Metal plectrums?

[Twinfan]

Anyone using them?  What brands/types should I take a look at?

I'm thinking of giving one or two a try....

[Afghan Dave]

I've got an aluminium (not to be pronounced A-LUME-MIN-UM my USA chums) TECKPICK



I tried as an experiment but it really didn't leave any great impression good or bad, just kinda "Meah"

If you get hand cramps from holding a very thick pick maybe it will rock your world.

[gingataff]

I've got an aluminium (not to be pronounced A-LUME-MIN-UM my USA chums) TECKPICK



I tried as an experiment but it really didn't leave any great impression good or bad, just kinda "Meah"

If you get hand cramps from holding a very thick pick maybe it will rock your world.

To be fair, Americans also write the word as 'ALUMINUM' so their pronunciation is correct, just their spelling is wrong ;)

I have AluminIum picks, brass, nickel, stainless steel and titanium.
They all feel and sound slightly different but you often get that sound of metal on metal as you hit the string which can get annoying. I'd say brass has the dullest sound (closest to plastic) and steel is the brightest. Nickel is quite nice and I have one that I filed some grooves along one edge for a Brian May type sixpence sound.

EDIT: The picks I have are all made by a Japanese company called Big-West Creation, I'm not sure if they sell them overseas or not.

[Philly Q]

I tried a metal pick many years ago, no idea what make it was.

I didn't like the feel or sound of metal on metal (not the Anvil album!), it's got a bit of a chalk-on-blackboard quality  :x .  And, psychologically at least, it feels like it's chewing up the strings (although really I guess the pick metal is softer than the steel strings).

I think the Billy Gibbons/Brian May approach of using a coin rather than an actual pick may work better, because you can use the rounded edge to soften the attack.

[Will]

I have the top right teckpick pictured. Don't really use it, but worth a try if you want to for the sake of it

[Twinfan]

Cheers guys - I'll see if I can find one....

[ailean]

I have a Dava metal edged pick. I don't use it much, but I do use the Dava control as I like the feel of them.

[Adam.M]

I have one of those TechPick's somewhere, I keep loosing it and finding it in my room.

It does sound different, I found strumming quite difficult with it though.

I'll have to try it out again next time I find it, it's a red one... it's around here, somewhere...

[Copperhead]

About 20 years ago, Hotlicks picks were the rage. Flexible, springy, thin coppery or brassy looking things. They sure wore out your strings quickly. I was playing a GK amp at the time, and I stopped using those picks when one of them slid into the amp and danced around on the board; SNAP-CRACKLE-POOF!

[38thBeatle]

I have one. I hardly use it as I wasn't over keen on the feel - a bit unyielding and whilst I do play solos I also play more chords etc when I am gigging and so for me it wasn't entirely my thing. The action of the pick wasn't as smooth either and it seems to snag a little-not to a major extent but enough to get on my tonsils.

[Adam.M]

Just found my red teckpick.

Trying it through my old carlsbro 60TC with a strat and it actually sounds clearer, and feels nicer.

Oddly, i'm getting less top end than with this dunlop jazz III, the guitar sounds 'cheaper' with the plastic pic.

Hmm, doesn't feel like it's going to kill the strings any quicker either.

I likey, I stopped using it because everyone told me it'd kill my strings so i just left it.

[Johnny Mac]

You get swarf on your pickups. I prefer normal ones.

[blue]

i got one of the Joe Satriani metal picks to try out, and i tried another one, but i can't remember what make it was.  the "other" one seemed to have rough edges and was just rubbish.  the Satriani ones have ronded edges.  i found it difficult to play with, although i'm sure perseverance would help.  of course, they're very infelxible, and heavy feeling.  it's kinda like running with a bag of weights!  the smooth edges were nice for slidey effects though, and you can do some interesting things combining picking and sliding.  it's a while since i used it, i can't actually remember what difference it made to the sound  :oops:

i won't be switching from ordinary picks, but i certainly think it's worth trying them.

[Tellboy]

I tried them for a while and stopped when I noticed that they were f***ing up the finish on the scratchplate and guitar body where I had been a little over enstusiastic with my strumming - threw them away  :(

[Philly Q]

You get swarf on your pickups. I prefer normal ones.

Comes off lovely with a blob of Swarfega, though.  Gets rid of greasy fingerprints too.