The secret to PURE tone...

[wta]

I had a guy ask me once WHY would I spend so much on my guitar, amps, cables and so on and use a 25cent piece of plastic as a pick where the tonal creation of my music starts! Would I hit a bell with a plastic mallet? Why would I strike a steel string with a plastic pick and expect amazing tone?
After months of mucking about trying everthing under the sun I've settle on a modified Silver JFK 1/2 dollar and I've NEVER heard such amazing tonal quality on both my acoustics and my electrics.
When I made them I thought they were a hair heavy so I drilled the holes which also work great for gripping and I also know where on the pick I'm holding it without looking at it which is handy when going form strumming to picking and back. I admit it took some getting used to but if its good enough for Brian May (he useds a six pence) I thought it'd be good for me too. I've had so many people buggin me to try them I finally had to start making more!!!
Oh and in a year of using them I've NEVER broken a string... ;-)

 

[MrMarkIII]

Uh, the Treasury Dept. would like to have a word with you... :lol:

 

[wta]

Uh, the Treasury Dept. would like to have a word with you... :lol:

LOL!!! He's a shredder and has given the "nod"... :wink:

 

[Jackie]

That makes about the same amount of sense as caulking a cab does, IMO... but if it works for you, I'm not the one to say it's bad! :wink:

I also noticed a slight difference when going from Dunlop Tortex 0.88mm picks to Ultex Sharp 0.90, but that's probably because I adapted my technique to the different shape of the pick, I seem to hit the strings at a different angle now, it's more feel than tone I guess...

 

[wta]

That makes about the same amount of sense as caulking a cab does, IMO... but if it works for you, I'm not the one to say it's bad! :wink:

I also noticed a slight difference when going from Dunlop Tortex 0.88mm picks to Ultex Sharp 0.90, but that's probably because I adapted my technique to the different shape of the pick, I seem to hit the strings at a different angle now, it's more feel than tone I guess...

I guess the fundemental question is, "Does striking a metal string with metal have a tonal/sonic difference than striking it with plastic?". To my ears the plastic is noticably duller sounding than the metal both amplified and just acoustically. I'd challenge you Jackie to test it before tossing this one under the bus, lol... Billy Gibbons and a ton of old blues guys use coins as well. Density is another issue, I LOVE the immediate attack on the strings, no bending whatsoever but thats not a tonal thing. Strumming was a big one to get used to but again SO much brighter especially on a 12 string acoustic!!! HUGE!!!

 

[Jackie]

Well, I don't have any special coins lying around, so I could have a hard time testing it :lol:

Just kidding, there is most definitely a difference, but I think that with my rate of losing picks, my aggressive style of playing, using a coin isn't that practical at least. Plus, I like my picks to bend just a little... Like I said, if it works for you, great find! I'll definitely give it a try on my acoustic though, but I'll have to overcome the fear of breaking a string if I hit it to hard. How big of a coin are you using?

 

[wta]

Well, I don't have any special coins lying around, so I could have a hard time testing it :lol:

Just kidding, there is most definitely a difference, but I think that with my rate of losing picks, my aggressive style of playing, using a coin isn't that practical at least. Plus, I like my picks to bend just a little... Like I said, if it works for you, great find! I'll definitely give it a try on my acoustic though, but I'll have to overcome the fear of breaking a string if I hit it to hard. How big of a coin are you using?

Its about the size of a bass pick, 1" from tip to top but I've got the tip/blade VERY sharp to the point I could almost shave with it to get a super thin blade. In the year I've been using it I still haven't broke a string. I drop tune to Eb and use custom heavy/light elixers on my electrics and 12s on my acoustics but even when I've used 9s its been no problem. I'm used to it now, in the beginning it was like dancing with someone elses wife, just weird BUT after a few hours I started getting the feel for it and now I can't play without them...

