# Favorite Guitar Picks



## jco5055 (Apr 30, 2019)

Hey guys, 

I thought it would be fun to talk about our favorite picks, especially since if one is interested in one of those discussed it's quite easy to just buy one immediately with no saving/planning unlike most other gear haha.

But I've used everything from a Jazz iii until like last year, and then went on a boutique shopping craze and have pretty much bought every model from every boutique builder (Hufschmid, BHL, Chickenpicks, Purple plectrums, Winspear etc), and after using quite the unique picks for months, I feel like I've gone full circle and my go tos are now the JP Flow pick and a Gravity Gold series Jazz iii 2.5m. I feel like if the Flow came in a Jazz iii shape it would be like my dream pick (though I emailed Dunlop and they confirmed they have no plans )...or possibly if Chicken picks made a "Shredder" version of their Badazz iii, which is coming within the next 3 years I guess.

What I'm waiting on is a Howling Monkey Jazz iii I just bought, and I plan on buying some Red Bear Trading picks once they reopen in a week or so. I also have found that I vastly prefer Ultem to UHMWPE, though I might like the Ultem-glass composite material the best.


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## diagrammatiks (Apr 30, 2019)

Winspear. The red ones. The tips never fade. Good enough for me. 

Used to use vpicks and gravity. I love them but the tips fade too fast.


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## jco5055 (Apr 30, 2019)

diagrammatiks said:


> Winspear. The red ones. The tips never fade. Good enough for me.
> 
> Used to use vpicks and gravity. I love them but the tips fade too fast.



Idk what's up with my playing or something but I've pretty much never noticed my picks wearing down, though maybe I would if I used traditional dunlops or fender picks?


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## diagrammatiks (Apr 30, 2019)

jco5055 said:


> Idk what's up with my playing or something but I've pretty much never noticed my picks wearing down, though maybe I would if I used traditional dunlops or fender picks?



my ultex's didn't really get worn down. but they were never that sharp to begin with.
I need my picks sharp enough to draw blood. The vpick's and gravities I use definitely fit that bill. But they will get rounded within a month.

If you don't need your picks that sharp it's not really and issue.


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## jco5055 (Apr 30, 2019)

diagrammatiks said:


> my ultex's didn't really get worn down. but they were never that sharp to begin with.
> I need my picks sharp enough to draw blood. The vpick's and gravities I use definitely fit that bill. But they will get rounded within a month.
> 
> If you don't need your picks that sharp it's not really and issue.



ah that makes sense, and I do have a Shiv variety pack and they definitely are sharper, but I guess being a Jazz iii guy for so long an extremely sharp pick feels weird to me.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 30, 2019)

my personal favorites are the uhmpwe red jazz shivs from winspear and the blue chip jazz 60. stupidly durable, minimal pick noise and they feel great to me.
i have a wizard pro from bhl that's made of katchin but it doesn't seem as durable of a material as uhmpwe so far.
i've tried basically every material and jazz type pick i can get my hands on, and those are hands down the best imo


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## jco5055 (Apr 30, 2019)

KnightBrolaire said:


> my personal favorites are the uhmpwe red jazz shivs from winspear and the blue chip jazz 60. stupidly durable, minimal pick noise and they feel great to me.
> i have a wizard pro from bhl that's made of katchin but it doesn't seem as durable of a material as uhmpwe so far.
> i've tried basically every material and jazz type pick i can get my hands on, and those are hands down the best imo



ooo just now I'm gonna get a Blue Chips Jazz iii 2.5mm! Expensive as hell but I'm hoping it's worth it.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 30, 2019)

jco5055 said:


> ooo just now I'm gonna get a Blue Chips Jazz iii 2.5mm!


they're pricy but they're fantastic picks. wegen gypsy picks are pretty good too.


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## rexbinary (Apr 30, 2019)

I used standard .88 and 1.0 Tortex picks for many years. Then I switched to the JP Jazz IIIs when they came out. I just picked up a couple packs (.88 and 1.0) of the Tortex Flow picks and I'm in the honeymoon phase with them right now.


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## LeviathanKiller (Apr 30, 2019)

If I had just the ones in bold, I'd be fine

Custom-ish stuff I like:

*BlueChip picks
*
*Wegen picks (Michel Wegen)
*
*Purple Plectrums aka Plexstrum*

Winspear (Tom Winspear)

BHL Picks (Brock Little)

Production stuff:

Dunlop Jumbo Flows or the Andy James Flows
*Clayton Duraplex triangles 1.14mm* or Dunlop Tortex triangles 1.14mm
Clayton Acetal triangles 1.9mm

Dunlop Tortex TIII in 1.5mm
Clayton Exotic Horn picks and Bone picks

I don't like

Iron Age picks (too expensive for acrylic imo and some pictures of them make them seem really shoddy)

Gravity picks (because they're acrylic)
V-picks (because they're acrylic)
Anything acrylic really due to the wear of the material causing a slowdown because it catches
Same applies to most Ultem/Ultex picks and glass+Ultem blends


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## jco5055 (Apr 30, 2019)

ok I may have to order a Wegen or two seeing your recommendations...but that website Jesus lol


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## Ordacleaphobia (Apr 30, 2019)

I'm a huge advocate for the V-Picks. Like other users have noted though, they do seem to dull faster than I'd like...
I also like the Clayton acetal picks, I use the bigger rounded triangle ones, 1mm. Love these picks, especially if you score 'em, but they file down quick.
I've also got one of the huge Plexstrum/Purple Plectrum wedges and it's a cool pick, but I can't play leads as well with it. Probably more of a case of just my shit technique though.

