Picks with a darker tone?

[rickenbackerkid]

Hi all,

I'm finding that my nylon picks are too bright. I do a lot of fingerpicking, and when I grab the pick to strum something, it's too bright in comparison.

Does anyone know of a pick that produces a slightly darker tone? I prefer slightly flexible picks and usually use nylon 1mm, sometimes lighter.

PS, i'm talking acoustic guitar here, I'm far less fussy on the electric guitar

[Basket Case]

The D'Addario/ Planet Waves 'Black Ice' picks are very dark sounding.

[nzsimon1]

there is a crowd called timber tones who make picks out of wood , I don't know who the distributor is

[Scooter13]

I like good old cellulose as they are less zingy than delrin or tortex, but I would have thought nylon would be darker than that anyway?
I use a compressor with a treble control to brighten up my finger picking, but that's for electric...

[Vince]

I have a felt pick, which is designed to sound like you're playing bass with your fingers. But it's pretty thick, it feels a bit clumsy to use.

[Mini Forklift]

I've got a stone pick which does seem to darken the tone compared to a 50c coin that I normally use.



Not sure where you get them from, I picked one up off TradeMe and it's great ~ 3.0mm so it's as thick as a kitchen tile haha

[Danger Mouse]

I use a metal pick. It's a bit unwieldy, which makes speed picking tricky, but for brutal death metal it's the business.

http://www.archtools.eu/images/detailed/0/pick.jpg

[Mini Forklift]

I use a metal pick. It's a bit unwieldy, which makes speed picking tricky, but for brutal death metal it's the business.

http://www.archtools.eu/images/detailed/0/pick.jpg

Yeah I like the sound of metal on strings too, 50c coin has done the job for many years and suits me as I don't use the pointy part of a pick anyway.

[rickenbackerkid]

I use a metal pick. It's a bit unwieldy, which makes speed picking tricky, but for brutal death metal it's the business.

http://www.archtools.eu/images/detailed/0/pick.jpg

That will be fabulously gentle on the soft cedar top of my beautiful handmade guitar . . .

I'm going to go to our local, poorly equipped music store and try out a bunch. I think I need to try celluloid, and while I have not had good experiences with Tortex, I've only got thick ones - 1mm at least. I suspect that the lighter tortex will be worth trying and it seems Planet Waves have some interesting ones too.

[calling card]

You could try dead bluesman style & use your thumb tip.

[nzsimon1]

Have you tried facing south while bending your knees ?

[HackSaw]

Have you tried facing south while bending your knees ?

...said the vicar to JB. Oh wait, that's right, JB wasn't up to scratch.

[SimonHirst]

There's probably a Strymon pedal that does it?!

[willow13]

There's probably a Strymon pedal that does it?!

POTD

[rickenbackerkid]

You could try dead bluesman style & use your thumb tip.

I do a bit of this, it's a great sound. Unfortunately it's a sound without much power and guts, or at least it is when I try to do it!