Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 11 Jun 25 - 06:12 PM

Thinking about it, the one with the small pads that can come off and get lost is NOT the HD one.

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 11 Jun 25 - 05:59 PM

The Peterson HD Strobo-Clip, Ray? This will be my second (included the first with a sold Martin OM-28).

Peterson tuners are hard to beat. Each one has a whole bunch of tuning modes for guitar, banjo, mandolin etc.

Easy to read strobe display and pretty robust, although the little rubber pads on the jaws can fall off and get lost.

They're about as accurate as a clip-on tuner gets, although don't see them as the equal of well-trained ears. They're not that.

It's been a while since I had one, so I'll tell you more when it arrives.

Cheers
Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 11 Jun 25 - 05:36 PM

The Peterson StroboClip HD is a lot more stable than the original StroboClip, but it still suffers from being very easily affected by external noise, so I find mine unsuitable for gigs, sessions etc., in fact anywhere that’s a bit noisy or where I need to tune while others are playing. I use my TC Electronics PolyTune Clip or Unitune any time I’m playing out of the house - much better than the Petersons.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 11 Jun 25 - 05:10 PM

Let us know how you get on with the Peterson. I bought one of the older clip-on ones and have never really got on with it. I also have the old VS-1 which is fine but too big to fit in a guitar case!

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 02:05 PM

No, but if I'm good I may get to borrow it ;)

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 01:15 PM

None of that stuff’s for you then!

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 09:36 AM

Ray -

No mate. It's my Martin D-18's birthday on July 11, and I'm putting a few presents together. I'm a soppy old goat over such things :)

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 09:23 AM

Too much money Fred?

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 08:11 AM

Oh, and a bottle of Dr Duck's Ax Wax, microfibre cloths, Martin polish, nut sauce, and a Peterson HD Strobo-Clip tuner.

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 08:00 AM

Ordered a Blue Chip flatpick and thumbpick from my favourite UK guitar store :)

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: gillymor
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 07:44 AM

I tried a felt pick on the uke and   
liked the sound but prefer using my fingers.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 05:18 AM

Possibly Ray's friend with the Fairy Liquid bottle picks just stocked up. The bagpipe maker Julian Goodacre makes his reeds out of a particular pot used for a local brand of cottage cheese. Once he'd found the perfect pot, he contacted the factory and bought several hundred of them, enough to last the rest of his life's production.

The best types of industrial strapping I ever found for oud and cümbüş picks aren't made any more but I stocked up, I have yards of it.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 04:28 AM

There's also felt picks. They were popular in decades past. They give a different sound and come in various colours. They're quite thick, and I don't know about longevity, but maybe worth a go.

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 01:14 AM

Industrial strapping for building materials, cut to the same size as oud picks (mizrap, risha). See here:

http://www.campin.me.uk/Music/Cumbus/

Oud players the world over search through the rubbish outside building sites looking for tape in exactly the right strength. The latest I've found was in Paris.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 05:21 PM

Fred - technically, I think they called them “nylon” but they felt like polythene.

That said, I do have a friend who used to make his own from the old white fairy liquid bottles. Quite what he’s used since they but the stuff in clear bottles, I’m not sure.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 04:37 PM

”What surprised me is that Blue Chip make a thumbpick.”

https://shop.bluechippick.net/categories/Thumb-Pick/

British source, JP Guitars (Jon Press - nice guy)…

https://www.jp-guitars.co.uk/sales/strings_and_picks/blue_chip_thumbpicks/blue_chip_thumbpicks.htm

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 02:53 PM

And Ray, mentioning polythene picks - never knew about those either.

Cheers mate
Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 02:30 PM

BWM -

What surprised me is that Blue Chip make a thumbpick. I didn't know that until you posted it in this thread. I think the "surprise" was "Why didn't I know the?" cos I should've.

I'll get myself one.

Cheers
Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 02:13 PM

”But some of us don't have that knack and drill holes or stick tape on or even use blu-tak, I've seen that on picks. You try anything, you know? Someone has an idea, shares it and you try it and that's what THIS is.”

Over the past thirty years or so I’ve tried ‘em all, including drilling holes, sticking sandpaper, Blu-tack, and Elastoplast to picks, violinist’s rosin, Monster-grips, Gorilla Snot- you name it, I’ve tried it!

”Someone has an idea, shares it and you try it and that's what THIS is.”

Yep. That’s why I mentioned my own solution, the one that works for me, in the hope it might help someone else.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: gillymor
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 01:38 PM

At one time, long ago, I had a gross of Fender heavys which were always slipping and I wound up, rather than tossing them, putting a round burring bit on a Dremel and touching it very lightly to the middle of both sides of the pick. This left a very slight indent and scuffed it a bit. Problem solved. It might not work with lighter gauge picks.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 12:41 PM

I used to have a problem with slippery picks, then, 30 odd years ago, the late Pete Sayers convinced me to try dunlop polythene picks, which don’t slip anywhere near as much. (There are also ones with holes which helps to some extent.) more recently, I’ve gone back to the celluloid ones and I don’t have a problem.

