!8: Dunlop Tortex For Sale: Guitar

Monday, January 9, 2012

When it comes to playing guitar, there are many choices to be made. One of the most overlooked, yet critical, choices are what type of guitar pic to use. Following is a listing of types, thicknesses, and materials as well as playing styles that we hope help you choose the right guitar pic.

Most guitar pics today are basically a triangular shape made from some sort of plastic. There are several kinds of plastics used including:

o Celluloid which is still used somewhat today and is highly flammable in nature. This is a good material to use if you are a jazz or blues player looking for a "vintage" tone.

o Nylon that is as flexible as it is popular. Nylon ends to wear rather quickly, become brittle and break. Mainly, pics that are very thin are made of nylon and are used in playing very fast runs.

o Tortex or Delrex, which are simply trade names for materials manufactured by DuPont that are derivatives of Delrin. Similar to nylon but has a matte finish that is easy to grip, making them very popular. Dunlop uses the Tortex and D'Andrea uses the Delrex.

o Acetal is a group of plastics that are divided into two sub-groups; copolymers that are used by Clayton and homopolymers which are a derivative of DuPont's Delrin division. The homopolymers are just a bit stiffer than their copolymer cousins.

o Ultem is a technologically advanced plastic that is the stiffest of all plastics used in guitar pics. Steve Clayton is credited with this one. Ultem picks are very popular with mandolin players.

o Lexan is a rigid, almost glass-like material. Very hard and not flexible by nature, this is used mainly for extra thick pics. Ultem wears out relatively quickly and is prone to breakage under even normal use.

Then there are the metal pics like those used by Brian May of Queen fame (resembles a sixpence coin) or Billy Gibbon of ZZ Top, who uses a Mexican peso by choice. Many players will use metal pics to elicit a brighter tone. They do wear heavily on the strings and can damage the guitar's finish under strumming conditions.

Of course, there are exotic materials as well, such as Agate (stone), Lignum vitae (a hardwood) and New Tortis (artificial tortoise shell). All of these are believed to generate an "organic" tone since they are all naturally occurring except for the last one.

All guitar pics range in thickness from about.38mm (ultra thin) all the way up to 1.5mm (extra heavy). Thinner pics are used widely used in many hard rock genres. The thinner the pic, the more voracious the attack sounds, yet some say that a thicker pick does create a brighter, fuller tone. Additionally, when playing with heavy distortion or extreme high gain amplification, thinner pics will produce a deeper growling sound that is almost uncontrollable.

On the contrary, jazz or blues or country western players tend to use thicker pics due to their use of flat wound, heavy gauge strings. The result is a truer tone and more brightness.

All in all, the pic you choose is a matter of personal selection and playing technique. If you are not sure of your selection, get a few different types and try them out. You will find that perfect plectrum (pic) that meets your style and sound.

Guitar Pic 101

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Sunday, December 11, 2011

Dunlop Tortex, Fender Picks, and Others - A Closer Look at 4 Common Guitar Picks

!±8± Dunlop Tortex, Fender Picks, and Others - A Closer Look at 4 Common Guitar Picks

1. Dunlop Tortex: The best feature of the Dunlop Tortex is its high gripping, non slipping surface. The material that the pick is made out of (Tortex) feels great, and the pick has just the right shape for comfortable playing. Also, I don't know if this really matters, but people say that these picks are indestructible. I cannot think of a situation where I would snap a pick while playing, but with these you can have confidence that your picks won't break. You may think that a pick does not affect your sound in any significant way, but that is absolutely incorrect. Try playing with a nylon Jazz III and compare it to the Dunlop Tortex. The difference is highly noticeable, and the tone from the Tortex is much more round and warmer that any other pick I have used. Dunlop Tortex picks are used by many famous artists, one of them being John Frusciante. They are a classic, and if you haven't tried one, you definitely should.

2. Fender 351 Premium Celluloid: The Fender 351 Premium Celluloid picks are made out of "Celluloid", which gives the pick a cool look, so if you want some eye candy and a solid pick, then you might like these. The heavy and medium versions of these picks are great, except the the tips will wear down after a few weeks of heavy playing. The thin versions of these picks are like usual thin picks: they lose their shape and are unplayable after a while. The sound quality of these picks is somewhere between a Dunlop Jazz III and a Dunlop Tortex. These picks are also a classic in the guitar books, and if you play a Fender guitar, it is always a good feeling to be using a Fender pick also.

3. Dunlop 475 Big Stubby: If your playing style consists of shredding, heavy metal, or even bebop/jazz then the Dunlop 475 Big Stubby will give you the ability to do so. One problem with this pick is that the surface is pretty slippery. As soon as your fingers get a little sweaty, the pick will occasionally slip around. This can be a problem for some players, and if you are looking for a pick with a solid grip then this may not be the pick for you. If you are looking for a sturdy pick that won't budge, then the Dunlop Big Stubby will do the job. You have the option of 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, or 3.0 mm thickness. The sound quality from the Big Stubby is good, but not great. It has a similar sound to the Jazz III's when plucking the strings. The Dunlop Big Stubby offers smooth agility with major slippage. Bottom line: If you don't have sweaty hands, then try this one out.

4. Dava Grip Tips: The feel of the Dava Grip Tip has the shape and grip of a Dunlop Tortex plus the agility of a Dunlop Jazz III. This pick is a crossover of the two. The pick is stable, and has the attack of a Jazz III. Making this pick stand out from others is the thin rubber coating that prevents slippage when playing. These Grip Tips are long lasting, smooth playing, and gripping. The sound that comes out of these picks is very smooth, and playing fast lines comes with ease because these picks glide over the strings with minimum resistance. The Dava Grip Tips are very comfortable picks to use, and when playing these you do not have to worry about your pick slipping in your fingers.