive about it isn’t healthy, though.

#14

I think thats only because the overall ammount of people are focusing on other things. And we all want to be involved and be the best around.
As I’m getting more experience in life I am seriously realizing what you care about is the most important, it’s everything, even if it’s something that I personally don’t have passion for but another being does, like stamp collecting, or train watching, if you have an interest in that, it is real, just like some people will think I’m insane for obsessing on my own interests. God realizes ourselves in many different ways.

Really getting of topic now right.

#15

Meh. It happens. :slight_smile:

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#16

Finding the right pick for you is very important, its the most important tool besides the guitar itself. One that has the feel and sound you want. That’s why there are more than a hundred different shapes and hundreds of materials.

It’s not cork sniffing, it’s quite a deliberate choice through experimentation.

#17

JB Picks are amazing. Quite expensive, but the best celluloid picks I have tried.

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#18

I never said it wasn’t important. I was having some fun.

“Guitar players can be so particular, they give cork sniffers a bad name.”

That’s a fact if one ever existed.

#19

I literally thought that was a typo and you meant coke sniffing :sweat_smile:

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#20

ahem

That seems to say more about you than it does me. :rofl:

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