# Technique, Theory, Playing Tips and Tricks > Theory, Technique, Tips and Tricks >  Picks for mandolin?

## Minorkey

I was wondering about pick choice as mandolins are picked and although I sometimes use a pick on my guitars I mostly do fingerstyle (or try to)
I have a good selection of guitar picks but I saw a photo of a mandolin pick and it looked much wider.
Are guitar picks suitable? I also have a thumb pick that I rarely use.

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## Mike Bunting

A flatpick is a flatpick. As you evolve as a player you find that some picks have characteristics that work for you.  Try a bunch as you go along and don't worry about it. Work on technique. No doubt there will be an avalanche of opinions forthcoming, bear in mind that these are only opinions based on others experiences, take them with a grain of salt and let your own experience be your guide.

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doc holiday, 

Jim Nollman, 

jshane

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## Gregooch

I have bought a variety of picks from Fender medium and heavy to Dunlop 1.0 and 2.0, Golden Gate Rounded tips and others. I am still bouncing back and forth but have not gotten the $35 Blue Chips picks yet although everyone raves about them, I'm not sure my talent merits spending $35 on a pick yet. I do like the Dunlop 1.0 and 2.0 better then the Fender mediums and heavys however some may work better then others on certain styles, songs and techniques such as picking and tremolo. Thicker seem to be better on tremolo at least for me.

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## Minorkey

No way im spending that kind of money on a pick! $35!! Geez!
So my question should have been, are regular guitar picks ok for mandolin?  I tend to favour a heavy pick for my guitars and I figure a heavy would be best with a short scale instrument like a mando.
I've even used a 5p coin on my electric (same size as a dime I think)

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## Jim Garber

Try out all your guitar picks and/or go to your local music store and buy a variety and fool around with them. Most picks are pretty reasonably priced. When you hone in on your favorite shape and thickness and depending on your insanity, you can try one of the high priced picks... or not. i find I change picks depending on the type of mandolin or the genre of music.

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## Mike Bunting

> No way im spending that kind of money on a pick! $35!! Geez!
> So my question should have been, are regular guitar picks ok for mandolin?  I tend to favour a heavy pick for my guitars and I figure a heavy would be best with a short scale instrument like a mando.
> I've even used a 5p coin on my electric (same size as a dime I think)


In a word, yes. A flat pick is a flat pick as I said and what you describe is logical.

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## catmandu2

> *A flatpick is a flatpick*. As you evolve as a player you find that some picks have characteristics that work for you.


Akin to saying: a (woodwind) mouthpiece is a mouthpiece; a (cooking) pot is a pot; a fishing lure is a fishing lure...

After that caveat--I fully concur with the rest

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## matthew71

I love Bluechips, Wolles (modified by heavy sanding) and picks made from Victorian tortoiseshell. These are all expensive, but if they cut down on pick noise - which they all do - then I am willing to pay.

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## Mike Bunting

> Akin to saying: a (woodwind) mouthpiece is a mouthpiece; a (cooking) pot is a pot; a fishing lure is a fishing lure...
> 
> After that caveat--I fully concur with the rest


But it is just a flat pick, and nothing wrong with pointing that out, why do you take issue with that? A pot is just a pot, big ones, small ones, round ones, square ones, deep ones, shallow ones but nevertheless a pot.
People around here speak of "mandolin" picks as if they are a whole other animal. I use my TAD 60 on mando and guitar, my friend likes a Dawg on his guitar.
 Damn, I forgot that I told myself that I wasn't going to post here anymore. So much for new years resolutions I guess.

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## catmandu2

> But it is just a flat pick, and nothing wrong with pointing that out, why do you take issue with that? A pot is just a pot, big ones, small ones, round ones, square ones, deep ones, shallow ones but nevertheless a pot.
> People around here speak of "mandolin" picks as if they are a whole other animal. I use my TAD 60 on mando and guitar, my friend likes a Dawg on his guitar.
>  Damn, I forgot that I told myself that I wasn't going to post here anymore. So much for new years resolutions I guess.


Well, when you boil it down, I guess all planets are the same too: some big, some small, some hot, some cold...

Not that it's a serious issue, particularly, but for me the differences among picks--while subtle perhaps--provides a significantly different experience.  I guess a paintbrush is an apt analogy: to a painter--the differences among brushes is significant

For me, the nexus between instrument and player is crucial.  Like golf--there isn't much tolerance for error, and I like to use a full set of cluybs

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## catmandu2

> Damn, I forgot that I told myself that I wasn't going to post here anymore. So much for new years resolutions I guess.


