Using a metal pick made my III sound way better

[TG3K]

I started using metal picks on electric guitars back in the '70s. (A US quarter ground into a teardrop shape with beveled edges.) Switched to stiff Dunlop stainless steel picks about 50 years ago. I grind the shape into a bit more of a teardrop shape with a more rounded point and corners. I've always dialed out any unnecessary brightness at the amp. Yes, they wear down wound strings a little bit faster than plastic, but to me it's worth it for the sound. And I've never had a pick break a string.

 

[hyderipper]

Plastic bread ties are the best 🤣

 

[NeoSound]

Plastic bread ties are the best 🤣

Wheat or white? We used to make them from plastic jugs, I saw a tool somewhere recently that punches them out

 

[NeoSound]

Pick-a-palooza

 

[Jason Scott]

I have some stainless steel picks made by David Reasoner and they're fantastic.

 

[shemihazazel]

I've used all manner of picks over the years. Found metal to be way too bright and rough on the strings. Bluechip FTW.

 

[axes]

That's why I use the Dunlop 1.5mm John Petrucci Jazz IIIs most of the time. They're hard enough to provide that focused bright tone when needed while their size makes you superfast and accurate. However there are obviously downsides to this so whenever I play chuggy stuff where I really need to feel the weight of the power chords I switch to a Dunlop Tortex/Ultex 1.14 mm. Same is true for blues or other styles that benefit from a little more snap from the pick which the 1.14s are amazing for - they're hard but they yield.

 

[David Tesch]

That's why I use the Dunlop 1.5mm John Petrucci Jazz IIIs most of the time. They're hard enough to provide that focused bright tone when needed while their size makes you superfast and accurate. However there are obviously downsides to this so whenever I play chuggy stuff where I really need to feel the weight of the power chords I switch to a Dunlop Tortex/Ultex 1.14 mm. Same is true for blues or other styles that benefit from a little more snap from the pick which the 1.14s are amazing for - they're hard but they yield.

I also use the Tortex 1.14... I tried using the Jazz picks since they seem to be all the rage nowadays but it felt too awkward, so went back to the tried and true. Maybe I'll crack a few out again.

If I could get some free time to even play soon that would be great, I haven't even picked up a guitar in weeks. I do see light at the end of the proverbial tunnel tho...

 

[axes]

I also use the Tortex 1.14... I tried using the Jazz picks since they seem to be all the rage nowadays but it felt too awkward, so went back to the tried and true. Maybe I'll crack a few out again.

If I could get some free time to even play soon that would be great, I haven't even picked up a guitar in weeks. I do see light at the end of the proverbial tunnel tho...

The Jazz picks certainly feel awkward at first but once you get used to them it's very hard to go back. Thankfully by now I'm pretty adjusted to both sizes and feels but as soon as I change back to the Tortex 1.14s I instantly become sloppier

 

[jin1995x]

Jazz 3 Max Grip for life.

 

[tysonlt]

Yea I’m a jazz 3 max grip man myself, for many years. However I recently tried the Jeff Loomis pucks and I have to say… I like them. I think trey sound a little bit better and I didn’t realise how much I’d appreciate the larger size

 

[jlynnb1]

once I started using Dunlop Flows it made all other picks obsolete for me

 

[Teun]

I exclusively use Winspear picks. Mostly because the shape of regular picks just feels.. wrong... now, but they also last practically forever and the materials sound better. Hard agree that picks make a huge difference in your tone. Some tones sound nicer with a super thin pick. I sound a bit different because my picks are very thick.

 

[hyderipper]

Then again, who needs a pick?

 

[Zedhed]

Then again, who needs a pick?

And for his next trick...playing with no fingers

 

[artzeal]

Hmmm, I'm getting great tones with a felt pick and flatwounds: but I'm after something different with that combination. Oh, I should mention on a fretless bass - for a trombone like timbre. For yer basic guitar stuff: either fingers or Dunlop 602 work for most adventures. Skinny little flappers for a mandolin sound. Horses for courses, as they say.

 

[squealie]

Or Ritchie Kotzen.

I've been on the Dunlop tortex 1.14 forever. Picks are a sound, but you are a bigger part of your sound than your pick.

 

[ESW]

I bought a floppy metal (copper?) pick from a guitar store once when I was a kid. I remember that it sounded cool, but the tactile sensation was something akin to chewing aluminum foil.

 

[David Tesch]

The Jazz picks certainly feel awkward at first but once you get used to them it's very hard to go back. Thankfully by now I'm pretty adjusted to both sizes and feels but as soon as I change back to the Tortex 1.14s I instantly become sloppier

Being self taught I learned to pick with absolutely zero string skipping, some people may call it economy picking, Frank Gambale calls it sweep picking, yet in his books he does have exercises that skip strings so he can make more of a sweep motion. Basically what I do is if your hand moves upward to approach the string it's an upstroke, down to approach is a down stroke, it doesn't exclude alternate picking but there is never any string skipping ever. It honestly can easily be sloppy if you're not careful, so I don't know what effect a smaller pick would throw me off, if any. I give you my word I'll give them another shot and see if I can warm up to them as it were.

 

[axes]

Being self taught I learned to pick with absolutely zero string skipping, some people may call it economy picking, Frank Gambale calls it sweep picking, yet in his books he does have exercises that skip strings so he can make more of a sweep motion. Basically what I do is if your hand moves upward to approach the string it's an upstroke, down to approach is a down stroke, it doesn't exclude alternate picking but there is never any string skipping ever. It honestly can easily be sloppy if you're not careful, so I don't know what effect a smaller pick would throw me off, if any. I give you my word I'll give them another shot and see if I can warm up to them as it were.

If anything, I'd think you'll enjoy the fact that you can do the same wrist movements with more efficiency due to the smaller size and less effort needed with a smaller pick. Really looking forward to see what you think