Looking for Guitar Pick Suggestions

Always been quite intrigued by all these thick pick things..I am a Dunlop Max grip .66 ,EVH grey ones, every time i try something else just does not suit me, needs to have the grip bobble on them and even going to .88 just felt wrong. I like to feel the give , fastbits just grip it closer to the tip, strummy grip near the end, always well angled. Stopped buying other ones now i have 36,372,156 picks I have tried littering my music room
 
The JP Jazz III is what brought me into the ultex and Jazz III camp. Unfortunately, they are just a little too thick which lead my to try way too many variations of Jazz III. I too ended up in the Stealth 2.0 camp...mine glow in the dark so IF I ever dropped one it would be easy to find.
 
Short term update:

Several of the picks I ordered arrived yesterday. I only had time to try three. Here are my hot take initial impressions of those three.

Dunlop Petrucci Flow 2 mm:
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This pick has nothing extra in terms of grip (no texture or raised surfaces) but I found it easier to hold onto than my reference Jazz III Ultex picks. I think that might be the result of the larger size. It was a nice balance because I didn't feel like the pick was cumbersome in the way that I feel about many standard sized picks. The narrow rounded bevels and tumbled satin finish made this pick feel very smooth while playing. The pick had no sharp edges or imperfections from the mold like some of the standard Jazz III have. The tone I got while using this pick was a bit warmer (less high end attack). I like the flashy JP signature and majesty logo, but I can tell that those are going to wear off in short order since my fingers had bits of shinny material on them even after only a few minutes of playing.

Dunlop Flow 2 mm Gloss:
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The convex indentation in the center of this pick is the highlight of the design. This makes it effortless to hold onto despite the glossy polished surface finish. The tone is a touch brighter than the Ultex Jazz III, but very close in overall tonality. I think the extra brightness is caused by the way that the pick tapers to a convex point along the perimeter. The Ultex Jazz III's are not as pointy (more blunt) so they don't give as sharp of an attack to the notes as this pick does. The gloss finish helps it glide over the strings nicely. This was my favorite of the three out of the gate so it will be particularly interesting to see how the gloss finish and edge geometry age with extended playing.

Ibanez JTC 1 2.5 mm
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This rubberized grip that sits on the convex grip surface of the pick is absolutely amazing feeling. I can tell that this thing is not going to rotate or slip at all while playing. This design also has a convex bevel geometry and gloss finish a lot like the Dunlop Flow Gloss. However, the angle of taper is much more obtuse making the pick retain the majority of its 2.5 mm of thickness close to the edge. The result is a very different feel than I'm used to. I'll need to spend more time with it to know whether or not that is a deal breaker or a benefit that will just take time adjusting to. The tone is squarely on the brighter side and I think that is again attributable to the sharp pointed bevels and possibly also the difference in material.

Initial impressions on some others to follow (hopefully tomorrow).
 
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I've got a ridiculous amount of picks that I've acquired over the years. Easily more than I'll ever be able to use. As fun as it is to collect them, I ultimately always end up using the regular Fender Medium and Thin. Why? Because I bought the hundred packs and have a mountain of them to go through. :-) Also, I do like the way they sound when I play my acoustics so for consistency, I stick with them.
There's a satisfaction that I get when I wear a pick out. I'm also the weird guy who gets satisfaction using up pen refills, pencils, and anything of the sort.
 
warlockII said:
The JP Jazz III is what brought me into the ultex and Jazz III camp. Unfortunately, they are just a little too thick which lead my to try way too many variations of Jazz III. I too ended up in the Stealth 2.0 camp...mine glow in the dark so IF I ever dropped one it would be easy to find.
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I just got a 10x radium pack and a 10x FNG (white) pack, because the black ones literally disappear into the ether the moment you drop them
 
Here are some that I have tried. My current favorites are the JD Tortex FLOW 1.35 mm and the Red Bear.
I had actually tried the Red Bears like 15 years ago. Those are pretty worn so I get 2 new ones.
I like the way the V Picks feel in my grip, But the way that material drags across the strings and chirps, I can't use them very long.
I have tried to keep a real smooth polished edge on them, but that is a lot of work.
Give me some FLOWs!

I have done a lot of experimenting with drilling holes in picks.
Another pretty good feeling one is the Ibanez sand grip.
For electric, I like a stiff pick with a very smooth tip to glide over the strings.