Been meaning to try Dragon's Heart and I've _*really*_ wanted to try Winspear since he posts here all the time but I have so many of those damn Claytons laying around and I'm really bad about buying things I can't try first


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## watson503 (Apr 30, 2019)

All-around, all-time favorite: 3mm Big Stubby (the triangular ones are pretty solid, too)

After that, V-Pick Screamers & Gravity Stealths - 3-4mms


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## mnemonic (Apr 30, 2019)

Yellow ultex jazz iii’s or go to hell


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## tedtan (Apr 30, 2019)

I've tried most picks out there, but come back to the 1.25mm Blue Chip TD50 and the basic 1.14mm Ultex. They both will wear (though the Blue Chip takes a long time to do so), so I reshape the tip with one of my wife's fingernail buffing things I "borrowed" from her.


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## budda (Apr 30, 2019)

mnemonic said:


> Yellow ultex jazz iii’s or go to hell



This was my mantra for years, but have been going between red and black iii's for the last few years. Probably because I havent been playing metal.

Anything over 1.14 just feels too fat. I bought a stubby for kicks in high school, but I never use it.


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## jco5055 (Apr 30, 2019)

mnemonic said:


> Yellow ultex jazz iii’s or go to hell



I feel dumb that those were the OG jazz iiis I used for years, and then when the 2.0 came out I used those but I only realized literally like a week ago that the 2.0 was the thickness and not an improved model lol


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## Kaura (Apr 30, 2019)

Been using Jazz II's and III's (I never pay enough attention which ones I grab from the store) for pretty much 10 years now but last weekend I grabbed a pack of Tortex 1,35mm Jazz III's from the store and they seem pretty good. Doesn't seem to wear as fast as the regular Jazzes.


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## stevexc (Apr 30, 2019)

Winspear Amber Standard 1mm Broadsword, but I've really been liking the Irongrip Shivs.


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## High Plains Drifter (Apr 30, 2019)

V-Picks Blackhole and Switchblade.. love the sharp tip acrylic... I'm weird maybe.


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## Drew (Apr 30, 2019)

God, I've been using jazz-sized picks forever and after a long period using Jazz IIIs had settled on Jazz-sized Tortex Pitch Blacks in 1.0 for a number of years, and had even started to stockpile them. 

Then, I went on a Fender heavy kcik for a while and got used to full size picks, and bought a gross of those, until on a buddy's recommendation maybe six months later I grabbed a couple Winspears, dug the taper, and was sort of surprised I was enjoying a thicker, stiffer pick. On a whim I grabbed a couple of the Petrucci Flow picks, then, was surprised how much I liked them, then grabbed a couple different thickness regular Flow picks and spent the last couple months tyrying to figure out what my preference was, and was gradually settling on a 1.5. 

Then, two nights ago I didn't have a Flow handy so I just grabbed one of my old Pitch Black 1.0 Jazz's out of my pickbowl. 

Yup, felt immediately like home to me.  I should just stop buying other picks, these things are a size, stiffness, and sound that I'm just very comfortable with.


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## Humbuck (Apr 30, 2019)

I like Gravity 4mm but to me they're expensive so I get picks made from Real Man Picks outta Mexico. He's on Instagram.


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## Soya (Apr 30, 2019)

I've used a variety of Winspear shapes for the last few years, but lately I've been using 4mm polished razers from Gravity with enjoyable results.


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## rexbinary (Apr 30, 2019)

Does anyone know of any US online retailers that carry Winspear picks?


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## jco5055 (Apr 30, 2019)

Also is there anyplace to get those Ibanez JTC Player's picks not in Japan?


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## technomancer (Apr 30, 2019)

rexbinary said:


> Does anyone know of any US online retailers that carry Winspear picks?



Just order direct. He's not big enough to have his picks in stock much less supply dealers. Currently waiting on an order of custom Shiv minis myself.


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## cardinal (Apr 30, 2019)

I ran through a bunch of pics a few years ago in a shoot-out type of phase. I was surprised, but the celluloid pics just sounded better to me than anything else. They really did seem to have a bigger, warmer tone, so I've been using heavy celluloid pics now for a while. I can definitely shred a bit better with a Jazz-style pick though.


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## rexbinary (Apr 30, 2019)

technomancer said:


> Just order direct. He's not big enough to have his picks in stock much less supply dealers. Currently waiting on an order of custom Shiv minis myself.



No. It's $34.69 to ship two $6.50 picks.

NEVERMIND somehow I didn't see the Royal Mail option.

So yeah I'll just order direct. 

By the way I have ordered v-picks, gravity picks, and winspear picks because of this thread when I was perfectly happy with my new tortex flows. And I'm perfectly OK with that!


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## technomancer (Apr 30, 2019)

rexbinary said:


> No. It's $34.69 to ship two $6.50 picks.
> 
> NEVERMIND somehow I didn't see the Royal Mail option.
> 
> ...



 I was about to say I have ordered a couple times and never paid close to that in shipping


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Apr 30, 2019)

.88mm green Tortex Sharps for me  nothing else compares IMO

I've tried a lot of other picks, but nothing "boutique" yet. Tortex Jazz III, Jazz III XL, Petrucci Jazz, regular Tortex, Dunlop Nylons, Ultex Sharp, regular Fender, Clayton triangles, Stubby, probably a handful of others I'm forgetting. 

To my knowledge, everything I like about the Tortex Sharp doesn't exist with other picks. Everyone says Jazz III/variant picks are so great because of their tips, but I feel that's negated by the rounded sides and beveled edges. The Sharps are deadly sharp with straight sides and square edges, which I love. A lot of boutique picks I've seen with sharp tips either still have beveled edges or they're stupid thick. 

No other pick I've tried gives me the same type of attack, scrape, or tonality that I'm used to with the Sharps. I've even come to love using them for cleans, though I did have to slightly modify my right hand technique from when I was used to Jazz III type picks. Definitely worth the extra effort!


