Members shredhead7 Posted November 16, 2012 Members Share Posted November 16, 2012 Personally, I love the sound of Paul's picking and how clicky it is. It just adds to that half picked, half legato stuff he does, so that you know he's picking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GilmourD Posted November 16, 2012 Members Share Posted November 16, 2012 Originally Posted by Canadian Jeff I don't like the sound his pick makes, so what? Like I said anyway, it's really only in his instructional stuff where he uses that kinda dirty clean tone - his music (solo & Mr. Big) sounds fine.Also, some of you guys need to wipe the rage outta your eyes and re-read my posts. I said I don't like the sound his pick makes - not that I don't like his picking. The dude is the closest living example of someone with 'perfect' technique there is. I think part of the problem is that they don't seem to edit out the camera mic on his instructional videos so that dirty/clean tone is really a mix of the dirty tone with the camera mic picking up the acoustic sound of the guitar. He could shut the amp off and we'd still hear something on those videos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Frank555 Posted November 16, 2012 Members Share Posted November 16, 2012 Don't know about how Paul's flimsy plectrums affect his sound, but man does his phrasing sound stiff and sterile-no dynamics at all. Ever hear his solo on that Mr. Big song, it's like he's worried more about keeping time than juicing those notes. I read an interview in Guitar World mag, where even Mr. Gilbert acknowleged that he had a reputation as a stiff, mechanical player. I don't get why people goof on Michael Angelo Batio so much and not Paul Gilbert. To me their playing styles are almost identical-what is it, the fact that Gilbert is perceived as a nicer guy so he gets a pass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bruto Posted November 16, 2012 Members Share Posted November 16, 2012 I don't really think that thicker picks necessarily sound better. Really, it depends on what you're doing. I use medium picks for lead and thinner picks for strumming, and I don't even know the gauges. I just hold them in my right hand and flick them a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Canadian Jeff Posted November 16, 2012 Members Share Posted November 16, 2012 Originally Posted by GilmourD I think part of the problem is that they don't seem to edit out the camera mic on his instructional videos so that dirty/clean tone is really a mix of the dirty tone with the camera mic picking up the acoustic sound of the guitar. He could shut the amp off and we'd still hear something on those videos. Could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted November 16, 2012 Members Share Posted November 16, 2012 Pat Metheny uses .43mm But he says where he grew up all he could get was Fender Thins, "which sound terrible of course because they are thin" so he would bend them and use the rounded side not the point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members frankenstone Posted November 18, 2012 Members Share Posted November 18, 2012 Originally Posted by omni His strings lay on the frets. Mega ultra low action. I wish I had a tech that could set up my guitars with that kind of action. The guy is a monster though. Sorry, but this is just not true. I've played several of Paul's personal guitars and the action was not super low on any of them. The one I actually measured was 3/64ths on the high E at the 12th fret and 4/64ths on the low E. That's not super low. But Paul sets up his guitars by feel. He had no idea what the actual measurements were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Canadian Jeff Posted November 18, 2012 Members Share Posted November 18, 2012 Cray, I set up my guitars similar to how PG sets up his which is just another example of how much of it is what you can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Heartstring Posted November 18, 2012 Members Share Posted November 18, 2012 PG and I both favor .60 picks! Our similarities pretty much end there. Apparently, you can sell your soul to the devil! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tone Deaf Posted November 18, 2012 Members Share Posted November 18, 2012 Who the {censored} is making up this bull{censored} about "beginners" picks? That's in the running for one of the most ridiculous things I've read here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Canadian Jeff Posted November 18, 2012 Members Share Posted November 18, 2012 Who the {censored} is making up this bull{censored} about "beginners" picks? That's in the running for one of the most ridiculous things I've read here. QFT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brewski Posted November 18, 2012 Members Share Posted November 18, 2012 I seriously doubt he's even human. It's like in Men in Black. He's just some alien, living on Earth, getting by... So I looked up the video and he talked about his pick sound