A pick ramble....
I was sort of happy with Dunlop Ultex .73 for a while....but then one day I tried some heavier picks including a Dunlop Primtone 2mm.
I've modified the 2mm (rounded off the point and roughened up the surfaces) and the single note articulation is (to my ears) fantastic - so much sparkle and clarity and volume. A quantum leap from the old .73mm (unsurprisingly, with hindsight).
The problem is that when I strum with the 2mm, the result waivers between sparkle/articulation and thin/raspy, the lack of flex being a double edged sword.
So my question - do you find there is a compromise to be reached on finding a pick that works reasonably well for single note articulation and strumming fluidity (but not ideal for either) or have you found a pick that gives you optimal performance on both counts?
I'm wondering whether I should stick with the 2mm and just learn to get the best out of it for strumming. All the other picks I've tried just sound so much smaller on single notes that, frankly, I don't care how good a strumming sound they give, I don't find them inspiring to play. Or should I continue the hunt?
(I suspect a Blue Chip is in my future - but £120 to try say 3 is somewhat hard to swallow. I'd pay £40 for a pick that I knew was THE pick for me but not sure I want to pay that to find out in 10 seconds that it's not THE ONE).
Comments
Otherwise there’s a world of difference between a .73 and a 2mm pick on an acoustic. I often use a .60 for strumming, going thicker as per the ratio of single notes to strumming. For picked parts a heavy pick does sometimes just sound better.
There’s no perfect pick, so just have a few different ones and change as per what the song needs
I've also used a Data Control which is basically a slightly simpler way of achieving the same thing - based on how you hold/squeeze it it acts like a thick stiff pick or a more flexible one. Although tbh it'd be better to persevere a bit more with a plain thick pick
I think you can better get away with that stuff on electric but on acoustic the pick makes a big difference to the sound IMO
Agree with @Floof that your grip on the plectrum is the key thing with thick'uns.
A basic one is to play as quietly as possible, focusing on being even.
Another thing is if you find you're being a bit stiff with your grip check your breathing. A lot of people hold their breath while playing, which makes them tense up. If you find you are doing this, a really simple exercise is to play an exercise you know and then read something out loud from a website or news article. If you can play it in time and read it normally with a normal breathing pattern you'll be more easily able to separate your breathing when just playing in general, which will help you relax. This also helps with being able to sing and play too
I've used the amber coloured Ultex version for a long time. The spec says it's 1.38mm thick. I quite like the newer Jim Dunlop John Petrucci Primetone Jazz 3 pick with the edge bevel (not the bigger black one) which the spec says is 1.4mm thick. It feels like it has a bit more glide off the strings, but I'm still not sure whether it's worth the extra money.
Having said that, on acoustic, I might on some occasions use a thinner pick if I'm looking for a clickier tone for strumming.
I agree - it's why I avoid thin picks
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself