New pick, but which ?

[helric]

Hi folks !
I mostly play traditionnal irish music on a The Loar mandolin with a DUNLOP USA Jazztone 208 pick. I want to get a "high value" pick but without loosing the feeling of my old 208 (point end, thickness and size). I've read lot of posts on the forum but I must admit that it is very hard to make a choice. Can you give me some help to choose among all brands and models of WEGEN, BLUECHIP, RED BEAR, etc ? Thank you !

[liestman]

I pretty much only play Irish trad and use a Bluechip TAD40 which is large but not as pointed as you are used to. But the Wegen Bluegrass pick might be just the thing to try. They are pretty similar, more or less. Or just keep using the picks you like - nothing wrong with them!

[jazzjune18]

Wegens are a cheaper but yet still good alternative to the bluechips

[Caleb]

I've had all those high-end picks and prefer the new Dunlop Primetones to them all.

[mandobassman]

The Blue Chip Jazz series are almost identical to the Dunlop Jazz. They come in two different sizes with the same shape and several different thicknesses. I think you would like the BC better because they have a better grip than the Dunlops.

[JH Murray]

D'andrea Proplecs are a quality choice- nice warm tone. Jazzmando.com sells them, along with the Vpick. Both are affordable. Best way to get a Bluechip and not feel guilty is to ask for it as a Xmas/birthday gift. My family was glad to oblige.

[bart mcneil]

Any pick costing over $2 will greatly improve the quality of the sellers life. If that is your goal then go ahead and buy it. It may even make you feel a bit better to have improved someones life. Whether it will improve your playing or the sound of your playing is just a matter of opinion. It wasn't long ago that a goose feather was the pick of choice.

[Paul Busman]

What characteristics are you trying to get that your current favorite pick doesn't have? Just because a pick (or any piece of equipment for that matter) is "high value" doesn't mean it's going to suit your needs or desires any better.
I play mainly Irish too, and my current favorite is also that new Dunlop Primetone triangle, 1.4mm with the grip. I only wish they made them a bit thicker. My former fav was the Dunlop 3mm triangle.

[helric]

@liestman : in fact, I want to sightly change my sound and test news picks.
I think that the TAD40 is too round for me. I tried to play with a Jazztone 207 wich is rounder than the 208 and really didn't like the feeling.
@jazzjune18 : do you have a suggestion for a Wegen model ?
@Caleb : Ah ? I didn't know these primetones.... They seem to be thicker than the 208 but the size and point seem good. I'll give them a try.
@mandobassman : the Jazz60 could do the job. It looks interesting.
@JH Murray : I don't know anything about D'andrea proplecs. I should try one of them. I've got three Vpicks. I really love the shapes and the sickness but for two of them they sound dead to my ears and the last one produces a lot of *clicks* when I play.

Edit :
@Paul Busman : as I said, I want to change my sound. I have always played this mando with thick picks. I find the sound more consistant even if my strings are generally 10-34/36 gauges. This is not very academic for playing irish but I feel good with, at least 2mm picks.

[mandroid]

My friend Patrick, from Galway , plays with the same pick, whether it be Guitar, Tenor-ITB or Mandolin.

If you have a Favorite pick shape try the same shape in some of the more costly materials ..

I'm OK with Fender's big 'Wankel' Triangle 346 shape , so when someone was selling a CT55
on the classifieds.. & communicated back and forth much better
than BC themselves ever deemed to, I got it.

[helric]

That's what I thought. I want to keep the same shape and thickness of the JD 208 but with a different material. I think i'll give a try to the Primetone. I hope it will not be too thick. I think that the 208 is only 2mm. Not sure....

[mandobassman]

That's what I thought. I want to keep the same shape and thickness of the JD 208 but with a different material. I think i'll give a try to the Primetone. I hope it will not be too thick. I think that the 208 is only 2mm. Not sure....

2mm is pretty thick. Anyway one of the Primetone picks are shaped anything like the JD 208 and the thickest one is 1.5mm, but they are great picks IMO.

