How to Choose a Guitar Pick

The more tools in your kit as a guitar player, the more options you have. And one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated tools is… the pick (aka “plectrum”).

As you know if you’ve ever stood in a guitar store checkout line, picks come in a staggering number of sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, and in many different materials. Maybe you thought this was just marketing—like the different varieties of Arizona Ice Tea.

But these qualities can make a huge difference in tonal character. In this respect, picks are a little like wine glasses. Just as some glass shapes are best suited for certain wine varieties than others, some picks are better for producing a certain tone. Including the tone you’re looking for.   

Part of it is physics: The mass of the pick determines the energy and force of your attack.

Heavier picks produce a meatier tone, and tend to be used by artists who want an explosive sound.

Thinner picks, which are usually more flexible, result in a softer sound. I prefer thinner picks when I’m plucking. Easier to move. More flexible picks are often preferred by rhythm players.

Firm picks can produce a bright, biting sound (try it with humbuckers flipped to the neck pickups). Think Pete Townshend.

Shapes make a difference, too. Triangular picks dig into the string, for a rich, thick sound.

Round-edged picks provide warmer tone that can reduce output. To borrow an old tagline from Ovation, the sound is rounder.

And then there are materials. Genuine tortoiseshell combines overall stiffness with pliability near the tip, making it a favorite among many players. Picks made from this material haven’t been in production since the 1970s, but you can still find these old picks if you look around.

Nylon is often used by country players. It has more flexibility than other materials, and sounds particularly good on acoustics

Let your choice of pick(s) be determined by the kind of music you play, your style of playing, your attack—and, in the end, what sounds good to your ear.

With all these options, though, how do you choose? Unlike most equipment we buy, picks are relatively cheap. Next time you’re at the music store, spend $10 or $20 and get as many varieties of picks as you can. Buy different shapes, sizes, and materials.

Then take them home and play them until you find a few that work well with your style. It’s by far the cheapest way to experiment with your sound.

You may not abandon your favorite picks, but then again you may surprise yourself. Johnny Marr once said that when he started playing a Tele, entirely new avenues of creativity opened up to him—just because of the way the guitar sounded and played in his hands.

Changing your equipment—even your picks—can change your world, sometimes for the better.

How I (Sort of) Crashed Super Bowl XLIV

Nope, I didn’t get into the Orange Bowl for the game. But our pickups made it to the Saints’ post-game party. Here’s the story.

I got a call that day from Fervor endorser Andrew Autin, who’d just arrived in Miami. Andrew plays lead guitar for MoJEAUX, the band hired to play what would turn out to be the Saints’ victory party.

The switch on one of his custom Hembrys was cutting out and the bridge pickup wouldn’t play. It was a big deal to Andrew—he’d just installed a pair of Fervor Hot humbuckers, whose punchy tone he really likes. (I’m convinced there’s a metalhead somewhere in Andrew’s past.)

What could I do? Miami’s an hour-and-a-half drive from our factory, so I told him I’d be right down. We met in the Miami Marriot lobby. “Wow. You guys make house calls,” Andrew said when he saw me. I set up my operating room right there: two chairs, my soldering iron, and a worried-looking concierge in the background.

A few minutes later, the Hembry was ready to play. Andrew’s not only a superb guitarist, he’s also a gentleman; he immediately invited my wife and I to dinner with the band. It was a great chance to get to know these guys face-to-face. I’ll say this about every one of the New Orleanians I met in Miami, which was maybe 80% Saints fans on that electric night: they’ve gotta be the kindest people I’ve ever met.

After dinner the band invited us back up to their room to jam. I’d brought a fiesta red Strat which I’d built for myself and a Fender Blues Junior amp. The Fervor ‘50s Strat pickups on this guitar give it a nice warm, bluesy, little-bit-bassy tone. Pretty soon, Andrew got his hands on it, then MoJEAUX’s keyboard player Blake Sticker. Neither one wanted to put it down.

What could I do?

Now Andrew had three guitars to play for the Saints, each with Fervor pickups: his Hembry, another Hembry with Fervor Special Editions, and my fiesta red Strat.

We never made it to the party or the game (Andrew tried!), so you’ll have to make do with this videoclip:

Go to www.myspace.com/mojeauxband  to see the party videos.

But it was awesome to have been there with MoJEAUX. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting to hear how Kim Kardashian likes Fervor pickups…

1961 Gibson Johnny Smith

 

In 1961 Gibson introduced to the world the Johny Smith archtop. Mr. Smith, who is considered the Les Paul of the archtop guitar, was known as a superior musician and a revolutionary designer, who took inspiration from the past and the future and expanded guitar innovation. He begun his training with Epiphone and then with Guild in the early 50's, however, with his career at a turning point, Smith finally ended up with Gibson were he would create one of the most sought after archtops of the modern times. The Johnny Smith debuted the first floating humbucking pickup ever made. In addition, Smith brought back the classic X-brace top that was used by Gibson on the 1930's, which increased the sustain and warmth while producing a throaty tone.

The Johnny Smith was made of hand carved solid spruce on the top and back, highly figured flame maple sides and neck, X-braced top, multiple bound top, back, with a peghead, 7-ply body bonding, and ebony fingerboard. Most significant to the Smith model was the 1 floating mini-humbucking pickups. Other features included the quintuple-bound tortoise pickguard, adjustable ebony bridge, L-5 engraved style tailpiece with the model name on center insert, 5 piece split diamond peghead inlay, and gold plated parts. The Smith came in either sunburst or natural finish.

 

The result of is an instrument unique in playability, tonal response, and design aesthetics. 

 

Please leave a comment an tell us what you think of the Gibson Johnny Smith archtop.

The sweet sound of our Special Edition pickups...

Our Special Edition Strat pickups now have sound clips. Click on the link below to listen to what everyone's talking about.
 
http://www.fervorpickups.com/Fervor_Special_Edition_p/fmu-sse.htm

Funny Friday

 Piano Don't Get Chicks!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IjBPLYcVZo

Name that Guitar Legend: The Blues

The latest in a series of quizzes from Fervor Pickups. Take the quiz and when you're done come back to Fervor Pickups Flog at http://fervorpickups.blogspot.com/2010/02/answers-to-great-blues-guitarists.html to find out how these guitar legends get their tones.  [Spoiler Alert!: Don't read the post below if you truly want to challenge yourself.]

http://apps.facebook.com/ilike/quizzes/take/142107

How Do They Get That Tone: Blues Legends

Tone junkies often wonder how great blues players get their tone. Many of us have tried to duplicate our favorite guitarist but never seem to nail it. Here are some very notable guitarists that I get questions about all the time. Now it's time for you take this information and start achieving the tone you want play.


Stevie Ray Vaughan is considered one of the greatest guitarists that ever lived. This legendary artist is known for his massive tone. Vaughan created his tone with his favorite guitar called "Number One," which was a 1959 Fender Stratocaster with a left-handed vibrato tailpiece, rosewood fingerboard, and stock pickups. Vaughan's main pedals were a Vox Wah-wah pedal and an Ibanez Tube Screamer. And one of his favorite amps was a Fender Bassman.  The combination of a great Fender guitar and left-handed vibrato, a vintage Fender Bassman, and heavier strings are what makes his amazing tone.


Robert Johnson is a blues legend known for his Mississippi Delta blues. A lot has been written about this talented artist, but not much is known about how he got his tone. It's reported that Johnson’s haunting recordings were the result of him recording into the corner of a wall, which helped him capture the sound and emotion with which he played with. Johnson played an early 1930's Kalamazoo acoustic guitar. He was famous for playing a variety of styles - from raw country slide guitar to jazz and pop licks - and well known as a flamboyant performer. Some of Johnson’s biggest fans are such greats as Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.



Joe Bonamassa is a terrific young guitarist who can play the blues with the best of them. Bonamassa’s tone comes from his Custom Shop ’59 Les Pauls with classic PAF humbuckers and a combination of Marshall amplifiers. His tone is accentuated with a ton of effects such as a Vox Wah-Wah pedal, a Fuzz-Face, a Gas Pedal clean boost, and a Tube Screamer. The result is Bonamassa’s famous tone, which is very aggressive and one of brilliance.


Duane Allman is best known as one of the most influential guitar players of all time. His tone came from a combination of ’59 Gibson Les Pauls and a Cherry SG that he played through a 50-watt head, atop a matching 4x12 cabinet. He spent years hunting and experimenting, both live and in the studio to capture his warm buttery tone. In order for Allman to create his tone, legend has it that he’d only use run-down batteries to power his pedal, believing the low voltage yielded a warmer tone.


John Lee Hooker is a giant of the blues and the father of the boogie. Hooker introduced the world to the persistent, chugging rhythm of boogie music, a form of country blues he learned back home in Mississippi. He is renowned for the gruff voice and his intense guitar playing. Hooker recorded with a Gibson ES model and he enjoyed great success playing the coffeehouse circuit of the late fifties and early Sixties. Hooker is a prominent figure in the blues and his tone is legendary.


Johnny Winter is known as the elder statesman of the blues. He was heavily influenced by such blues greats as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Blind Lemon Johnson. He is famous for playing a ’60s Gibson Firebird cranked through several different Fender amps, such as a Bassman, Twin Reverb, and Super reverbs as well as a various combination of Marshall and Ampegs. Winter’s stinging tone – which he attributes to “everything on all the way, and all treble and no bass,” makes his style one of a kind.


Freddie King is a giant of the blues world. Best known for his 1960 instrumentals, switching easily between styles, King created his tone by lowering volumes and adding a little compression to ‘squash’ the dynamics and give maximum sustain for the vibrato moments. His guitar of choice was a semi-hollow body Gibson ES-335 with classic PAF humbuckers. Much of his work has been covered by greats like Mick Taylor, Peter Green, and Eric Clapton.


Albert King is truly one of the "Three Kings" of the Blues guitar; He was a master of the single-string solo and could bend strings to produce a particularly tormented blues sound that set his style apart from his contemporaries. The likes of Stevie ray Vaughan to jimmy Hendrix adored king who was a major influence on them. King’s massive tone was totally unique which made him one the greatest blues players ever.



T-Bone Walker pioneered the electric guitar sound that helped create the blues and thus influenced all popular music that followed. He played one of the first electric guitars in the mid-‘30s, recording with it in 1939. His “T-Bone Blues,” recorded as a member of Les Hite’s Cotton Club Orchestra, and “Stormy Monday” both became blues classics, demonstrating his jazz-based blues style. His single-string solos influenced blues players like B.B. King and such rockers as Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.


Otis Rush is one of the greatest guitarists to ever grace the planet. He is a master of unpredictable runs packed with difficult bends, which create an air of the unknown. Rush originally played a Gibson ES-335 early in his career, but later switched to a Fender Stratocaster. He is the one guitar slinger alive today who can say he influenced Clapton, Beck, Hendrix, Santana, and a handful more of greats – that’s Otis Rush.

Guitar of the Week

Fender Telecaster Thinline

In late 1968, Fender introduced the Telecaster Thinline. Much like Gibson's 335, the Thinline has a solid center with hollow "wings" and a single "F" hole. Apparently Fender’s supply of lightweight ash was drying up so Fender looked for ways to use readily available, but heavier grades of ash for the Telecaster. Their solution was to hollow out portions of the body to reduce weight. The body was routed from the back on each side of pickup assembly creating hollow "wings". A thin back panel was then glued on the back. A new style pearloid pickguard was used too. When it was introduced in late 1968, the Telecaster Thinline was offered with either a natural finished ash or mahogany body. In 1969, a three tone sunburst finish was also offered as an option. Also in 1969 the maple cap fingerboard gave way to a one piece maple neck with the back "skunk stripe". Finally in late-1971, the Telecaster Thinline was outfitted with a pair of Fender’s new humbucking pickups and it remained unchanged in the Fender line until it was discontinued in 1980. 

Gibson ES-225 Thinline Fully Hollow Electric Archtop

Much like a slightly fancier 1960's ES-125TC with a different tailpiece, the ES-225 Thinbody had a single pointed cutaway, fully hollow body, and it was equipped with 1 or 2 P-90 pickups with black covers. Other features included a trapeze bridge/tailpiece combo with strings looping over bridge, laminated beveled-edge pickguard, single bound top, back and rosewood fingerboard, pearl dot fingerboard inlays, pearl logo, sunburst or natural finish. The one pickup model is not very desirable because of the placement of the single pickup; it's neither in the neck or bridge position, but in between the two positions.  

The ES-225 was available between 1955 to 1959.

Personally, I think it's an amazing guitar with a great look.