Folk acoustic strumming - which type of plectrum / pick records best in your experience?

rze99

Just curious if there is a type of plectrum / pick records best in your experience?
For myself, results SEEM a touch more even and sweet if the guitarist uses a thin or thinnish Fender type plectrum or is that a bit of an aural illusion on my part? as a guitarist, my strumming seems more even with a thinner pick so could well be just me.

thermionic

I'm generally looking for a percussive and rhythmic sound when recording a strummed acoustic and find a thinner pick works better, both for sound and technique. I think I remember reading once that Keith Richards (or someone of that ilk) used a very flexible pick made from a Fairy Liquid bottle on a well-known track. I think the adjustable bridge on some Gibson acoustics contributed a lot to that kind of sound as well. 

Mellish

Most of my gigs involves folk, I use Tortex point 50 but sometimes Wegen. 

I think Richards uses a Tortex point. 60 (orange), at least that's what the Stones sometimes hand out to fans  

 

Whistler

I agree with the two other posters. I did an album with acoustic guitar backing singers and found that a .73mm pick gave me the balance between enough body in a strum and the thwacky sound of a pick strumming strings.

Cranky

.5 to .73 sounds about right for a range.  Thinner for pure strumming and faster strumming, a little thicker if more lead type stuff is in order.  

Too thick and the guitar comes off as boxy.

Ungulate

Interesting I've just settled on 0.73 & a thin Fender as my 2 faves, just not sure how thick the thin Fender is...shall google...
Jeez, is it really 0.44mm!!

rze99

Ungulate said:

Interesting I've just settled on 0.73 & a thin Fender as my 2 faves, just not sure how thick the thin Fender is...shall google...
Jeez, is it really 0.44mm!!

They tend to split on me…

Ungulate

Yeah, my current one is developing a bend to one side....Good job they're cheap.

Soupman

I tend to use thin ones as they give a more open sound than heavier ones. Depends on your technique I suppose. 
They're cheap enough, buy half a dozen different thicknesses & try 'em out!

TheMadMick

Picking a pick is quite complex as there are several important variables:

a) what tone you're looking for

b) the pick material - the more rigid the material the harder the sound

c) Pick thickness - thinner tends to brightness and click and thicker tends to be more mellow

d) Pick sharpness - sharper is brighter

e) where you pick - brighter towards the saddle

I'm sure someone out there knows more than I do but this is a starter for 10. If you're recording there are even more variables depending on how you are recording and the equipment you are using. Then there's post recording manipulation.

MINEFIELD.

Zoonyboy

If you're just strumming along with a track, use a really light pick. A top recording engineer insisted on me doing this once, and it sounded fab. With my regular extra heavy it sounded boomy and awful. A lot depends upon the engineer and what compression he chooses, as well as how it is mic'd up. Don't play too hard! Get comfy. Try a few things. But go THIN.