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Thread: Slightly brighter pick

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    Default Slightly brighter pick

    Hey everyone,
    After reading these forums for a while, I decided it was finally time to join!

    I play a J Bovier F5 Studio and am looking for a pick that will brighten up my tone a little bit. I typically use the Pro Plec 1.5mm triangle, which gives me a very nice dark, woody tone, that is very well suited for solo or small ensemble playing.

    When I'm in a larger/louder group, I find myself wanting something a little bit brighter, to help melodies and solos cut through a little better. I tried out the Golden Gate MP-12, but so far have not been a fan. That pick takes pretty much all of the woody tone out the instrument, resulting a very thin metallic tone... not good.

    Anybody have a suggestion for something that falls somewhere in between the two? I'm considering BlueChip and Wegen, but unfortunately I don't have a way to try these out in person to find the right model before buying, and I don't especially want to drop $35 on a pick and come to find out it doesn't give me the right tone... Thanks!

  2. #2
    Registered User Kevin K's Avatar
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    might try traditional tear drop style like Dunlop Ultex .73 maybe
    "Can I have a little more talent in the monitors please?"

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Reber View Post
    I'm considering BlueChip and Wegen, but unfortunately I don't have a way to try these out in person to find the right model before buying, and I don't especially want to drop $35 on a pick and come to find out it doesn't give me the right tone... Thanks!

    Its really hard, because any recommendations come from personal experience, and that depends so much on how each of us holds the pick, the angle of attack, how hard we hold it, lots of things. The same pick, the BC TAD60 in my hands darkens the tone, getting rid of annoying brassiness. Others report that the pick brightens up their instrument. It also depends on the instrument and the type and age of the strings...

    The very best thing you can do is to go to a festival this season and try everyone's pick on your mandolin and see what it does for you.
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    Its really hard, because any recommendations come from personal experience, and that depends so much on how each of us holds the pick, the angle of attack, how hard we hold it, lots of things.
    I agree whole-heartedly. Just curious to see what people had in mind. Any festivals you recommend, particularly any in the mid-Atlantic?

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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Reber View Post
    I agree whole-heartedly. Just curious to see what people had in mind. Any festivals you recommend, particularly any in the mid-Atlantic?
    For inexpensive choices, Fender Heavy and extra heavies, Ultex 1.14 and up, and the Tortex picks (1.14mm and up)...

    My favorite pick for the last couple of years has been Wegen TF-140 for mandolin, 120 for guitar and OM. While a little bit of an investment compared to the Fender and Ultex picks, they're not THAT expensive in the grand scheme of things, and if you don't like them you can probably sell them pretty easily at a slight loss. I find them a bit brighter than the ProPlec 1.5 mm I have (which is a great pick too, and particularly so for jazz or rock)...

    If you're using Sam Bush or flatwounds strings, try some J-74 or 75s or some Martin PB mandolin strings...

    Another option is to go to your local shop with your mando and ask if you can sample a bunch of picks...just make sure you leave with a few, or a couple of packs of strings, as a thank you!
    Last edited by CES; May-29-2012 at 10:19am.
    Chuck

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Chris we got it all. Here is the forum section with all the info on festivals and jams.

    My goto picks are the TAD60, Red Bear C Heavy SB and the Wegen TF140. The Wegen is a bit brighter and a bit punchier, so I use that when I am at a jam or on a stage and I need to get through. In more intimate settings, a living room, a few friends, or by myself, I use the Red Bear, because it just makes the tone so thick and creamy. BC TAD60 does the same, almost as good, but its advantage is that it is a very fast pick. When I am playing very fast fiddle tunes the BC is the one I use.

    But be assured, everyone's experience is different.
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    Registered User Nick Quig's Avatar
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Triangle Ultex 1.14, Dunlop Jazztone 207 or 208, and Wegen TF140 all good and loud! and worth a try before you bite the bullet with a Blue Chip!

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    music with whales Jim Nollman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    I had the same pick problem you describe. I solved it with a buffalo horn pick someone handed me after a gig. It's your basic triangle shape, and thick. It has a crater to fit your thumb on one side, and a groove for a finger on the other side. It made a dramatic difference in brightness. I've used the same pick for the last two years on my BRW oval hole. I suspect they're not hard to find, although i have no idea what they cost.
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    Mediocre but OK with that Paul Busman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    I like V-Picks and find them pretty bright. Some people object to string noise with these picks, but I haven't found that to be a problem. They come in a ton of sizes,shapes, and colors. NFI
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  10. #10

    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Go with the Wegen TF140, not crazy expensive, and they sound great.
    Have a listen on my Weber...

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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Thanks for the replies, everyone! I'm thinking of giving the TF140 a shot... question for those of you who have experience with these: what's the word on their durability? I really like my PP's, but I find they get worn somewhat quickly and the tone goes to junk with it. How do the Wegen's shape up in this regard?

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    Registered User Manfred Hacker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Chris, I have used Wegens for about 4 years. I play at least an hour every day and have not been able to wear out any of my picks (but then, I am not a hard-driving bluegrasser )
    The M150 (my favorite, black) produces a warm, darker tone, so this is NOT what you may be looking for.
    The TF120 (perforated) produces a brighter tone as compared to the thicker ones.
    For whatever reason, the WHITE Wegens produce a brighter tone than the BLACK ones with the exact same name. So you may want to go for WHITE
    This is my experience, with MY technique, MY strings, and MY mandolin. YMMV.
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    I use Dunlop jazz III picks. I really like the tone and volume they give me. I have a hard attack too. I tried allot of picks for a couole years, including 1.5mm picks, and settled on these. They dont last a long time if I play allot, but thier very inexpensive and easy to find.

