I've always used Fender 351 picks in brown or red shell. Thin for acoustic and medium for electric. Everybody (or so I read) raves about Dunlop Tortex picks. So I bought some in .73 mm. I can't stand them! On the bass strings they give a nice twang, but on the treble strings it is like a knife in my eye! I have to turn the treble way down on the amp or turn down the tone control on the guitar. On my Squier Esquire with the tone control bypassed, they are unlistenable. Is it just me or do others feel the same? What am I missing?

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Bill

I don't like them either. Never have. I'm a bass player and most often pluck rather than pick, but when I do use a pick I use a Fender 351 Medium (in Green!). They have the amount of flex I'm after.

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2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD

What is it you don't like about them besides the flex? I love the feel of the Tortex between my fingers and the flex feels about the same to me as the 351s, but the tone is so different.

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Bill

Funny how this came up. I have allays preferred really light pics and am now trying heavier pics in the last two weeks. And duct tape, those with the stars, super gluing,,,

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Gary

I'm also not a big fan of the tortex picks. For me it's more how they feel as opposed to how they sound. I have traditionally used 1mm Jim Dunlop nylon picks although I just bought a couple Cool "juratex" picks that I'm kinda diggin now.

I use Fender 351 picks, Heavy, Blue (of course ) but over the years have tried just about every pick made. After reading your post I went through my "Picks I Have But Never Use" collection and pulled out a Dunlop Tortex .73 mm.

I agree totally with you about the "nice twang on the bass strings" and although I wasn't too impressed with the sound on the treble strings - a bit too bright for my taste - I wouldn't say it was like a knife in the eye.

Cheers!
BM

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

I'm with you, except it's Medium Fender Premium Celluloid 351's for electric and Heavy Fender Standard 351's for acoustic.

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I don't like the feel of the material/texture. I don't have any to compare for any tonal differences.
I do have a couple of 15 year old Dunlop Ultex .73 mm that are OK. They don't break like Fenders do, but they are a bit stiffer.

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2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD

I have managed to tone them down a bit, but it requires a guitar tone control or amp treble setting lower than what I use for the 351s. The Tortex also seem to change tone more readily depending on the pick stroke than the 351s.

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Bill

Any suggestions for a pick that would give me the twang of a Tortex on the bottom end but a high end closer to the Fender 351?

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Bill

+1 on the material/texture. Feels yucky to me.

I'm not sure. Going on just me trying out a few things - nothing scientific by any means - I get the impression that the thinner pick which gives us the nice twang makes things too bright on the top. A heavier pick smoothes things out upstairs but we loose the twang. This is probably an over simplification as I am sure there are more significant variables to consider: guitar pups, guitar settings, type of strings, amp, amp settings.

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

I just gave myself a nice work out and A-B'd Ultex .73 vs 351M. The Fender 351 is far more flexable in a very good way and works with me to keep the rythym in time on my medium gauge bass strings. Faster and more responsive flex upon attack and release after pick-through. I find the sound of the 351 on the strings has a nice musical bite - bright, but not screaming "I'm A Pick!" with every stroke.

The Dunlop Ultex .73 mm was clumsey and had a heavy handed unmusical thunk on attack. It's flex response was sluggish - slow to release/return/rebound. I found myself fighting the pick to stay on time. No joy here. Didn't realize until just now how poor these are.

Fender Premium Celluloid 351 Medium GREEN MOTO for me!

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2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD

I've always played tortex picks, when i first started playing I loved the purple ones, they're so freaking thick and heavy.... and then after a while i switched to the reds and have played them ever since. unless i'm playing some quick surfy stuff, then i use dunlop .60 nylons with the grip.

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~Dan

Yes. Stick your head in front of a Marshall stack cranked for a few days, weeks, ...months if necessary. You'll be begging for more treble in no time at all!

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