Plectrums/Picks - what do you use?

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What implement do you use to hit the strings on your guitar? For most of us this is going to be a triangular-ish bit of plastic, seemingly insignificant to the casual observer, but possibly the component we spend the most time deliberating over in relation to it's size/cost.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Other 2
Nylon - medium 2
Tortex - medium 1
Tortex - light 1
Celluloid - heavy 1
Fingers 1
Felt 0
Skull of a 13th Century Monk 0
Wood 0
Glass 0
Metal 0
Tortex - heavy 0
Celluloid - medium 0
Celluloid - light 0
Nylon - heavy 0
Nylon - light 0


Fat Dog Franklin (snoball), Friday, 28 May 2010 12:53 (fourteen years ago) link

I use Fender Celluloid Heavy most of the time (for the extra audible percussive attack), and Schaller Nylon Medium occasionally for those quieter moments.

Fat Dog Franklin (snoball), Friday, 28 May 2010 12:55 (fourteen years ago) link

I exclusively use these:

http://trbazaar.com/dunloptortex88green.jpg

congratulations (n/a), Friday, 28 May 2010 12:57 (fourteen years ago) link

don't know if that counts as medium or heavy

congratulations (n/a), Friday, 28 May 2010 12:57 (fourteen years ago) link

dunlop tortex light, for rhythm. i use heavy Lexan® dunlop picks otherwise

lemon lime & butters (electricsound), Friday, 28 May 2010 12:59 (fourteen years ago) link

don't know if that counts as medium or heavy

― congratulations (n/a), Friday, 28 May 2010 13:57 (4 minutes ago)

.88mm is medium, there are two thicknesses above that.

Fat Dog Franklin (snoball), Friday, 28 May 2010 13:04 (fourteen years ago) link

I was worried that this thread might be a bit too anal, but there's a fantastically anal piece on Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_pick
I mean, measuring the thickness of a Dunlop Stubby pick with a micrometer gauge?

Fat Dog Franklin (snoball), Friday, 28 May 2010 13:10 (fourteen years ago) link

The Dunlop website describes those as "Deeply responsive, with limitless bile and snap"

Fat Dog Franklin (snoball), Friday, 28 May 2010 17:50 (fourteen years ago) link

I don't actually have a clue what my guitar picks are made of. I got a job-lot of Paul McCartney promotional picks that appear to be made of, well, flaming pie. Don't even know what brand they are, but they are about medium gauge and they are the best picks I've ever found in my life.

Still got a small bag of them but I've been using them up steadily over the years and I have no idea what I'll ever do when I run out. I hope I die before this happens.

Using an Aural Exciter in an Orgone Accumulator (Masonic Boom), Friday, 28 May 2010 20:22 (fourteen years ago) link

nylon thin (46 mm) to play guitar, medium (i think it might be celluloid?) for bass if i use a pick

afrika spambotaa and the hulu nation (m bison), Friday, 28 May 2010 20:34 (fourteen years ago) link

dunlop nylon standard .88

goole, Friday, 28 May 2010 20:37 (fourteen years ago) link

http://www.dv247.com/assets/products/35065_l.jpg

Frank Viola (╓abies), Friday, 28 May 2010 22:48 (fourteen years ago) link

I don't know how or why I settled on those but they are what I use. Anything thinner feels like I'm playing with a leaf.

Kinda wish they had a sharper point. Dunlop makes ones that do but I have to hold them all dainty at the tips and I constantly find myself picking with my knuckle/finger.

Frank Viola (╓abies), Friday, 28 May 2010 22:49 (fourteen years ago) link

Love these, they're gripped so you almost never end up dropping them (I use the .6mm variety):
http://elderly.com/images/accessories/PK/PKST-60_front.jpg
Also generic Fender thin picks and occasionally a Dunlop Tortex .88mm if I'm playing more aggressively (but I really prefer the tone I get with thinner picks). I tend to fingerpick if I'm playing acoustic but I'll go with a thin pick if I'm feeling strummy. (So who else has a change purse full of guitar picks?)

spastic heritage, Saturday, 29 May 2010 01:12 (fourteen years ago) link

Oh shit, that image is way too big! Sorry.

spastic heritage, Saturday, 29 May 2010 01:13 (fourteen years ago) link

larger than life

lemon lime & butters (electricsound), Saturday, 29 May 2010 01:25 (fourteen years ago) link

COOL as a cucumber

Ah here's the one, the jazz III:
http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/0/5/9/487059.jpg

I want this pick but with more to hold onto. It is my ~D r E a M~

╓abies, Saturday, 29 May 2010 01:59 (fourteen years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Sunday, 30 May 2010 23:01 (fourteen years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Monday, 31 May 2010 23:01 (fourteen years ago) link


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