I started with a pick, playing guitar, and I still think finger plucking is easier on bass
agree 100%, problem is this feels natural when I play guitar, but because I alternate finger plucking, it feels odd on bass to go one direction. String crossing is easier this way, to start at least, but it just does not feel right.
I only recently started to use a pick just to learn a couple songs that need to be picked. Other than those songs, I will probably stay finger style as much as I can.
These are the picks I got to try out, I still find them a little on the thicker side. I would like something probably in the .6mm range most likely.
These are still pretty good tho.
I watched some footage of Tina playing at CBGB’s and then later on, many years after that, and she played with her thumb. Interesting, I thought she played with alternating finger plucking, and others thought it was a pick, but it turned out to be her thumb. At least the videos I saw her playing. Who knows how it was recorded?
The story goes, guitars traditionally had holes in them to store food you threw at the drummer when he did a good job. Gibson thought this practice barbaric, so they changed the holes on ES models to a sideways ‘f’ to discourage it. The ‘f’ stands for ‘f*** you - you’re not getting anything you drop in here, back’.
Now that I am learning Round and Round I have been using my Carol Kaye picks. Ms. Kaye would not approve the all-downstroke technique this song requires, though. As a guitarist, it’s more natural for me to alternate, but it doesn’t sound the same. [The picture didn’t upload ]
So… I wound up coming into a pretty large supply of Dunlop picks. Tortex, Ultex, Flow, Prime Grip, the whole nine. It included 6 packs of Primetone picks, from 1.4 to 3.0. Has anyone used those before? They look to be really nice, and they seem to play really well.
The more I play, the more I realize I prefer playing finger style. But of all the picks I’ve tried, the Dunlop Big Stubby 2.0 is the one I’ve liked best so far.
They taper almost to a point.
They almost slide off the string, instead of flexing thru it, is the way I understand it)
So, some of the things I hate about notmal, thinner picks that bent thru the string, who knows, I may like the way these slide thru the string instead of bend.
Though I wouldn’t say an Ultex 1.0 or thicker really bends much either. The thicker Tortex ones (1.14mm, etc) are also pretty stiff, usually the string slides off rather than the pick flexing.
For me the feel of both Ultex and Tortex are great and the biggest difference is kind of the texture (Tortex are “rougher”, can give kind of a cool “shoop” sound as you are picking, which may or may not be desirable) and the wear. Tortex gets chewed up much faster.
I have a few of these:
which would give the same kind of effect you’re looking for there but I don’t really use them.
I like the Ultex too. Actually it has a really nice sound to it, but all I could find where the triangle shape ones and those felt too big for my taste.
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