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Topic: Ultex Thumb Pick |
Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 24 Jun 2016 2:09 pm |
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Just found these. I guess they've been around for a while. Ultex by Dunlop. Just FWIW.
If you're looking for a stronger, brighter attack for your thumbed notes, you might like these.
I loved the Jeff Newman thumbpick size and style, but they were just too soft. Current Hercos are out for the same reason, plus they won't stay put. Plastic Dunlops, Nationals, GL's etc. better, but still go thunk on the wound strings particularly.
Only thing is they are tough and hard to shape. I buy the large ones for the longest blade, file down the point a little bit and reshape it for the longest blade tip possible. They just feel better for my Newman right hand style with the longer blade. It would be OK if they were a couple mm's longer for me.
They are also snug fitting. I'm a ring size 8 1/2, 9 and these are really firm fitting. The boiling water method helps a little, but they are still stubborn to shape. This one still needs a bit more blade bending toward the nail end of the thumb, so another round of shaping is in order.
I love the tone I'm getting with them though. Particularly on the dobro. Something I've been looking for since the demise of the original dark blue Herkies's. The Dunlop propaganda indicates that they wear lots less than their other styles too.
If you're happy with what you're using, carry on I'm just putting this out there for those that might be in the market for a harder pick material for a stronger attack. |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 24 Jun 2016 6:37 pm
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| Jerry, I just got the same pick last week. I still need to work on the blade but I like the tone. I was using ultex flat picks for regular guitar and just discovered the thumbpicks. I think its a winner. Yes it fits tightly. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 6 Jul 2016 6:57 am
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So Larry, which do you recommend for the flat pick? I'm used to Fender standard tort 351 mediums. I see they have quite a selection. Talking about the translucent ones like the thumb picks with the rhino.
Do you use the 421 standard or the 433 Sharp tapered style? What gauge works best for you? JO. www.jimdunlop.com/products/guitar-picks#ultex-picks |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 7 Jul 2016 6:19 pm
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| I like the 2.0mm ultex but they only come in the sharp point. I prefer the rounder tip so I tried their prime tone picks. Not bad but the clear ultex is better. I may reshape the tip but I am trying to adjust to the sharp as is. The 421 is my normal choice and they don't make it in the 2.0mm. I checked the dunlop website. You did a nice job on reshaping that thumbpick. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 7 Jul 2016 7:15 pm
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Thanks for the info Larry. Maybe I'll order the assortment pack of the Ultex clear and see what works best for me.
Seems silly I guess, but I spend about an hour filing, sanding and shaping the thumb picks to suit me. These Ultex are very stubborn re-shaping but I'm liking them a lot. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 7 Jul 2016 8:35 pm
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| Ya, order's in. For flatpicks I alternate between Ultex, Clayton's "acetal" which I believe to be delrin moderately hardened with silica powder (glass), and Jazz III XL's. I KNOW the black Jazz III's are the same nylon as the red ones hardened with silica. I tried metal thumpicks a la Easley, to even the tone between picks, but then I started scoring little nabs of Sonny Landreth's slide guitar tricks, and once I started using UPstrokes on slide, it crept into my steel playing - UPstrokes + metal thumbpicks = major owie. I like the Monster Golden Gates too but they ARE clicky under gain. To equalize ups-and-downs on thumbpicks, I file them to a sharkfin shape - the shark is trying to bite your wrist, like. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 8 Jul 2016 8:16 am
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I picked up some of those Ultex thumbpicks and they are nice.  |
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