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Thread: How Thick's Your Pick

  1. #1
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    Question How Thick's Your Pick

    Probably covered before, but here's the thing...

    Over the past couple of years I've been steadily increasing the thickness of the picks I use. Nothing too heavy, mind you but settled in on "M" or .73mm - .8mm and found them to be comfortable. I have been using 10s on my Tele & Strat and 11s on my HB-30.

    I just had my Tele set up and decided I'd try some 9's (per original stock) on her and while it plays nice for bends and such, I wasn't getting the tone I wanted... until tonight. I grabbed a thinner pick off my acoustic, .46mm and I'm back in the game. A touch light, but better with the 9's than the .73mm.

    Does anyone else vary the thickness/weight of their pick with string gauge?
    Electrics: Hagstrom Ultra Swede (Gold Eagle Burst) Gretsch 5120 Electromatic (Orange) Custom Nashville Blackout Telecaster (Black, Stat mid/neck p'ups; Lil Puncher (Modern Vintage) bridge p'up; Wilkinson Compensated Bridge w/ 3 brass saddles, Warmoth Vintage Modern Birdseye Maple Neck) Fender MIM Stratocaster (Blue Agave, Rosewood Fretboard, Fender Tex-Mex p'ups; GFS Trem/Block Kit) Highland Spitfire (semi-hollow, flame maple top w/ bubinga inlay)
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    Lately, the ones I use most are my Dunlop 1.0 Ultex. On my acoustic, I still tend to use the 1.14 purple Tortex's. I like the softer attack on my acoustic strings as I tend to get less noise. I like a couple of the V-picks I have too, but I just don't use them that often. I like the thick rounded one for strumming, and the thick pointed one for picking/general. I need to throw the one I like on my acoustic (rounded) in the acoustic case, and the other one I like on my electrics in one of their cases.
    Last edited by sunvalleylaw; March 27th, 2009 at 08:58 AM. Reason: to be more specific
    Steve Thompson
    Sun Valley, Idaho


    Guitars: Fender 60th Anniversary Std. Strat, Squier CVC Tele Hagstrom Viking Semi-hollow, Joshua beach guitar, Martin SPD-16TR Dreadnought
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    Fender heavies for me. Celluloid for preference but plastic's fine really. I used to like those 1.14mm purple Tortex ones but the Fenders just have a bit more attack.
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    I agree about the Tortex vs. The Fender Heavys, which to me are a lot like the 1.0 Ultex's which have quite a bit of attack. But I like them (the tortex's) while just strumming on the acoustic.
    Steve Thompson
    Sun Valley, Idaho


    Guitars: Fender 60th Anniversary Std. Strat, Squier CVC Tele Hagstrom Viking Semi-hollow, Joshua beach guitar, Martin SPD-16TR Dreadnought
    Amphs: Peavey Classic 30, '61 Fender Concert
    Effects and such: Boss: DS-1, CE-5, NS-2 and RC20XL looper, Digitech Bad Monkey, Korg AX1G Multi-effects, Berhinger: TU100 tuner, PB100 Clean Boost, Line 6 Toneport UX2, Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff Pi, DuhVoodooMan's Rabid Rodent Rat Clone, Zonkin Yellow Screamer Mk. II, MXR Carbon Copy Delay


    love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart. . .
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    It has really been a continued study for me at the differences in tone you get with the different picks, size and material. The v-picks I immediately noticed the many different sounds that came about and I have been experimenting since that time with several brands and thickness and shape too. Quite interesting to hear the changes.

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    For years I use Fender Heavy Glo picks (yes, they are phosphorized and glow in the dark, at least a litte bit of RNR for a man my age).

    The reason for playing this sort of pick is that while I was working for Fender I picked a bag of these picks and I guess there were about 500 of them in it, so I still got enough stock. I fear the time though when the bag is empty.

    I only use very heavy picks.
    "A lot of people in the industry want to blame downloading for the state of the business. But I think if most music wasn't shit to begin with people wouldn't be downloading it for free," - Corey Taylor (Slipknot)

  7. #7
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    THICK.
    Mine's about 4mm thick (sharpened to a point) and made from some kind of hardwood. Took about 2 weeks just to get used to holding it in my hand, now I won't use anything else. Gives a mellower sound as the pick attack is dampened.
    Guitars: Epiphone SG-400 Custom; Epiphone Firebird V; 1996 Gibson LP Standard; Avion 4; Yamaha FG-301B acoustic

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    I like 'em fat. I use Vinnie's V-picks, or Dunlop Gator 2mm.
    The Law of Gravity is nonsense. No such law exists. If I think I float, and you think I float, then it happens.
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert
    I like 'em fat. I use Vinnie's V-picks, or Dunlop Gator 2mm.
    Robert, I am curious. Which V-pick(s) do you use mostly?
    Steve Thompson
    Sun Valley, Idaho