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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Reber View Post
    Thanks for the replies, everyone! I'm thinking of giving the TF140 a shot... question for those of you who have experience with these: what's the word on their durability? ?
    They wear like iron. I see no wear on them at all after several years of hard duty. I could sell them as new.

    Same with the BC and the Red Bear.
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    I've used Wegen picks exclusively for the past 4 years & they don't show any sign of wear at all. My preference is for the Wegen 'Bluegrass' picks,1.0 mm thick which give me the tonal clarity that i like.They might be too bright for some folk,but my 67 year old ears demand a tad more 'treble'. I used the 1.4 mm ones for a while,but they sound a bit too 'rounded' for me. I found out a week ago,that the Bluegrass picks also come in a 1.2 mm thickness as well,
    Ivan
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    Registered User Josh Kaplan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Chris,

    The D'Andrea Classic 1.21 might be just what you're looking for.

    Josh

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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Nollman View Post
    I had the same pick problem you describe. I solved it with a buffalo horn pick someone handed me after a gig. It's your basic triangle shape, and thick. It has a crater to fit your thumb on one side, and a groove for a finger on the other side. .
    I have one of those, from Dugain. Mine is too thick for mandolin, but I like it a lot on my tenor guitar.
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Try Harder and pointy..
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    As others have mentioned previously in this thread, the triangular Ultex 1.14s are an inexpensive choice for experimentation and will definitely give you a brighter tone than the D'Andrea Pro Plecs. (I have used and enjoyed both of those picks.) For slightly more money, the JazzMando V-pick is a really nice pick that (in my hands anyway) is brighter than the Pro Plec but not quite as bright as the Ultex. (Some forum members have complained about pick noise with these acrylic picks, but I haven't had that problem at all.) The Blue Chip TAD60 worked for me when I got over the emotional issues of spending more money on a pick than on a set (or three) of strings. I ordered mine with a -1R option so I could try both rounded and non-rounded corners. Be sure to specify right- or left-handed bevel. John Reischman uses a Red Bear, and though he plays right handed, gets his with a left-handed bevel since he strongly reverse-angles the pick with his double-jointed thumb.

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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    That is it exactly.
    The modern Fender teardrop shape heavy is good and bright.
    I like a Martin teardrop in the slightly heavier gauge than the Fender Heavy.
    Another issue not mentioned is overall quality of tone. Some Wegen are bright,
    but sound like you are using a cheap piece of thrashy plastic.

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post
    Try Harder and pointy..

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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Quote Originally Posted by OffBeat View Post
    I use Dunlop jazz III picks. I really like the tone and volume they give me. I have a hard attack too. I tried allot of picks for a couole years, including 1.5mm picks, and settled on these. They dont last a long time if I play allot, but thier very inexpensive and easy to find.
    This very small pointy pick shape worked better than I thought it would and because of its smaller size I was forced to hold it the "correct" way. That was a nice little bonus since I was having difficulty making the switch.

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    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Reber View Post
    ...I'm considering BlueChip and Wegen, but unfortunately I don't have a way to try these out in person to find the right model before buying, and I don't especially want to drop $35 on a pick and come to find out it doesn't give me the right tone... Thanks!
    The nice thing about Blue Chip is that you can try it and if you don't like the tone, you can send it back for a refund within 30 days. No other pick maker does that, as far as I know. The Blue Chip has a tremendous grip and silky smooth feel on the strings. The Wegen TF140 would also be a good choice as others have mentioned. I find the the standard Wegen, with it's heavy bevel a little too bright for my tastes, so I experimented with a custom ordered TF-180 (1.8mm) with no bevel and I love it. They are very durable and will last a very long time. The Dunlop Ultex triangular 1.14 mm is also a good choice, although I don't like it as much as BC or Wegen for tone or wear.
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    My V-Pick Tremolo pick is pretty bright compared to my Wegen's.

  24. #24
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    Default Re: Slightly brighter pick

    I had a bit of a breakthrough a few days ago.Looking for something else in an old TV cabinet that i store odds & sods in,i found a small tin with some picks in it that i'd bought years back to use on guitar.Being a 'finger-picker' i'd sidelined them & they got lost.Anyway,3 of the picks were Dunlop '500's made from Delrin.there were 2 x 1.5mm thick ones & 1 x 1.14mm thick one.I tried them out on both my mandolins & found that the 1.5mm ones were much too 'rounded' for my taste,but the 1.14mm one sounded identical to my 1.0mm thick wegen Bluegrass pick. It was smoother passing over the strings,but it still had the same 'bite' with it that i like about the Wegens.I played both my mandolins with if for a couple of days & liked it so much that i ordered a 12 pack of Dunlops.Considering that they're £4.45 UK for 12 ( $7.12 US = 59 cents a pick) & that the Wegens are $4.80 each,that's pretty cheap for a 'smoother' pick. Interesting to note,that the material 'Delrin' & the Blue Chip material 'Meldin',while different materials,have much the same properties of hardness,stiffness & self-lubrication,& of being able to take on a good polished finish,
    Ivan
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