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Thread: Pick Thickness

  1. #1

    Default Pick Thickness

    sorry for a dumb question but Im new to a mandolin. What thickness is proper for a pick? I have played a bit and played guitar for 20 years but want no stones unturned. Thanks!!

  2. #2
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Many people like 1-1.5mm. But some like real thin, and some 2 mm or thicker.

    As you can see, mileage varies.
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    My experience is that the particular instrument you are playing may impact your choice of pick thickness. For example, I prefer a thinner pick for my bowl back. I suspect that most people will prefer a thickness in the 1.0 to 1.5mm range. Bevel and point also have a significant impact on your choice of thickness. Balancing these variables to determine what you prefer will probably take time.

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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Ya Bernie2, it’s really hard to say. I have been on a quest for a little bit now trying to discover what I like/don’t like in picks. I have tried from 0.73mm to 3.0mm

    Instrument type, strings, playing style, desired tone, etc all factor in this, and it’s pretty amazing to me the difference you can get out of different picks.

    Dunlop offers a wide variety of shapes and thicknesses. What I have been doing is trying to get about as many different combinations that I can as far as shape and thickness. Ex:

    1mm pointy and 1mm round
    1.5mm pointy and 1.5mm round
    And so on and so on

    I’m fairly new toadfish right now I am just figuring out what “specs” I like. When I feel comfortable with that, I’ll look into different and possibly better materials

    As of right now, it’s kinda looked like a 1.25mmish large rounded triangle for me....

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  8. #5

    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Yeah, to add to Medley12's comments, I would say shape, edge, and material are all just as important as thickness. Try a bunch, and if you change what kind of strings you're using, try em all again!
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    Registered User Mike Buesseler's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    “I’m fairly new toadfish right now I am just figuring out what “specs” I like”

    Toadfish?

  10. #7
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Quote Originally Posted by Bernie2 View Post
    What thickness is proper for a pick?
    That would be 1.2775 millimeters thick.





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  11. #8
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    I think it depends what kind of music you play, and indeed how you play.

    I am Scottish, and I nowadays use a .88 Dunlop pick. For my guitar and octave mandolin playing I use either a .73 Dunlop or a white Sharkfin which is a Swedish make and that is only .52.

    http://www.sharkfin.eu/products/

    I have never had much luck with anything heavier than that.

    I realise that this is far lighter than most answers you usually see here, but I feel you should be aware that not everybody likes a thick pick.
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  13. #9
    Registered User Cobalt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    For me, Dunlop 0.60mm is about as thin as I go - though recently I bought an electronic tuner, and thrown in the box as a freebie were some very thin plectrums. They sound pretty good. I've also found it depends on which instrument I'm playing, what (musical) material, and what style. I've been using some 1.4 or 1.5mm types, and the most interesting feature of those was not the thickness but the slipperiness of the material. There is a whole different game depending on whether the plectrum will remain fixed, but the strings glide around it, or the plectrum will flex, and glide around the strings. Different sounds and different capabilities result. I like the variety of playing possibilities which arise, it means I get to play the way I want to play, and not be confined by limitations of always wearing the same footwear, as it were.

  14. #10

    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    I like 2mm Wegen picks for tone and volume. As soon as I pick up my 1.4mm by mistake I can hear the loss in volume and tone. Used them for 15 years now. I 've said before a Wegen pick makes a £500 mandolin or guitar sound like £1000 or more. They just have the best tone. I have about 12 and keep finding them down the side of my settee. They must have cost me £50 or more but what a great investment over the years. I just don;t get it when people pay hundreds or a lot more for instruments but want to pay 30pence for a plectrum and resent paying say £4. Same applies to set up. Set up is everything for me. Sorry to bring this into this thread but you see the connection. I have no affiliation with Wegen.

