Anyone use a pick?

trippntx

trippntx

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
51
Reaction score
0
Location
San Antonio, TX
Maybe this question has been beaten to death, but I'm curious...

Who here at UU plays with a pick? I've read and heard about the infamous felt ukulele pick but have yet to ever see one. They must not be too popular as the counter monkeys at Sam Ash, Guitar center, et. al., seem to have never heard of them nor can't remember ever stocking them.

Anyone use them and any comments?
 
Last edited:
I picked up a felt pick at a local acoustic music shop. I admit I haven't spent enough time with it yet to know if I like it or not.
 
yeah I've tried the felt picks but never felt comfortable with them at all. Felt positively uncomfortable to me actually. Guess I just like the tactile feeling of the bare fingertips for both strumming and picking. My best pick work is usually done in the left nostril region. :p
 
I found felt picks at Sam Ash and I am trying to get good with one. Not to replace fingers but to get a different sound sometimes. I'm not very good yet, but I think it is not because it is hard, rather that I do not practice enough with the pick. The sound is different.
 
I've got a few felt picks, but I just can't get used to picks AT ALL. I am way too used to using the flesh of my fingers or my nails. They're just no comfortable to me.
 
trippntx said:
They must not be too popular as the counter monkeys at Sam Ash, Guitar center, et. al., seem to have never heard of them nor can't remember ever stocking them.

Anyone use them and any comments?
Click to expand...
What? The people at Sam Ash & Guitar Center never heard of something? Well then, it's clear that it must not exist, because those people are just soooooo knowledgable about all things. Especially 'ukuleles!

[/sarcasm]
 
With ukes, never use em. With guitar I also rarely use a pick, but when I do I use Dunlop Tortex Orange .60mm. The daughter also won't play with anything but Dunlop Tortex. Nice flex, and tough. She burns right through other picks, and get about twice the use out of the Tortex.
 
I have a few felt picks that I grabbed with my first uke but I don't really use them. Makes everything sound to hard (for lack of a better word) and it just feels more natural for me to go without...one might even say naked! har har. There is a fellow in my ukulele group that uses these rather large picks he gets from Flea Market Music. He said he sands down the tip with fine grit sandpaper to taper them down and soften them up and they sound fantastic. Gives his strums this soft, mellow sound.

Here's a link http://www.fleamarketmusic.com/store/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=124
 
I don't usually use a pick. But last week, I was learning to play a jig. The individual notes sounded much more distinct when I played them with a pick, but I didn't have enough experience playing with a pick to move cleanly back and forth between strings. I'm just using the picks they send me for free every time I make an order with JustStrings.com, I don't know what material they're made of.
 
Sure, when it makes sense. Like if you're recording and you don't use fingernails and you need a more articulate sound. It would sound normal live, but like mud when recorded, then maybe a pick is in order. Despite what the uke blogs say, there's no right or wrong here. If you feel you need a pick, use one. If not, then don't. :)
 
I have experimented with a wide variety of picks, including several styles of felt. In the end, I have settled on bone picks that I get from Chris Brossard (http://www.brossardpicks.com/).

I use crazy high tension strings, though. Lower tension strings probably wouldn't work with the bone.
 
I started out with a pick when I was first learning for melody work. I like Dava Grip Tips. I don't use them very much anymore though. I never really liked picks for strumming. I did try them though. The plastic ones make annoying clicking noises when strumming. I didn't like the feel of the felt ones. They are big and clunky, and the texture bothered me. The Kiwaya leather pick was much better. It is a bit more flexible than the felt ones which, to me, works better for strumming.

My two cents worth would be to experiment with and without picks and find what works best for you.
 
Yeah I've had good luck with the Dava picks too. I also like V-Picks, but have to be careful of string noise. I only use them to do some repeating picking line that specifically needs it though.
 
WhenDogsSing said:
I use Dunlop .38mm white nylon picks. Very flexible.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what I use on the rare occasion that I use a pick with ukulele. I don't use a pick often, though. Mostly use one if I manage to bang my fingernails up too badly to get clear tone.

John
 
Tudorp said:
With ukes, never use em. With guitar I also rarely use a pick, but when I do I use Dunlop Tortex Orange .60mm. The daughter also won't play with anything but Dunlop Tortex. Nice flex, and tough. She burns right through other picks, and get about twice the use out of the Tortex.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I love the Tortex picks. I have a couple of very heavy blue and purple ones that I use on the bass when I really need a pick, which isn't often. Also have some lighter ones I use with guitar, I think my favorite for guitar are the orange or (shudder) pink.

What I like about the Tortex picks is that they are very slick on the strings - very little pick noise - but they don't slip in my fingers like other picks. That last really surprised me because I expected to have to drill holes in them to keep them from twisting and slipping (something I do with most other picks).

I first tried the Tortex picks when I was trying to learn mandolin - the heavy ones worked great for that and didn't cost $30 each! (Mando players are nuts about picks...)

I wish they made the Tortex picks in super thin and flexible sizes like the nylon - I think that would be tops for uke.

John
 
PoiDog said:
What? The people at Sam Ash & Guitar Center never heard of something? Well then, it's clear that it must not exist, because those people are just soooooo knowledgable about all things. Especially 'ukuleles!
Click to expand...

Wait til Ludwig makes 'em. Things will change. :)
 
Yup, that is what I like about them too. They are hard enough to slide over the stings without dragging, but have a slight texture to the finish over them they don't get slick between your fingers. It's the finish on them I think that makes them nice like that. The kid loves them too for the same reasons..

OldePhart said:
Yeah, I love the Tortex picks. I have a couple of very heavy blue and purple ones that I use on the bass when I really need a pick, which isn't often. Also have some lighter ones I use with guitar, I think my favorite for guitar are the orange or (shudder) pink.

What I like about the Tortex picks is that they are very slick on the strings - very little pick noise - but they don't slip in my fingers like other picks. That last really surprised me because I expected to have to drill holes in them to keep them from twisting and slipping (something I do with most other picks).

I first tried the Tortex picks when I was trying to learn mandolin - the heavy ones worked great for that and didn't cost $30 each! (Mando players are nuts about picks...)

I wish they made the Tortex picks in super thin and flexible sizes like the nylon - I think that would be tops for uke.

John
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

UkerDanno
Does anyone have a "pick guard"?
2
Replies
24
Views
1K
Kenn2018
Kenn2018
C
Anyone prefer using a pick instead of fingers?
2
Replies
36
Views
3K
WifeOnFourStrings
WifeOnFourStrings
G
Anyone use a pick?
2
Replies
24
Views
2K
Shastastan
S
amute
Jake Shimabukuro's pick-up? anyone?
Replies
7
Views
3K
thejumpingflea
thejumpingflea
V
anyone pick on just one string?
2
Replies
23
Views
3K
TokyoUketarist
TokyoUketarist
Top Bottom