Guitar Picks

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I use the Jim Dunlop USA Nylon 1mm. The biggest thing I like about the nylons is the grip. I wish they were a little heavier cus it's probably as floppy as a .73mm Tortex. I was also a long time user of the Jazz III picks when I was more into metal. I know Mick Thompson from Slipknot used them and same for Tom Morello.
 
ocnor said:
Playing with a nylon pick feels and sounds like you are using a piece of beef jerky.
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I agree. I've never liked the feel of nylon picks; they don't have enough attack for me. They last forever, though.
 
I've never been too choosy about my picks for electric work, as long as they are heavy and have something like ridges or an indentation to help me grip them. More important for me is the usefulness of different pick guages for my acoustic work--a heavy pick for solo work, and a light flexible pick for those breezy backing chords that shimmer without weight. I'm embarassed that it took me so many years of studio work to realize the advantages of using different pick guages to achieve different sounds. In fact, I now find the pick guage nearly as important as the mic I choose.

J.
 
Jouni said:
I also gotta try beef jerky for some serious metal!! :D
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Ted Nugent sells some killer beef jerky. :D

on topic, i've always been partial to the Fender Tortoise-shell mediums, and i toss em once they start to wear. sometimes i use the "regular" shaped ones, and sometimes it's the big triangle-shaped ones.


cheers,
wade
 
I've never liked those Fender plastic picks (or any other plastic picks either) because they grind down too easily. Also as they wear down, they leave a layer of pick dust on your pickups and guitar body.

I'm totally sold on the Tortex picks from Dunlop. I've been using them for over a decade now and I don't think I'll ever go back.

But for death metal, I'd assume that it involves lots of fast-paced picking on the lower strings. That would make minced meat out of a plastic pick in just 1 or 2 sessions, I'd think. So I think you'd want nylon for its durability. Also, the thinner the pick, the more present the pick attack seems to be. But the thinner the pick the less fine control you have over it since it bends more before it lets go of the string.

So that makes me want to suggest a medium thickness nylon pick to you for death metal.

The jazz pick suggestions are good ones because the sharp tip allows you a very precise picking surface, which would come in handy for any fast-paced picking style. The small size turns me off though. What I use on acoustic guitar is the Dunlop Tortex Sharp. Its a full-sized pick with a sharp end like a jazz pick. Best of both worlds to me. Maybe check out one of those in the medium thicknesses. Good luck finding them in stores tho! I've been using the same one for about 6 years now...heaven help me if I ever lose it.
 
I like to use Dunlop Sarps. I don't know if you can still easily find them. I have a guy I know who runs a small store order them in bulk for me, so I hope they still make em. They do get ground down and leave a nasty dust, and like was said before I guess the nylon ones solve that, but I have never liked the way they feel. Before the sharps or when I can't find them I use Gator Grips. All are in the 1mm-1.5mm range.
 
I like the Dunlop stuff, it always works good.

But, one good thing to do is to get used to using found objects as picks. I've become used to using loose change as picks and once used a slice of pizza at band rehearsal (no lie - but it fell apart - and i had been drinking). Using this method you can get by until you find another pick.

I've never actually bought picks. They cost too much for something you'll probably just find on the ground somewhere anyway.
 
In our rehealsal place I play with a couple of bands, and every guitarist uses different picks, and there are piles of them on every amp. And when guitarists toss'em to floor as "lost the sharpness" I pick'em up cause they're perfect for bassplaying! :D
 
ah! death/black metal. there's a few good ones.

primarily to have complete control for fast riffing and picking and to prevent slippage. nylons get pretty slippery so they can slide away when sweaty.

Dunlop Tortex Jazz Picks. medium green M3, and hard purple H3.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-Tortex-Jazz-Pick?sku=110060

Dunlop Stubby Jazz Picks. 3.0 gauge small, dark, transparent purple tear drop.
http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?ItemPos=0&TempID=1&STRID=45755&Method=2&CategoryID=0&BrandID=0&PriceRangeID=0&PageNum=0&DepartmentID=0&pagesize=10&SortMethod=4&SearchPhrase=jazz+pick&Contains=%2Ajazz%2A+AND+%2Apick%2A&Search_Type=SEARCH&GroupCode=

i know one of the dudes in Catamenia use the small 3 stubbys. and the dude in Keep of Kalessin uses a small dunlop jazz 3. heh kind of hard to find what kind of picks most bands use from their webpages.
 
...and that Keep of Kalessin's dude is fast!.. a slipping pick from that grinder would pierce someone's eye out!..
 
Jouni said:
I pick'em up cause they're perfect for bassplaying! :D
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Sounds like the bass player in my band. He gets all of my rounded off picks, and loves them.
 
as long as it's not some pussy-ass super thing nylon pick, i'm good to go

there's nothing worse than trying to thrash away on something and having no attack
 
For those of you that have a problem keeping a grip, I saw a guy do something that might help you.

He takes a scratch awl or icepick and pounds a few dents/holes into the grip area of his fender picks. Kinda like fire escape treads. It creates a texture that you can get ahold of.

Here. I found a photo:

http://peaveyt60.com/images/Chip Pics reduced/more-chips-corner/BumpyPicks1.jpg

Maybe he built a tool for doing it. I know I could do it with a scratch awl and a hammer.
 
At some point I made a criss-cross pattern with a knife to picks, so to have better grip... But if you can get readily textured ones.. Gotta be picky about the tone of pick attack and a lot of free time.. well, not a lot, but a nack of fiddling around. :D
Maybe, if daddy's got a screwable workbench, you know, with those diamond-grooved jaws.. just press the pick between jaws.. you get texture and possibly a bigger pick allaround?? :D
 
I usually use jim dunlops .88 they work for me, I find that when playing metal turning the plec vertically as if you were trying to "cut" the low E with the plec allows for faster "chugging" of the drone note. The part that usually looks like E-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0- in tab. wanna use at least 0.10's strings for this tough. everyones hands are different tough, different finger strenght, width, angles. Just have to find the right plec for you. There cheap buy a load of different ones and try them all. Puncing small holes in or roughing up the the grip will help keep the plec in your hand!
 
I've been using the same type pick for over 20 years. They are black, fairly stiff, and the back half is diamond crosshatch texture. They used to be called Mel-Bay picks, but some other company bought the design years ago. I'm afraid I'm a little like Dumbo and the magic feather when it comes to my black Mel-Bay picks.

Oh, and here's a tip for filing away a broken section of a pick in an emergency: cardboard. If you use cardboard to do the repair, you get a polished edge because the coefficient of friction is so high that it melts the plastic a little bit. This works much better (and faster) than an emery board or fingernail file. Use long strokes, fairly fast, and in the direction of the plane of the pick.
 
Genuine tortoise is far and away the best material for picks. I used to work (20 years ago)for a guy that smuggled them in from Japan. He got caught and had to pay a big fine. I still have a few. They last forever - you just repolish the point. Very stiff and springy for their thickness. I am afraid to lose them so I usually use blue tortex for guitar. I still use tortoise frequently for mandolin, though.
 
Get a heavy Fender 351 style pick

Good picks

For death metal and stuff
 
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