# I just changed pick gauges.



## Drew (Jul 1, 2008)

I'd been playing Dunlop jazz-sized "pitch black" .88's for the last year or so - they have a little more give than Jazz III's, but are still pretty stiff. However, I'd always grab something else when I picked up my acoustic, and while a lighter pick felt weird, I also always felt like my picking, especially on the bass strings, was a little cleaner. I tend to dig in a little too much, and no matter what I try to do I can't seem to fix it. 

So last week I grabbed some pitch black .60's. Holy shit, suddenly I can pick!  I'm still no Chris Quigley, but I'm no longer getting hung up on the strings, so my rhythm playing is cleaner and my alternate picking is smoother. As an added bonus, surprisingly, I'm liking the brighter attack.


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## Anthony (Jul 2, 2008)

It's amazing what a simple change in pick can do for a person's playing.


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## Shannon (Jul 2, 2008)

Maybe I need to try that. I've been using the Blue Dunlop 1mm for over a decade now.


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## Zepp88 (Jul 2, 2008)

There is no other pick.

I used to use the Blue regular shape tortex picks and they became a hinderance. After I tried the sharps I no longer felt held back, they're very clean and I love the attack. 

Here's to having choices!!


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## TomAwesome (Jul 2, 2008)

Welcome to the light pick brigade! I've been using .73 Dunlop Ultexes for a while now. I lurve them.


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## Shannon (Jul 2, 2008)

My old guitarist used .60 & .73mm picks. Way too tiny for me. It feel like I was trying to pick with a postcard.


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## dream-thief (Jul 2, 2008)

Jazz III ftw.

They've got quite a following for bloody good reason. i switched to the last year and the improvement in my playing was amazing straight away


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## canuck brian (Jul 2, 2008)

I went from the Jazz 3's to the little Dunlop 206's. They're 2 MM and bevelled Jazz 3's. My picking speed got faster, I was more accurate...it totally changed my style for the better.


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## Scali (Jul 2, 2008)

I play with mandoline picks. They're smaller than regular picks and pretty much made for tremolo picking, because that's what mandoline players do.

My favourites are Gibson Heavy mandoline picks, but I think they went out of production years ago. I found a good substitute in Boston Medium mandoline picks.
I have a Fender Heavy mandoline pick aswell, but it's too thick and stiff, so I don't use that one.

Failing those I prefer to use regular Dunlop celluloid ones in the range of 0.88 to 0.96.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Jul 2, 2008)

i have ALWAYS used the nylon dunlop .60's. Its the perfect blend of stiffness and ductility.
And i have to have some texture on my picks, i dont know how some of you can use smooth pics.


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## Chris (Jul 2, 2008)

FWIW, I use 1mm tortex blues.
Jim Dunlop 418R-100 Tortex Blue 1:00 mm, bag of 72


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## HammerAndSickle (Jul 2, 2008)

Haha, I think I use lighter picks than all of you  Dunlop Tortex .50s!

I only tried heavier picks a couple of times, but each time I felt like I needed a lot more pressure to pick the string and I didn't like the thump-y attack.


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## Drew (Jul 2, 2008)

Basically, I just came to terms with the fact that I dig in a lot, and compensated by going to a lighter pick guage so I could still pick as I'm used to without getting hung up on the strings. 

Maybe I should still practice with 3.0mm mini Stubby's or something, but I think I'm playing better on lighter picks. 

I still use heavy-assed strings though.


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## Mvotre (Jul 2, 2008)

i used to play with jazz III, but now im using a 0.70 planet waves wich i shaped like a jazz.. works fine for me


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## DarkRaven03 (Jul 2, 2008)

Chris said:


> FWIW, I use 1mm tortex blues.
> Jim Dunlop 418R-100 Tortex Blue 1:00 mm, bag of 72



+1

I use blue tortex as well, but I use the round edges on the side instead of the point. Makes everything much easier to play imo.


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## Shannon (Jul 2, 2008)

Chris said:


> FWIW, I use 1mm tortex blues.
> Jim Dunlop 418R-100 Tortex Blue 1:00 mm, bag of 72



Yep, those have been my "go to" picks for 15 years.


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## noodles (Jul 2, 2008)

I use Clayton Ultem in 1.2mm. I just cannot play with anything lighter than 1.0mm, since it flexes too much. I pick really, really hard, too, and never have problems getting hung up in the strings. After years of picking a different way, I had an instructor show me that it was my right hand technique that was getting me hung up.


