Looking for Guitar Pick Suggestions

skolacki said:
I’m using Dunlop Tortex .88. Need to switch myself because there’s no texture and they rotate in the fingers. I’m seeing a lot of heavy picks suggested. Am I missing something?
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I used standard Tortex .88's for decades but wanted something smaller in the same general gauge. Discovered that with 9-42's there really wasn't much pick flex so going thicker wasn't going to be detrimental. I tried some Dunlop Petrucci picks and fell in love with the feel of a thicker pick but it was too 'chirpy' on the attack.

Ended up down the rabbit hole and discovered that I really, really prefer thicker picks. Currently using Chicken Picks Badazz III 3.2mm. I also like the feel of the Big Stubby 3.0mm and the Flow 2.0mm but they are a tad more 'chirpy' than the Chicken Picks.
 
Hey Zed - Blue Chip has a variety of shapes and sizes. I think the feel and tone are unmatched. I believe they’re made of a DuPont Teflon-ish material which gives them a fantastic release. Check their website maybe there’s a dealer near you. Gotta say, they’re worse than the amber Ultex color to find on stage, kind of a medium brown, but the Bottom Line is feel and tone.
 
Romo82 said:
I’ve been surprised at how many people are using what I consider, very thick picks. I’ve been a Tortex .88mm guy for most of my 30 playing years and only recently started using 1.0mm EB Everlasts by way of a change. I’m also mostly in the high gain territory and anything over 1.0mm starts getting more and more unresponsive to me. These guys playing 2mm plus picks would feel like using a 2x4 to me.
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Years ago I met a guy that rehearsed at the same storage facility.

He worked for Dunlop (which is somewhat local) and gave me a bunch of picks including stainless and copper (like @henryrobinett posted).

Also included in there was a 3mm Stubby pick - this is before they were actually released for sale.

I got hooked on them but even when they were sold they were really hard to find... After a few years I tried the red Jazz III and then discovered the Tortex 1mm purple Jazz picks that I stuck with for many years.
 
This my first suggestion doesn’t solve the issue of losing it if it falls but if you can keep an eye on it all the time bluechip is the way to go. They stay put in your hand and don't go anywhere I have been using the same bluechip for a year and a half and I’ve had to re-bevel it 3 times so far that now it’s taken the shape of a flow pick now. They also have a jazz III version.

Looking for cheaper alternative to replace it I tried the primetones (grip and non grip versions) which are very close to the tone of a bluechip all though maybe a tad bit brighter and they have a slight chirp. They also have a jazz III version which is exactly like your current pick but brown and translucent with a grip.

Dunlop 500s are also great and come in higher gauges and don’t click or chirp. They lack low mids to me and they don’t slip in my hands but your mileage may vary on the slipping. They do not have a jazz III version but then again they’re basically just a slicker of the edge of the string tortex.

Gator grips like the 500s come in higher gauges and don’t click or chirp but they are dark sounding picks. You can find them them and they’re not going anywhere. They also have a jazz III version.

All these picks have bevels built in and they honestly feel just as accurate as a jazz III also any pick that may sound different then the Ultex jazz III can be dialed in with the amp. The thing I am more concerned about then sound is comfort and feel.
 

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I have gone down the rabbit hole since i started playing, and my thinking was always thick and stiff so i would just use anything from 1.14 to 2.0mm. i spent a lot on picks over the years, some of the boutique makers RedBear, Blue Chip, Hawk,BHL and Gravity. but mainly Dunlop variants. For the past couple of years I've been favoring the Dunlop Celluloid's either heavy or Xtra Heavy or the EVH Max grip's which are .60mm.

Now for the insanity that is my addiction, i wont run out anytime soon lol




 
Last night I went through my pile of picks and realized that I already had some Tortex Jazz III, a max grip Jazz III, and some Ernie Ball Prodigy picks. I tried them all against the Ultex Jazz III that I usually use and determined that I really prefer rounded edges on my pick. The max grip felt great in the hand but was too sharp on the edges. None of them dethroned the Ultex Jazz III (no shock there since I had previously tried all of them).

Here is what I decided to order:

Gravity 003 1.5 mm - $9.99 for 1 pick
V-PICKS Venom 1.5 mm - $9.50 for 1 pick
Ibanez JTC 2.5 mm - $13.62 for 6 picks
Dunlop Petrucci Jazz III 1.5mm - $9.99 for 6 picks
Dunlop Primetone Grip Jazz III 1.4 mm - $12.52 for 3 picks
Dunlop Flow Gloss 2.0 mm - $9.49 for 3 picks
Dunlop Petrucci Flow 2.0 mm - $5.99 for 3 picks
Dunlop Flow Standard Grip 1.5 mm - $6.99 for 6 picks

The Blue Chip picks are probably great, but I just can't stomach the idea of $70 for a single pick. That's too much cash to be out if I drop one and can't find it.

They should all arrive by the 14th. Hopefully I'll find a new favorite. Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone!
 
OrganicZed said:
Last night I went through my pile of picks and realized that I already had some Tortex Jazz III, a max grip Jazz III, and some Ernie Ball Prodigy picks. I tried them all against the Ultex Jazz III that I usually use and determined that I really prefer rounded edges on my pick. The max grip felt great in the hand but was too sharp on the edges. None of them dethroned the Ultex Jazz III (no shock there since I had previously tried all of them).

Here is what I decided to order:

Gravity 003 1.5 mm - $9.99 for 1 pick
V-PICKS Venom 1.5 mm - $9.50 for 1 pick
Ibanez JTC 2.5 mm - $13.62 for 6 picks
Dunlop Petrucci Jazz III 1.5mm - $9.99 for 6 picks
Dunlop Primetone Grip Jazz III 1.4 mm - $12.52 for 3 picks
Dunlop Flow Gloss 2.0 mm - $9.49 for 3 picks
Dunlop Petrucci Flow 2.0 mm - $5.99 for 3 picks
Dunlop Flow Standard Grip 1.5 mm - $6.99 for 6 picks

The Blue Chip picks are probably great, but I just can't stomach the idea of $70 for a single pick. That's too much cash to be out if I drop one and can't find it.

They should all arrive by the 14th. Hopefully I'll find a new favorite. Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone!
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$70 for one pick!!?? I'm sorry but this seems like snake oil territory to me.

I've cut cross-hatches in my regular picks before now for some extra grip. In fact I used to do this all the time back when I was playing live and the extra stage sweat would be in play and never had issues. I also re-shaped some "Jazz style" recently just to see how they were and they were ok but I've subconsciously drifted back to original shape ones though I do still cross-hatch them sometimes when the weather and humidity is high.
 
@Romo82 Blue Chip does have several pick designs for $35, but some of them are $50 and $75 as well. Many great players swear by them so they are probably very nice.

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See, this is getting into the $100 steak territory for me now. I almost HAVE to know how good it is...
 
Tonedeaf said:
Just bought a pack of the T4's. Have to give them a try.
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You will luv them - they last forever - they do wear a little to conform to your style of playing also pretty cool

I have T4's also not much of a difference but got use to the T2's so Ill stick with them
 
Tortex TIII .73's are my new go to pick though they seem to wear down on the sides faster than other Dunlop picks and the ink smudges quick from sweat.
 
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