 

[gonzo]

HEHE

i made picks out of a broken Paiste hi-hat, back in 1979.


used them for quite a while, but you'll eat thru strings very quickly.

also made a thing called the "Flesh-Pick"

LOL

 

[wta]

HEHE

i made picks out of a broken Paiste hi-hat, back in 1979.


used them for quite a while, but you'll eat thru strings very quickly.

also made a thing called the "Flesh-Pick"

LOL

I figured that if I file down the edges it slides on the strings alot easier but man I bed cymbals would make awesome picks!!! Dang, I need a cymbal!!!

 

[oneamongthefence]

this is an interesting topic. Now i've always imagined that the mechanics of picking is alot like a bow. In slow motion the pick pulls back the string and then releases it. I could say that the harder the surface at the point of release the better attack or sound you will get, but i would dare say material has nothing to do with it. It would be interesting to compare two identicallly shaped picks, one metal and one plastic, at varying different thicknesses. My guess would be material doesnt necessarily matter, but rather size/thickness at point of release. Nice post though. Very interesting.

 

[thendrix]

I had a guy ask me once WHY would I spend so much on my guitar, amps, cables and so on and use a 25cent piece of plastic as a pick

Because I spent so much on my guitars, amps, and cables. :lol:

 

[Blaklynx]

I had a guy ask me once WHY would I spend so much on my guitar, amps, cables and so on and use a 25cent piece of plastic as a pick

Because I spent so much on my guitars, amps, and cables. :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[wta]

I had a guy ask me once WHY would I spend so much on my guitar, amps, cables and so on and use a 25cent piece of plastic as a pick

Because I spent so much on my guitars, amps, and cables. :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[masque]

dunlop nylon for me baby.....i love the way they feel and i actually like the mellowness of the pick against the string.

 

[kk]

Billy Gibbons (sp?) uses a quarter.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Billy Gibbons (sp?) uses a quarter.

Mexican Peso.

 

[wta]

Billy Gibbons (sp?) uses a quarter.

Mexican Peso.

yep...

 

[wta]

Brian May was the one to get me interested, he of course used a 6 pence and much the richer... A LOT of old blues guys used coins as well. I personally don't think using a coin is right for everyone BUT I found for me it was a big key in getting the tone I was looking for, the density and the brightness at the same time and the weight as well and I can get a VERY fine edge on a coin (a bit sharp frankly and a danger for scratching my guitars) which has been amazing combined with the density I can get an immediateness to my picking that nylon just could do. It's odd how milliseconds make a big difference...
Its also odd to me that Brian May doesn't shave his coins at all but leaves it round which I tried but didn't like, I much prefer a sharp tipped edge like the shape of a typical pick...

 

[rocksalt7]

Years ago, my bandmate and I tried whats called a "mind-pick"...it was a polished piece of stone in the shape of a pick. No two were the same; some were sharp pointed some were more rounded. He used his a LOT, but I just couldn't get the feel for it. It most definitely changed the attack dynamics... it also seemed to increase all the treble response to the point of being harsh and "ice pick" like.
I tried the "peso" thing like Billy G. and liked that better, but it still wasn't quite the sound and touch I was looking for. I'm primarily a rhythm player, so over the years I've gravitated to the grey Dunlop nylons, but I use the rounded edge, not the point...that changed a LOT in the way my sound was delivered. I almost can't play with the pointed end any more...it's just weird!! :roll:

Now...I wonder if I can find that polished stone pick...I probably still have it...somewhere!!

 

[zappazapper]

in the past, when in a pinch, i've used pennies before, and i used to work at a rehearsal studio and some guy that was coming in was using picks he made out of old cymbals... he gave me a few, and they were pretty cool... they were great because they were nice and hard but they didn't have to be that thick... i don't think the actual material made any difference, just that it was so hard... some of them he had filed the edges smooth and some of them he didn't... i seemed to like the ones he didn't file down a bit more, just had more grab on the strings, and they were great for pick scrapes... the worst thing i noticed was the marks that started showing up on the body and pickguard of my guitar... since then i bought a gibson with a nice sunburst finish so i switched back to plastic... i can see using metal picks again for recording, like if i was sitting down, but when i'm standing up i tend to get too rambunctious...