I suspect that it depends on the degree to which you grip your pick set against the force you use to pick a string with it. With half decent PA systems and many more people plugging in, there’s no longer much need to hammer the hell out of a guitar in order to be heard.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 12:10 PM

BWM -

Well, picks in the hands of some never move. They just strum away and the pick stays put. B*starts! But some of us don't have that knack and drill holes or stick tape on or even use blu-tak, I've seen that on picks. You try anything, you know? Someone has an idea, shares it and you try it and that's what THIS is.

Hopefully, it'll help someone. If it doesn't...well, if they see me out and about, they can give me a bleddy good hiding for wasting their money :)

Cheers
Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 11:34 AM

That’s OK, but I don’t want ‘stuff’ on my fingers or picks (which is why I gave up on Gorilla Snot). I’ve found that licking my fingers makes my flatpicks ‘stick’ and, likewise, sucking my fingers before putting my fingerpicks on keeps them secure.

Might not suit everyone, but it works for me.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 11:00 AM

Says this on the bottle:

"Highly effective liquid chalk to help increase grip and reduce sweating".

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 09 Jun 25 - 10:05 AM

For those who have a problem gripping picks, I've been using this:

MYPROTEIN Liquid Chalk.

It's what speed climbers use to aid sure grip, I believe. You can use it on pick or fingers.

I find it helps.

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 07 Jun 25 - 12:23 PM

Flatpicks - BlueChip TD35, TAD35, and TAD40 for strumming and the tiny bit of flatpicking I do.

Thumbpicks - BlueChip JD and Fred Kelly Slickpick (heavy).

Fingerpicks - Propik ‘Fingertones’ with the split-wrap on index and middle finger.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Mooh
Date: 07 Jun 25 - 12:12 PM

Since it's been about 20 years since my last responce here...

BlueChip TP35 and TP40, rounded triangle flatpicks, and BlueChip JD thumbpicks. I reshape the tips of the thumbpicks to suit because they're both too long and too pointed when new. Neither pick seems to wear...ever.

I got on to the brand when Uwe Kruger handed me his Henderson flattop guitar to try. I wasn't all that thrilled with the guitar but his pick was awesome. I immediately ordered two flatpicks, then two more, then the thumbpicks. Must be 15 years or so now and I neither lost not worn them out.

I rarely use anything else, though when I do it'll be nylon Jim Dunlops, Ultex, or Wegen.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: gillymor
Date: 07 Jun 25 - 08:35 AM

I've been using the large white Dunlop thumb picks for forever now. I place them in boiling water for a few seconds, immediately put it on my thumb and dip thumb into cold water or place it under a running spigot and I have a pick that sits comfortably and securely on my thumb. (be sure not to leave in hot water for more than a few seconds or it will lose it's shape entirely). I then shorten it a bit, following the contour of the blade, blunt the point a little and bevel the underside.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 07 Jun 25 - 07:37 AM

Sorry, error.

Jim Dunlop doesn't make Speed thumbpick, Fred Kelly does.

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: GUEST,PHJim
Date: 07 Jun 25 - 06:09 AM

Fender medium tri-corner, preferably white so I can find 'em when I drop them.

Herco HE115 Flex 52 thumbpicks - blue or red

National medium metal fingerpicks with the part that goes around my finger dipped in liquid plastic that's meant for insulating tool handles.

Large thin triangle flat picks for lap dulcimer.

I get the index, bird and ring fingers of my right hand done in acrylic gel at Lilly's Nails.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fred
Date: 07 Jun 25 - 05:35 AM

Thumbpick: Jim Dunlop Speed.

Flatpick: my favourite used to be Dunlop Tortex .60 (orange). However, I now use the recently launched Dunlop Tortex Flex X Pick .60, giving much better grip.

Fred

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From:
Date: 06 Sep 04 - 12:58 PM

I use Jim Dunlop Nylon .73 guage as a standard flat pick with light strings (11 to 52). Does anyone know of a site where I can bulk buy them (100) at a discounted rate?

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 06:01 AM

DAWG. nuff said.
eric

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 03:31 AM

Fingers is best of course. However if you find yourself in one of those noisy pub sessions (however it is our Irish friends spell it!) then you need a thumb pick. If you have fat fingers (along with fat much else sadly in my case) then there is only one solution, because reshaping thumbpicks in hot water weakens them.

You need the rotosound large size thumb pick, They sell them for 90p but if you buy the bag of a dozen - the shopkeeper will do you a deal usually. Personally I'd say order two bags, as they do attract the admiration of all classes even the criminal classes amongst our fellow musicians and you do have to look for them and search them out, they don't grow on trees.

A comfortable solution!

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 11:05 PM

I took advantage of the current sale and ordered a couple of Tortis® picks from Red Bear Trading. I've been using them for a couple of weeks now and They are WONDERFUL!

I ordered the new model with three different shapes in a "heavy" weight (1.4mm?) and I just love them. They really play as well as natural tortoise shell. Much better control than with Fender heavies.

I'd been trying the Wegen Bluegrass picks (also heavy) but these Tortis® picks are far superior. If you do much flatpicking, you should really try one of these picks.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 30 Jun 04 - 03:25 PM

Jim, Are you talking about the new Tortis® Flatpicks I linked above, and again here? How did you like them? Did you ever use real tortoise shell? How would you compare the two? What sort of guitar do you play most often? (brand, model and playing style)

Thanks,

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: GUEST,Jim Boles
Date: 30 Jun 04 - 02:54 PM

Tortis Picks,
I have tried the tortis picks made by some guy named Dave, they are way overpriced for what they are. he claims they are grown from a natural substance but has no proff to back his claim.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: GUEST,Doug
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 06:38 AM

My favourite picks are dunlop Big Stubbys 2mm. Cain't beat them for shred accuracy and feel

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 08 Jan 04 - 04:42 AM

I know nothing (NO change there) on this subject but note a review of Jazz guitarist Paul Martino yesterday described him using a pick "the size and thickness of a domino" !!??

RtS

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Rich from Milwaukee
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 08:56 PM

Wow - long lasting thread!

For flatpicking and strumming, standard Fender Heavy tortoise picks. Changed from Mediums about a year ago as I've been doing more picking and less strumming.

For fingerstyle, nail salon acrylics on my thumb and 1st 3 fingers. I file them so they're even with my fingertips. Gives that great combination of skin and pick tone!

RfM

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Fortunato
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 02:22 PM

Unlike Bob Hitchcock I use the full size fender medium flat pick. I find the mini-pick or telecaster pick can get lodged in my nasal cavity and be the very devil to get out. Of course, if the object to be picked is too far up in there for the flat pick, then I prefer brass dunlops, 21 guage. You can do some serious scraping with those little beauties.

Happy New Year, Chance

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: breezy
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 12:18 PM

you can loosen most thumb pix.and re-angle 'em they only come in a basic form, you have to tailor them to suit your style.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 06:26 AM

Gibson Medium for flat picks, but I never found a thumb pick that felt comfortable, mostly too tight, and the attack angle was always too much {90 Deg.} for my liking.
John

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Bob Hitchcock
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 08:17 PM

For flatpicking I use a Fender "mini pick" medium, sometimes called a Telecaster Pick. For fingerpicking a Dunlop thumpick with 3 National "Picky Picks" which I think are made for Banjo, not sure.

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: breezy
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 07:33 PM

have I mentioned 'Fred Kelly Speed picks'?
They bring out the true tone of your guitar, and make it sound even better, or worse if you've got a crap guitar, but then I do have some quality ones.
Came across them by chance thru Brook guitars.
So I bought a lifetimes supply from Fred himself in Grayling Michigan
They are long lasting, never snap, 3 gauges.
Then there's the bumble bee pick

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: JohnOttoCleese
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 07:13 PM

Hi all

Answer - my nails!

Yes, even on my steel string electro-accoustic :-)

Cheers
James

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 06:26 PM

Jim Dunlop 1mm (I have heavy strings) for strumming. For picking, nought. I can't cope with thumb picks (I like to feel the string) and me nails are useless, they either snap or grow at funny angles. No nails, no breaking, no worries! I might try a thumb pick one day. I was at one of those Hands on Music things in Witney (near Oxford UK). The guitar tutor used a really cut down thumb pick - it hardly stuck out at all. The guys name was Chris Foster. Really nice chap, great player, similar in style to Carthy, Jones, Hullet and the Obi Wan - Simpson.

Regards

Pete

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 03:10 PM

I'm with you, Murray. I am aware that natural tortoise shell picks can still be had through devious channels but I'm not willing to be a part of building that market. The Tortis® Flatpicks seem like a great alternative and even at that price they are cheaper than what I hear genuine tortoise shell picks go for.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 02:06 PM

Mark, it isn't only the endangerment of the species that makes the harvesting of natural tortoiseshell an ethical no-no.

The revolting cruelty of the collection process is another factor in the equation.

Personally, I could no more own a tortoiseshell pick than I would install an ivory nut or saddle on my guitar (and I am sceptical of so-called "fossil ivory" as well)

Subject: RE: Guitar Picks - What's your favourite?
From: GUEST,Frank
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 10:28 AM

My favorite pick so far is the Pro-Plec from D'Andrea. It pulls a good tone out of my Martin. Mel Bay has 'em.

Frank