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## c7spheres (Apr 30, 2019)

Clayton regular shape white acetal 1.0mm, Dunlop black Sharp 1.25mm & blue 1.00mm, EBE Alien Head black plastic. Dulop Ultex .88mm , Dunlop White sharp. 1.5mm. I mainly use the Clayton.


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## Bearitone (Apr 30, 2019)

TheWarAgainstTime said:


> .88mm green Tortex Sharps for me  nothing else compares IMO
> 
> I've tried a lot of other picks, but nothing "boutique" yet. Tortex Jazz III, Jazz III XL, Petrucci Jazz, regular Tortex, Dunlop Nylons, Ultex Sharp, regular Fender, Clayton triangles, Stubby, probably a handful of others I'm forgetting.
> 
> ...



I agree about the pick attack and scrape-y sound of Tortex. It’s the best. The black ultem 1.0 comes close while being more durable but, still not the same.

Damn i wish there was a more durable material that gave that scrape/ceramic sounding attack


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## vilk (Apr 30, 2019)

I was on a thin pick kick for a while

but I'm back on thick picks

For the record, I still think thin picks _sound _better

But I'm just better at playing with thick picks


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Apr 30, 2019)

Bearitone said:


> I agree about the pick attack and scrape-y sound of Tortex. It’s the best. The black ultem 1.0 comes close while being more durable but, still not the same.
> 
> Damn i wish there was a more durable material that gave that scrape/ceramic sounding attack



Tortex picks are pretty cheap, so I've got no problem with burning through them


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## Bearitone (Apr 30, 2019)

TheWarAgainstTime said:


> Tortex picks are pretty cheap, so I've got no problem with burning through them



Yeah, the hippie in me just feels wasteful


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## Xaios (Apr 30, 2019)

I got on the ultex Jazz III XL train recently, only a few weeks ago. Before that, regular stiffo Jazz IIIs. Before that, Jazztone 208s. Before that, 2mm Gator Grips.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 30, 2019)

Bearitone said:


> I agree about the pick attack and scrape-y sound of Tortex. It’s the best. The black ultem 1.0 comes close while being more durable but, still not the same.
> 
> Damn i wish there was a more durable material that gave that scrape/ceramic sounding attack


if you like lots of scraping/scratchy sounds. try a silica soundworks pick, it's made of glass. very durable and fast playing picks ime, but the pick noise is why i quit using them. otherwise try some carbon fiber picks, those are pretty scrapey and durable.


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## buriedoutback (Apr 30, 2019)

Dunlop 471P3N Max Grip Jazz III Nylon Guitar Picks, Red - 1.38mm

I get mine on amazon


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## Chris Bowsman (Apr 30, 2019)

I love picks. When I got into bluegrass a few years ago, I amassed a huge collection of expensive stuff. Had at least a half-dozen different BlueChips, bunch of Wegens, Primetones, tons of V-Picks, etc... I kept one BlueChip (TAD60) for playing mandolin, a variety of Wegens, and one V-Pick Traditional. When I got back into electric guitar, I almost immediately went back to the old favorite, .88mm Tortex.

Recently, I got a pack of the .88mm Tortex Flex, and after 25 years, I think this is the new favorite. I also love a lot of different Jazz IIIs, and still really dig the Primetones. I like switching up different picks a lot, keeps things fun, and I like not being dependent on one particular pick. When I was a kid, I heard someone say, "I can't play, I don't have MY pick," and it sounded like total bullshit.


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## BananaDemocracy (Apr 30, 2019)

Graphtech picks are the best ive ever owned

Standard favorites are Fender Jazz 3, Dunlop Jazz, and the Petrucci signature picks are pretty cool


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## BornToLooze (Apr 30, 2019)

Chris Bowsman said:


> I like switching up different picks a lot, keeps things fun, and I like not being dependent on one particular pick. When I was a kid, I heard someone say, "I can't play, I don't have MY pick," and it sounded like total bullshit.



I had something like that happen in high school. Somebody had an acoustic and were all taking turns playing stuff. This dude _couldn't _play an acoustic, this dude couldn't play without _his _pick, I used a quarter because that's what I had handy.

I've always used around 1mm picks. My dad used Fender thins and I would always break those, and one of his friends gave my a 1mm nylon Dunlop and that's what I stuck with for years. I've tried some of those really thick custom picks and hated them, so I started going skinnier again and I've been using a .73 Dunlop Flow, and I'll use one of the rounded corners for rhythm stuff and use it normal for lead stuff just to change up the sound a little.


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## Dawn of the Shred (Apr 30, 2019)

Ernie Ball Prodigy Minis are my new favorites. They feel great coming off the strings and in my hand. Really nice attack to them.. so far they seem to last long too


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## FrznTek (Apr 30, 2019)

Dragon's Heart guitar pics! (https://www.dragonsheartguitarpicks.com/)
Both my cousin and I really like the Wyvern's Scale picks.

The Premium Dragon's Heart picks are great when I want a thicker pick! (I have an original, GT, and hardened) I think the GT and original are my favorite ones. (just feel a little different from each other)
The Faux Dragon's Heart picks are good as well if you want to save a little money.


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## littlebadboy (May 1, 2019)

Same as #FrznTek testimony above, I use and really like the Dragon's Heart Picks! I was hesitating at first because they were NOT inexpensive, but I tried it and never regretted. I could not and would not go back to using traditional picks. They last longer and has 3 sides that you may use for whatever and however works for you. I use the normal side for normal use, the curved side for rhythm, and the pointy side for speed picking which I rarely do anyway.