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## ibznorange (Jul 2, 2008)

my right hand technique is horrible, since ive been working on it ive been doing alot better with 1.14s than my 1.5s and using my 1.5s in place of when id use 2.0s. i still use my 1.14s when i use a pick acoustic, but i typically just use the backs of my nails. gator grips are winnarific though


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## stubhead (Jul 2, 2008)

I think at one point I was declared "the oldest guy here".... I've been playing for 37 years, and I see NO downside to having a big bowl full of all different sizes, thicknesses and types of picks. Sometimes a part or a jam just isn't happening, and you grab a different pick and it _is..._

Live is different, but I still usually settle on a Tortex .88 _and_ an Ultex 1.00, both with one shoulder sharpened to a point, and the tip rounded somewhat. This gives you a sharp shoulder, a round shoulder, and the point somewhere in between. To a large extent, you can substitute a rounder thick pick shape for a pointier thin pick, and still get the speed advantages but with a stronger attack - try the shoulder of an .88 to see what I mean. Being able to get a maximum amount of tonal variation quickly by changing the angle of attack also figures into it.

Dicking with your equipment randomly and needlessly is a really good way to find unexpected stuff....


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## All_¥our_Bass (Jul 2, 2008)

Right now I use the tortex blues/purples. But I've been meaning to to lighten it up just a lil' bit. My next set will be greens.


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## Chris (Jul 3, 2008)

DREW.

LOOK AT THE FUCKING TITLE OF THIS THREAD.


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## Zepp88 (Jul 3, 2008)




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## All_¥our_Bass (Jul 3, 2008)

Chris said:


> DREW.
> 
> LOOK AT THE FUCKING TITLE OF THIS THREAD.


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## Drew (Jul 3, 2008)

sorry dude, I always fuck that one up.


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## YYZ2112 (Jul 3, 2008)

I've been playing with green tortex picks forever. I don't even know what guage those are exactly.


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## All_¥our_Bass (Jul 3, 2008)

I think they're like .88 mm.


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## gaunten (Jul 3, 2008)

=win

(sorry for the bad pic, couldn't find better. 1.14 btw)


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## 8string (Jul 3, 2008)

Ibanez Grip Wizards, they're like a jazz III you can actually keep between your fingers when the sweat starts breaking out...


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## Vision (Jul 4, 2008)

I was using Fender thin picks forever... then I tried a bunch of different picks and ended up with the Paul Gilbert picks and my playing drastically improved.

Then on the recommendation of ss.org, I tried the Jazz III's... the reds had too much bend in them and were getting me hung up, but the blacks were perfect! I use the Paul Gilberts on my acoustic, and use the Jazz III's on my electric.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jul 7, 2008)

I just got back from London, and made sure to keep a couple of 50 pence pieces for the purpose of making them into picks. On one hand, I'm interested in what it will sound like. On the other hand, I don't want to scratch the hell out of my finish the first time I break 'em out. My stone picks have a pretty unique sound (kind of like a dog running on linoleum), but it's not quite for me, so hey, experimentation can't hurt.


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## metalheadpunk (Jul 8, 2008)

i generally use a black jazz iii, but lately i've been trying this paul gilbert ibanez pick and am digging it so far, although i always keep a j3 close by! i'm getting some ultex j3s later this week so maybe those will be my new flavor.


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## Naren (Jul 9, 2008)

I've used the orange 0.6 Dunlop picks for years now. I started out playing guitar on 1.1mm Dunlop jazz picks that were very short and very thick. I guess I just accidentally bought a bunch of them one day. I used those for about a year before changing and realizing that "medium thickness" picks were the way to go (after trying out everything from 0.3mm to 1.5mm). I think that 0.6mm picks are the perfect thickness for me.

Since everyone on this site always raves and raves about the Jazz III picks, I went out and bought 4 of them (one red regular size, one black regular size, one red XL size, one black XL size) and tried working with them for about a week. They were great for lead guitar and tremolo picking, but I just COULD NOT play them for rhythm guitar. I consider myself a pretty good rhythm guitarist. My band has songs at 230bpm, songs with heavily syncopated guitar parts, and other such elements that really really suffered with the Jazz IIIs. The 0.6mm Dunlops always allowed/allow me to play things to the extent of my ability, the Jazz IIIs would get stuck on the strings immediately and I just couldn't use them.

As for my style, I pick very very hard and aggressively.

The other guitarist in my band uses heavy gauge picks over 1.0mm and he tried playing with one of my picks and he literally couldn't do it. He said something like, "I can't understand how you can play with those things."

