Picks...It really does make a difference!

[JeffD]

Dawg and Golden Gate get the best sound out of my mandolins.

Dave H

Many people would agree. I can't seem to get them to work. When I have tried them I get a kind of whisper tone and can't find an angle that makes it work. But Dave sure can. And many others.

[pelone]

I tried out a pick cut from an old credit card---I use it when chopping---the thin pick allows me to just skim over the strings and seems help me with the chop. The thicker picks seem to be my preference when playing lead or during fills.

[Emmett Marshall]

I love my Blue Chip, and my Dawg, and my Primetone, and my Buffalo horn. I find that it depends on the song. Some music sounds better with a Dawg, and another piece will sound better with the Blue Chip. That is my experience.

[William Smith]

V Picks

I also like V-picks, and my Bluechip

[Jeff Mando]

They all sound different.

Neat work, Barry! Looks like a coin collection! Mine are all in my left front pants pocket along with my change......a bit sloppier, but always ready for use!

[Bill Kammerzell]

for what it's worth, sam bush uses 1.0 dunlop guitar picks and uses the round edges of them.

I like those myself. The full sized. 1.0, 1.14 and 1.5. Has a little "tread" on it. I have a couple of Gibson "heavy" that I believe I bought with my first mandolin about 40 years ago. Wife found those in a box. Can barely see the inscription on those. I'll use those occasionally also.

[Bill Kammerzell]

Bill was a friend of mine and he only played Blue Chips!

just kidding, I have no idea what he used.....

In Richard D Smith's bio, of Bill Monroe, I recently read an anecdote where Bill was using a Gibson mandolin, on loan, while Gibson repaired two of his mandolins that were vandalized. There was no pick in the case and a group member gave him a rather loud looking, promotional, Day-Glo pick he'd been given. During some sort of workshop, students of the mandolin were asking him 1) What strings he used? After he answered that, they asked 2) about what picks he used. He held up the Day-Glo pick and answered, "This one." Of course I am not certain of the validity of the story. Although my wife met him years ago, I never even saw him except for pictures or on TV.

[mandroid]

its the Mallet, Drumstick of the mandolin.

[Bill Kammerzell]

V Picks

I use those from time to time. They are very good. Right now I'm stuck on the Dunlop's.

[zedmando]

Even if the listener can't tell the difference--you can it may make a difference in your playing--so it is good to experiment & find out what you like.

[Michael Neverisky]

No one has mentioned these yet. I tried them on the recommendation of a forum member and, at the moment, prefer them over anything else in my pick collection. Second place, ProPlec or BC TPR60.

Planet Waves Shell-Color Celluloid Guitar Picks, 10 pack, Extra Heavy, Wide Shape https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PGXJWY..._u4woxbAKSDN0R

[Barry Wilson]

I find I can't decide what I like from week to week. I bring a few different ones and use whatever feels right that day... or song to song. I use a super thin pick on acoustic guitar and grip it close to the end if I need stiffer. my fav all around pick is some old tortoise shell I don't even remember what brand it is now. it is worn round now. I have a golden gate dawg pick that is great for tremolo.

[zedmando]

I find I can't decide what I like from week to week. I bring a few different ones and use whatever feels right that day... or song to song.

Why not--I do that with guitar and have with mandolin.

[Roger Moss]

I'm using a buffalo horn pick now I I really like. Before that I used Primetone.

[Barry Wilson]

I figured why this weekend got me. my soft pick got even softer than normal due to heat. I choked up and wore my fingernail down. we were a humid 30c. 30c 10 blocks from the ocean is really hot LOL and no wind.

I like my dawg golden gate for tremolo, I like most of the tortoise shell type picks. a lot of nylon gets jagged edges when they wear... the big stubby are interesting made of lexan, the sharp points wear round pretty quick on mandolin. tonight I have a .50 dunlop, a dawg and a red big stubby triangle.... I have to watch with the new mandolin as there isn't much space between string and coverplate and easy to hit with a sharp pick if I dig in too flat

[zedmando]

I'm using a buffalo horn pick now I I really like. Before that I used Primetone.

I'm using a horn pic as well--Although I think mine is cow...
I really like it for mandolin.

[Marcus CA]

I go with the ProPlec 1.5's, which are easy to find in stores and cheap to replace. I like the brightness that they give without being tinny. I use the larger version of that pick for mandocello, too.