Heavy picks sound better!

Neither.
I prefer MEDIUM ones.
Anything heavier than 0.73 kills the twang in the wound strings,
anything lighter sounds anemic.

For rhythm I prefer the gold Dunlop Herco nylons or the PW Nyflex,for single note the Dunlop Primetones, for live use the good old Dunlop Ultex (all of them are 0.73)

 

Early on I started using the Dunlop Max-Grip 1.15's, figuring that a heavy pick would force me to be more precise with my picking. Then two months ago I got the purple Tortex 2.0's. I was shocked at the difference in tone and now swap back and forth between them.

 

I play surf and these are perfect for tremelo picking. You get used them and can get just as much volume. It’s called YOUR ARM.

 

Yup, for bass, use your fingers or go home. Anyone who says you get more attack from a pick just ain't fingering right.

 

I’m a fan of the Dunlop jazz III pick. Been using them a long time. Funny if I don’t have one I can’t play well at all! It’s not just the sound, it’s what I’m used to. But with that said I do believe pick gauge does affect the sound because of my attack. And I can control my sound by my attack. With a light pick I don’t have that option.

 

Depends on the day, but usually either a black triangular Gibson Heavy or a .46 Dunlop nylon. On acoustic or mandolin I either use a BlueChip or real tortoise.

 

I used herco and other Dunlop nylons for years, tried many gauges and materials and always went back to nylon, for whatever reason I’m brutal to picks - I can ruin a herco in a day. Finally found this nylon with space age materials to harden the tip, these last me for many uses and maintain their structural integrity. They’re a signature series from a player in a heavy metal band called Meshuggah, I’m unfamiliar with their work but am thankful for the pick design!

 

3mm Big Stubby for me - the most used - hold with 3 fingers :



Or Pick Boy Red Pos-A-Grip - for playing fast up and down things like Misirlou - hold classically :



My strings are 10-52 at least.

Picks are consumable parts for me.

But it's me, OK ?

-tbln.

 

I’ve converted to light picks and haven’t broken a string since. Also haven’t had a pick fly out of my hand either. I like the touch sensitivity it gives me and I strum way more than I solo.

 

Oh nice, there’s one of these on the floor at my practice space and I’ve been wondering what the heck it is!

 

No.

Anyone who says that a pick hasn't got a place in bass playing hasn't heard a lot of music or has never stepped his foot in a recording studio.

Or ,and that's even worse,has never heard of Carol Kaye

 

Tis a very genre specific rule. In rock music fingerstyle bass has definitely been the exception rather than the norm since at least the 80s. If I’m playing country I’ll take fingerstyle with flatwounds all day though!