# Pick comparison:



## Metal Ken (Sep 26, 2007)

For the past 3-4 years (since even before i started playing 7's), i've been using these:









recently, i was digging around in some boxes and i found a 2 year old package of Jazz III's, so i decided to give them a shot. 
At first they were a bit weird, but now that i'm used to them, i found that it provides way more control for alternate picking and they dont wear down as fast. I think im going to start using them instead now. Plus, they're a lot easier to find. I feel kind of like i've been gypped when it comes to picks, now. 

Anyone else find this to be the case?


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## OzzyC (Sep 26, 2007)

I have J3s, and 1.13mm Stubbies. I prefer the Jazz, but I'm not adverse to stubbies, since they have basically the same profile.


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## Metal Ken (Sep 26, 2007)

I used the 3mm stubbies. The big ol' fat motherfuckers. The taper really fast off towards the end though


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## distressed_romeo (Sep 26, 2007)

I used stubbies for a few years, and before that I used the regular 2mm tortex Dunlops. When I switched to black Jazz IIIs they felt perfect for me almost immediately, and now any other pick feels really wierd to me, although I still use regular thin ones for strummy acoustic moments. They make everything so much more articulate, and as MK said, they last pretty much forever.

MK, is it the reds or blacks you're using?


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## DDDorian (Sep 26, 2007)

Weird, my purple stubbys are only 2mm. They're decent picks, but they splinter too easily, and combined with the fact that I have to order them specially due to living in the middle of nowhere, they're usually too expensive to buy.


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## Leon (Sep 26, 2007)

JazzIII's last forever, solong as you can keep track of them. they get lost easily


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## distressed_romeo (Sep 26, 2007)

Leon said:


> JazzIII's last forever, solong as you can keep track of them. they get lost easily



I always keep an emergency one in my wallet for just that reason.


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## OzzyC (Sep 26, 2007)

distressed_romeo said:


> I always keep an emergency one in my wallet for just that reason.



I thought I was the only one. 

I also carry around a nylon .8mm pick that I reshaped like a J3, and one of the picks I got from my order at Juststrings. Oh yeah, and a business card for a friend of mine who is a luthier.


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## Metal Ken (Sep 26, 2007)

distressed_romeo said:


> MK, is it the reds or blacks you're using?



Reds.. Whats the difference?


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## D-EJ915 (Sep 26, 2007)

I think reds last longer


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## distressed_romeo (Sep 26, 2007)

Metal Ken said:


> Reds.. Whats the difference?



The black ones have far more pointed tips than the reds.


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## Leon (Sep 26, 2007)

the red ones, well...


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## Metal Ken (Sep 26, 2007)

distressed_romeo said:


> The black ones have far more pointed tips than the reds.



Sounds like i need to hook myself directly up with some black ones.


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## D-EJ915 (Sep 27, 2007)

uhh the points on the red and black ones are the same


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## JBroll (Sep 27, 2007)

They should be the same, your black may have been defective. I've seen a couple that were dull from being played, one that just had a chunk snapped off of it, and a few that were just not molded right, but they're the same shape.

Jeff


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## Metal Ken (Sep 27, 2007)

Hmm, according to the dunlop site, the black ones are stiffer?

Also, there's 3 differnt kinds of tips on the dunlop site. i got the pointiest ones...


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## distressed_romeo (Sep 27, 2007)

In hindsight you are correct... For some reason I've only ever seen the super-pointy blacks and round-tipped reds in music stores in this country. Wierd...


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## oompa (Sep 27, 2007)

hmm. ive always thought there was absolutely no difference at all. i hold one of each (unused) in my hand now, and i cant feel any difference, i might agree that blacks are a tiiiny bit stiffer but that could just as well be because Metal Ken wrote that their webpage says they are. i probably couldnt tell any difference in the dark.


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## All_¥our_Bass (Sep 27, 2007)

I use the dunlop tortex purples.


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## Kotex (Oct 1, 2007)

I likes me some Tortex .78's (the yellow ones).

Tried a Jazz before and the end of it threw me off.