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## Leviathus (May 1, 2019)

Been on these for years. I love the slight flexibility and how the grip keeps them from moving in your fingers, hold up pretty well too...


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## bluffalo (May 1, 2019)

The Green tortex. Just rub them on carpet two times per edge to sharpen them up when they wear a little. 

Jam rooms usually are carpeted.

Didn't even know they made the flow picks, might try them out.


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## LeviathanKiller (May 1, 2019)

FrznTek said:


> Dragon's Heart guitar pics! (https://www.dragonsheartguitarpicks.com/)
> Both my cousin and I really like the Wyvern's Scale picks.
> 
> The Premium Dragon's Heart picks are great when I want a thicker pick! (I have an original, GT, and hardened) I think the GT and original are my favorite ones. (just feel a little different from each other)
> The Faux Dragon's Heart picks are good as well if you want to save a little money.






littlebadboy said:


> Same as #FrznTek testimony above, I use and really like the Dragon's Heart Picks! I was hesitating at first because they were NOT inexpensive, but I tried it and never regretted. I could not and would not go back to using traditional picks. They last longer and has 3 sides that you may use for whatever and however works for you. I use the normal side for normal use, the curved side for rhythm, and the pointy side for speed picking which I rarely do anyway.



I tried Dragon Heart Picks as well and wasn't a fan really. The material is very durable but I got that annoying scratchiness that drags on the string at times. It'd be nice if they made bigger versions too since I don't play with small jazz-style picks all of the time.


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## LeviathanKiller (May 1, 2019)

Just found these last night! Can't help but think someone was trying to make a joke with a 4.20mm pick in green...
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/547P420--dunlop-flow-jumbo-420-4.20-mm-guitar-picks-2-pack


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## efiltsohg (May 1, 2019)

red nylon jazz iii, nothing else comes close


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## jco5055 (May 1, 2019)

LeviathanKiller said:


> Just found these last night! Can't help but think someone was trying to make a joke with a 4.20mm pick in green...
> https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/547P420--dunlop-flow-jumbo-420-4.20-mm-guitar-picks-2-pack



I bought a 2 pack, I like them but they're slightly too big, I wish they kept the thickness but made them normal flow size.


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## gnoll (May 1, 2019)

I use Jazz iii XL, nylon and ultex. My problem is I wear them down pretty fast. I have a Blue Chip too, but the problem with that one is there's hardly any friction against the strings, which means I can't feel what I play, and that makes it very difficult to use. It's too bad really, cause I wanted to like that pick.


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## Chris Bowsman (May 1, 2019)

gnoll said:


> I use Jazz iii XL, nylon and ultex. My problem is I wear them down pretty fast. I have a Blue Chip too, but the problem with that one is there's hardly any friction against the strings, which means I can't feel what I play, and that makes it very difficult to use. It's too bad really, cause I wanted to like that pick.



If you want to sell your BlueChip, go over to Mandolin Cafe. If it was a $35 pick, price it at $30 shipped in the US, and it’ll probably sell almost immediately.


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## Strobe (May 1, 2019)

So I only kind of like Dream Theater (obviously Petrucci is a beast), but I pretty much love every bit of signature gear he puts out. I use his Jazz III picks mostly. I like Jazz III's in general, but the Petruccis are just a little bit more to grab on to, just enough for me. He's one of the few shredders that doesn't have freakishly long fingers on large hands (looking at you, Gilbert, Vai, Abasi). I definitely don't have his biceps, but I think him and I have similar hand sizes.


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## Dumple Stilzkin (May 1, 2019)

Strobe said:


> So I only kind of like Dream Theater (obviously Petrucci is a beast), but I pretty much love every bit of signature gear he puts out. I use his Jazz III picks mostly. I like Jazz III's in general, but the Petruccis are just a little bit more to grab on to, just enough for me. He's one of the few shredders that doesn't have freakishly long fingers on large hands (looking at you, Gilbert, Vai, Abasi). I definitely don't have his biceps, but I think him and I have similar hand sizes.


I too have settled on his black large jazz III, but I’m really curious to try his newest. The flow series JP. Though I prefer the sound of tortex the most.


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## Humbuck (May 1, 2019)

LeviathanKiller said:


> Just found these last night! Can't help but think someone was trying to make a joke with a 4.20mm pick in green...
> https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/547P420--dunlop-flow-jumbo-420-4.20-mm-guitar-picks-2-pack


Ordered! Can't wait to try!


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## GeckoNox (May 1, 2019)

I love guitar picks. If I see something I haven't seen before in a music shop I'll grab it just for the hell of it, cheapest thing to collect ever! I have a tub with almost every size of regular Tortex/Nylon/Delrin/Triangle, Stubbies, a Speed Pick (I really don't get it?), and a load of other random crap that I put together thinking it would give me endless tonal variety forever. Truth is I'm not even sure where it is right now but it is nice to have the option to try different stuff when messing around with textures when recording.

First pick I bought were purple 1.14mm Tortex because the internet said that's what Slash and Synyster Gaytes use, so instant rock star right? Bargain! Then moved to the same size Gator Grips for dat grip, before I learned how to use a hole punch or just a good old razor blade to make any pick grippy as hell forever (unlike Gators which were slippier than regular Torties after a couple weeks for my sweaty mitts). Got really used to green 0.88mm Tortex for a little while because a friend had bought a load in bulk, I was a broke ass kid and they were free and in seemingly endless supply. Still prefer the sound of a lighter pick for rhythm parts most of the time. Rarely use anything thinner than a Yellow 0.73mm unless I'm torturing an acoustic. Then I went back to Purps for the best part of decade because muh toan. Then, one day a friend left an Ultex Jazz III at my house and despite my initial disdain I haven't found anything I vibe with better than them since then. Playing electric with a regular size pick feels like a shovel to me now!