[helric]

2mm is pretty thick. Anyway one of the Primetone picks are shaped anything like the JD 208 and the thickest one is 1.5mm, but they are great picks IMO.

Are you sure the thickest one is 1.5 mm ? I just look at the Dunlop site and see that two thickness are available 3 and 5mm. And the pick on the bottom right looks really like my 208.
http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/Primetone-picks

[Loretta Callahan]

Like Liestman, I'm Irish Trad almost exclusively. After years of picking through picks, here are my favorites:

1. Jim Dunlop 512P14 Primetone 1.4mm Triangle Sculpted Plectra Guitar Picks
2. Blue Chips TAD 40 & CT 55

[Brandon Sumner]

I've had all those high-end picks and prefer the new Dunlop Primetones to them all.

I second this, for the money they are an outstanding pick. Why do you want a "high value pick" ?

[mandobassman]

Are you sure the thickest one is 1.5 mm ? I just look at the Dunlop site and see that two thickness are available 3 and 5mm. And the pick on the bottom right looks really like my 208.
http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/Primetone-picks

I'll never understand why Dunlop did this, but they have two completely different lines of picks that are both named "Primetone". The Primetone picks that have been getting lots of attention around here are actually called "Primetone Sculpted Plectra" and it's been confusing a lot of people. They're fairly new and are just starting to receive a lot of followers because many say they rival Blue Chip for tone at a much lower cost. These are the ones I was referring to.

http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/primetone-tri-print

[Bob Clark]

My favorite is the JazzMando Pro Plec, which is 1.5mm in thickness. I keep finding other 'favorites' and end up returning to the JazzMando Pro Plec again and again. My second favorite (and some days the order of these two is reversed) is the Jim Dunlop Prime Tone 1.3mm semi-round. As for the V-Pick, I like its feel, but it makes too much 'click' for me. I have tried to get used to it, but have not yet succeeded.

[Bob Bronow]

OK, I'll throw in with the Dunlop Primetones. Great pick at a great price.

[jazzjune18]

Mandobassman. I am curious. What is the difference?

[Caleb]

I'll never understand why Dunlop did this, but they have two completely different lines of picks that are both named "Primetone". The Primetone picks that have been getting lots of attention around here are actually called "Primetone Sculpted Plectra" and it's been confusing a lot of people. They're fairly new and are just starting to receive a lot of followers because many say they rival Blue Chip for tone at a much lower cost. These are the ones I was referring to.

http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/primetone-tri-print

Thanks for the clarification. The "sculpted plectra" Primetones are the ones I was referring to.

[helric]

Thank you for those informations. As I wrote precedently I just want to keep the shape an thickness of my old 208. If I want something most expansive that is just because I want to test these high value picks. I never tried them (only tested 3 V-picks) and this is just curiosity. I must admit that during the 4 past years I tried to play with a lot of picks of different shapes, materials and thickness. I prefer the 208, even if it is a pick wich needs to be played heavily/hard to produce a loud sound (due to the material, I think). It makes me feel the hardness of the strings as I play and this is what I need for what I play. I feel the swing better if I can say. I find that thinner pick are more difficult to play for me.
However, I'm very grateful for your advices about the "sculpted plectra" Primetones and the JazzMando Pro Plec. I think that will order a couple of those for testing them.

[Tavy]

I'll through in a vote for the Dunlop 1.1 ultrex picks - I honestly can't detect a sound difference between these and the new primetone ones (which are made from the same material). The differences are that the primtones have a rough "grippy" surface for the fingers which you may or may not like, and a right-handed polished speed bevel which may make those fast triplets easier (or not).

[mandobassman]

Mandobassman. I am curious. What is the difference?

I'm not sure, but can see on the Dunlop web site that they are completely different.

[helric]

I've played with Dunlop 1.0 and 1.14 Ultex picks. The sound was smooth and good to my ears but the problem was the size of them and I found them little and too slippy, especially for playing high gauges strings. I never played with some of these polished speed bevel. Are they really efficients for an easy fast playing style ?

[Shelagh Moore]

I like the new Dunlop Primetones. Being basically boracic I am not in the Bluechip game.