One pick for everything?

[Michael Eck]

I'm curious if anyone hear uses one pick for playing mandolin (or many different mandolins) and guitar.

I like the economy (from a mental perspective, not a financial one) of using one pick for both instruments and I'd like to know if anyone has boiled it down to one plectrum for all purposes.

I'm currently vacillating between Clayton Black Raven 1.90; Wegen T-140; and Dunlop Americana large.

[dcoventry]

Dunlop Tortex(purple) 1.14 mm SHARP. The point makes for very quick picking and the other more rounded parts can be used to alter tone. FANTASTIC picks for just about everything....except your nose!

[Keith Witty]

Dunlop tortex 1.14 for Guitar, Wegen 250 for Mandolin.

[JeffD]

Are you kidding? I don't even have one pick for mandolin.

I use a different pick depending on which mandolin, (bowlback, resonator, the gibby), which venue (outside, small intimate room, large hall, PA, no PA), which tunes (old cowboy waltzes, fast notey cape breton fiddle tunes, bluegrass), and number of people I am playing with (small group, large jam).

I switch off between the Wegen TF 140, the BlueChip TAD 60, and the Red Bear Tortis Heavy. They are each the go to pick for some applications, and not so much for others. Regular old Gibson or Fender heavy picks are often the best as well.

The pick makes so much difference in tone and playability, its a shame to settle on any one pick knowing it is a compromise in some cases.

And none of my mandolin picks are the best for my tenor guitar.

[Didge]

I use the Dunlop tortex .73mm, but...that's more out of my un-willingness to pay $5 for a dozen picks that I may or may not like. I usually use the left, more rounded side because I feel it slides off the strings more easily, and I'm not looking for too much volume right now. Plus they have turtles on them, which makes my playing ability and the overall tone of my instrument approximately 2.3 times better. I may have to check out the 1.14 mm ones, I'm pretty sure purple turtles will increase the mandolinity by at least another 25%.

[P.D. Kirby]

Old Fender Heavy (drilled holes for better grip) for everything but Banjo. I recently discovered cobalt nickel finger picks don't work on a Mandolin, go figure..

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'm in the same boat as JeffD on this. I have a regular pick for each of my Mandolins & i know how both of them sound,but,on the odd occasion,maybe due to room / air temperature, &other variables,one or other doesn't sound quite right. I have 6 or 8 picks of one sort or another in my coin purse & i'll go through them to find one that sounds 'better'.
I have a couple of Dunlop 'Tortex' picks,a dark pink 1.14mm & a purple 1.5mm.I've tried them on a few occasions,& they were ok at best,but not 'crisp' enough for me. I've just this minute dug them, out & had a good look at the bevels.They are very rounded,far more than any other pick i've tried,maybe this is the reason that they sound a bit 'soapy'. I think i'll flatten the bevels with a nail file & then smooth them off,it might just give them a bit more 'bite'.
From Didge above - "....slides off the strings...". That's what i think the problem is,they slide off too darned easy for my style of pickin',
Ivan

[Brent Hutto]

I love having different picks at hand and do switch as the mood strikes. But over time I've found that 90%+ of my mandolin playing is with a Wegen TF140.

A Blue Chip CT55 works better on guitar for sure but to answer your question, yes I can play both mango and guitar with the TF140 and be quite satisfied. In fact I own three of those Wegens and if I were playing "out" instead of at home I'd probably just put one in the guitar case, one in the mando case and one in my pocket and be ready to go.

[Jim]

Fender 351 Heavy ( Medium will do ) I use these for Mandolin & Guitar, at first I used mediums for guitar & Heavys for mandolin but got used to the heavys and am comfortable really with either for both instruments.

[Space Pup]

I like the Fender 351 Mediums for both Guitar and Mandolin.

[Vernon Hughes]

fender extra heavy for everything.

[CelticDude]

Almost everything. I do use guitar picks for mandolin, but not for whistle (those are specially made...)

[Mandobart]

Well, kind of yes. I use these same picks on mandolin, OM and mandocello: My current favorite is the Wegen M150. I also use the Golden Gate at times. Also like 2.0 mm Dunlop Tortex (purple) and gators (black). I use the rounded (not pointy) ends on these last two guitar shaped picks. I've started drilling 3 - 4 1/8" dia. holes in the center of my picks; improves the grip and reduces tendency to rotate. I use these same picks on all my mando instruments, but I'm liekly to use any one pick on any of these instruments at any particular time. I don't use a different pick on each instrument.

[Marty Henrickson]

I have scads of picks, and like to keep them handy "just in case", but I find I use the Dunlop Big Stubby 3mm abouit 90% of the time for both mandolin and guitar. I'll sometimes drop back to the 2mm for less volume / softer feel, but I can accomplish the same thing with a lighter touch. Some of my other choices are a Martin heavy, modified Golden Gate, and a pick made from buffalo horn or something that I got from The Mandolin Store.

[Markus]

I love having different picks at hand and do switch as the mood strikes. But over time I've found that 90%+ of my mandolin playing is with a Wegen TF140.

Same here.

I have probably a dozen varieties of picks in my mandolin case .... yet if I'm playing out I'll put 2 TF140 Wegens and my Blue Chip in my pocket and go.

Around home I do pick up whatever is nearby to experiment or have variety [I use more cheap teardrop and slightly thinner picks on my acoustic - though the BC is nice there]. But for me, the Wegens are very much preferred and the more I practice the more I feel I can get a wider range of sounds from this pick as I'm getting VERY well acquainted with it's qualities.

[JeffD]

I have been using the Pro Plec 1.5 mm pick now and then. Nice. For mandolin, though. Its not real good on my tenor guitar.

[pjlama]

I have a couple real tortoise picks cut from a vintage cigarette case that are rounded triangles which sound great for everything. I do have a crazy amount of other picks but there's nothing like the real thing. I stop at antique stores and look for it when I can. I'm sure this isn't PC but I'm fine with it since I'm recycling.

[Nighttrain]

I have a lot of picks that I've gathered over the years. However I find myself always going back to the same pick(s) that I have used for over 30 years. A dunlop 88 mm. I'll change the sound and the way I strike the strings by rotating the pick.

[dcoventry]

"A dunlop 88 mm. I'll change the sound and the way I strike the strings by rotating the pick. "

Let's see: 88mm is 8.8 cm, and 2.54 cm to the inch....makes it about a 3.5" thick pick. That's not a pick, that's a small frisbee.

And yes, I know you meant 0.88mm. Or I hope you did.

[epicentre]

D,Andrea 1.5 ProPlec for the mandolin
Fender medium "tiny" for the tenor banjo.
Originally tried a ProPlec at a jam, liked it, but found they were almost impossible to buy in the great white North. Fella had about 100 to sell on the Cafe, so I bought em all. Gotta love it.

[Pete Martin]

I used to use different picks on everything (F5, A2, electric mandos; 3 guitars, tenor guitar, tenor banjo). Some very thick to very thin. Lately, I use the same pick on everything so I don't have to change right hand technique as much. I do give up some things, but the overall gain is greater than what I give up.

[Ken]

I'm with JeffD and Ivan, I use different picks on different mandolins. Currently Dunlop Tortex blues or greens, or Fender heavies, all "regular" shape. Also use a John Pearse bone pick sometimes. Also currently using the point to play with, used to use the rounded shoulder. Pick choice all depends on what sounds good to me at the time. For other instruments, in general it seems to me that the longer the scale length the thinner the pick. I use a medium gauge on mandola, and a thin for tenor banjo.
Ken

[Mandolin Mick]

Totally different animals ... Dawg for the mandolin, Fender Medium for the guitar and Hofner Extra Heavy for the bass!

[mandroid]

Depends on your style .. D'jango used a pretty fat pick , I'm told, or at least a heavy melodic style, favored the heavier
pick for the same up and down stokes for all those little notes, the hemisemidemi Quavers...

that mandolin's melodic lines, also seem to need..

rather than chord strumming , then a thinner, mudflap pick, is OK.

they would all go in a basket, and, you , just do what needs to be done

[Ed Goist]

One Pick to rule them all,
One Pick to find them,
One Pick to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them.