Nylon Dunlop Flow Picks

Gear
#26

Got a pack of .88’s yesterday and I’m absolutely loving them so far. The extra flexibility of the nylon makes them feel more like .73’s, making them great for rhythm, while the Flow geometry still provides that little boost to precision for lead work. The grip texture is more comfortable than the Ultex Flows, and the tone is lovely — just a touch brighter than a standard Dunlop nylon, with virtually zero pick noise.

Only downside is that there’s a tiny bit of flashing/burr along the edges leftover from the manufacturing process (why do all nylon picks have this?), so I had to spend a minute swiping each pick on a piece of 1500-grit sandpaper to remove it. I do the same thing with Jazz IIIs.

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#27

You’ve pretty described the 0.88 mm pretty much exactly as I hoped they’d be. I haven’t bought any yet, I’m in Ireland and I have to order from Amazon US. I have to find something else to order with them to make it worth the shipping costs.

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#28

Just got my 1.25s in the mail. Man, these are killer. Way less chirp than the Ultex ones. They nailed the grip too, the pick stays where you want it, but it’s easy to adjust on the fly. Hated how sticky the Ultex Flow’s grip was compared to the Jazz III Stiffo. Hopefully they expand the line with thicker options soon.

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#29

I’m still trying to get them and haven’t see anywhere in the UK selling them yet. I’ve asked a seller on eBay, so I’ll let you all know when I get an answer.

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#30

I just found the 73s and 1.25s on ebay (UK delivery). Will let you know if they actually arrive :smiley:

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#31

Yes, please let us know. I’m sometimes suspicious of these eBay sellers…I normally use Dirty Riffs Guitar Shop and he’s always been reliable.

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#32

They have arrived! They feel nice but the 73s are a bit more floppy than I imagined.
There is a tiny bit of chirp in the pick attack that you can hear below (can be reduced with less edge picking, probably).

This was the listing (for the UK): Jim Dunlop Flow Nylon Plectrum Pack - 12 Pack - .73mm | eBay UK

Now I’d like to try the 1mm!

(Yeah maybe next time I’ll tune the guitar first)

EDIT: Same exact stuff played with the 1.25 for comparison. Focusing on the high E string since it tends to be the worst one in terms of chirp.

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#33

I like that bright tone.

Btw, what’s that little mic you have there? I’ve been looking for something like that for my requinto.

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#34

oh that’s just a random clip-on from Amazon, it’s called Movo IIRC. Definitely not fancy microphone material :slight_smile:

PS: Just ordered the 1.25s. For some reason the UK only has 73 and 1.25 so far :thinking:

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#35

Thanks, Tommo. I have preordered from Strings Direct., who will be getting in all gauges. I’m looking forward to trying them out myself. I do like nylon picks, so I think these will suit me.

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#36

1.25 has arrived! It’s like a smoother version of a red jazz III.

Feels great, I have uploaded another video next to the earlier one where I play the exact same stuff for comparison.

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#37

Is it a matte nylon like the EJ Jazz III, or a gloss nylon like the standard?

#38

Uhm I never tried the EJ, but this feels similar to the standard, so I would guess gloss? :smiley:

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#39

Thanks.

Prior to about 2005, Dunlop used a matte nylon on the red and black Jazz III and Jazz III XL. It was softer than the gloss nylon they use now. They wore smoother and sounded warmer than the newer glossy ones (they also collected finger gunk much faster).

I still have one or two of each in a box somewhere.The EJ Jazz III is similar to the old red Jazz III; I actually prefer it.

I’ve ordered the Nylon Flows. I expected them to be glossy, but your commented made me wonder if they were using the old material again.

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#40

I grabbed a dozen of the 1.0 Nylon Flows a while back that arrived on Friday. I was away most of the weekend so I didn’t get much playtime with them… but first impressions are very good. They flex a lot more than ultex so I’ve also got a pack of the 1.14s on the way now too, and that’s taking a little getting used to… but I always felt like I had to be caregul on the bass strings with the 1.0 Ultex and with a little bit of play time it’s growing on me. Otherwise, they feel great - comparable feel, the same tapered edges as the ultex flows (and unlike the tortex ones, in that respect), smooth sound with no audible chirping, but still jsut enoguh rigidity that I can get a clear attack.

If they wear relatively well, I can definitely see myself switching.

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#41

Wow. Just got some of the 1.14mm in and I really don’t like them so far. I like a snappy attack, and these make an extended “whoosh,” like pick chirp that lasts for a long time or even a record scratch.

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#42

Yeah I have a feeling they work better on acoustic or nylon string! I also thought they felt a bit weird on high gain electric

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#43

I don’t get that sort of wooosh, but the attack falls in a VERY different place than it does with Ultex. I tend to go with a fairly dark tone, I suppose, though.

I’ve mostly switched over to the 1.14 nylons - I think I prefer the attack (though the solo I was working on last night had a pinch semi-harmonic that I was having a little more trouble than usual getting to ring out cleanly) and they feel nice. TBD how they wear though, the one I’ve mostly been using IS starting to feel a little rough on the leading edge.

If I don’t get on with their wear and tear or I find I do have a harder time pulling out harmonic overtones, I may drop from the Ultex 1.0s down to the 0.88s, if I switch back - I’m liking having a little more give.

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#44

I think I sort of know what you mean. I find that some heavier nylon picks, the stubby being an extreme example, have a very subdued attack with that chirp.

I prefer a cleaner snap like you are describing, and I have no issues getting that with the ultex versions. I also don’t really get a lot of chirp with ultex either, though I would say that you tend to get more of it with the heavier glossy versions, with some of that similar whoosh you describe.

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#45

So, an update on this - the other night I was playing my Strat, was in a bluesier mood so I rolled the gain back on my Mark V to around noon, and kind of went for it…

…and I think you guys are right. The attack on the Nylons is fine at higher gain levels and in some ways maybe even a little better that the Ultex, and I like how the Nylons feel… but the attack is too soft and muted at lower gain levels and I was struggling to get the crispness I expected out of an attack.

It’s a good thing I bought a bag of 72 of the 1.14 Nylons, eh? :rofl: They actually aren’t bad on acoustic so I suspect they’ll still get used, but I think I’ll be going back to either the Ultex 1.0s or 0.88s. I need to do some more experimentation.

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