I just geeked out on picks...

[Alex Kenivel]

Do you have Prime? Amazon has them:


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Gah! Can't believe I missed that. It seemed like the options only got heavier to the right. Thanks, ordered!

 

[norminal]

Gah! Can't believe I missed that. It seemed like the options only got heavier to the right. Thanks, ordered!

GAS got the best of me. I grabbed a pack of the 1.1mm Jazz-shaped “Black Ice” Duralin picks. See if they’re worth a count.

 

[Eagle]

GAS got the best of me. I grabbed a pack of the 1.1mm Jazz-shaped “Black Ice” Duralin picks. See if they’re worth a count.

I’m using Black Ice 1.5mm jazz picks at the moment. I like the darker pick attack and they flow across the strings nicely. The right amount of point. I change often though still going back to vintage red jazz III s by default.
There isn’t a single pick in this thread that I haven’t either got or tried .
My main pet hate about jazzIIIs is you have to polish the seam off the edges or it sounds (and feels) like shit . Ultex ones don’t seem to have this problem but red and black all do.

 

[Piing]

I have a huge collection of varieties and rarities, from wood to copper. But for the last 8 or 9 years I only use Dunlop Gator Grip 2.0mm. Anything thinner than this feels fluffy

 

[Eagle]

I have a huge collection of varieties and rarities, from wood to copper. But for the last 8 or 9 years I only use Dunlop Gator Grip 2.0mm. Anything thinner than this feels fluffy

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Can you still use one when the tip is gone ?? I would have thrown all those out way before they got like that.

 

[Piing]

Can you still use one when the tip is gone ?? I would have thrown all those out way before they got like that.

Only for strumming cowboy chords

 

[Toffo]

I may have a problem…

The Jazz III size and shape is definitely my favourite but I like trying all sorts of different kinds. Living in Australia I’ve mainly limited myself to what local stores stock unless I want to pay exorbitant shipping.

They’re all as organised as I can get them, and I’ve got another container with duplicates and ones that aren’t in my main rotation.

The big yellow pick is a Hufschmid 10mm one, one of the bigger and thicker picks that I’ve got.

 

[norminal]

I’m using Black Ice 1.5mm jazz picks at the moment. I like the darker pick attack and they flow across the strings nicely. The right amount of point. I change often though still going back to vintage red jazz III s by default.
There isn’t a single pick in this thread that I haven’t either got or tried .
My main pet hate about jazzIIIs is you have to polish the seam off the edges or it sounds (and feels) like s**t . Ultex ones don’t seem to have this problem but red and black all do.

I love the feel of the Ultex, but not the “chirp” I hear while playing. The regular nylon Jazz III’s sound neutral to me, but I’m hoping get a little more life out of the Delrin. Acrylic has worked the best for me, but I just can’t justify the cost.

 

[Jarick]

Right now I'm using Dunlop Tortex Flex .73mm. They seem to have a really good combination of sound, feel, and durability. The tip doesn't wear nearly as fast as Fender celluloid and it doesn't warp like Tortex. And the .73mm sits right between Fender medium and heavy.

 

[mavrick102000]

I used to use the green Tortex .73's' but working on my alternate picking and there's just too much flex - I need thicker picks and I prefer the sharper point.

Over the last year I've been using the Dunlop 1.5mm Flows, Ultex Jazz 3 similar thickness or the red Jazz III XL's. They keep my picking hand much more relaxed which keeps any tension in my arm or neck to almost nil when really pushing the tempo. I can focus more on using my wrist and using some hybrid picking more fluidly.

I keep a green Tortex or two handy just to change it up, but it's been rare lately.

 

[DrewJD82]

I have a huge collection of varieties and rarities, from wood to copper. But for the last 8 or 9 years I only use Dunlop Gator Grip 2.0mm. Anything thinner than this feels fluffy

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They’re not brake pads, dude!!!!

 

[la szum]

Oh man, pick material makes such an HUGE difference. From warming and dulling to brightening.
It's kind of nuts the impact the material the picks is made of can have.

 

[norminal]

Oh man, pick material makes such an HUGE difference. From warming and dulling to brightening.
It's kind of nuts the impact the material the picks is made of can have.

