Picking the right pick...and other stuff

[Marvin]

I've not played much for the last 2 years after my last band folded. Given the hiatus in all bands now I thought perhaps I'd try and improve my pick playing. I've always been awful at playing bass with a pick, I don't know what it is but I just don't seem to be able to co-ordinate it all properly.

Along with a nice new stand for my Jazz bass I bought a packet of picks of various thickness. I always thought I should use as thin as pick as I could. HOWEVER, mucking about with this packet of picks I noticed I faired better with the thicker ones. So, I dug around in my old box of bass stuff and found one of those Jim Dunlop Big Stubby picks that was 2mm thick...and that was even better.

I'm beginning to wonder what other preconceived notions I have about what's best for my playing that I need to ditch.  

Edited August 27, 2020 by Marvin

[Rich]

My pick choice is Herco's heavy thumb-pick. I find that I start getting cramp in my fingers if I have to grip a regular pick for too long, and the thumb-pick means this doesn't happen as I barely have to grip it at all. The other neat thing is that because it stays stuck to my thumb, I can switch between fingerstyle and pick on the fly -- between notes, even. 

[hooky_lowdown]

It depends on the tension of your strings, as to which pick to use.

Generally a thin pick means you'll have to use your wrist more due to there being more flex in the pick, which over time or a long gig can get painfull.

A thicker pick means you use the pressure on your thumb and forefinger more. If you have relatively strong hands, then this will be more comfortable.

Personally I use a fairly thick pick (Dunlop 1.14mm) which is really comfortable to me with medium/high tension strings, and also gets me a fuller sounding note. Lighter and they're too flexible and give a more slapping almost hollow sound, as the pick slaps against the string. Heavier, like a 2mm pick and it becomes hard work.

[Cuzzie]

Dava picks are awesome

[ahpook]

Each to their own.

I use the grey Dunlop 0.88 ones. I find heavier ones tough to use.

[Dood]

I have HUNDREDS of plectrums!!!! I chop and change between bass and guitar, I sometimes grab something different for my Guitalele!

My favourites at the moment are D'Addario Duralin Precision (pointy!) .85mm, but I actually also love those Big Stubby 2mm plectrums for fast playing. 

[Nail Soup]

Like @ahpook I use Jim Dunlop 0.88mm for guitar and bass. Ukulele - no pick.

Many years ago I went to a blues guitar weekend, and the first thing the instructor did was walk round the room and feel everybodies pick. [Insert joke about missing 'r' here ].

The more easily he could bend your pick the more dissaproving he would look. A really stiff one would get an approving look. [continue joke here ].

His point was that a flexible pick is just absorbing your energy - you should just use a harder pick and apply less energy.

Not sure if that's a widely held wisdom.... interesting to see comments here.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Nail Soup
spelling

[Bassfinger]

Dunlop Tortex Triangle 1.0 mm for me.  Thick and heavy, but with a very slight bit of give which I feel helps with tone and feel.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Bassfinger

[PaulThePlug]

From my guitar days... A Jim Dunlop Jazz III... 

Small-ish shape n 1.38mm thick... feels right for picking, a little thick for strumming...

[thodrik]

For a guitar I am either the Dunlop Tortex 1mm or 0.88. I use heavier strings on guitar though (11-56), I would maybe use a lighter pick if I was using lighter strings. I have been using the Tortex picks for about ten years and have never felt the need to try anything else. 

With bass I have just got into playing with a pick during lockdown. I found the 1mm picks to be really good on bass too. I ended up preferring the Big Stubby triangle 1.5mm gauge which is currently my bass pick of choice. Stubby 2mm gauge is great too. 3mm is maybe a bit 'clubby' in terms of its attack for me. 

 

[40hz]

I'm not sure on the thickness, but if I use a pick, I like using really thin ones. I find you get more 'bounce' on the string with them. 

[Lozz196]

Dunlop Tortex Wedge for me, started with 1.14mm, went to 1mm, now on 0.88mm as am trying to temper my heavy hitting style. I’d like to use the 0.73mm but although I find them the most comfortable to use there just isn’t the attack with them that I like. Ah well, who knows, maybe I’ll get there.

[P-Belly Evans]

. 73 Dunlops for me. Interestingly Bobby Vega too..... cheeky bugger must have copied me in in his journey to funk nirvana....... 😎

[ubit]

1 hour ago, 40hz said:

I'm not sure on the thickness, but if I use a pick, I like using really thin ones. I find you get more 'bounce' on the string with them. 

I can't get on with thin picks at all. I have to use a thick pick because of the heavy strings. I admit I don't use it for a lot as I am mostly a finger style player.

[ezbass]

When using a pick for guitar, I’ve always gone down the ‘thicker pick = better tone’ route. Therefore, I used 1.5-2mm picks on bass for ages, when the song required a pick tone - I’m a fingerstyle player mostly. Then I saw Bobby Vega at the LBGS using a .73mm and, like everyone else there, was blown away. So, I thought I’d try a thin, skinny, nasty pick just to see. It turned out to be a ‘Road to Damascus’ moment and I’ve been using them ever since (I still use thick ones for guitar though).

[Cuzzie]

For me I like the jazz tip Dava picks because of the rubber grip, doesn’t slip out.

If you want you can flip it and use the rubber surface to hit the strings and you get more into Motown territory 

[P-Belly Evans]

1 hour ago, ubit said:

I can't get on with thin picks at all. I have to use a thick pick because of the heavy strings. I admit I don't use it for a lot as I am mostly a finger style player.

Interesting thread this. I started on bass using a plectrum and when I discovered Miles Davis, James Brown, P-Funk et all in the mid 80s, I became a finger player with very few exceptions. At the start of lockdown I got ill, recovered and bought a mustang (as you do) . I  started experimenting again with my .73 plectrums and oh my days I can out funk my fingers with a plectrum now. I am gobsmacked how funky you can get with a (for me, a thinner) plectrum.  I still  use fingers for more motown/rock/pop stuff but am a massive convert to the ways of the plectrum. 

[paul_5]

Dunlop tortex .88 for me, and tortex .6 for guitar.

I sweat A LOT when playing live, and tortex picks are the ones I drop less often.

[BlueMoon]

For the Macca tone I use hard felt picks. Aside from that, I generally use Fender medium picks that I've had for donkey's years.

[Johnny Wishbone]

6 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

Dunlop Tortex Triangle 1.0 mm for me.  Thick and heavy, but with a very slight bit of give which I feel helps with tone and feel.

Exact same for me. The shape means you also get three picks for the price of one!

Edited August 27, 2020 by Johnny Wishbone

[mep]

Dunlop 1mm black ones for me.

[Nail Soup]

Another important thing about a pick other than thickness is the grip. 
Don't want to drop it don’t want ‘rotating pick’ syndrome.  The Dunlop’s are pretty good in that regard.

[jassthebass]

Dunlop Ultex Sharp 2mm

The thicker the better for me.

I think the good thing about thick picks is that they can retain that under belly depth. Also you can partially rotate the grip when you're playing to get a 'clackier' kind of sound & then play them perpendicularly to almost emulate fingers (not quite but almost), all within the same song.

Edited August 28, 2020 by jassthebass

[cetera]

Dunlop grey .88 here.

[barkin]

20+ replies, and nobody's said that they like a nice big stiff one. 

You're slacking folks...