I rotate between the standard black/red, yellow 1.38mm Ultex, purple/green sharp Tortex (have reds too but meh, very specific/rare use case) and Max Grip Carb0n varieties of JIII depending on what way the wind is blowing. Have been meaning to try the Abasi and Petrucci signature JIIIs for ages now, can anyone comment on how they compare at all?

Surprised I haven't seen Chicken Picks mentioned in here yet. They were all the rage a little while ago, I got a standard shape one to try and I like the material and tone but it's a little too big to be comfortable. Probably should try a Gravity, Winspear and V sometime. I thought those Plexstum picks were a meme for a while, I remember Rob Scallon always used one that looked so damn uncomfortable.


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## Bearitone (May 1, 2019)

KnightBrolaire said:


> if you like lots of scraping/scratchy sounds. try a silica soundworks pick, it's made of glass. very durable and fast playing picks ime, but the pick noise is why i quit using them. otherwise try some carbon fiber picks, those are pretty scrapey and durable.



Silica was all sold out but, i went ahead and ordered some Max Grip Jazz III Carbon Fiber picks.

Thanks for the suggestion


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## Soya (May 1, 2019)

Humbuck said:


> Ordered! Can't wait to try!


Ordered some as well, the thickness I like but in a non acrylic material sounds promising.


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## Wolfhorsky (May 1, 2019)

Gravity picks, Stealth standard 3 mm (orange), big center grip hole, matt (very important - not polished) edge.


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## sakeido (May 1, 2019)

did the big stubby early on 

then dunlop 1mm full size picks for 10 years

didn't get into the jazz thing until Petrucci did his signature big black ones with the rubber grip, which I love, but I find they get slippery

got some winspears which I absolutely hate and use mostly to scrape out my pipe now. they are awesome for that but still an enormous waste of money. one of them is quite fat and I'll use it if I went climbing then for some reason want to play guitar and can't hold my normal picks 

I try and change it up every so often to get my attention back on the mechanics of my picking hand and try and root out bad habits but at showtime, always the Petrucci sig picks


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## Bearitone (May 1, 2019)

sakeido said:


> did the big stubby early on
> 
> then dunlop 1mm full size picks for 10 years
> 
> ...



Got a good laugh from the pipe bit


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## littlebadboy (May 1, 2019)

LeviathanKiller said:


> I tried Dragon Heart Picks as well and wasn't a fan really. The material is very durable but I got that annoying scratchiness that drags on the string at times. It'd be nice if they made bigger versions too since I don't play with small jazz-style picks all of the time.



Have you tried the other kinds of Dragon's heart picks? I know that the hardened model has that "scratchy drag" sound you mebtioned.


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## LeviathanKiller (May 1, 2019)

littlebadboy said:


> Have you tried the other kinds of Dragon's heart picks? I know that the hardened model has that "scratchy drag" sound you mebtioned.



No, part of my dislike was their size so it's not worth it for me at this point.


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## Thaeon (May 2, 2019)

sakeido said:


> didn't get into the jazz thing until Petrucci did his signature big black ones with the rubber grip, which I love, but I find they get slippery



Bro... I'm dead.


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## Thaeon (May 2, 2019)

Interestingly enough, I like the Kirk Hammett Jazz IIIs. The Purple ones. They feel different than the green ones. I don't think they really sound different. But I'll be over here with my sparkly purple picks.


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## vick1000 (May 2, 2019)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004988JLG/?tag=sevenstringorg-20


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## LeviathanKiller (May 3, 2019)

LeviathanKiller said:


> Just found these last night! Can't help but think someone was trying to make a joke with a 4.20mm pick in green...
> https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/547P420--dunlop-flow-jumbo-420-4.20-mm-guitar-picks-2-pack








jco5055 said:


> I bought a 2 pack, I like them but they're slightly too big, I wish they kept the thickness but made them normal flow size.





Humbuck said:


> Ordered! Can't wait to try!



I just got mine in today. If you guys DON'T like them, let me know because I'd throw some money your way to take them. I absolutely love these things now!


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## Soya (May 3, 2019)

Nice, mine better be waiting in my mailbox when I get home from work then


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## BenjaminW (May 3, 2019)

I've been using Dunlop Tortex .73's for about almost 3 years. I thought yellow picks looked cool when I was in a store buying some picks since I didn't really care much about picks or anything. They've been my number one since then. Even though they're destroyed from so much downward pick slanting.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (May 3, 2019)

BenjaminW said:


> I've been using Dunlop Tortex .73's for about almost 3 years. I thought yellow picks looked cool when I was in a store buying some picks since I didn't really care much about picks or anything. They've been my number one since then. Even though they're destroyed from so much downward pick slanting.



Try the Sharp version  even when they're a bit worn they're still sharper than the normal shape is brand new. Someone mentioned rubbing them on carpet to keep them sharp and get rid of the little burrs that build up from play wear. That works to a degree, though I normally just grab a new pick anyway


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## BenjaminW (May 3, 2019)

TheWarAgainstTime said:


> Try the Sharp version  even when they're a bit worn they're still sharper than the normal shape is brand new. Someone mentioned rubbing them on carpet to keep them sharp and get rid of the little burrs that build up from play wear. That works to a degree, though I normally just grab a new pick anyway


I have sharps I'll use every once in a while, they just feel a little different from the round ones obviously.


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## AkiraSpectrum (May 3, 2019)

Can't go back to anything else after getting some Dunlop Flow standard pics (.73mm).


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## nateispro (May 4, 2019)

I'm really wanting to try the Flow's or the Tortex TIII's. I've been using the plain ol Jazz III's for close to a decade and am thinking why not change it up


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## MetalHex (May 4, 2019)

Ultex sharp .88-1mm


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## Joan Maal (May 4, 2019)

Big Dunlop Stubby 3mm.

and ...