    Guitars: Fender 60th Anniversary Std. Strat, Squier CVC Tele Hagstrom Viking Semi-hollow, Joshua beach guitar, Martin SPD-16TR Dreadnought
    Amphs: Peavey Classic 30, '61 Fender Concert
    Effects and such: Boss: DS-1, CE-5, NS-2 and RC20XL looper, Digitech Bad Monkey, Korg AX1G Multi-effects, Berhinger: TU100 tuner, PB100 Clean Boost, Line 6 Toneport UX2, Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff Pi, DuhVoodooMan's Rabid Rodent Rat Clone, Zonkin Yellow Screamer Mk. II, MXR Carbon Copy Delay


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    I finally settled on the purple Fender Tortex 1.14mm - not much flex, but not like a rock, either. I used the 1.14 Tortex Dunlops for a long time, but then they changed them to more of a square edge. That changed the attack, so I went to the Fenders, which seem to have a rounder edge.

    Quote Originally Posted by t_ross33
    Does anyone else vary the thickness/weight of their pick with string gauge?
    I don't vary them for string gauge (my picking technique is bad enough without introducing that kind of variation), but when I want a really chimey strum for recording, I'll use a thin pick. The extra flappitiness of a thin pick seems to emphasize the "ching" of a strum, where a heavier pick gives you more of a "brrrang." (Does that make sense?)
    Q: How many guitars is enough?
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  11. #11
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    I use two picks both by Dunlop, a white and a grey.

    .46mm and .60mm.
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by sunvalleylaw
    Robert, I am curious. Which V-pick(s) do you use mostly?
    I use the ones he first designed. I have no idea what the model is called. It's the one pictured at the top of his website.

    http://www.v-picks.com/

    After I got those, he started doing a whole bunch of other ones.
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  13. #13
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    Well, now I'm using the V-Pick Screamer all of the time. It's 2.75mm thick. Besides the thickness and pointyness of it, I like how the material tends to give you better grip. There are certainly some tonal changes which are nice enough, but it's more the feel for me.
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert
    I use the ones he first designed. I have no idea what the model is called. It's the one pictured at the top of his website.

    http://www.v-picks.com/

    After I got those, he started doing a whole bunch of other ones.
    I don't know the names either, but that is the one I like best overall. I like the rounded version for strumming, as it has very little string noise, but I feel like I am cheating on my technique. He also sent me a thinner one in the style you like, but that one is not all that special to me. I like the Dunlop Ultex 1.0s or Fender Heavy picks just as well as that one. Marnold, I agree with you that the grip is a big part of it.
    Steve Thompson
    Sun Valley, Idaho


    Guitars: Fender 60th Anniversary Std. Strat, Squier CVC Tele Hagstrom Viking Semi-hollow, Joshua beach guitar, Martin SPD-16TR Dreadnought
    Amphs: Peavey Classic 30, '61 Fender Concert
    Effects and such: Boss: DS-1, CE-5, NS-2 and RC20XL looper, Digitech Bad Monkey, Korg AX1G Multi-effects, Berhinger: TU100 tuner, PB100 Clean Boost, Line 6 Toneport UX2, Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff Pi, DuhVoodooMan's Rabid Rodent Rat Clone, Zonkin Yellow Screamer Mk. II, MXR Carbon Copy Delay


    love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart. . .
    - j. johnson

  15. #15
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    It seems that I keep increasing the preferred thickness of the picks I prefer.

    I use to like in the range of .60, but now prefer the range of 2. to 3. (Big Stubby).

    I also have a pick that I bought some time ago and didn't really use until last night. I didn't know what kind it was until I Googled it this morning (it's marked with 208USA). I may buy some more since now that I am using it, I am sure to lose it.

    http://www.music123.com/Dunlop-JD-Ja...76456.Music123

    I also use a V pick occasionally (medium rounded and pointed)
    Mark
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  16. #16
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    56's>88's depending on the instrument and feel..
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    We've done four already, but now we're steady, and then they went one-two-three-four....

  17. #17
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    I haven't really experimented all that much with picks. I generally use .73mm or thinner, i just like a little bend to my pick. After reading all this and checking out some reviews I am really interested in checking out some v picks

  18. #18
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    I'm assuming the answer is "yes," but do all the V-Pick users really think they're worth $4.00 each?

    The Fender picks I use are $4-5 a dozen. I can afford to have a "critical mass" of them around so I always have one or two when and where I need them - in my car, in my gig bags, in my guitar cases, etc. And I can afford to wear them out and/or lose them, which I do on a regular basis.

    I don't think I would want to do that with V-Picks at four bucks each...unless they're dramatically, amazingly superior to anything else. Are they? And if so, why?
    Q: How many guitars is enough?
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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fab4
    I'm assuming the answer is "yes," but do all the V-Pick users really think they're worth $4.00 each?
    Before this one spirals out of control, I will say that it's an individual thing. I think they are a good pick and others are higher on them and find the value worth the cost.


    My favorite pick is the Big Stubby's at about $5.00 per dozen.

    Edit: I don't think you will wear out a V pick, but you may lose a couple (they're clear), plus your friends might walk off with them.
    Mark
    * Loud is good, good is better!

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