The Pick Club

[Osiris]

1 hour ago, Jus Lukin said:

 

Glad I'm not the only one! Language is ever shifting, and the important thing is that we can all express ourselves and understand each other- but the term is 'plectrum'.

 

I use a plectrum when the sound and feel will suit the music- some bands just require fingers, some, particularly covers gigs, are a mix, and a few are plec all the way.

I have many plectra, but the 1mm Dunlop Max Grip is the one which lives in my back pocket for instant access.

 

Same here, I've only ever known them as a plectrum, which also seems to be the preferred term by those in my area and who I've played with over the years. I hadn't heard them referred to as a pick until joining BC. Same as scratch plate which now seems to have become pick guard - to other people at least. This is just an observation, it's not meant to be an inflammatory remark but should anyone feel the need to get all irate about it, knock yourself out. I personally couldn't care less what you call it as long as I know what you're talking about. 

 

And for the record, my first 20-25 years or so of playing was exclusively with a plectrum, then moved exclusively to fingers for a while, now doing a bit of both but having moved exclusively to short scale basses in recent years I find that a plectrum sounds more distinct with much more clarity than fingers. My preferred gauge is 2.0mm as I find thinner plectra are more difficult to keep a grip on and lack the tone of a thicker one. Anything under 1.5mm sounds thinner and brighter to me whereas 2.0mm has a weight of tone a more even response across the frequency range to my ears. I'm currently using a batch of the purple Dunlop Tortex ones the same as @christhammer666 has pictured above but as they are smooth and shiny I find they can get a bit slippery especially as I'm a bit of a sweaty biffa, so I'm currently on the lookout for another 2.0mm variety that are more grippy. The Ernie Ball Everlast has caught my eye although some online reviews suggest that the name is a misnomer as they don't tend to last that long at all whereas I can get 2 or 3 years from one of the Tortex ones and I'm not one for tickling the strings either. I might just take a punt on some of the EB Everlast's and report back in due course. 

[Guest aDx]

14 hours ago, KevB said:

Dunlop USA Nylon 1mm for me, has been for years though I do play fingerstyle on some songs when it's required. Always serve the song.

THIS

 

 

[fretmeister]

I use picks for specific songs but I'm mostly a finger player. I'm far quicker with fingers than a pick so I only swap when it's for a tone change.

 

Although if I'm also the main singer then for some reason I prefer to play with a pick. Possibly a throwback from fronting bands as a guitarist / singer. The co-ordination is already there.

[franzbassist]

I like the Rotosound .96mm triangle picks for bass, as and when required.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 15, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[christhammer666]

20 minutes ago, Osiris said:

 

Same here, I've only ever known them as a plectrum, which also seems to be the preferred term by those in my area and who I've played with over the years. I hadn't heard them referred to as a pick until joining BC. Same as scratch plate which now seems to have become pick guard - to other people at least. This is just an observation, it's not meant to be an inflammatory remark but should anyone feel the need to get all irate about it, knock yourself out. I personally couldn't care less what you call it as long as I know what you're talking about. 

 

And for the record, my first 20-25 years or so of playing was exclusively with a plectrum, then moved exclusively to fingers for a while, now doing a bit of both but having moved exclusively to short scale basses in recent years I find that a plectrum sounds more distinct with much more clarity than fingers. My preferred gauge is 2.0mm as I find thinner plectra are more difficult to keep a grip on and lack the tone of a thicker one. Anything under 1.5mm sounds thinner and brighter to me whereas 2.0mm has a weight of tone a more even response across the frequency range to my ears. I'm currently using a batch of the purple Dunlop Tortex ones the same as @christhammer666 has pictured above but as they are smooth and shiny I find they can get a bit slippery especially as I'm a bit of a sweaty biffa, so I'm currently on the lookout for another 2.0mm variety that are more grippy. The Ernie Ball Everlast has caught my eye although some online reviews suggest that the name is a misnomer as they don't tend to last that long at all whereas I can get 2 or 3 years from one of the Tortex ones and I'm not one for tickling the strings either. I might just take a punt on some of the EB Everlast's and report back in due course. 

i should have added i usually score these with a knife or give them a rub with sandpaper. as you said they are terribly slippery when first used

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I've always known them as pleckies. I used them exclusively from 1978 to about 2000 and then went 100% fingers. During the lockdown I got some 1.5mm dunlop prime tone small triangles - initially for guitar but I have started to use them on bass when it suits the song. They are smaller than the usual dunlop triangles and they sit in the fingers perfectly

 

*not actual size

 

[MacDaddy]

I used a pick when I first started to play bass, as I was still playing classical guitar and had long nails on my picking hand.

I finally settled on Jim Dunlop's Big Stubby's as my pick of choice.

[Rich]

I only used to play a few songs with a pick, but now I play roughly half the songs in the ska band's set with one. A lot of them make so much more sense, it leaves me wondering why I ever played them fingerstyle in the first place. My weapon of choice is still the Herco heavy thumbpick. I love the fact that I don't have to grip it very hard at all.

[Dan Dare]

The first rule of pick club is...

[Ricky 4000]

37 minutes ago, Rich said:

My weapon of choice

 

I'm gonna try me some of them buggers. 👍

[Osiris]

2 hours ago, christhammer666 said:

i should have added i usually score these with a knife or give them a rub with sandpaper. as you said they are terribly slippery when first used

 

Same here although I was surprised as to how resistant they can be to a fresh Stanley knife blade. I've even go so far as this...

 

 

[Pat2019]

Used to be all pick( Dunlop 88s) now use mostly fingers with this as the pleck of choice when required

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

 

Glad I'm not the only one! Language is ever shifting, and the important thing is that we can all express ourselves and understand each other- but the term is 'plectrum'.

 

I use a plectrum when the sound and feel will suit the music- some bands just require fingers, some, particularly covers gigs, are a mix, and a few are plec all the way.

I have many plectra, but the 1mm Dunlop Max Grip is the one which lives in my back pocket for instant access.

I thought that with bass it was a pick, what with the electric bass being an American invention and all so the American name was the convention?  With guitar it should, of course, be plectrum.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Bassfinger

[Jonesy]

I started off using my fingers almost exclusively, but now I tend to float between the 2. Nowadays it's mostly pick.

 

Brass for the noisey band....

 

 

 

And then it's fingers or one of these 2 for the blues lot.....

 

[RussFM]

I started playing fingers, but over the years I've preferred playing with a pick. .73 Dunlops for a long time, but recently switched to the .60 Ernie Balls. I play with a slightly lighter attack and can play a little faster with them. They sound great!

[Barking Spiders]

I'm mainly a fingerer but will use a plec to play on those songs where using fingers sounds a bit meh esp tracks e.g. For The Love of Money, pretty much any early Stranglers tune, New Gold Dream by Simple Minds and Club Country by the Associates.

[Harps]

 

I’ve recently picked up a pack of these, and I’m very impressed. Dans guitar store precision picks. Nice and chunky and the shape works for me. 

[Muzz]

Dunlop Nylon 88s...I might find something better, then again, it's been 45 years with them exclusively so far, so maybe not... 😁