Picks! Or, I'm finally figuring out my m20 (Oxnard).

[Rayk]

my mic always lies and records the wrong notes when I play or sing. just like how the metronome slows down when I play really awesomely.

I suppose I should try more picks, then. I'm just so used to a certain shape and feel that I can't really play with any old pick. Maybe I'm lucky they don't make those fancy $50 picks in the shape or gauge I like.

Cool picks

 

[Greenstar]

For a while I've been using Dunlop Primetone (no grip) .73 picks. Really like the feel and sound - made of Ultex, BTW.

walrus

I love the sound of those Primetone picks on my acoustics. Found them about a year ago and I switch back and forth between my .88 tortex and my silver Herco picks depending on the tone I'm trying to get.

 

[Guildedagain]

I may have 300 + pics? I got them here and there over the years, from music stores to old guitar cases, anywhere.

I organized them last fall into those nice plastic sleeves that Ernie Ball strings used to come in, before the sealed mylar packaging.

So, I have many many sleeves nicely packed with sorted picks, by brand, factory picks, old pics, nylon is a category unto itself and so is celluloid.

The ubiquitous Fender pick comes to mind. The 351 they called it. Think Windsor if you're a Ford nut.

Ok, so here's the deal. For the first time ever, I was able to lay 20 or 30 picks out on the bed with my guitar notebook and start picking intently looking for tone, and real vintage celluloid picks quickly become precious...

I have a dozen or so vintage celluloid picks, Fender and otherwise, Triangular Fender picks you'd find in bass cases, the 356, and they all sound fantastic, and they instantly make any other pick sound inferior.

Cool discovery.

 

[feet]

Well, my order of strings and picks arrived, including some nylon jazz one and two picks. And holy crap, these are the worst picks I've ever used. They are just way too small for a guy like me. I suppose I can see why people that play fancy like them, but I guess if it isn't a rounded triangle, it isn't for me.

I knew it was a bad sign when on the first strum it immediately fell in the guitar. I guess I'll keep them around since I opened them. I was ok with the amount of give (I got the red ones) and they do seem a little darker than my black ravens but not as dark as the floppy nylon. I guess if they were twice as large and not red they'd be winners.

Maybe I'll just give up, then. I'm not looking to change my whole style to accommodate a tiny piece of nylon worth 50 cents.

 

[walrus]

The Jazz III picks are quite small. Not to good for strumming IMHO.There are tons of standard size nylons to choose from, too. Herco, Dunlop, etc.

This past week I've been playng around with Dunlop Delrin 500 .96 picks. I'm liking them so far.

 

[Velvet Phelts]

I remember years ago, reading about Eric Johnson's pursuit of pure tone, and he actually said (if my memory serves me) that the type of cable and - get this - the brand of battery you use in your pedals all make a difference in the sound produced.

I'm not surprised that the pick material makes a difference. And what's really interesting is what you hear with your ears and what the mic picks up are very different. I'm sure you were happy with the sound you were getting with the Claytons, otherwise this would've been an issue much earlier. Could be the mic is more sensitive to certain frequencies, or maybe playing around with mic placement could help alleviate some of the discrepancies.

But I also love the aspect of getting to know your instrument better through the years. It's like marriage. That's why I can't bear to sell my guitars.

You bet...Cables are extremely important to tone. You buy instruments worth thousands of dollars and hook them up with a $2.00 cable. That's like buying a Leer Jet and putting Regular gas in the tank.
Picks are just the same. Wanna hear some really nice tone? Locate an old real Tortoise shell pick.

 

[dreadnut]

My fave acoustic pick: Nylon 1.14 mm

My fave electric pick: solid silver US half dollar

 

[dreadnut]

Hi feet - sorry to hear about your new picks. Dunlop does make a larger Jazz pick, same size as normal picks. I hate those little ones too.

 

[walrus]

And once again, I foolishly grabbed a regular old Fender celluloid medium and wonder why I ever changed...

walrus

 

[ruedi]

I played for a couple of years with Jazz III and was quite happy with them, then a friend of mine recommended the Jazz John Petrucci picks, and now I mostly use these. They are a bit larger than the regular Jazz III, incredibly stiff but not too thick (1.5mm), grip is better due to the logo, and the tip allows very fast and accurate playing.

Here is a photo for your visual comparing pleasure:

They are overly expansive though, but they are durable and I feel they improved my playing, so that's my choice for electrics.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I swear by these picks since 2015. I never play a Guild with it. hey, sounds like a commercial...unless of course I am fingerpicking.