Where else can you argue about mandolin picks?

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## JeffD

I have no argument with pick choice. Its real individual. Type of pick seems to make more difference with mandolin, only because, I think, being so small everything seems to make more difference. 

What gets my goat is to steer clear of a potential advantage in order to save the cost of dinner for two at the diner, one time.

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Jim Nollman

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## roysboy

I have never seen a Blue Chip mandolin pick and know nothing about them . Not to hijack your post but while we're on the subject ... THIRTY - FIVE dollars for a PICK ?  I have got to know WHY ??

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## JeffD

> I have never seen a Blue Chip mandolin pick and know nothing about them . Not to hijack your post but while we're on the subject ... THIRTY - FIVE dollars for a PICK ?  I have got to know WHY ??


Well I can only tell you my experience. I find they change the tone of my mandolin, give it seemingly more tone. The bevel really helps with a smoother more_ legato_ playing, and helps when playing fast. The material seems to grab against my skin a bit so I don't have to clutch it so tight, and not grab the strings so much as to slow me down. Less click. Oh and they seem to last for ever.

Its very personal, as the experience you are likely to have depends on your playing technique, and your mandolin. So one size does not fit all. But I think its a good bet you will notice some difference, which you can then decide whether that difference is to your liking or not.

The pick is the sound connection between the human and the instrument. Given how much we spend in instruments, I would think the pick is the last place we would want to save money.

The problem is we are acculturated to cheap throw away picks. Spending any significant amount on a pick has made me feel, at first, like I was being taken. But, with modern materials and fabrication techniques, there is a revolution going on in picks, and in my opinion they have been raised up to the level of a tool in service of the music. And as such its not surprising they cost a little more. 

One time.

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## AlanN

On the OP question, yes;  a guitar pick is certainly suitable for mandolin. The main thing, for me, is that the pick be fairly rigid. A bit of bend is ok, but 'I like 'em stiff as half dollars!' (to quote one Doyle Lawson).

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## Tobin

> I have never seen a Blue Chip mandolin pick and know nothing about them . Not to hijack your post but while we're on the subject ... THIRTY - FIVE dollars for a PICK ?  I have got to know WHY ??


There are many, many threads on the subject of Blue Chip picks on this board that address that subject.  They are made from a proprietary material, with a variety of available thicknesses and shapes and beveling options.  Basically, buyers are paying for the research and development that went into the pick design, as well as the higher quality and manufacturing of a specialty pick.  There's no doubt that they're pricy compared to other picks out there.

Paying $35 for a pick sounds insane when you're used to playing with cheap picks that don't really matter.  Once you start chasing tone and fine-tuning your desired sound, it seems a lot more reasonable.  And if you do end up buying one and loving it (as many do), it seems like a bargain.  Considering how long a Blue Chip will last (many, many years of playing if you don't lose it), the cost is no big deal.  Heck, I spend close to $200 a year on strings alone, just for one mandolin.  So paying $35 for a pick that I've been using for 5 years (and still plays great) is a good deal.

I've gone back and forth over the years, experimenting with all manner of picks, but I always come back to the Blue Chip.  They're not for everybody, but for those who do like 'em, there's no substitute.

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## Minorkey

> On the OP question, yes;  a guitar pick is certainly suitable for mandolin. The main thing, for me, is that the pick be fairly rigid. A bit of bend is ok, but 'I like 'em stiff as half dollars!' (to quote one Doyle Lawson).


Thank you. Thats all I needed to know!

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## Minorkey

To quote a guitar playing friend, learn to play, not to pay.

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## roysboy

Thanks for taking the time to shed some light on Blue Chip picks . I'm even more curious about trying one , although I could never justify its purchase with so many inexpensive options available . I use a Dunlop bass guitar pick.....a 2 gauge . It is big and adds a lovely fat, roundness to my sound for about 50 cents . I'll certainly try a Blue Chip for comparison should I come across one....thanks again .

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## catmandu2

> I have never seen a Blue Chip mandolin pick and know nothing about them . Not to hijack your post but while we're on the subject ... THIRTY - FIVE dollars for a PICK ?  I have got to know WHY ??


Do you know how much a good paintbrush costs?

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## JeffD

> To quote a guitar playing friend, learn to play, not to pay.


Nah. My goal is to have the nicest things I can appreciate and afford, and play the potatoes out of them. I would gladly pay to play.

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## jimbob

I think picks make quite a bit of difference and I don't personally like "guitar" picks for the mandolin. I guess they are a little bit small for me and not stiff enough. I have watched Sam Bush's tape and know he does use guitar picks, or at least has done so in the past.
I have tried many picks....none of the real high dollar ones...and really like the D'Andrea Pro Plec 1.5 MM the best. I can't remember what I pad for the last sack of them, but they couldn't have been more than $ 1.50 each.
Like has been said earlier....try a bunch and experiment.

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## AlanN

Just do the Bill Monroe School of Picks:

Interviewer: Bill, what kind of pick do you use?
Bill: I use this one right here. I ain't looked at it.

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## marcodamusician

I like wood picks for all guitars, ukuleles, and mandolins. Wood picks just bring a certain warmth that synthetic picks don't offer. Once you go wood you never go back. I have some picks from surfpicks but there are other good manufactures too. Try a few until you find which type of wood you like best.

Here's a company that I have bought picks from. The samplers are the best for people new to picks. Either the 3 pick and the case or 6 pick and the case. 

http://pickyouraxe.com/Specials.php

And, of course, you have surfpick. Lignum Vitae is a very, special wood and it makes for an awesome pick. 

http://www.surfpick.com.

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AubreyK

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## Mark Wilson

Rounded tip and a beveled edge. I've tried to shape plain ones myself but can't match the feel of a wegen or bc.

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## JeffD

> And, of course, you have surfpick. Lignum Vitae is a very, special wood and it makes for an awesome pick. 
> 
> http://www.surfpick.com.


I have been curious about Lignam Vitae as a pick. Its a pretty unique wood.

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## marcodamusician

And I forgot to mention, the wood picks that have a groove for your thumb are awesome.

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## marcodamusician

Jeff, I like lignum vitae. It creates a lovely warm sound. However, I do like some of the other woods a little bit more for acoustic. 

I like some of the picks from this company as well. They have biodegradable picks made from wheat, wood picks, horn picks, etc. 

http://www.brossardpicks.com/shop/pr...arting-at.html

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## bratsche

Just curious; how does ebony work for picks?  I have a ton of scraps lying around, but never tried making a pick from it.  That just hadn't occurred to me.

bratsche

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## Minorkey

> Nah. My goal is to have the nicest things I can appreciate and afford, and play the potatoes out of them. I would gladly pay to play.


I don't have that option!

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## Will Patton

00h, a mandolin pick discussion!  Lot of common sense in all the previous posts - the thing that struck me was - a pick is just a pick - while ontologically true, I don't think a violinist would say that a bow is just a bow - the last thing that sets your strings vibrating has, to my ears, a BIG influence on the resulting tone.  I do change picks depending on style of music or instrument but have my favorite, which I plan to use forever, and I don't want to tell you what I payed for it.

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Jerry Byers, 

Jordan Ramsey

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## mandobassman

> The problem is we are acculturated to cheap throw away picks. Spending any significant amount on a pick has made me feel, at first, like I was being taken. But, with modern materials and fabrication techniques, there is a revolution going on in picks, and in my opinion they have been raised up to the level of a tool in service of the music. And as such its not surprising they cost a little more. 
> 
> One time.


Well said!!!  I couldn't agree more.  Used to be that the under-a-dollar picks were our only choice. Now we have a choice of outstanding materials, many of which are very expensive materials. If you don't like the tone of expensive picks then don't buy them.  But, if it provides the tone you've been seeking and can't get with another pick, then the cost shouldn't be an issue, given how much you've spent on your mandolin.  The beauty of BC is if you don't like it, just return it.

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## mandobassman

> I have never seen a Blue Chip mandolin pick and know nothing about them . Not to hijack your post but while we're on the subject ... THIRTY - FIVE dollars for a PICK ?  I have got to know WHY ??


The material that Blue Chip is made from is called Meldin 7001.  It costs somewhere in the area of $1400 per square foot of a 1/4" thick sheet (figures are from memory when I looked it up a while back).  That's Why!!

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## Hany Hayek

Try the Clayton, small tear drop Ultem and the black raven. These are available in UK

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## JeffD

> And I forgot to mention, the wood picks that have a groove for your thumb are awesome.


I have a Dugain horn pick with a thumb concavity one one side, and a finger groove on the other side, at just the perfect angle to my thumb, that I use on tenor guitar and regular guitar too. I love the feel of it. Almost like an extension of my hand.