Dunlop 433 ULTEX Sharp Ivory 2mm.


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## Dumple Stilzkin (May 4, 2019)

Bought the variety pack of flows to try out and also a few tortex flows. Then I saw the Petrucci flows. So I had to buy them too. I got some pick evaluations to do!


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## jco5055 (May 4, 2019)

ok guys I put in a lot of pick orders just in the past few days, and just got the Blue Chip Jazz 100 and I LOVE IT. It feels so good...though I like a smooth feeling pick so if you're a big grip kinda guy you might not.


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## Kaura (May 4, 2019)

Leviathus said:


> Been on these for years. I love the slight flexibility and how the grip keeps them from moving in your fingers, hold up pretty well too...



This was the first pick I ever owned. I think I still have it somewhere.


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## LeviathanKiller (May 4, 2019)

Just ordered these... 
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338014327&icep_item=202387030454
and these...
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338014327&icep_item=153120307602

Can't find them anywhere but ebay pretty much. I love the rounded triangles so I'm excited to try these. Clayton Acetal is better than Dunlop Tortex imo for the sole fact they offer 1.90mm. Dunlop caps it at 1.14mm on most things although they've started doing 1.5mm on a few models like the new Tortex Flows and the TIII shape too.

I'm on a bit of a pick buying phase for no good reason other than to experiment. Working on getting some more bone and/or horn picks since I pulled a Pickboy bone pick out of my "archived" collection and have fallen in love with it for lead playing.


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## Dumple Stilzkin (May 4, 2019)

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> Bought the variety pack of flows to try out and also a few tortex flows. Then I saw the Petrucci flows. So I had to buy them too. I got some pick evaluations to do!


So far my favorite is the Petrucci and something I wasn’t expecting the 3.0 flow. Definitely don’t have to work your right hand as much to get a good tone. I’m suprised that the tortex flow 1.5 I didn’t care for at all. I guess I gel better with that beveled edge.


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## Dumple Stilzkin (May 4, 2019)

Ugh.


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## LiveOVErdrive (May 5, 2019)

My all time faves are fender heavy celluloid, but they wear down SO fast. 

Now I use jazz iii XLs in nylon. The nylon feels similar to celluloid but wears down much much slower.


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## Vyn (May 5, 2019)

I had been using the black shield Petrucci sig Jazz III's however I've recently switched over to Tortex Sharp 1.5mm picks. Cleaned up my playing a lot as they are completely unforgiving haha.


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## skmanga (May 6, 2019)

Can anyone recommend some picks for a person with big hands?
Got the long fingers yall!

I've considered getting one of those big fat picks like at purple plectrums, thinking the added size/thickness will give me a more solid hold on the pick.


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## LeviathanKiller (May 6, 2019)

skmanga said:


> Can anyone recommend some picks for a person with big hands?
> Got the long fingers yall!
> 
> I've considered getting one of those big fat picks like at purple plectrums, thinking the added size/thickness will give me a more solid hold on the pick.


I love my Purple Plectrums picks. I own most of the models they have actually. Definitely recommend.


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## tedtan (May 6, 2019)

jco5055 said:


> ok guys I put in a lot of pick orders just in the past few days, and just got the Blue Chip Jazz 100 and I LOVE IT. It feels so good...though I like a smooth feeling pick so if you're a big grip kinda guy you might not.



The thing about Blue Chips is that even though they are smooth, they still "stick" to your fingers, so you don't loose any grip on the pick compared to a more textured pick.


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## 777timesgod (May 7, 2019)

I was a Pickboy fan, even though I play any brand/shape/thickness based on the song at hand. I find that sticking with one pick is like keeping one setup for different genres and songs. 

One day I bought a few Alien picks for a laugh as their messages on them made me smile, to my surprise they were great for my playing style and durable. I assume that they would be crap like the Dunlop Tikis, which are imo the worst thing in the market.


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## maliciousteve (May 9, 2019)

I always come back to these


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## LeviathanKiller (May 9, 2019)

I just got my Clayton Sharp picks in. The standard shape is spot on for the Dunlop TIII shape pretty much. The nice thing is that these are available in 1.90mm though. Definitely prefer these now.
The triangles are also pretty sweet. It's nice having a sharper tipped triangle. Kinda reminds me of the custom Winspear Shurikens I had made for me by Tom.


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## nateispro (Jun 30, 2019)

Necro bump, Im looking at trying out some winspears. Would the winspear starter bundle be the best way to go? Or should i look at more individual picks? Im a long time Jazz III user so Im open to suggestions. I was also looking at BHL picks as well, there doesnt seem to be as much info out there on them as winspear though


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 30, 2019)

nateispro said:


> Necro bump, Im looking at trying out some winspears. Would the winspear starter bundle be the best way to go? Or should i look at more individual picks? Im a long time Jazz III user so Im open to suggestions. I was also looking at BHL picks as well, there doesnt seem to be as much info out there on them as winspear though


If you're going for jazz III type stuff, just get some Shivs. If you ask Tom nicely he'll even shrink them down to more of the regular jazz iii size. Otherwise the regular shiv is like jazz xl sized. BHL makes good stuff but his prices are quite high for what you get.


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## nateispro (Jun 30, 2019)

KnightBrolaire said:


> If you're going for jazz III type stuff, just get some Shivs. If you ask Tom nicely he'll even shrink them down to more of the regular jazz iii size. Otherwise the regular shiv is like jazz xl sized. BHL makes good stuff but his prices are quite high for what you get.



I JUST saw on Instagram that he had the store updated for preorders. I said fuck it and went all in with Shiv's. Super excited!