In comparison, my buddy who started guitar lessons the exact day as I can’t tell the difference.

 

[Doug B]

How many picks do you keep in your pocket at all times? For some reason I always end up with 2-4. Can't seem to deal with just 1.

 

[norminal]

How many picks do you keep in your pocket at all times? For some reason I always end up with 2-4. Can't seem to deal with just 1.

Same. I’ve checked for holes too. They just magically vanish.

 

[norminal]

I’m using Black Ice 1.5mm jazz picks at the moment. I like the darker pick attack and they flow across the strings nicely. The right amount of point.

Just received a pack of the 1.5mm. The 1.0mm ones are MIA. So far I’m really digging them. They feel and sound like a cross between the nylon Jazz III’s and Dunlop Tortex perhaps? I’m guessing they’re a fiber-impregnated Delrin or something similar. I also appreciate the slightly larger size and smooth bevel.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

When cleaning up my desk I realized I had a lot more Jazz III picks than I thought and suddenly the inner guitar nerd in me whispered "....but do they sound different?"

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I opened Logic and grabbed a Strat then just played the same lick over and over again with each pick. Yes, they sound different. As soon as I was done I felt dirty; I had just slipped into an area I frequently speak down upon- minute tonal differences that don't f*cking matter. That said, it's really interesting how subtle differences have a big effect on things, mainly with the feel, which would influence me to pick differently to compensate for the change. Feel wise, I absolutely agree that finding the right pick is an important choice. Tonally, in the context of several Jazz III types within .50mm of each other? GTFO.

As long as there's some kind of grip on it and the rest of it is smooth, I dig it. I've been using the JP picks since they came out and have a ton of those, but in comparison to the rest it feels a bit clumsy due to the size. That's all I'm ever going to talk about picks again. I hate that I did this. And my buddy is right.

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Yet no JS Rock III

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I used Jazz IIIs for about 15 years but moved to dunlop primetones a few months ago. I borrowed one at a jam night after realising I'd brought a guitar and pedalboard but no plectrum.

After the first two songs where it just felt fucking massive I actually started to like it. I also did what I normally do when I'm finished playing and put it in my right pocket so when I got home I'd nicked his plectrum. I played with it for a few days and convinced it sounded different from my jazz iiis did the same thing as @DrewJD82 and recorded some parts using the primetone and my jazz iii. In the recordings the jazz iii was a lot duller and I genuinely preferred the primetone.

And yes I felt pretty dirty for A/Bing different picks.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

I used Jazz IIIs for about 15 years but moved to dunlop primetones a few months ago. I borrowed one at a jam night after realising I'd brought a guitar and pedalboard but no plectrum.

After the first two songs where it just felt f*****g massive I actually started to like it. I also did what I normally do when I'm finished playing and put it in my right pocket so when I got home I'd nicked his plectrum. I played with it for a few days and convinced it sounded different from my jazz iiis did the same thing as @DrewJD82 and recorded some parts using the primetone and my jazz iii. In the recordings the jazz iii was a lot duller and I genuinely preferred the primetone.

And yes I felt pretty dirty for A/Bing different picks.

I did this with prime tones from .72 to 3mm and it's funny how much sonic difference is between those my fave prime is the small 1.5 Akira Takasaki triangle

 

[eggpl@nt]

Old thread, but it wasn't worth creating a new one...

I'm also going through a pick phase (again). Based on some comments in another thread, I ordered a couple Blue Chip and Hawk picks. I've been using InTune's Jumbo Jazz picks for so long, that I thought I'd try the equivalent size/design from these "boutique" brands. If anyone cares, StringJoy seems to sell the same pick as the InTune Jumbo Jazz.

I also 3D printed some picks that worked surprisingly well (shown below). I have some Nylon filament that I think could work well in this application too, but I have yet to try printing with that filament (it's a tricky bastard and very sensitive to ambient humidity). I tried PETG and PLA, and PLA was definitely more to my liking. PETG is too soft, IMHO. I would need to fine-tune the dimensions a bit for them to be more similar to the Jumbo Jazz I love.