Pick Question for the Guitar Players Amongst Us
 

I know there are quite a few guitar playin' Ledgies, so I'm hoping someone can help me out:

For Giftmas, I wanted to get my boyfriend some customized guitar picks with his name on 'em & junk. But I know that pick preference is something kind of personal to a player - you use whatever feels right to you, and other picks might not produce the same tone or feel you're looking for, etc. So I want to make sure I get the "right kind," so he can actually use them comfortably.

I know from sneaking one of the picks he always carts around in his pants pocketses that he uses the green Dunlop Tortex (.88mm).

Here's the problem, though: you can get custom Tortex picks, but they have a minimum order of 800, and I cannot afford that at all.

So I did some research to see if I could find a similar pick, and found that InTuneGP has a green .88mm (it's the GrippX-X) pick that's the same size as the Tortex and ostensibly made of the same material (delrin?), too, though I guess it has a slightly different finish.

So here's my question (actually, I guess it's 3 questions): do any of you have any experience with Gripp-X vs. Tortex? Do you think it would be a suitable substitute? Anything else I should consider?

Zombinator,

"Similar" won't be the same. If he likes a certain pick
I wouldn't try to buy another for him. And you're right,
the customized picks are crazy high (from Dunlop anyway).

For years I just played with my fingers - no picks as some
other guitar player claims. But now I've been using various
Dunlop picks. They sent me a boat load. I like the Dunlop
Celluloid White Pearloid Medium.

^^^^^

Meh, so it's a bad idea, then? Hmmm.

What if I track down a small pack of the GrippX ones for cheap (uncustomized) and give him one, and say something along the lines of, "I found these the other day. They look like the ones you use, same gauge and size - how do they stack up?" He's teaching my son to play and gave him one of the Tortex picks to use, so I can use that as an excuse, since they're less expensive, and everyone knows I'm a cheap bastard. Worth a shot, you think?

Tortex are the best picks ever ever ever :blob2:

Though if he likes the gauge and size then maybe he'd appreciate the er - tonal variety a different pick would give to different styles/songs? I know I do... and David Gilmour I think :wavey:

I wouldn't switch brands on him. I ONLY like to play with MY picks, which are Dunlop nylon 88's, although I use Tortex 88's on mandolin(I like that tougher pick, on mandolin). I used to be a nylon 73 guy, but changed, about 10 years ago. I bought a gross of 88's, and still haven't run out.....I'm very anal about not losing them. I somebody wants me to give them one of my picks, I only give them the Yellow tortex 88's(I do sound in a club, and everyone uses[and loses] those, so I haven't an endless supply).

I think it was a nice idea, just so you know.

Nice idea, no doubt. The question was whether most guitar players would want to play with a different kind of pick. I don't think anyone wanted to switch....

I don't smoke, but I suppose it would be like, if you smoked Marboro Reds, and someone bought you a carton of Virginia Slims. Probably wouldn't go over too well.....even if you got a thank you and a smile.

HomerMc, We are on the same page as you can see in my original post on
this thread. We musicians can be very _______ (insert your own word).
I just wanted Zombie to know it was nice of her to consider doing it.

Yeah, he mainly uses the green Tortex, but he does have a couple purple tri-tips that he also keeps in his pocket - I don't remember the brand, but they are more flexible than the green Tortex. And I've seen him noodle on one of his acoustics with a marble-patterned celluloid pick of some sort.

Thank you. I really appreciate in the input - I don't want to give a useless gift, even if it's a nice idea. I kind of pride myself on finding perfect-but-out-of-the-ordinary gifts for people. It's one of my favorite things to do. And since he might as well have a guitar sewn to his hands at all times, I figured something related would be good.

Okay, the smoking analogy, that I definitely get. Thank you for your input, too. You guys are awesome.

I totally don't want to force him to change his preferred pick by giving him a present that he'll feel like he has to use 'cos it was a present or anything.

I might go ahead and see about getting ahold of one of the GrippX picks, though, like I mentioned earlier, and fork it over casually to see what happens. If he makes negative noises, then I will definitely scrap the idea. If he makes positive noises, then I might go ahead and do it, unless I think of something better in the meantime - and at the very least, he can use them to chuck at the audience during shows so he doesn't have to chuck the ones he actually uses, haha.