Hey guys been getting into cross picking the last month. Ive used jazz iii’s for the last 5 years and I’ve been finding them ok for cross picking patterns but i have noticed everyone (andy wood, molly, troy etc) all use bigger plectrums. Any reason for this?
Thanks guys
I think I have seen Troy doing it with a jazz3 in one of the videos, so you should be fine 
It’s probably just me but I’ve never liked the jazz sized picks. They are just way to small for me.
I typically use a standard shaped one. I forget what they are called.
I also used to use Jazz iii… for as long as I can remember. Now I use the Massive Triangle Stubbies. And I’ve been looking for an even larger pick (lengthwise) to replace it. I am tempted to order a custom dimension pick, but there expensive.
I don’t know the exact reason of why I need the long picks for my form. Maybe Troy knows.
In the interviews on YouTube, Andy Wood mentions he uses bigger picks when playing acoustic guitar and thinner/smaller ones for the electric. He mentions that the higher tension of the string on the acoustic is a factor.
Yep, it also gives a less “sharp” timbre than using a jazz type pick.
Have you tried the jazz XLs? I used those before I switched to Dava delrin jazz grips. I’ve been trying the standard primetones lately and I really like the material a .88 has the stiffness of a 1.5 tortex.
I think everything I’ve posted recently was done with Jazz III or Jazz III-sized picks. Honestly, the pick choice thing is not super critical for technique. Within the realm of commonly available sizes and gauges, most picks seem to work for most techniques. This is a broad generalization but that’s how I’d put it.
I’ll check those out. Thanks!
I’ve used Jazz III’s almost exclusively for about fifteen years and I consider myself a capable crosspicker.
That pattern is essentially effortless for me. I see no reason whatsoever why you cannot achieve good results with a Jazz III.
I’ve been use Jazz 3s for crosspicking. I find that since it is lighter is gives me to be less tense, more loose, and helps me to think about the MP Extension for crosspicking that I’ve been incorporating.
That said I also use Dragon Heart Picks which are quite big, thick and solid. These work great for picking also.
I don’t really think pick size matters, but more the hardness of it. Both of these are solid picks that are not thin/floppy.
Yeah, but chicks like big picks. :)
Thanks guys!
I’ll probably stick with the jazz iiis for now.
Appreciate all the input 
I used to use Jazz III’s for everything, but have been experimenting lately with slightly larger picks and having good luck, especially with the cross picking. The point reaches out just a bit further and feels like it gives me just the room I need. It’s probably going to depend on a lot of subtleties in a person’s picking motion, though.
From my first guitar lessons I was drawn instinctively toward small picks. I used to pick out the teardrop-shaped Fender picks from the bucket on the counter at the music store. I’ve tried dozens and dozens of different picks and keep coming back to the Jazz III or something approaching the Jazz III size. Anything larger doesn’t feel right in my hands and tends to move out of a secure position. My absolute favorites are the Ibanez Paul Gilbert Picks, particularly the purple and white. They are celluloid and 1.00 mm in thickness, but are surprisingly stiff. They are the same shape as the Jazz III, but flat, giving you the best of a conventional pick and the smaller ones.
As a longtime jazz-sized pick user, I tried to get used to Fender standard Heavy picks early last year. I’ve gone full circle and am mostly back on jazz-sized (or nearly so - lately, the Dunlop Flow picks) but I’m still glad I did it since now I’m pretty comfortable going back and forth with anything.
The only thing that really throws me, is my one TOM-equipped guitar - fast picking with ANYTHING is awkward for me on that.
I’ve been playing around with the Dunlop Flow picks, too. Jury’s still out. Great on wound strings; not so much so on plain strings. Favorites are in a loose order of preference:
Ibanez Paul Gilbert
Dunlop JP Jazz III
Dunlop JP Primetone
Dunlop Jazz III
Dunlop JP Flow
I’ve found 1.5mm Ernie Ball Prodigy picks to be best for me. The pick is made from a very hard material with a non slip Delrin pick surface and the edges are all evenly beveled into a perfect little very sharp point. The point takes a little bit getting used to but I can see more precision the more I use it. With the guitar not plugged in you can zero in on the little precise scratches of the pick that you are aiming for.
Guessing: A bigger plectrum gives more area to grip and is likely better for more violent impact with the strings. A smaller plectrum is probably easier to align.
It is also noteworthy that the smaller plecrum forces people to “choke up” on the pick, reducing the torque when the pick hits the string, giving more control than a more distant grip.
Master of crosspicking, Martin Miller, uses Jazz III