Here's a pic of the pick I use:






They're just really comfortable. I do have some trouble with super fast solos/lead guitar, but I play more rhythm than lead and although the Jazz IIIs make fast lead easy, my rhythm guitar goes to hell.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jul 10, 2008)

.6? I don't know how you guys do it, I can't play with anything under .73. Although, in a pinch, I once used a packet of beef broth as a pick.


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## Naren (Jul 10, 2008)

SchecterWhore said:


> .6? I don't know how you guys do it, I can't play with anything under .73. Although, in a pinch, I once used a packet of beef broth as a pick.



Same back at you.  I can't understand how you guys out there are playing with 1.00mm picks. 

When I used to accidentally drop my pick, I would turn my pointer finger and thumb of my right hand into a makeshift pick. I told this to my bandmates and they were like "You probably can't play anything like that." So I played the intro rhythm guitar one of one of our 200bpm songs. Then the drummer was like "Okay. That was decent, but you can't play solos that way, right?" So I picked the most complicated solos I play in any of our songs and played it pretty much perfect with just a few mistakes at the faster alternate picked part at the end.

Luckily, I haven't dropped a pick in several years now. But if I did, I could manage the rest of the song with my fingernail-pick.


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## TomAwesome (Jul 10, 2008)

Fingernail picks make this freaking horrible scraping sound, though. My drummer plays guitar with his fingernails much like you described, and it just sounds awful. I keep my nails too short to do that anyway. I can pump out a few chugs if I have to, but eh.


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## Drew (Jul 10, 2008)

UPDATE - Holy shit, I can sweep now, sort of.  

Still not great, but my sweeping is way smoother on lighter picks. 

Naren, I'm playing the same gauge as you now, just the "black" tortex version. I approve.


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## eaeolian (Jul 10, 2008)

Chris said:


> FWIW, I use 1mm tortex blues.
> Jim Dunlop 418R-100 Tortex Blue 1:00 mm, bag of 72



I used those for about 10 years, then switched to the Ultex 1.14s - now I use Clayton Ultem 1.2s, and I can't recommend them enough. Clayton's edge work is light-years better than Dunlops.


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## Naren (Jul 10, 2008)

TomAwesome said:


> Fingernail picks make this freaking horrible scraping sound, though. My drummer plays guitar with his fingernails much like you described, and it just sounds awful. I keep my nails too short to do that anyway. I can pump out a few chugs if I have to, but eh.



Of course, it sounds horrible.  Like I said in my post, it was only a last resort for in case I dropped my pick and plastic sounds a lot better than a fingernail. You have so much more control with your pick. I wouldn't describe mine as a "scraping" sound. It doesn't sound good, but it sounds better than pretty much any option other than getting a new pick when you drop one. 

Fingernail length is irrelevent because when I play with my fingernail-pick, I play with the middle of my fingernail. My fingernails are really really short right now. I cut them too short and they hurt, but I can do the fingernail-pick just as easy now as I could before.

However, I don't want to. And luckily, like I said, I haven't dropped a pick in years now. So I've never had to resort to that.


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## WillingWell (Jul 10, 2008)

Honestly, there is some degree of truth to changing picks, but I think it's mostly psychological and technique based. If your technique is good enough, the pick really shouldn't matter much outside of what's comfortable. The only notable exception I think is going from using regular picks to jazz picks, because once you adjust I think jazz picks change you a little bit.

However other than that, I think it's mostly psychological gratification.


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## TomAwesome (Jul 10, 2008)

^ Not really. Pay close attention. They sound different, and this is even apparent to me through my POD. They affect your technique, too, but that's a much more open ended discussion.


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## WillingWell (Jul 10, 2008)

I'm not saying they are identical in sound, that's obviously not true. I just think it's kind of silly to think 0.2 millimeters have been holding back your technique.


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## Drew (Jul 11, 2008)

Not really, dude. If the problem is you're digging in a little too much while you pick and nothing you seem to do changes that (I'm a blues guy from way back), then switching to a pick with 25% less stiffness than what you'd been using previously can make a hell of a difference. 

I won't even pretend this isn't merely a crutch for inferior technique, but the thing is it's made a measurable difference in the smoothness of my picking technique.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jul 11, 2008)

If anyone's interested, I filed down that fifty pence piece last night. I plays better than I expected, but brings out all the highs. Power chords sound like shit, and if I tremolo pick over a harmonic node, I can hear that harmonic jumping out. Haven't played with it plugged in yet. Sweeping is surprisingly easy.