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## telecaster90 (Oct 5, 2007)

Metal Ken said:


> I used the 3mm stubbies. The big ol' fat motherfuckers. The taper really fast off towards the end though



Last time I bought picks, I bought some J3's and stubbies. I liked the stubbies, but I'd have to agree with you that they wear off really fast. I'll stick with my J3's


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## Jongpil Yun (Oct 6, 2007)

Right now I'm going on a big Ultex kick, switching between the Ultex 1.0mm triangle things and the Ultex J3s.

Ultex gets a


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## FortePenance (Oct 6, 2007)

I need to give Jazz IIIs another try I think. I used them for about 2 months last year, and I just couldn't get used to them, much too small and there was no body to hold onto whilst picking. I changed back to Dunlop 1mms and they felt a lot more normal around Christmas. Then recently I upgraded to 1.14mms because I prefered the slightly thicker feel.


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## Seedawakener (Oct 7, 2007)

I need to try some Ultex's... They seem awesome! I use heavy tortex jazzIII's now though.


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## TomAwesome (Oct 7, 2007)

The reds and blacks are the same except for what they're made of. The red ones are nylon, and the black ones are "stiffo nylon".

They're great picks, though. No matter how may different picks I try, I always keep a few J3 picks around. I still need to try some of those Ultexes. I used the Stubbies for a while back when I was using really thick strings. They're pretty cool, but I think they're better suited for bass.


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## 8string (Oct 8, 2007)

Can't remember the name of it, but it's an Ibanez 2.0mm with some kind of sandpaper-like stuff on it. haven't dropped a pick since I started using them. Damn you sweaty hands!!!


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## MrJack (Oct 14, 2007)

Switched over to Jazz III's almost a year ago and now when I try to use the picks I used before that, they seem too large and thin. They just feel so crappy compared to J3's.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Oct 19, 2007)

I use the Dunlop Black Tortex Jazz 1.14mm.

Dunlop


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## Bound (Oct 20, 2007)

Dunlop Gatorz 1.5mm for true string slaying.


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## Pirelli (Oct 22, 2007)

+1 for Ultex J3s

Last forever and are really stiff.


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## guitarplayerone (Oct 23, 2007)

i just bought a red and a black jazz 3 today... theyre really small... they require a bit more grip but really tune up the accuracy of their playing.
I have to get some Ultexes too I guess because I love ultra-stiff picks and the Jazz 3s have a bit more give than I like


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## Drew (Oct 24, 2007)

I use Jazz-sized Tortex "Pure Black" picks, about .8-omething, I think. I forget the exact thickness, but if you bought a normal tortex this thickness, it'd be green. You'd probably dig that, Ken.  Myself, I prefer black. 

I like them a little more than the Jazz III's because they have a LITTLE more give to them. It's just more comfortable for me.


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## guitarplayerone (Oct 25, 2007)

anyone try the dunlop 'speed picks'? or the sharps?


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## JBroll (Oct 25, 2007)

Sharps kick ass. Don't care for the speed picks, but my pick angle is already where it needs to be so it's not the kind of thing I'd have to go for.

I'm back on 1.5mm sharps for everything but jazz. Guitars and bass.

Jeff


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## guitarplayerone (Oct 25, 2007)

fucking sweet, im about to get a bunch of 1.5 mms (i use 1.9 picks already, so why the hell not?)

yeah, my pick angle is fine too, but from their site it really did seem like you would have to rework your pick angle (and thus your picking completely) for their pick

which is lame.


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## JBroll (Oct 25, 2007)

Loomis uses the 1.5 sharps. They have all of the things I liked about Jazz IIIs for leads, but they're much easier for me to use for rhythms as well... and they last fucking forever, so I'm not changing too much anytime soon...

Jeff


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## guitarplayerone (Oct 26, 2007)

exactly, jazz III's are cool, but waay to small to get any rythm control, and I cant imagine using them live


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## JBroll (Oct 26, 2007)

When I played rhythm with Jazz IIIs I usually ended up completely destroying my index fingernail because that hit the strings as much as the pick did, if not more... no, finesse is not my thing.

Jeff


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## guitarplayerone (Oct 26, 2007)

its just, i depend on having that surface area to grip for dynamics...
but yeah dude, im gonna have to go order some sharps...