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## benbonewilly

I just use those yellow dunlop tortex picks (.73), but I sharpen the ends of them by rubbing them on the carpet. I used em for flatpicking guitar and mandolin, they both sound great.

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## Minorkey

I rather like this heavy one that I found down the back of the old sofa. Must be a previous owner's cos Ive never had a Stagg product.

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## Denny Gies

Like many say, try everything and you will eventually find the pick for you.  Good luck.

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## marcodamusician

the guy that makes surfpicks also makes a mandolin pick. I know some folks like them. Personally, I just like the regular guitar pick. I haven't tried ebony yet. I try to stay away from the rare woods as I know they are endangered. Maybe someone will gift me an ebony pick one day.  :Smile:

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## marcodamusician



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## bratsche

Well, I'm going to try making an ebony one; no real reason not to, since I have the stuff right here (I bought around 20 lbs of it, mostly reject fretboard material, very cheaply on ebay about 12 years ago, and have made bridges and armrests from it, but no picks yet).  Will report my impressions when I've done it and played with it for a while.

bratsche

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## Mike Snyder

Tops in economy and utility in mandolin picks; D'Andrea Proplec and Dunlop Jazztone 207. I use BCs and Wegens and Red Bears, but those first two are good and not costly.

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## Minorkey

Question answered.  Thanks guys

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## yankees1

I think I read a post somewhere on this forum about a pick called a Blue Chip pick !  :Smile:

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## Minorkey

> I think I read a post somewhere on this forum about a pick called a Blue Chip pick !


Yes it was mentioned in this one.  Way too much money for a pick! $35 is like £20 near enough! My mandolin cost less than 60! It's fine for those with high incomes but Im an unemployed student!

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## Axeman

Being a guitar player and using different picks for different styles and sounds has left me with a lot of different picks. The one I am most comfortable with at this time is a blue Dunlop. It used to have a turtle on it and measures 1mm in thickness. The edges are worn to a natural bevel. I have a white triangular one I also like at about the same thickness. I just grabbed a handful of different picks and cycled through them until I found out what felt and sounded right. I hope to get to the point when I can refine this and know the difference. Maybe I'll try to find one that feels the same but doesn't snap as loud.

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## bratsche

Wow, who'd a thunk it?  I made a huge oversized triangle ebony pick, and I'm wondering why I waited so long to try this.  It's very nice.  On one of my mandolas especially (the Sawchyn Beaver Tail), I'm finding it rivals my other favorite pick for most music on it.  It's extremely thick (4mm at the center) but I've tapered the bevels down all around and to two pointy points and one ever-so-slightly rounded one (I don't like them when they're too rounded).  

It produces a nice even tone quality across all the strings, with minimal and inoffensive pick noise, and the thickness and heavy density of the ebony lets me play very tirelessly, because I don't feel any of the string vibrations through my hand at all like I do with some lighter materials.  I'm more favorably surprised by this than I expected I'd be!  I definitely have to make a Roman style ebony one, too.  And now I'm even more curious about this lignum vitae wood - I must try to get hold of some.

bratsche (ever experimenting)

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marcodamusician

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## JeffD

Oooh. Post some pictures!

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## Jim Nollman

I recently bought a large cardboard box full of scrap hardwood at a garage sale for $20. It has about 20 different woods. It caught my attention mostly  because of 2 very figured pieces of brazilian rosewood and 1 of cocobolo that were, each about 2"X10"X18". Plus an osage orange burl that I've already made into a finger rest  and matching armrest for my F5. It also has a 3"X4"X18" inch piece of lignum, that's mostly black heartwood but with one section of golden sapwood. You guys got me motivated to make a few picks. Keep tuned.

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marcodamusician

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## jasona

> Tops in economy and utility in mandolin picks; D'Andrea Proplec and Dunlop Jazztone 207. I use BCs and Wegens and Red Bears, but those first two are good and not costly.


Yes. The important thing with a mandolin is to go heavy in thickness. The mandolin is pretty bright on its own so the slight top end damping you get with the proplec and jazztone actually helps the tone IMO. At a jam and if I want to be heard I use a BC because the bevel brings the brightness up some but without the quiet...thinness...thin picks give it. Wegens never did it for me, too scratchy. I like the tone from a Dawg and Golden Gate but hate hate hate the way they roll off the strings. The Red Bear gives the most crystalline sound in my opinion and for recording the most complex tone to my ear, but they aren't terribly durable so its not an everyday pick for me. 

I will not even consider touching tortoise. I prefer swimming with them.

