Dunlop "Flow" picks

Gear
#41

But it really isn´t. That is simply a widely spread misconception, but is not more difficult to control thin picks, because they don´t give as much as people believes, and they recover their normal shape ultra fast.

You can make tremolo picking with the minimum amount of movement with a .36 nylon without problem.

It is just a different feel, and a different tone, and most players simply abandon thin picks too soon to realize that they are as easy to control as the other ones. And they do it because they don´t like the tone/fell of the pick, and that´s a perfectly valid reason, but then spread the believe that they are more difficult to control, which is not the case.

Stiffer picks tone are what most people prefer, and I think that is the key to the success of this Flow line of picks. The shape of the pick has been around for a long time (except for the “mini” Petrucci model, all others have the Dunlop 208 shape), but some of the gauges they have been offering (2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and now 4.2) are the ones that a lot of people are starting to use more and more because the increasing popularity of boutique and hand made pick brands, which usually moves on the very thick side.

I have the Andy James model and the Petrucci, and will surely buy the 4.2 when I can. I think they are very nice, they make a little too much chirp noise, but they feel very good. The new tortex versions announced at NAMM doesn´t interest me that much, because I just prefer the same versions in the Jazz III shape.

#42

Ah, I had carefully selected weasel words, “particularly for short strokes that are comparable to their bending distance.” By this, I mean that there is a distance small enough where the behavior of the pick is difficult; however, for most use cases people will have a larger motion and indeed this will not be a problem. I agree with you that the pick will snap back very rapidly and its oscillations probably damp out extremely quickly.

I didn’t know it was a 208! Indeed, I didn’t even know what a 208 was until you mentioned it; is a Flow just a Ultem 208, but thicker?

I just randomly picked the Flow 2.0mm as my standard pick, and now I’m stuck with it, I probably have 50 of them by now, if not more. Ultem is a strange material, and I don’t really like it, but it’s what I use now, so I had better get used to it.

#43

The Flow Jumbo 2.0 has the same shape, size and thickness as the Jazz Tone 208 (which I do own) but with a different material. I’m sure there’s a thread somewhere with quotes from both Andy James and Dunlop. The Flow Standard retains the same shape, but is overall smaller.

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#44

Well first, there are bass players who need larger picks.

But for guitarists, it is my sincere opinion that the advantage of using fat picks is that they have a dulled note attack, and that this makes swiping easier. IOW, it reduces the auditory side effects of swiping or mistakes in picking.

I used to use medium or heavy celluloid picks for the past 25 years, but over the past six months I got more serious about my picking and graduated to dunlop sharps. The 1mm picks and thinner have brighter attack, but the thick 1.5mm ones really glide over the string and make successful swiping a reality.

I might try the 2.0 or 3mm to see if that makes it even easier, but I do not want to trade any more attack than I already have with the 1.5.

I’m not advocating poor technique, but I am a realist and willing to use a pick that makes mistakes or swipes easier.

#45

Finally tried the flow 1.0 and 1.5. I like them in principle but as soon as my fingers get a bit sweaty they slip away from me (and I am quite a sweaty player :sweat_smile:). I have a similar issue with the 208 which I otherwise like

:sweat:

#46

Yeah, I noticed that the JP flow had a warmer/ Woolier tone.

I’m not sure whether it helps cover up mistakes, I found that if you are not playing cleanly, the thicker pick made it sound terrible.

#47

Everyones different. Try the Dunlop 1.5mm Sharp. This is the “Jeff Loomis” pick.

When the pick angle is farther from perpendicular to the string, the crossing profile is narrower than a standard shape thick pick.

IME, this reduces clank compared to the standard shape 1.5mm+ picks.

I’ve been using the 1.5 Dunlop sharp for the past six months and it allowed me to overcome an arm injury that necessitates playing from classical position, and thus a greater angle to the string. I don’t think I will ever use anything other than a sharp from this point. I may go thinner or thicker, but the sharp is superior for me.

I nearly lost the ability to play, I lost about 20-30* of supination in my left forearm and i had to rework my playing mechanics. The irony is that with the sharp and playing in classical position, my picking is better than it has ever been.

(Also a plug for playing in classical instead of having guitar on leg/lap. I think everyone should learn this way, its superior from a mechanics standpoint and much better if you ever play classical or fingerpicking. Having the guitar neck parallel with the floor may look “cool” but its a remnant of undemanding styles.)

#48

Maximum respect my friend…must have been difficult

I have to also, a long time ago I realised how much tension and lower back pain I get from playing on my right leg. I also find it easy to make it mimic my guitar position when standing…

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#49

I was going to say the same thing! Its pretty easy to have the guitar in “classical position” while standing.

I think we have Pete Townsend to blame for parallel to floor guitar position.

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#50

I’m glad that you got better, and you are right, the “guitar on picking side leg” position is an ergonomic catastrophe. Indeed, it can be argued that one should always use their guitar strap, sitting or standing, so the guitar doesn’t change position too much. I always use a wireless, so I always have a strap, now I’m used to it.

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#51

Or dreadnought sized guitars. Good luck playing with that in classical position, and I’ve tried! Only serves to remind me how much I dislike playing on steel strung acoustic guitars…