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## Matt08642 (Jun 30, 2019)

These Dunlop Fredrik Thordendal picks are sick


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## AltecGreen (Jul 1, 2019)

Having fun with random Japanese picks. My current favorites is the Ultem G-Life pick and my old stand-by the 1.0 mm Coelancanth made by my friend Endo Tomohisa. The Ibanez Tritan picks are interesting. They look like acrylic but are made from Tritan. Quite a bit different feel than acrylic picks like a V-Pick. The Ibanez picks are colorful. The ESP picks are pretty good too.


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## MYGFH (Jul 1, 2019)

Wow 5 pages in and no love for SWISS PICKS! I love them.


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## axxessdenied (Jul 2, 2019)

I've been using Winspear's Resin Shiv pick for the past year now. It's been my go to since I tried it a prototype model in amsterdam that my buddy had. Tom ended up hooking me up with a couple of them at tech-fest last year and I have been in love ever since. I really like swiss picks as well but the Resin Shiv has become my main weapon of choice.


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## pastanator (Jul 2, 2019)

tortex sharp either .88 or 1.14


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## lewis (Jul 2, 2019)

MYGFH said:


> Wow 5 pages in and no love for SWISS PICKS! I love them.



Came here to post that! haha

I have the Rusty Cooley slime green 2.0mm ones and the Jazz III glow in the dark 1.8mm ones!

depending on what im feeling, I rotate between them


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## MSS (Jul 2, 2019)

I’ve been using the regular style delrin and poly Dava grip tips. They have regular and jazz style with different materials to choose from. Cool stuff.


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## MYGFH (Jul 2, 2019)

lewis said:


> Came here to post that! haha
> 
> I have the Rusty Cooley slime green 2.0mm ones and the Jazz III glow in the dark 1.8mm ones!
> 
> depending on what im feeling, I rotate between them



I can't believe how much these picks have helped my playing. I love the Jazz III shape, but there isn't a dunlop version that I can tell without looking down at my hand the exact position the pick is in. When I do play with Swiss Picks and I do look at my picking hand, I can't believe how well I am alternate picking, string skipping, and outright attack I have using a tiny tip of the pick. Using such a small tip of the pick, the adjustments for slant picking are small and quick.

Apart from thickness, is the Rusty Cooley and Jazz III the same size and shape? EDIT: (the swiss picks jazz iii)


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## lewis (Jul 2, 2019)

MYGFH said:


> I can't believe how much these picks have helped my playing. I love the Jazz III shape, but there isn't a dunlop version that I can tell without looking down at my hand the exact position the pick is in. When I do play with Swiss Picks and I do look at my picking hand, I can't believe how well I am alternate picking, string skipping, and outright attack I have using a tiny tip of the pick. Using such a small tip of the pick, the adjustments for slant picking are small and quick.
> 
> Apart from thickness, is the Rusty Cooley and Jazz III the *same size and shape*?



no 

at least the ones I have are not. The regular Green Rusty Cooley is quite abit larger

Edit


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## MYGFH (Jul 2, 2019)

Ok, I'm using the Rusty Cooley 2.0's.


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## Chris Bowsman (Jul 2, 2019)

Today, it’s the Tortex Jazz III 1.14mm. Last night it was a Tortex Sharp 1.35mm.

Now I’m going to order those cheese looking picks.


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## waffles (Jul 3, 2019)

Black jazz IIIs, or the red ones if the black ones are out of stock

Picks aren't really an area that I experiment on and I have been consistent in using jazz IIIs since I started playing guitar and I never really thought of experimenting on other picks.


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## Xk6m6m5X (Jul 4, 2019)

I use the dunlop maxgrip jazziii, the "carbon fiber", they dont really wear and never slip


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## Quiet Coil (Apr 29, 2020)

Xk6m6m5X said:


> I use the dunlop maxgrip jazziii, the "carbon fiber", they dont really wear and never slip


Necro(ish).

I’ve been using the J3 CF Max Grip for nearly as long as they’ve been around (9 years?). Before that it was the .73 Ultex - drastically different.

Lately I’ve been on the hunt for something bigger as my grip strength isn’t great some days and I’ve also realized that my fingers often hit the strings along with the tip of the pick.

The Dunlop Flow line got me excited, but I’m not 100% sold yet. I’m also revisiting the Jazz XL line, specifically the Primetone version (waiting for them to arrive).

One surprise has been the Dunlop Trinity (Petrucci’s triangle), which is ironic as it’s ever so slightly shorter than a J3. This is the first triangle I’ve taken seriously- so much so that I’m also going to try the “regular” sized Primetone Triangle.

The two biggest takeaways for me from this fun little journey are:
1. I definitely prefer beveled tips
2. Thicker is generally more comfortable and smoother, but I find I lose too much “snap” in the attack. So far it seems like between 1.0 and 1.5mm is the sweet spot.

P.S. The “Flow 420” (XL 4.2mm) is too thick, too broad, sounds like butt, and is tons of fun to play with.


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## thriveNSuffer (Apr 29, 2020)

Tortex .95


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## primitiverebelworld (Apr 29, 2020)

Whoa some thicc picks listed here! I like myself some "give" and small-medium size. My absolute favorites are Planet Waves Blavk Ice 1.10s because : enought flex, not too much flex, not scratchy, not slippey in hand, The Size...they wear very very fast though and one must sharpen these from time to time according to aforementioned methods. Work great with D standard 10-52(ibby). Lately I use Ultex sharp 1.14(good sht..very durable but could go 1.0 next time) filed to Black Ice dimensions and they work well with 11-56 D-standard. Too stiff for lighter gauges really. I think in my experience: as one has found the preferred size and material the thickness of the pick should go according to string gauge, tuning and pickattack-desired sound. I find thin strings - thicc pick hard to play. Gets caught between string too often. Thin pick - thick strings are much better but the speed suffers and picks wear really fast. And I really try to emphasize the attention to pickslanting(both ways). I think the feel and the size matter the most. And then you can choose the thinnnnnezzz


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## Xk6m6m5X (Apr 29, 2020)

Noisy Humbucker said:


> Necro(ish).
> 
> I’ve been using the J3 CF Max Grip for nearly as long as they’ve been around (9 years?). Before that it was the .73 Ultex - drastically different.
> 
> ...



