Advice on pick making

crookedpinky

Try it. Even if it's just to confirm that it is or isn't for you.

flaco

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/105344#Comment_105344

All those variables are why I only make picks for my own use, and why I would never try to sell any!

Willie

I went on working on picks and will stop doing this now, although the first results haven't been that bad at all. The sound in general developed, but there was a very little somewhat "crisp" component with the ortega and even more of this with the dugain that had not been there before. I put the nail file away and began to use sandpaper with different grain, because I thought the file was just not able to produce a surface smooth enough to eliminate the overdose of high frequencies. This did not solve the problem, so I again compared the tips of all the picks and realized, that my favorite one has not only one bevel on each side but two of them. But I am not shure if this really is the reason why I prefer it's sound: the other pics only got on bevel on each side, and even using the dull sides of them sounds better than the picks I reshaped.

@pdg, ChristopheCarington, flaco, Buco: I think you are right with all the variables affecting tone and playability. Getting the correct mixture of them all would take me too long time of trial and error, so I came to the conclusions:

@Twang: "Is it worth the time and effort?" I don't think so.

@crookedpinky: "Even if it's just to confirm that it is or isn't for you." I confirmed that it isn't for me.

Instead of producing more sanding dust I'd rather take my guitar and rehearse, maybe using this https://www.thomann.de/de/harley_benton_ph1_horn_pick.htm or even that https://www.thomann.de/de/john_pearse_django_pick.htm

Before I ruin more picks, I'd better give them away to friends playing archtops.

Buco

That reminds of when one of my favorite players Remi Harris was talking about the bevel on his picks. He swears he can only get this specific bevel and therefore tone by playing with the same pick a lot. So he usually has one that's where he wants it to be and a few more he's wearing in. He says he tried ordering custom picks and even scanning and 3D printing his existing picks and nothing got him what he wanted to hear. He was like "I'd be totally stuffed if I lost the one I worn in".

I had the experience of hearing a different tone from the pick by simply making a few more passes with the file over the bevel and buffing it. But I go with "it's good enough". And even like slight variations that I get even when I try to achieve the same results. It's just part of the fun. A lot cheaper than switching guitars.