What pick do you pick when you pick a pick for your picking?

(After some thought I put this in the Acoustic forum rather than elsewhere because I'm mainly interested in what other acoustic players use. Not that the electric or archtop folks don't matter, but their requirements are going to be different.)

So, guys. Picks.

There are about eleventy thousand different choices, and yet we each seem to find our favorites. I've known players who have crazy expensive picks, tending towards being super thick, and I've also known players who are fine with basic Fender medium faux-tortoise or plain Dunlop Tortex. I even met one guy online who strongly favors picks made from old credit cards with a Pick Punch, and I refrained from suggesting a psychological evaluation; whatever works for him.

So what's your preference? And why?

Myself, I favor these Cool Picks ultra, in medium gauge:



They're made of something that Cool amusingly calls "cellulon bi-matrix," which sounds like a mouthful of techno-bull, but it is a very unusual material. If you drop one on a hard surface, it sounds like glass. And they really do have a tone all their own, bright and crisp. I like them for the tone, for the rubberized grip, and for having very pointy points. What I don't like as much about them is their price (usually about a buck apiece) and their longevity, which is pretty short. These are the only picks you will consistently wear out before losing them, because they're not really intended for the kind of wear acoustic strings put on them.

I use celluloid heavy these days, also Dunlop Tortex .73mm but I've gravitated towards heavier more often now.

dwasifar,
Dunlop .60 mm. picks, just because I like the feel of thin, pliable picks. But they must be the grey ones, because that colour sounds best.
RBSinTo

I ordered, from Guild website, three dozen Guild picks - dozen heavy and two dozen mediums

Dunlop Ultex .73mm. More clarity with these and they last a really long time. The downside is that they are nearly invisible so if you drop them, they are difficult to find.

Blue Chip snob here, though I’d never spend that kind of money on a pick. One was a Father’s Day gift and I won the other in a raffle at a bluegrass festival. I don’t know if they’re worth $40, but I don’t often use anything else these days. What I like most about them is a lack of string noise. They glide over the strings without that “clickiness”.

Is it fair for me to anticipate dread's response before he makes it?

I rarely ever use a pick, but when I do, vintage celluloid on acoustics, Dunlop .73mm for hard rock soloing.

When I started playing Bass I used these picks I had gotten at a guitar show because I liked the shape.



The problem was I would break a pick at every jam!

When I finally ran out of them I bummed a pick from the rhythm guitarist and he gave me one of these:



They do not break! They do however wear down until the pointy end is the same radius as the rounded ends.

The best part is if I forget my picks I can still "borrow" one form the guitarist!

For acoustic guitar and bass practice I use one of these:



For the guitar I like the "flappiness" for strumming. For bass practice I like the flex so my fingers don't get sore from the impact on the strings!

Dunlop Nylon .60mm or .73mm. They're cheap and easy to find. I'm not terribly fussy about picks and I always use one. People talking about picks wearing out is funny. I never keep them that long for that to matter! Where do they go? Some I give away. But mostly they just go missing. I buy them in bags of 12. Lately, I've been using the same two over and over and they've not gone missing. I wonder why? Maybe the place where picks go to is full now......

p.s. - I have good pick karma. I find them everywhere. So I'm good at finding other peoples picks, but not my own!

Lately, I've just been using whatever is closest. If I'm at my music stand, it's probably a Gravity Pick, 1.5 mm IIRC. If I'm at my PC, it's been a Sam Ash imprinted medium kept in a dish on my desk (some JustStrings picks in there too, don't know what gauge). I do like Blue Chip picks, and have a couple of jazz size that I got used (something I never would have thought of except maybe for a genuine tortoise pick), but the way I lose or drop picks I don't use them as often as I should.

davismanLV said:

Dunlop Nylon .60mm or .73mm. They're cheap and easy to find. I'm not terribly fussy about picks and I always use one. People talking about picks wearing out is funny. I never keep them that long for that to matter! Where do they go? Some I give away. But mostly they just go missing. I buy them in bags of 12. Lately, I've been using the same two over and over and they've not gone missing. I wonder why? Maybe the place where picks go to is full now......

p.s. - I have good pick karma. I find them everywhere. So I'm good at finding other peoples picks, but not my own!

Click to expand...

Tom,
As I understand it, when you stand at the Pearly Gates, before entering, an angel hands you a citrus carton containing all the spare change, cufflinks, tie clips, cigarette lighters and guitar picks that you misplaced in your life.
With your ability to find other peoples' picks, perhaps you are being groomed for employment in the after-life.
RBSinTo

The reason I have a lot of picks is they are mementos. For me, the first thing you did going into a guitar store is find a decent pic, beg, borrow or buy a few. I'm a hoarder like that. Then there's the cool picks that pop up along the way.

I have a whole bag full of those Tortex's, they actually sound really good. I don't use them because they lack grip and the gray Dunlops have been my pick of choice for electric for decades.

A nice EVH logo super grippy super heavy Dunlop is visible in the bag of Dunlop nylon picks.

RBSinTo said:

Tom,
As I understand it, when you stand at the Pearly Gates, before entering, an angel hands you a citrus carton containing all the spare change, cufflinks, tie clips, cigarette lighters and guitar picks that you misplaced in your life.
With your ability to find other peoples' picks, perhaps you are being groomed for employment in the after-life.
RBSinTo

Click to expand...

It's a good day when you find your favorite lost pick, even better when you find a second one ;]

Please send me your unused old misc picks, I need more.

The thread below has a lot of discussion, and post #2 of it has several links to even more previous pick discussion!

https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/pick-talk.207256/#post-1947863

I've gone back to my younger days. After trying MANY types of picks, I recently bought a gross of Guild celluloid triangle picks from the '90's. Love the larger size and the classic feel and sound.



walrus

davismanLV said:

So I'm good at finding other peoples picks, but not my own!

Click to expand...

I should have you come over so you can find all my invisible Ultex picks.

I found a pick with a rubber "sheath" on top..similar to this doo dad. They are orange, cannot remember the name brand but they are glued to the pick itself

Love it as my fingers are shot from hand sanitizer to the point where I have no moisture in my skin to grip.

Guildedagain said:

I have a whole bag full of those Tortex's, they actually sound really good. I don't use them because they lack grip and the gray Dunlops have been my pick of choice for electric for decades.

Click to expand...

I have a friend, pro player, who likes the Tortex too, but has the same complaint as you about the grip. He cuts out little ovals of that gritty traction tape they use on stair treads and sticks them to the Tortex picks.

You can also drill a few 1/8" holes through a pick to improve grip, if you have the patience.

beecee said:

Love it as my fingers are shot from hand sanitizer to the point where I have no moisture in my skin to grip.

Click to expand...

"It is used as a treatment for chapped and irritated skin on humans and can be found in places such as drugstores, ski resorts, online vendors, and needlework stores, in addition to farm and feed stores. Its uses are claimed to be many, for example: "squeaky bed springs, psoriasis, dry facial skin, cracked fingers, burns, zits, diaper rash, saddle sores, sunburn, pruned trees, rifles, shell casings, bedsores and radiation burns."[2] Bag Balm is also used as a lip balm. [4]"

It is an utter miracle ointment ;]

Guildedagain said:

squeaky bed springs, psoriasis, dry facial skin, cracked fingers, burns...

Click to expand...

My doctor said I have psoriasis, and I said, "No, doc, my eyes feel fine."

It's my neck that's sore, so maybe I should go to a guyneckologist.