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## JeffD

> Jeff, I like lignum vitae. It creates a lovely warm sound.


Well my purchase came in the mail today. I love the sound of these picks.

Lignum vitae sure is weird. It slips along the picks like it was slick, as advertised, once my fingers warm it up it kind of sticks to my fingers. I don't have to hold it as hard. The BC picks do that too, but its not a strong as with this wood.

The sound is great, subtle differences I am not sure of, but solid.

I think they are a great option.

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marcodamusician

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## bratsche

> Oooh. Post some pictures!


Your wish is my command.   :Wink: 

On the left is my new ebony pick.  On the right are some of the ones in frequent rotation of late - all but the two on the far right are ones that I made. 

From left to right: leather, celluloid, ivory, ebony, ultem, Clayton acetal 1.90mm with my bevel, ProPlec. and a celluloid Roman style plectrum.  As you see, the ProPlec is dwarfed by the rest of them.  Which is why I keep saying I wish D'Andrea would make a larger, pointier ProPlec!

bratsche

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marcodamusician

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## marcodamusician

Agreed about the thickness. That's why lignum vitae are actually one of the best woods for mandolin. It's a very hard pick. In fact, one of the links that I shared earlier tells you which of their pics fall into the hard and which ones fall into the soft categories.

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## marcodamusician

bratsche, your picks look really nice. How did you cut them? With a dremel?

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## bratsche

Thanks!  Depending on the hardness of the material, I use either a saw or a sawblade wheel on the dremel to cut the basic shape, then the bench grinder to get the blank form more exact.  Then the rest I do completely by hand, with many grades of sandpaper and MicroMesh, all the way from 180 grit wet/dry sandpaper to smooth the faces and form the basic bevels, down to 12,000 grit MicroMesh for the final polish.  It usually takes a couple hours per pick, at least. (I don't know how some of these people out there can sell entirely handmade picks for $5, unless they're not really entirely handmade, or they're made in sweatshops somewhere!)

bratsche

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marcodamusician

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## marcodamusician

bratche, wow that's very cool. I have a dremel too and it's my go to tool. I can't live without it. I agree with you about picks. Although, some of these companies may partner with other folks and use their machinery for an hour or two to cut out all of their picks for the month. Or, they may own their own machine. I have no idea the expense. I do know that the guy who runs surfpick is a nice guy and I feel he's priced his picks accordingly. He even cuts you a break and will double your order at the $50 mark. So, you are getting $100 in picks for $50. There have been some great reviews on lignum vitae picks. Surfpicks is one of only two companies that make them. I like his selection though and i love the way lignum vitae feels in my hand. I think Jeff mentioned that too. 

Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll make my own picks. Have you seen the cool device that allows you to make your own guitar pick out of virtually any thin piece of plastic? Great way to recycle records or some other plastic that would just get tossed. I still say, once you go wood you never go back. It took me years to discover wood picks. It's a subtle difference but it definitely feels and sounds less tinny and a bit more organic.

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## Axeman

Dang it, I thought I was happy with what I got.
Now I'm going to have to go try 4 or 5 different other picks and go through my exotic wood scraps looking for something pick sized to experiment with. In my free time. Thanks y'all.

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## bratsche

> I do know that the guy who runs surfpick is a nice guy and I feel he's priced his picks accordingly. He even cuts you a break and will double your order at the $50 mark. So, you are getting $100 in picks for $50. There have been some great reviews on lignum vitae picks. Surfpicks is one of only two companies that make them.


Personally, I think I'd prefer to find someone who could sell me raw material in 1/8"-1/4" thick slabs, so I could make them myself. What other woods do you like for picks besides lignum vitae?

BTW, from my reading, it seems lignum vitae grows here where I live in South Florida. And looking on eBay, some people from around here are actually selling seeds to grow them.  Unfortunately, they grow very slowly. But they do look like beautiful trees.

bratsche

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## Axeman

> Dang it, I thought I was happy with what I got.
> Now I'm going to have to go try 4 or 5 different other picks and go through my exotic wood scraps looking for something pick sized to experiment with. In my free time. Thanks y'all.


I made a pick out of Ipe. I found out that my fingers cross at the pick and I had to shave this shape into the pick to be comfortable. Ipe is slippery so I had to texture it.
It's about 1\8" thick at the thickest point but is shaved in the center and beveled on the edges.
It plays bright and makes a buzz if it is touched to an already vibrating string.
My Flatiron F is bright to begin with but I have added this pick to my case and will play with it more.

