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Dear Forum Folk;
Would anyone happen to know what kind of pick Neil uses and the thickness?

Dunlop Tortex, Blue, 1.0 mm thick. Neil stresses the use of heavier picks to minimize pick noise.

Thanks wrench, I was just wondering about it becasuse I was strumming a tune Neil strums in one of his videos and it just did not sound right. When I viewed the video the sound from his strumming sounded so well balanced and the string tones so evenly distributed, just well blended may be the best way to explain it. I swithched to a lighter gage pick,(from my normal heavy gauge) and got something closer to his sound. I guessing now a lot of it has to do with the way the pick is held. I have seen Neil explain and demo the pick hold technique, but it's hard to master. Holding it lightly enough to get a smother even,well blended sound, without the pick moving around is a challange. I think I will keep on using my heavy guage and work on the holding technique, rather than switch to a lighter gauge. Do you suppose Neil never uses anything lighter that what you mentioned?

wrench wrote:

Dunlop Tortex, Blue, 1.0 mm thick. Neil stresses the use of heavier picks to minimize pick noise.

I'm interested in that comment Gary. Does that imply that there isn't a place for a thinner pick? I'm not being smart here it's a genuine question. I understand that as players progress they do tend toward thicker picks, as I am finding now, but is there a time when a thinner pick will be preferable? (I think I'm still on topic, not trying to hijack the thread)

On target Tovo, thanks. Implied the same in my response. Awaiting a reply. Thin pick like thin crust pizza. A time and place for everthing?

An hour ago I would have said I never saw Neil use anything but blue Tortex. Then he posts the new TARGET lesson (Drive, by Incubus), and he is using a pink (1.14 mm if it's still Tortex). I have never seen Neil use anything lighter or endorse anything lighter in a TG video.

I am comfortable with heavier picks for melody applications (such as The Sage, which uses hybrid picking) because it makes a sound closer to fingers, and adds some control because the pick doesn't flex. The downside (if you want to call it that) of using the heavier pick - you must position it properly and hold it VERY loosely.

I find that lighter picks are louder and brighter, but force me to use poor holding technique under heavy strumming. I cannot hold a light pick with the proper technique and strum heavily because the pick is too flexible, and it just goes flying. Neil is adamant about avoiding thin picks, and now I understand why for melody work, but I'm still trying to figure out how to use a heavy pick for heavy strumming.

The simple answer must be 1. Practice,Practic,Practic. 2 Experience.
Check back with you guy on this one in a year or two.

I've definitely gravitated more and more towards heavier picks over the years, but I think thin ones still have their place here and there. For example, I don't think you could get the sound Cat Stephens got on Wild World with anything but a fairly thin pick.

Steve,

I agree with that. I can hear the song and I can hear the pick noise. I'm sure he planned it that way its so obvious now that you mention it.