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Do you "doctor" your guitar picks? How? What picks?


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I play a slow melodic doom metal and my favorite pick for a while now is the black Dunlop 1mm nylon. They have that wide raised lettering that provides some good grip w/o digging into my finger like sandpaper like some other grip picks do, and they have a little more give than other materials of the same thickness which makes them feel better in my hand. But for me the nylons need some serious touch up, as they have a super thin plastic flap that surrounds these picks and causes a kind of fluttering-like attack on the strings, unlike, say, a derlin pick, which is smooth all around w/ a quick release. For me the nylons would be perfect if they had that derlin smoothness on the edge. Why don't they? 

I've been just dealing with it, but recently I got a 72 pack of nylons and some 2000 grit paper and have been going through one pick at a time while I watch TV at night and just smoothing the edges until they're slick like a derlin. I've almost finished all 72 but I feel this was a bit obsessive so I've been trying some new picks again; .96 Dunlop derlin 500 Prime Grip w/ a pointy sandpaper grip that I just hated until I melted it down some w/ a hot needle. Some Dunlop pink derlin .96 that I poked holes through with a hot needle for some grip and that works ok I guess. Still somehow the nylon feels more comfortable in my hand. What do you guys do to your picks, or are you just not that picky? 

Edited by Christian Jones
don't know
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Speaking of picks, Brian Walton suggested these Blue Chip Picks:

I haven't tried this yet and not sure if I can really justify paying that price for a pick, but it seems to get good reviews. I generally use heavier/thicker picks (much cheaper ones :) ) and haven't had any issues with wear and tear (can't remember the brand name). 

 

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I've never had any problems with it.  When I first started playing (mid-70's) the picks tended to all be very smooth and I used to have a lot of problems with them flying out of my fingers.  The cool part about the Dava's is that you basically get two picks in one.  They flex a bit in the middle so if you hold them on the wide area (the "normal" place you'd hold a pick) then they work well for strumming but, if you hold them closer to the tip, then you get a much more rigid pick which is good when you really want to chunk on the strings or dig in.

Although I suck at finger-picking (to be fair to myself, I never really tried to pick it up or learn how), there are training videos of Jon Bonamassa (for example) using a small, stiff pick in conjunction with his fingers that is very versatile.  Maybe someday I'll get around to learning and practicing that!

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The guitarist I used to write with used to make his picks out of stainless steel washers. He'd cut & grind them down, then buff them with an industrial polisher until you could see your face in them.

I always shy'd away from metal picks, but these were so smooth they just slipped off the strings. 

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As Mesh pointed out, I'm picky about picks.

I spent hundreds finding the ones that work for me on the quest.  

Two standouts that make something noticably different than your run of the mill "guitar center" picks.

Blue Chip - very expensive but magical material (was used in the production of semi-conductors.  Grippy but glides off the strings effortlessly.  A wonder substance.

V-Picks (ghost rim versions) - thick acrylic picks.  They claim they are grippy, but I actually make them more grippy with some careful dremel tool work.  The ghost rim option has an interesting grittynes to the attack and really excites the strings, I like this for dirty electric work - not so much acoustic playing.  I tried tons of models and the B# ghost rim is my prefered choice from this company.  It is kind of a custom order of sorts where you have to put in the notes you what ghost rim on that model, not sure why they havne't made it an official model as at one time the maker indicated it was his "go to."  The attack on the string will likley be something you love or hate.  

 

My advise is experiment with makers, there are tons of them out there.  

 

I would stay away from any pick thinner than at least 1.0mm basically shouldn't even make that trash.  ?

Edited by Brian Walton
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