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## soldierkahn (Oct 26, 2007)

believe it or not guys, Ive found that the Red ones produce more highs and mids, and the Black ones will add a little bass and cut some of the mids out. I have three diff types i use. I use the Red and Black Jazz IIIs and then the 1.14mm Tortex Jazz IIIs, which lie the reds, boost your highs a lot. I use the red ones for doing high speed triplets and quads ala Chimaira/KSE/Divine Heresy, the black ones for all my Drop D stuff, and the tortexs for KoRn/anything that i wantsuper highs in. Maybe im crazy but i constantly bounce between picks. I can pick the fastest with the Reds, but love the tone from the Blacks, lol. Endless cycle


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## telecaster90 (Oct 26, 2007)

soldierkahn said:


> believe it or not guys, Ive found that the Red ones produce more highs and mids, and the Black ones will add a little bass and cut some of the mids out. I have three diff types i use. I use the Red and Black Jazz IIIs and then the 1.14mm Tortex Jazz IIIs, which lie the reds, boost your highs a lot. I use the red ones for doing high speed triplets and quads ala Chimaira/KSE/Divine Heresy, the black ones for all my Drop D stuff, and the tortexs for KoRn/anything that i wantsuper highs in. Maybe im crazy but i constantly bounce between picks. I can pick the fastest with the Reds, but love the tone from the Blacks, lol. Endless cycle




Interesting, I might have to experiment more with the red and black ones and changing between them.


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## soldierkahn (Oct 28, 2007)

The only explanation i can give to this is that the Red ones are slightly thicker, but more flexible (they have more give to em), and the black ones are slightly slimmer but not very flexible. That and prolly the materials they are made out of. I dont fully understand the physics, but like with most things that ive gained knowledge on with my guitars, it comes from experience, so i just do what ive learned, lol. But then again im alsoa guy who changes his guitar strings every two weeks, so i guess i may be a little over the edge for some folks...


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## Santuzzo (Dec 1, 2007)

I do like the Jazz III's a lot, especially the tortex jazz III's.
But I still prefer and use Ibanez Paul Gilbert picks, they are about as pointy as the Jazz III's but just a little bit bigger, which makes them more comfortable to grip for me.
In terms of size they are right in between regular sized picks and Jazz III's.
But I think I could get used to Jazz III's, too, but the Gilbert picks feel more comfortable.


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## Unknown Doodl3.2 (Dec 1, 2007)

Am I the only who uses up a Jazz III in like 2-3 weeks? I don't get when people say they last forever  To me, a pick is all used up when the tip is rounded off enough to not give the same attack as when it was new...


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## guitarplayerone (Dec 2, 2007)

Unknown Doodl3.2 said:


> Am I the only who uses up a Jazz III in like 2-3 weeks? I don't get when people say they last forever  To me, a pick is all used up when the tip is rounded off enough to not give the same attack as when it was new...



I might use them up that fast if I used them for rythm guitar. However, I never do. I totally agree with you dude, but sometimes I have no cash for picks, so I must use the old ones.

everyone should try Stubby Jazz III's btw


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## 74n4LL0 (Jan 21, 2008)

Mainly Ibanez Paul gilbert (or the Ibby ones with the same shape) or the pickboy jazz 1.5mm


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## Luan (Jan 22, 2008)

I use Jazz III black


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## eleven59 (Jan 22, 2008)

I use the Dunlop Nylon 1mm 

I used to use the 3mm Stubby too, but I was constantly cutting up my fingers. I need a big pick, since I play a lot of punk/ska and strum-ier stuff that is more about energy than finesse.


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## darren (Jan 22, 2008)

I used stubbies and big stubbies for a few years, but when i started getting back into harder music, i found they had an annoying and audible "plink" when they slammed into the strings. 

So i went back to my old standby, Dunlop delrins in various weights. Now i'm an Ultex convert, and surprisingly, i quite like the Ultex Jazz IIIs, though i'm having a HELL of a time finding a consistent supply of them, and i'm still not sure about the smaller size, because i find my index finger nail tends to drag on the strings when i use smaller picks. I alternate between the Jazz III and a .072 regular teardrop Ultex. I need to keep a few of them around, because they truly disappear when you drop 'em. I think my ideal pick would be a "sharp" teardrop Ultex.


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## eleven59 (Jan 22, 2008)

darren said:


> I used stubbies and big stubbies for a few years, but when i started getting back into harder music, i found they had an annoying and audible "plink" when they slammed into the strings.
> 
> So i went back to my old standby, Dunlop delrins in various weights. Now i'm an Ultex convert, and surprisingly, i quite like the Ultex Jazz IIIs, though i'm having a HELL of a time finding a consistent supply of them, and i'm still not sure about the smaller size, because i find my index finger nail tends to drag on the strings when i use smaller picks. I alternate between the Jazz III and a .072 regular teardrop Ultex. I need to keep a few of them around, because they truly disappear when you drop 'em. I think my ideal pick would be a "sharp" teardrop Ultex.



Actually, that's the other reasons I use the Nylon 1mm now: the sound issue you mentioned, and they're easy to find  (I use them for bass too, it's perfect for me)


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## Vision (Jan 27, 2008)

74n4LL0 said:


> Mainly Ibanez Paul gilbert (or the Ibby ones with the same shape) or the pickboy jazz 1.5mm



+1

I walked in and bought about 50 Paul Gilbert picks a few months ago. I love them.


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## Slamp (Jan 27, 2008)

I've used _One_ pick for the last three years, a pick made of stone shaped like a J3. It's thin and doesn't flex, i love it. a bit slippery though, but i played a gig last night with it at the hottest venue ever, and it wasn't really a problem. guess i'm just used to it by now.


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## Trespass (Jan 31, 2008)

Slamp said:


> I've used _One_ pick for the last three years, a pick made of stone shaped like a J3. It's thin and doesn't flex, i love it. a bit slippery though, but i played a gig last night with it at the hottest venue ever, and it wasn't really a problem. guess i'm just used to it by now.



Thats awesome.'




I agree with the Jazz3 color difference posted above, I used the blacks for drop A riffage, and reds for everything else.


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## Rick (Jan 31, 2008)

Mr. Kahn got me hooked on Jazz IIIs.


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## Maniacal (Feb 1, 2008)

AYE


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## sanchezero (Feb 4, 2008)

i'm diggin the jazz 3 xls. just a bigger version of the j3. 

sometimes i felt like i was playn with a watermelon seed


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## djpharoah (Feb 4, 2008)

I honestly love my Jazz III picks. I have both the red and black variety. However I find my index finger tip/nail gets mashed up a lot when I play with them. So I go back and forth between these and my old tortex 0.75/1.0mm picks as these save my fingers.


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## Russ (Feb 8, 2008)

I've tried a lot of picks over the years, but i'm hooked on these for about the past 2 years or so: Cool Picks - ultra

You can find them just about anywhere, I just put that link cuz it has a good explanation... Medium (.8mm) feels right to me, but they have a heavy also. They also make a white pick, but something is different about them. You have to get the black ones. Try one out, I don't think you'll regret it. The first time I tried one I noticed a real difference in control and accuracy.


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## JBroll (Feb 8, 2008)

I like those, but... I prefer the white ones with grip tape. They sound better to me.

Jeff


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## Despised_0515 (Feb 9, 2008)

I fell in love with jazz IIIs a short time after I started playing guitar, I just can't exactly remember how I heard about them. Every time any of my fellow guitarists saw the picks I used they'd look at them like "wtf? that's tinnyyyy" then they try em out for a few days and switch over to jazz IIIs.  I used to use the black ones because they wouldn't slip out of my fingers when they would get sweaty from playing, the black ones are "chalky" and the red ones are slippery and stuff.

But after using them for 2 years I kind of liked the thinness and size of my orange tortex picks I switched over to about a year ago. It's just a more "relaxed" feel to me, and I play brutally heavy drop A tuned stuff so I guess it's just personal preference.



sanchezero said:


> i'm diggin the jazz 3 xls. just a bigger version of the j3.



I've gotta try these out  it might make me fall in love with jazz IIIs all over again.


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