Picks wb.jpgV Picks.jpgPicks 8 qty.jpg
 
Dunlop Flow Standard Grip 1.5 mm:
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This pick has a raised texture in the center of the pick. It isn't overly aggressive, so it doesn't feel abrasive against the skin, but it is plenty to give your fingers a solid purchase. This is almost the exact same size as a Jazz III XL, just a more gradual curve with less of a point. I found the extra size to be a bit cumbersome in the hands compared to a standard Jazz III for playing electric guitar but it is perfect for what I like when playing acoustic guitar. The bevels are rounded to allow the pick to move over the stings freely. Tonally, this pick is almost indistinguishable from my reference Jazz III Ultex. That is no shock since both picks are about the same thickness and made of the same material. The red color is much easier to find on the floor than the translucent yellow Ultex that I have been using and it has more grip texture as well. I think this will likely be my favorite choice for playing acoustic guitar.

Dunlop Primetone Jazz III 1.4 mm:
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Very much like the Flow Standard Grip, this pick has lots of raised texture in the center of the pick with almost identical feel; not too aggressive, but enough to make a real difference. As the name implies, it is the same size as a standard Jazz III. The main differences between this pick and my refrence Ultex Jazz III are the red color, the extra grip texture, and the polished beveled edges. This pick addresses all of my complaints about the Ultex Jazz III while maintaining the shape, thickness, and tonal qualities that I like. Thank you to everyone for the suggestion, this one hit the request squarely on the head. I could easily stop here and say that the search is over, but that Flow Gloss 2.0 mm may yet edge this out as my new favorite.

More impressions to come as the other picks arrive and time allows
 
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OrganicZed said:
Thank you to everyone for the suggestion, this one hit the request squarely on the head. I could easily stop here
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I hope you try acrillic ones (Gravity, V-Pick) before you are done with your search :) If you won't feel it the first time, maybe try again a bit later :)
All my primetones collecting dust now even if they are very good
 
You could try the Attak picks https://attakpik.com/ - they've got some good grip and a convex surface that helps guide your fingers back to the center of the pick.

I tried them out but they didn't work for me as I don't hold the pick 'centered' between my fingers, and the convex shape always wanted to push it back to center. So I think it's the kind of thing where if the picks work for you, they're really going to work, but if they don't fit the grip you use, you're kind of out of luck. Worth a try.

I also don't love a super sharp point, whereas if you do (since you like the Jazz III's), these have sharp points - at least the one model is fairly similar in dimensions, shape, and stiffness as the Jazz III's.
 
I've been using these for a while now

https://v-picks.com/shop/ols/products/jester

I got a couple of these, they are a little bigger than the Jester

https://v-picks.com/shop/ols/products/stoner

I got a one of these last week to test out and have only used it for 1/2 a practice but I liked them and may get a couple more

https://www.twigcase.com/collections/leaf-guitar-picks

I play with the side of the pic a lot so I was really drawn to the Leaf picks. Not that it is hard but I found the Leaf pics to be a little easier to switch back and forth between the pointed and rounded side
 
In addition to my long-time favorite BlueChip picks, I recently discovered ToneSlabs and McQuan picks. Both are outstanding, and easily rival the BlueChip, but with more variety. I can recommend both based on my recent, new experience. I also have some PickSmith picks on the way. I'll try and remember to check back in. I think they are arriving Wednesday. Honorable mention to Charmed Life Picks (I'm just finding that, for my fingers, they don't stick quite as well, but that's not a reflection on their quality, more just me, and they do also sound great).
 
Red Bear are clearly excellent, and I have kept the 2 I purchased over 10 years ago. I'm probably not really good enough to maximize what they offer.

With V-Picks, I have loads of them as well, but I can't eliminate nor get past the chirp (that could also be a reflection on my pick technique... I'm primarily a trained classical player).

My pick journey really started following a car accident that broke my right wrist (lefty who has always played righty), and also tore my right shoulder. I needed thick, sticky picks to be able to play at all for a little while. That single life event sent me on a journey (and darn it, not a cheap one, either!).
 
I'm mostly Dunlop exclusive.
Tortex Jazz III's since like 1996.
Originally .88mm green ones,
but more recently went to 1.0-1.14mm+ ones because the .88mm ones develop a bend/curve to them after hard playing
and the thicker ones will stay straight and flat.

This past year, on electric, I started more so using the even thicker Dunlop Adamas Graphite 2mm picks,
which I didn't like at all the 1st time I tried them.
Jerry Garcia used them. Trey Anastasio uses them.
They have a beveled edged tip and can be used with technique to create a range of picking styles.

I will sometimes pick up a thinner floppy pick for certain strumming styles on acoustic though.
 
pima1234 said:
Red Bear are clearly excellent, and I have kept the 2 I purchased over 10 years ago. I'm probably not really good enough to maximize what they offer.
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I want to love my Red Bear but it’s been too slippery for me to get a good grip with. Plus the texture got all weird from a little moisture.
Out of curiosity, has anyone worn out their Blue Chip picks? I love them and am wondering how long they last.
 
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