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## Bobo (Jul 12, 2008)

I use baby .50mm Tortex's and I trim them down some. Weird fo sho


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## Cancer (Jul 12, 2008)

I'm actually looking to try one of these.....






They actually have these in 5 mm.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jul 12, 2008)

What is it?


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## Desi (Jul 13, 2008)

Yes, the Dunlop PrimeTone picks...hardcore picks they are. They are like JazzIIIs on steroids.


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## budda (Jul 13, 2008)

me and my jazz III broke a 52 low E tuned to standard last night..

but i love them! i dont want lighter picks, bah.


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## WarriorOfMetal (Jul 14, 2008)

i used to use the normal-size green .88mm Dunlop Tortex, with a 3-fingered pick grip. a couple years ago i started fucking around with the .88mm tortex jazz picks, and ended up switching to those, along with a 2-finger pick grip.

i can't stand anything thicker because i don't like the feel of having something big like that between my fingers, and anything thinner feels too floppy to me.


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## maccayoung (Jul 14, 2008)

I used to use ultex/tortex .73 for a long time but have recently switched to ultex/tortex jazz 3s. It took a while to adjust (especially to the thicker tortex pick) but I have to say I find it easier for intricate stuff like leads. Of course it could be purely psychological


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## zapper1986 (Jul 15, 2008)

on top of my amp i have about 7 or 8 different picks at all times. and a small file to keep them sharp. So if one doesn't feel right i can just grab a different one.


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## canuck brian (Jul 15, 2008)

I use the "205" in the picture below. I love them.


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## Desi (Jul 15, 2008)

JazzTones are great picks. The 205s just dice through the strings.


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## drmosh (Jul 24, 2008)

I just got a bunch of v-picks and they play really great. I picked up the jazzIII sized screamer, the larger screamer and got a free medium rounded.
The rounded sounds good but is just not for me at all, the large screamer is too big because I am so used to the jazzIII (which I have been playing for 15 years now) but the small screamer is awesome.
I do find it easier to pick because of the way it's made and the grip is awesome. Dunno about the tone yet though, maybe just because I am so used to the jazzIII tone.


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## SlipknotKoRnfan (Jul 24, 2008)

I swear by this picks, Dunlop 2.0mm with the textured finish. Iunno I guess i like the feel of stiff picks, makes picking very articulate.


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## TonalArchitect (Jul 24, 2008)

I agree with Stubhead (the old person ) I prefer having many picks, or in my case two or three kinds. I use jazz III's on occasion; they are well-suited to speed-picking. For strummed acoustic stuff, a light Fender pick gives a quite satisfying attack. For, um, not strumming, on acoustic, those 3.0mm Big Stubby beasthemoths from Dunlop give a very dark tone which I like, though they can be a bit uncooperative at times. 

I suppose I prefer picks that have very little or almost no give (I think I could press down and break all six strings on my acoustic before that Stubby would bend). Though the light picks for strumming have a huge amount of give which doesn't matter to me in that situation. 

* Note, the TonalArchitect also despises the floppy little-girl strings that electrics have and can no longer stand his electric with its .10-guage regular slinky set and instead plays his acoustic strung with .12's, which are feeling a little loose anymore.


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## JoryGriffin (Aug 4, 2008)

I love these things


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## Vision (Sep 21, 2008)

I just started trying metal picks. I tried steel, brass, copper, aluminum, etc... and I ended up settling on the brass Teckpick (which I dremeled out to the shape of a Jazz III ).

I highly recommend brass picks because they take all the muddiness out of a 7 string, and the brass is soft enough not to damage the strings too bad. The Teckpicks have a good grip to them with the holes drilled in them, and when the brass starts tarnishing, they get even more grip.


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## Drew (Oct 6, 2008)

Since this was bumped - I'm back on .80's, or whatever the slightly heavier guage ones were. It's a tossup for my Ibanez with 10-68's, but on my strat with 11's, there's just not enough mass in the pick. 

Still, switching up the pick gauge every now and then certainly helped me identify a few technique flaws.


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## TomAwesome (Oct 6, 2008)

I've gone from .73 to trying out some 1.14 picks with the edges filed down to be thinner and sharper. I'm not sure whether or not I'll stick with it yet, but so far I like it. I have the stiffness and control of a thicker pick with the attack of a thinner pick.


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## Santuzzo (Oct 7, 2008)

JoryGriffin said:


> I love these things



Where do you buy those? 
Are they the size of the Dunlop Jazz III?


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