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## Jeannie S.

Just to throw my illustrious view in:

I prefer mine to be large picks and of the thin variety - I don't however use the 'point' to pick, as it sounds too thin. I use one of the longer sides to pick. I found that after years of playing jazz guitar this way it sounds nice to me as well on the mandolin. I was taught to use heavy picks with the point while studying jazz guitar - but eventually made up my own mind to find out what works best for me and how the sound suits my personal style. I'm far faster and more accurate in this way than using a heavy pick with a point - also, I don't like how those sound regardless.

It's just a matter of what you prefer and how you prefer it. On a side note, I won't buy a $35 pick until I try it and am whole-heartedly amazed by what it does for me. My $0.02.

-Jeannie

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## JeffD

Well I have given the lignum vitae a good try. 

In general they don't surpass the BC. They are a good choice, but for my way of playing the BC play a little cleaner and a little smoother.

I will keep them though, because on some waltzes I like the tone.

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## bratsche

I still want to obtain and try some lignum vitae, because in my hand, even my ebony pick sounds and plays much better than my BC did (which I tried, tried, tried so hard to find a reason to like for almost 2 years, before I finally gave up and sold it).  But who knows, maybe I'll like the lignum vitae less. Something about the idea of carving the world's hardest wood is appealing to me, though.  

bratsche

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## Tobin

> In general they don't surpass the BC. They are a good choice, but for my way of playing the BC play a little cleaner and a little smoother.


Any chance we could get a video/audio comparison between the two?  I'm interested in lignum vitae and how it compares to my BC, and it would be nice to see a demonstration.

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## JeffD

Let me see what I can do.

It might be the shape or the bevel, or the material itself, I am not sure. It seemed I had to push a little harder with the LV to get the volume I am used to with the BC. 

But there are a lot of variables, chief among them is how I hold the pick and how I play, and second, what I like in tone. So in the end it will be subjective.

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## Jim Garber

> From left to right: leather, celluloid, ivory, ebony, ultem, Clayton acetal 1.90mm with my bevel, ProPlec. and a celluloid Roman style plectrum.  As you see, the ProPlec is dwarfed by the rest of them.  Which is why I keep saying I wish D'Andrea would make a larger, pointier ProPlec!


Bratsche: maybe it is the angle of the photo but that Roman plectrum looks a little wide to me, or at least the proportions are different than what I am used to.  The ones I use and the ones I also made (from Ultem) use these proportions from Ralf Leenen.

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## Steve Ostrander

I use Dunlop Tortex 1.14mm and Rhino picks. I also use a Cool Pick sometimes. Some folks use Fender Heavy. They cost less than a buck. I find that larger, heavier picks give more volume and better tone.

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## bohemianbiker

V-picks has a variety of sampler kits (see link below), some for mandolin.  One such kit was about $28, for which I got 11 different picks; different shapes (pointy verus round); sizes (small, medium, large, and freakishly large), and thicknesses.  It was interesting to try out the different ones and see which I liked/didn't like.

I would echo those above that say a thick guitar pick also works with a mandolin.  I have tried my medium and thin guitar picks on the mando, and did not like them.  Just one person's opinion.  bb

http://v-picks.com/packages.php

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## bratsche

> Bratsche: maybe it is the angle of the photo but that Roman plectrum looks a little wide to me, or at least the proportions are different than what I am used to.  The ones I use and the ones I also made (from Ultem) use these proportions from Ralf Leenen.


You're very astute.  I found, after making one narrow, that I like a little more to hold onto, just like I like my large triangles to be more XXL.  Just my personal taste (I also like heavy bows).

bratsche

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## Mike Steadfast-Ward

> But it is just a flat pick, and nothing wrong with pointing that out, why do you take issue with that? A pot is just a pot, big ones, small ones, round ones, square ones, deep ones, shallow ones but nevertheless a pot.
> People around here speak of "mandolin" picks as if they are a whole other animal. I use my TAD 60 on mando and guitar, my friend likes a Dawg on his guitar.
>  Damn, I forgot that I told myself that I wasn't going to post here anymore. So much for new years resolutions I guess.


We would really miss you loads, I personally have picked up important tips from you Mike.

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## june39

These work for me.

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## Richard58

> I use Dunlop Tortex 1.14mm and Rhino picks. I also use a Cool Pick sometimes. Some folks use Fender Heavy. They cost less than a buck. I find that larger, heavier picks give more volume and better tone.


Exactly what I use.

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