I just had the doubt of what picks the people of this lovely forum use and why.
Tortex jazz IIIs in 1.5, or whatever the thickest MM they have!
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Dunlop max grip carbon fibre jazz III. Cuts through easy and is quite bright.
Dunlop tortex .60mm for other things like chord arpeggiation and strumming. Can get a loud and bright sound with little effort due to the thin pick flopping over the string.
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Swiss picks blue cheese 2.00 mm. I got them for Christmas two years ago and I just love ‘em.
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Dunlop Gator Grip small triangles in 1mm. They’re very comfortable to play with and have a larger gripping surface, but not too large. The tips aren’t as rounded as some other triangle type picks.
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I’ve been switching back and forth between Dunlop Ultex Sharp 1.5mm and Dunlop Ultex Jazz III XL, and occasionally use something super-thin (0.46mm or so) just to mix things up. At some point, Troy said that playing with different styles and gauges of picks is a good thing to do. I’ve found that to be true. It makes me examine the way I’m using the pick, if that makes sense.
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Dunlop ultex flow 1.0mm
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I use Ultex because it is very bright regarding tone. I use 2.0mm because it is ridiculously stiff (not sure why I want that) and easy to comfortably pinch. I use beveled edges because they are not to scratchy-sounding. I use broad shoulders because they are forgiving to edge-picking errors that I make (using too much depth). I use a point because it helps my mental image of what the pick is doing. (Dunlop 2.0mm Flow.)
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I’ve invested a lot in trying to find a pick with just the right attack and feel for me, and I eventually found it.
You have to order them custom, but they’re only about $7/ea. Gravity Picks, single acrylic, classic pointed, mini (which is Jazz III size), multi-hole grip holes, 2mm blue, master finish.
It’s that master finish that did it for me. It’s slightly rough, so I get more dynamics between hard and soft picking, but it doesn’t have the chirpiness that acrylics have with a polished finish (which I’m not a fan of).
I don’t know if it’s for everybody, but I’d recommend giving it a try if you haven’t.
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Ultex Sharp 1.14. Real slick on the strings, some picks feel like they can get caught up because of texture/material regardless of thickness or size. For palm mutes, the Ultex Sharp seem to give a more prominent, yet defined note sound, and seem to add a little tightness to the overall tone. I like them new, and even when they start wearing out they still sound and feel good.
I have many picks and have taken out all the picks I have used over the years and play one, then the next, whichever is the winner goes forward. The ultex sharp is always the clear cut winner. For a long time I played Dunlop Tortex 1.14 purple picks. The Ultex sent that thing packing and it felt so inferior to the Ultex. The Ultex sounds slightly brighter, feels smoother, therefore faster, and I mean fast, I can really open up the workshop and start to cut it very strict. It provides a faster experience, with more precision, and delivers better tone than the Tortex, the definition and articulate tone is enhanced by this pick, it also gives you a tighter feel and sound.
But, I have friends on forums that swear by some of these new pick companies that are hand made individually and very expensive. One pick can cost up to $80. I haven’t tried them, but I am very happy with the Ultex Sharp. The local music shop has picks made of hard woods that were treated with some chemical that makes them hold up over time. They felt ok, but they were all VERY thick.
I am always open to trying new types of gear. If someone has an idea about a pick that can perform better than the Ultex Sharp, please let me know, as long as it isn’t more than $10. I can’t see a pick outperforming the Ultex so much that it’s worth 80 or 100 x the price. But, I am all ears.
I recently tried loads of different picks and settled on the Ultex Jazz III XL, feels so natural and never gets caught on the strings!
Mainly the Big Stubby 3.0 but also Jazz III XL’s in Tortex and Delrin 500 1.5mms
I have a box full of random picks as I’m sure you all do. I’ve never really settled on one pick as I enjoy all the different feels. I find you can adapt to anything. And keeping the picks in rotation keeps it intresting.
Though if it comes to preforming anything thats grippy is best. The more grip a pick has the less you have to think about holding it. Thumb picks are probably the best but they are not that cool.
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