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  16. #11
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Echoing what has already been mentioned here, the type of mandolin you're playing/how heavy your strings are may influence your preference, in addition to what type of music you play. I play Irish trad music and my go to pick for years has been a BlueChip TPR 35 (.89mm), and for a cheaper alternative I like Dunlop Delrin 500 .96mm teardrop picks (but I use the shoulder end of the pick to play, not the pointy end). When I had my Gibson A-jr I found that a 1.0mm celluloid pick sounded and felt the nicest to play with. I can't go any heavier in pick thickness for my playing as I find it impacts my ability to play triplets/trebles cleanly.
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    .73 to 1.0 for single string picking and .50 for tremolo playing
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    I use the 1mm Wegen, but I have a couple that I thinned down and they are all I use. I wish they came thinner.
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  20. #15
    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Different strokes for different folks! And as you've already seen/read there is no specific favorite pick thickness for Mandolin players.

    I, myself like picks that measure around 1mm to 1.5mm, round and triangle shapes depending on what I'm playing. However, I dont want to limit my choices by making thinner or thicker picks a "deal breaker" when trying something new. Usually the thinner ones get used on my guitars and the thicker ones are given away though.

  21. #16
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Ya I have no idea where “toadfish” came from in my earlier post. I do everything on my smartphone, and sometimes it says what it wants.
    I’m thankful we have so many options, all “voices” if you think about it. Kinda weird, but kinda neat.

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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Quote Originally Posted by Bernie2 View Post
    sorry for a dumb question but Im new to a mandolin. What thickness is proper for a pick? I have played a bit and played guitar for 20 years but want no stones unturned. Thanks!!
    Opinions are like b-------s ! Everyone has one ! You just have to experiment yourself !

  23. #18

    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Thanks!!

  24. #19
    Registered User J Mangio's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    For me, a Golden Gate MP 12 has been my go to pick for the past 20 years, 1.5 mm, and cost around 1.50.
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  25. #20
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Quote Originally Posted by yankees1 View Post
    Opinions are like b-------s ! Everyone has one ! You just have to experiment yourself !
    And then give your opinion to everyone.

  26. #21
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Quote Originally Posted by Bernie2 View Post
    sorry for a dumb question but Im new to a mandolin. What thickness is proper for a pick? I have played a bit and played guitar for 20 years but want no stones unturned. Thanks!!
    As you can tell there is no one answer but just about as many answers to our question as they are mandolin players. Think about it, though: if you went to a guitar site and said, "I'm new to guitar, what is proper thickness for a pick?" I am not trying to make you feel bad for asking, just that it is a wide open question and I get it that you are taking a survey.

    I would suggest piling up all your guitar picks and trying all those out. They order a bunch of picks in various thicknesses and shapes and experiment. Aside from the premium picks you can invest in a good variety of picks and not break the bank.

    Also, remember that you might evolve through a few different variants, depending on what mandolin(s) you may own or the style of music you play on it/them.
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  28. #22
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    I never really thought about it when I was into guitar, but when I started playing mandolin, seemed the pick had more tone effect

    Dunlop Prime tone 1.5 sculpted is my go to these days, 1.4 is good to but you can hear and feel the difference between them.

    When I play mandolin I expect the string to "vibrate back" at me, too light of a pick I find I don't get that sensation.

    Heavier picks add to volume on arch top instruments, not sure the same is true of flat tops.

    Seems those on the East of the Atlantic prefer the lighter pick?
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  29. #23
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Pick acquisition syndrome is orders of magnitude less expensive than MAS. You'll probably end up with a bit of a collection after a while, size, shape, material and thickness, etc. The traveling pick sampler had well over 100 different picks in it last I checked. You might sign up for that to experiment.

    In many circles, its considered quite personal to ask someone how many different picks they have. More than 2 is the polite response.
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  30. #24
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    Quote Originally Posted by tmsweeney View Post
    Seems those on the East of the Atlantic prefer the lighter pick?
    I think it is matter of preferred genre. Players of Celtic music generally prefer lighter picks on either side of the Atlantic.
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  31. #25
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pick Thickness

    I have been using only blue chip in different shapes and sizes. i find my choice changes depending on my mood and how I hear that day.
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