Ive actually recently switched to the dunlop white fangs, love em, they wear quick though


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## Quiet Coil (Apr 29, 2020)

Xk6m6m5X said:


> Ive actually recently switched to the dunlop white fangs, love em, they wear quick though


The Flow has the same shape as the White Fang, but you get a textured grip, many options for thickness, and they’re made from Ultex which wears a bit slower (plus the bevel on the heavier gauges).


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## bostjan (Apr 29, 2020)

https://www.greatbigstuff.com/products/giant-guitar-pick-1

LOL

Naw, I still use Cool Picks, whichever the thickest one they make is, Phat Cats 1.5 or something... I guess I'm a boring old creature of habit, since I've been rocking those for close to 20 years now.


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## tedtan (Apr 30, 2020)

primitiverebelworld said:


> Whoa some thicc picks listed here!



Definitely. I know a lot of people like thicker pics because it helps them relax their grip on the pick, but to me, anything over 2mm feels like I'm holding a marble instead of a pick. Somewhere between 1.0mm and 1.5mm works best for me, personally.


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## vilk (Apr 30, 2020)

Many years ago I bought two v-picks, Screamer and Medium, in Osaka, way overpriced. At the time I liked the medium better, but I lost it soon after and told myself I'd never buy such an expensive pick again. I picked up the Screamer here and there over the years but always put it back thinking I liked my big stubby 3mm better. But the other day I picked it up again, and magically now I like it more than big stubby 3mm. I looked them up again, now the Screamers are only $4, but they have a big ugly dot in the middle. I guess that must be why they're cheaper now, they must have changed the manufacturing process somehow.

I see Gravity pick makes the same shape called a Stealth. I'll have to check out one of those and see how they compare.


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## silviastar (Jun 16, 2022)

It took me awhile to choose the right brand, I tried many different kinds, both thin and thick.


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## LCW (Jun 17, 2022)

Tortex green


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## Eyelessfiend (Jun 17, 2022)

I was using the purple Tortex and Gator Grip 1.5 forever until I got the Jazz III XL Flex picks. I use a few different gauges ranging from .88 to 1.5. Still use the Gator Grips for acoustics and more non metal stuff.


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## PuriPuriPrisoner (Jun 17, 2022)

I've been using 2mm gravity picks for awhile. Expensive but they last for a long time and sound great with how I pick.


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## youngthrasher9 (Jun 18, 2022)

Ernie Ball Prodigy Mini’s have been my go-to for a while now. If Dunlop shrank the Tortex sharp shape down to the size of a jazz mini I’d be all over that.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Jun 18, 2022)

youngthrasher9 said:


> Ernie Ball Prodigy Mini’s have been my go-to for a while now. If Dunlop shrank the Tortex sharp shape down to the size of a jazz mini I’d be all over that.



Jason Richardson did a rig rundown recently and showed off some prototype picks Dunlop made for him that were JIII size/shape with a Sharp style tip. Those may fit the bill just right for you if they get released as a production signature model


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## youngthrasher9 (Jun 18, 2022)

TheWarAgainstTime said:


> Jason Richardson did a rig rundown recently and showed off some prototype picks Dunlop made for him that were JIII size/shape with a Sharp style tip. Those may fit the bill just right for you if they get released as a production signature model


That’s awesome!!


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## High Plains Drifter (Jun 19, 2022)

For lighter gauge strings and/ or single coils, I often like using a super thin nylon Dunlop .38 mm. On my 7's and often on my HH guitars I like using the EB Prodigy 1.5 mm drilled to provide more grip. Also seems that over the last couple years I'm steering away from anything thicker than a 1.5 mm and from most acrylic picks.


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## Emperoff (Jun 19, 2022)

You can't go wrong with the Dunlop Flows. Size in-between Jazz IIIs and regular. Fantastic grip with no weird stuff like holes, sandpaper, etc.

I find them quite stiff, which has allowed me to use thinner gauges (1mm or 0.88 depending on the music).


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## maliciousteve (Jun 19, 2022)

I've found my old bag full of picks I ordered from InTune when I was trying some promo things for my previous band. I forgot how great these are so I've just been using them recently. I've got close to 100 still so won't have to worry about new picks for a while. They're Jazz III sized but the sharper tip and material feel much better.


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## Kosthrash (Jun 19, 2022)

My favorite


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## silviastar (Jun 20, 2022)

It took me awhile to choose the right brand, I tried many different kinds, both thin and thick. Sometimes I even like to play with nails. I've seen some musicians do that. I rarely play this way, usually I take my old spanish guitar, when I want to recall some classics. But you can't play riffs and fast passages with your nails, especially when you have to use palm mute. But as for acoustic - it sounds interesting in its own way. For everything else, I prefer picks from Personalized Guitar Picks. I try not to buy the ones with glossy coating. Sometimes they make the pick fall out of my hands, particularly if my hands are wet.


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## MatrixClaw (Jun 20, 2022)

Got these for Christmas from my brother-in-law and thought they'd be a bit of a gimmick but tried them anyway and they're awesome. Looks like they're out of stock now https://a.co/g156lFt


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