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Old 04-04-2008, 12:42 PM   #9 (permalink)
stubhead
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: MD Eastern Shore
Posts: 341

Main Seven: Warmoth flat 7
Rig: Marshall, Boogie

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stubhead is a glorious beacon of lightstubhead is a glorious beacon of lightstubhead is a glorious beacon of light
I'd hesitate to say it's all technique, but - it's all technique.... a lot of really great, and sweaty, and greasy, guitarists use plain old Fender, Dunlop, even slippery delrin picks.... I did notice in the new Guitar Player magazine that John McLaughlin seems to be using Dunlop Jazz IIIXL's, the big ones. Is the tip knocking it out of your hand by catching in the strings, or is it more a cramping/angle problem?

The best way out is to hit the store or mohomods on Ebay and just try a lot of different ones. What you're now using is a really light pick, compared to what most technically-oriented guitarists use, especially in that flexy nylon. I find it easier to hold onto a harder pick, and get more volume variation. Try Dunlop .88mm and 1.0mm Gators or Tortex, and a Dunlop Jazz II and III, and IIIXL, maybe. The III's are really pointy and might tend to turn on you, the II's are a little rounder. The little ones actually turn less, it seems?

Another point - great guitarists drop their picks a lot, too - that's why they have them taped all over the place. It can't really hurt to blow $25 or $30 on picks on Ebay, you'll lose 'em all eventually... goddam cats.... Also, if your hands get really dry in the winter or from washing dishes or something any kind of moisture helps, even like a little hand cream or oil from the side of your noise or something (Chet Atkins' anti-squeak juice secret). Your nose is always right there....

"I was not ever interested in the music of boys. From my youngest years, I was interested in the music of men." - Eric Clapton
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