and I personally love it. His right hand and left hand symmetry is isane perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Heartstring Posted November 18, 2012 Members Share Posted November 18, 2012 QFT. When I started playing forever ago, I always preferred a thick pick. Now, when I use a pick at all, I can't go any thicker than .60, and sometimes only a .48 will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Canadian Jeff Posted November 18, 2012 Members Share Posted November 18, 2012 So I looked up the video and he talked about his pick sound and I personally love it. His right hand and left hand symmetry is isane perfect! Different strokes for different folks. I wasn't trying to present my tastes as definitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members danswon Posted November 18, 2012 Members Share Posted November 18, 2012 PG probably does use .60s......... and .88s, and 1mms and 1.14 etc etc. ... all pick sizes have their uses. Why limit yourself? And even if he does only use .60s (which would massively surprise me) why base your choice on that? It's all relative. I'd guess he uses very thin strings if he exclusively uses .60s. Personally I prefer heavy celluloid or tortex picks (anything from 1.14 up) and use 10s in standard ion everything, but I play quite aggressively. Then again, a thin nylon sounds beautiful gently strumming a 12-string acoustic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members frankenstone Posted November 19, 2012 Members Share Posted November 19, 2012 Nope. He uses .60 Tortex picks for just about everything. He gets them printed with custom artwork from Dunlop and gives them away by the handful. His strings are also nothing special. 9 to 42 for 25.5" scale guitars and 10 to 46 for 24.75" scale guitars like his signature model. At the end of the day, he's really talented and doesn't need a bunch of special tools and shortcuts to do what he does. All this myth-making and speculation is pretty funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sammyreynolds01 Posted November 19, 2012 Members Share Posted November 19, 2012 yep dunlop did an interview with him at namm and he said he used to be a believer in thicker picks are better. He changed his mind and now plays .60's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Heartstring Posted November 19, 2012 Members Share Posted November 19, 2012 When I started playing forever ago, I always preferred a thick pick. Now, when I use a pick at all, I can't go any thicker than .60, and sometimes only a .48 will do. I just looked again . . . with glasses! I beg your pardon, I meant to say a .46. I just recently went to these, even thinner than my .60s. I use nylon Dunlops, BTW. I can't wear them out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members frankenstone Posted November 19, 2012 Members Share Posted November 19, 2012 yep dunlop did an interview with him at namm and he said he used to be a believer in thicker picks are better. He changed his mind and now plays .60's. [video=youtube;Lbk7KfQ7RVg] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members danswon Posted November 20, 2012 Members Share Posted November 20, 2012 I couldn't even use .60s for anything other than light strumming. Way too thin for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MikeSpitzer Posted July 30, 2017 Members Share Posted July 30, 2017 Just to clarify some confusion on Paul Gilbert's choice of picks .... In years past when he was more into shredding with Racer X, etc,,,, he used 1.2 mm celluloid picks similar to Fender Extra HeavyHe was using these as recently as 2001 or so.But soon after the Superheroes album when he started doing more solo and Mr Big work ... he started to experiment with single coils, non-PGM style guitars and more pop/rock/blues material and that is when he moved to the orange 0.6 tortex picks.But the Racer X and Laney GH100L days prior to 2002 or so were definatley thicker picks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted July 31, 2017 Members Share Posted July 31, 2017 How to use a .6 pick and a really good picking drill thrown in. [video=youtube;E8r66nKmzCo] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted July 31, 2017 Members Share Posted July 31, 2017 Picks are like golf clubs, you don't use a driving iron for everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EmgEsp Posted August 1, 2017 Members Share Posted August 1, 2017 If you have a light picking hand you can get away with lighter picks. I personally switch between .60 and .73mm depending on the day. I have zero issues with picking definition and control using such light picks. If you pick your guitar like a caveman then yes heavier picks makes more sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted August 1, 2017 Members Share Posted August 1, 2017 When I use a pick I also use a .73mm I find it the most versatile gauge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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