Sideways

pickitjohn · November 2014

I'm like @Buco I got a drawer or actually Altoids cans filled with picks.
I played mandolin mostly for years and got accustom to the size and feel of Dawg (David Grisman ) and Golden Gate Picks, there about the size of a Quarter. I'm just not comfortable with smaller pointy picks. Whenever I do use a pointy pick I always use the round part of the pick

I love the Blue Chip TAD 80 with a speed bevel however the pick on the right side is one I put a hole and dimple and beveled myself its made from Water Buffalo and its the only other pick besides Blue Chip I use, it was about $.50 plus some time to customize.

I'm real glad I only bought 12 Gators their in the pick drawer.

Jazzaferri · November 2014

@Buco and @bopster did you get the rounded edge or the speed edge?

Matteo · November 2014

Very interesting thread! For a long time I have used one of the round edges of the pick when playing electric guitar. But I haven't been able to get a decent tone that way with a regular plastic pick and my Maccaferri style guitar. There must be something about the picking technique that I haven't been able to understand yet.
So far I have preferred the Wegen Fatone for jazz manouche. It really gives a full tone, but the click sounds are quite noticeable and the precision never gets as good as with a thinner pick. My current strategy is to downsize gradually. For the moment I'm trying smaller Wegen picks, the Twin and Big City models. Perhaps I will be able to work myself down to the 2mm Dunlop model. The hardest thing will probably be to get used to not having the beveled edge that the Wegens have. But so many guitarists manage with Dunlops so it must be possible.

Jehu · November 2014

Thanks for the info, everyone. I'm pretty new to all of this as well. I was using a standard Wegen for a while but haven't been able to bond with it (mostly because I find the material incredibly slippery, despite the contours and grooving). Lately I've been having better success with the Vladiator, using the rounded edge for rhythm and the tip for lead.

But if I could eventually get away with using a "regular" pick, I think it would be ideal. It sounds like it demands some strict technique to make work, so I just wonder if it would be an exercise in frustration at this point.

Long story short:
Option 1: Try diving in to using a thinner pick (e.g., 1.5mm turtle) and be patient with letting my technique develop
Option 2: Continue with a gypsy pick until my technique is comfortable (which will still be a while), and then consider a move toward a thinner pick

Thoughts?

kevingcox · November 2014

I don't see Ninja picks getting love very often, but they are my favourite thanks to the indents that make it rest perfectly in my hand. I also seem to get less click than with a Wegen, but that might be mental.

Buco · November 2014

Bones wrote: »

OUCH $35! Yeah, better not lose that one. Buco, do you play with it sideways or use the 'tip'?

Thanks

Just the round tip or the right side up, you can use two sharper and pointier ones for brighter tone but I never do.

Jazzaferri wrote: »

@Buco and @bopster did you get the rounded edge or the speed edge?

Speed bevel. I'm kinda curious about that rounded edge, might be another $35 flying out the door.

I got one of the water buffalo ones from John @pickitjohn and it's very nice too. Very warm tone but quieter with less attack then SR.

Jazzaferri · November 2014

I'm hoping they do the thanksgiving freebie shipping again. I'm going to try a Kenny Smith in both the rounded and speed bevels. Tip is midway between the SR and the TP tip. I checked some of his stuff, bluegrass but great tone and attack.

@Buco ....I did a back to back 60 vs 80 and your ears were bang on. A little more "click-et" sounding with the thicker one. Thanks for that.

cjl · November 2014

Very interesting, been trying to play GJ for a couple of years now, and still struggling with picking (as well as everything else!).

I started off with a Wegan, really didn't like it (felt like I was playing with a brick) much more comfortable since I got a Guzz, although for the last few months I've been playing sideways (with the *** bit) .... feels and sounds much better for rhythm playing, although I think I prefer the sound of the tip for lead.... but of course can't get into turning it around in the middle of a tune.

I think I'll give those 2mm Gators a try ..... if I don't like them I'll stick with the Guzz, if I do it might save me using a different pick (Ultex Jazz III) on my archtop.

Which begs the question, does anyone know if the top players (ie. Angelo, Tchavalo, Ninine, etc...) use the same pick for acoustic and archtop electric guitar? ... or do they change?

Russell Letson · November 2014

Remember that Wegen makes a conventional-looking "bluegrass" pick, and at 1.4 mm it's a lot like a fatter Dunlop 1.14 mm Tortex with perforations that offer some finger traction. It was only after I started turning the pick to present the round shoulder (and slanting it a bit) that I got comfortable using a flatpick after decades of fingerstyle playing. I've never been able to operate the fat Wegens to my satisfaction--way too much click and clack when I just want chunk. The fact that I'm exclusively a rhythm player when we do swing (and use a Dunn and an archtop interchangeably) might limit the applicability of my experience for lead players here, but every time I turn the pick pointy-side-out or grab a fat Wegen, the sound sends me right back to my usual system.

Matteo · November 2014

I agree, I had the purple 2 mm and 1,5 mm Dunlops at home, tried them both and, well, it seems doable. It'll take some practise, but I have the benefit of starting anew anyway (an aching elbow stopped me from playing for a while). And can there be better motivation than this: