Members Nick H Posted September 24, 2011 Members Share Posted September 24, 2011 So I got some stainless steel guitar picks today just as an experiment and i have to say they are very interesting.The first thing Id like to point out about them is that they play quite differently than normal picks. The are usually between .36-.5mm the size of lioght to very light picks but because of their material they are as sturdy as any normal heavy pick. This allows slightly more precise picking.The second thing is about the sound. Comparing the stainless steel picks to regular picks is kind of like comparing a bridge pickup in a guitar to a neck pickup with the ss picks being the bridge. The ss picks have a slightly edgier more aggressive sound but slightly loose the warm tone of regular picks. They also have a harmonicy quality to them and add a slight punch to the beginning of every note. I would recommend these more for rythm stuff more so than lead because they do add some string noise and the positive tone qualities are not as prevelant in solos and stuff.The only negative aspect of using the stainless steel picks is you must prepare to have the picking area of your strings mangled, especially if you have lighter strings.Overall they have a very unique sound and theyre worth the few dollars that you can get them for on ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scepter Posted September 24, 2011 Members Share Posted September 24, 2011 I've used them for 20 years, you definitely need to eq for them, but they last forever and you can customize the shape and it will stay like that indefinitely. The other thing is you won't need to change strings due to dead sounding strings, you'll always have that bright attack that you have with new strings the only real drawback to them is when you do put on new strings your E,A, and D strings will have that bit of scrape before the string smooths out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nick H Posted September 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 24, 2011 I first started using them because I heard Mick Mars of Motley Crue used them and Im a huge fan of him and his guitar sound especially on the Dr. Feelgood album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JesterRace51 Posted September 24, 2011 Members Share Posted September 24, 2011 I'm gonna give them a whirl I think. Probably pick up some tomorrow. There hasn't been a pick that has made me change up from tortex .88s(greens) in all my years of guitar playing, and I've tried so many to even consider creating a list. I've always went back to the tortexs. Maybe these SS ones will be what changes it up for me. Only thing I'm worried about is going through strings quicker. I have a somewhat heavy pick attack and dig in kinda hard. It's weird, kinda. My picking hand is tense, and my fretting hand is usually very loose and relaxed while playing. Maybe that's not uncommon though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Y0UNGBL00D Posted September 24, 2011 Members Share Posted September 24, 2011 yellow tortex for me. unless im out, then i use a quarter, which is sorta like a ss pick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members magh8 Posted September 24, 2011 Members Share Posted September 24, 2011 I have tried the SS picks in the past and never really liked the sounds of them.I also tried stone with the same results.I am just a tortex kind of guy 1.0mm dunlop blues for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members charveldan Posted September 24, 2011 Members Share Posted September 24, 2011 I used SS picks in the 80's, they eat strings bad especially the outter wrap on the D string. Warren DeMartini uses them. They also had copper picks, but i liked the SS better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C-4 Posted September 24, 2011 Members Share Posted September 24, 2011 I have a ss flat pick. I found what others here have said concerning how it eats the wrap off of D, A, and low E strings and the scraping sound. I also found that they slow down my alternate picking speed, due to having more resistance across the lower strings and how I hold the pick. To cure that, I tried a Dugain metal pick. http://www.dugain-picks.fr/medias/dugain-picks_anglais.htm They are the same size as a Fender 351, or Dunlop standard shaped Tortex pick. They come with and without holes in the pick and in different metals. What I found is that they are smoother feeling when alternate picking and last forever, but have a smoother feel due to the dimension of the picking surface on the picks. I had used all the other pick types mentioned here, but found that even with really light gauge strings, that I still preferred the stiffness and feel of the Dugains. They are not inexpensive, but the longer I have played, the thicker the picks I have favored. I also realized that with a Dugain pick, they last for years, unless lost or stolen, which has not happened to me yet. It is simply a matter of being careful, which doesn't take much effort at all. Also, being used to the shape, and feel of the way Dugain picks are made, it is easy to switch between different materials offered by this man, as all of his picks feel the same when holding them. They just make a different sound when playing, based on the material. Here is a site with great explanations and pictures:http://www.dugainpicks.com/dugain.html Here is the site where I buy mine. I have searched everywhere online and this site is the best on pricing I have foound.http://shoppingcart.djangobooks.com/dugain-picks--dugain_picks.html If anyone is interested in these picks, I hope these sites offer some asistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ShaneV2 Posted September 24, 2011 Members Share Posted September 24, 2011 I have a stainless pick and it's decent, but I prefer brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Macelind Posted September 25, 2011 Members Share Posted September 25, 2011 I have been using Ice Pix stainless steel for a few years now and the only problem I have with them is I have to put self adhesive sand paper on them in order to hold onto them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mesa/Kramer Posted September 25, 2011 Members Share Posted September 25, 2011 I used these for over 20 years, exclusivly, They will tear your strings up faster, but nothing is stiffer, with out being too thick than the stainless steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Evergreen60 Posted January 21, 2017 Members Share Posted January 21, 2017 I have used steel for a while but the tone is too bright. I prefer the more "conservative" mid-gauge Celluloid and Nylon. I wrote a post about this if you guys would like to take a look here: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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