LeftyBassist.com

Well now that I've vented, let's move on to another question:

Pick users: do you have a pick preference?

When I play with a pick, I pretty much use heavy picks (same ones I use when I play guitar). When I first started learning bass, I used a pick exclusively, snce I didn't have fingerstyle technique down yet. I wanted something closer to that sound, however, so I used felt picks for a while (Do they still make felt picks?). I remember how the damn things would shed all over my bass after a while.

I have experimented with so many over the years. I do prefer the “Taco chip shape” over the smaller guitar twangers little ones. I used the fender big triangles for like 10 years but the quickly wore down and became rough and caused friction and I blew through them. I have been using these Clayton 1.00 mm last few years and I just love them. Perfect stiffness there is still just a little give and I think the material is not just soft plastic but some kind composite they just last forever and you can let the end hang out for that real plectrum English punk bite tone or you can choke up on it like I love too like Chris Squire so you get pick and a little edge of the thumb. This gives like a muted pick tone which I love. I recently read an article the Justin Chancellor from Tool uses the identical pick in the same thickness. Easy to find at any Guitar Center and one pack will last like years if you don’t loose them.

3-sided medium picks:

i use the 80mm claytons but sometimes switich back and forth with 100mm

Dunlop toltex .88 mm picks. The green ones, always in the larger triangular shape.

I like Jim Dunlop Big Stubbies, 1.0 mm, sometimes 2.0. They give me the sustain I need and I love the grip in the center. They work for me!

I'm still experimenting to find the right pick. I use regular size, thin picks but due to my left hand issues, holding a pick is difficult and becomes painful relatively quickly, especially if I have to grip then very tightly. The quest continues.

I've thought about trying out a thumbpick. Anyone considered that, or would it end up spinning around your thumb when making contact?

I used a thumb pick in the 70's, but only for a year or so.
I could only get righty thumb. It worked ok but killed my thumb oh the pain

Yep, tried thumb picks. I have several different types, all lefty, they are uncomfortable to say the least and you can't just turn them around when you don't want to use them so if you switch to fingerstyle withiur taking it off the pick will interfere if you float your thumb.

I play bluegrass with my Dobro and use thumbpicks all the time. I have lefty ones. I have never even thought about using it for bass playing. As you said, it might hurt because bass strings are bigger and more rigid

Paul McCartney played almost exclusively with a pic and I hear he was pretty decent, he was in a modest band also!

cp

a pick?..what's that?

j/k I let my fingernails get long to simulate a pick-tick, but no nail comes close to the real pick sound, and I always have a couple in my pocket for practice or gigs and use them all the time

what do I use?... whatever is laying around

Experiment with different picks as well as different materials. I remember reading an article on Anthony Jackson, and in the interview he said that his picks are made from old clorox bottles. He cut them to the shape that he liked and they worked perfectly for him. This is not to say that they'll work for you, but it's worth a shot. Brian May from Queen, while not a bassist, uses British coins for picks. He likes the sound he gets as well as the "feel" on the strings. Using a pick is like any other technique on the instrument- it has it's place and is valid. Just as long as you're using techniques to make music.
All the best with it man!

I have some metal picks on the way. I'll let everyone know how I like them compared to my faithful Dunlop Tortex triangle greenies.