I have been doing BLIM for the last 12 months, first on BLIM3 and then I rejoined on BLIM4 as I lost nearly 2 months in the second half of BLIM3. As you would expect on a Blues course there is quite a lot of lick, solo and riff practice, as material gets harder then technique and approach I found became more important. I have been struggling a bit with getting faster picking and a good even tone, I have used Dunlop Tortex, Dunlop XL Series Jazz III and various other Pics and from 0.66 to 1.5mm, I was happiest with a Dunlop XL Series Jazz III Yellow or Blue 0.73mm and 1mm, and Dunlop Nylon 0.66 for strumming.
On my most recent BLIM Study/Buddy group Erion @erionstrings mentioned trying out ATTAK PIK’s as he had found them to really help with picking. They have several types to choose from which have different feel and properties/uses. I decided to try them out and purchased a mixed pack as in the photo. The ones along the bottom are all types of their Stealth range they all have chamfered edges which are supposed to help the pic pass over the strings, you can also use the wider end for strumming. The other 3 are slightly different and each offer changes to tone when used, they are all quite stiff, so don’t be surprised.
I am pleasantly surprised just how much difference the Stealth Attack Pics make when soloing, it just feels easier from stroke to stroke and more fluid. I particularly like the White one and the Larger Grey one. A reload pack of 8 is £12 and gives you a selection to try out. I think they are very much worth trying out, they are on Amazon but not the mixed packs which you can get direct from them at AttakPik if you are interested.
Hello Adrian.
My favourite picks are Dunlop Ultex Sharp 1.4mm. I have one which is 2mm which I like even more but only have the one so use it sparingly. I find they glide across the strings nicely and have a tone that I like.
I have a pack of 2mm Stealth Attak picks like bottom right in your photo but I find them noisy and scratchy. They certainly have a different tone than the Ultex picks. Not a tone I like generally although they’re ok for a more driving, rhythmic type of solo.
I have been using them for few years now, they are amazing. I tried them all, but I use stealth III - the second one from the right, bottom row in your photo.
@Boris1565 I remembered you mentioning them in a post a while ago. I gave them a try and now the stealth 3 is my go to pick for any lead stuff. It’s not made for strumming, but I have many other picks for that.
Different thicknesses and different materials all affect tone. Tip shape affects tone. Pick angle affects tone. How you use them affects tone.
Experiment with a variety of picks and you’ll hear the difference.
I’ve been a big fan of Attak Piks for awhile. The one I use most is the farthest left on the bottom row.
That said, for whatever reason, I’ve noticed on a particular song I’ve been working on that it makes more scratchy noises than I like, so for this song I’ve been using a coconut shell pick. I do use mine to strum, but only on electric.
I bought a sample pack of the attak piks. I liked the feel but the sound wasn’t something I wanted to persist with. A more crisp sound on acoustic than the dunlop max-grip 1.5mm I’m used to.
