Conference napalm::guitar

    
    
    Will they work for bassists who use a pick?
    
    
    Mr. Ed...

    I can see it being great for doing lightning runs, but what if
    you were playing "Pinball Wizard"? I would think that little
    pointy pick would be hard to do rhythm work with. (Oh well, who 
    plays rhythm these days anyways :-) ). 
    
    -Dave (who's been using a copper pick becuase it's thin and
     never gets 'floppy' like conventional picks do after you
     use them for a while)

    
    Re: .2
    
    I use those copper picks, "Hotlicks" I think they are called, I guess
    that's what Dave uses, and they sound good on electric guitar but are a
    bit much on bass or acoustics.  Plus they don't wear down like plastic
    ones (I'm still on my first one after about three years of using it!!!) 
    
    I find they are great for side-of-pick harmonics.  I was wondering if
    the stylus part of the Stylus Pick interferes with those?  How much
    does the tone you get change with a Stylus Pick?
    
    							Brian

    
    I could be wrong, but I think the stylus pick is just a training
    devive type of pick, not a pick to keep on playing with.  I get 
    the impression that it trains you to pick correctly and then you
    use a real pick to carry on.
    
    Regarding copper picks, great picks, but lately I've been using
    a stainless steel pick (I play bass too) at about medium thickness.
    Has a great tone, but with the way I hammer my strings, it wears
    through the strings in no time at all.  A guitarist in one of my
    old bands used to use those hot licks copper picks too.  He went
    through strings faster than normal also.
    
    
    Mr. Ed...

    I've been using Stainless picks lately too.  Great for tonality,
    bad for strings...  ;^)

    Ed's right in .4, it's a training device.  It teaches you to use less
    than .125mm of the tip of the plucturm to pick with!  I played with the
    stylus for an hour, then went back to my little Jazz III Dunlop picks,
    then back to the stylus, etc. etc.  After a while it really sinks in. 
    Also, the pick is designed for single note playing, NOT rhythm! 
    So, yes, Pinball Wizard is out!  What happens is if you bear down
    too hard or pick with too much of the pick, the string gets caught
    on the upper part of the stylus...and your picking comes to a dead
    halt!  Pretty neat, huh?
    
    You couldn't use em on bass...the stylus is too small.

    Their summary for speed is:
    
    o Use only the tip of the pick
    o Minimumize picking distance
    o Keep the right hand relaxed, don't tense up
    o Slowly and surely, don't start off guns-blaring

    I know some of you out tehre are saying "speed, who cares?"  Well,
    some of us do!
    
    PS - It helps on sweep picking as well!    

    
      I've been using the Stylus Pick for six months now and can honestly
    say my picking technique has improved drastically.  Although if
    the pick sinks too deep you can tear the strings right off the axe.
      It is definately a training device only for conventional guitar,
    though I use it on my midiguitar religiously.
    
                                     Rich
    
    

    
    Who actually makes/markets these things, any noters seen em in the U.K.
    
    Pete_who_needs_all_the_help_he_can_get.

    
    They are available (somewhere!) in the UK and I'm dying to get
    my little mits on 'em.
         
    If anybofy finds a UK distributer, can they please post the address
    in here.
         
    Ta!  
    -Tony

    I saw these beasts up in Chandler's in Kew a couple of weeks ago, and
    instantly added 'em to my Xmas pressie list!! I don't know the price
    (they seemed to be in a packet just like a set of strings).
    
    If you guys go up there and buy the last ones an' I don't get any, I'll
    be sending the boys round!! 8^)
    
    Nick

    
    	I just ordered mine from Chandlers.  As my LP is in for repair there
    I asked them to hold a set & stick them on the bill, which they were
    only too pleased to do (nice people at Chandlers).
    
    	So O.K. you Reading UK speed demons,  I have to go up next week 
    or soon after to collect my refretted axe, if anyone wants a set
    they're 9.95 Pounds & if you mail me on CMOTEC::EVANS I'll collect a
    set for anyone who wants (I hear Tony yelling already) if you can wait
    that long that is.
    
    Cheers
    		Pete.

    
    Thanks, I'll mail you 8^)

    
    
      They sell in Manny's for $1.00 each. Comes is a plastic case 2x2
    inches with instructions.
                
    
    					Rich
    

I tried one a few months back..

I didn't take to it at all.

Since I was about 14, (yikes! 18 years!!) I've used the teardrop shapped
mandolin style picks.

These are very small picks and they force you to use just the tip
due to their size.  I also think they help attribute to speed.  There's
just less pick to hold you up...  The down side to these picks is
once you ruff em up by scratching the strings, they can be very suspect
to popping out of your hand once they catch a string the wrong way.

I don't drop too many now a days, but years ago, they'd be flying all over the
place till I really got used to them.

I try to use conventional picks, and just can't get comfortable, though
I can use em effectively,....  but it feels like I've got a piece of 
sheet rock in my hand.

    gimme a break, if you like the thing, why not use it all the time?
    I like quarters and half dollars myself, but have had to stick to the
    spanish technique of tone production as my nails are out to lunch.
    
    Can you do pick slides with these things?
    

<<    gimme a break, if you like the thing, why not use it all the time?
<<    I like quarters and half dollars myself, but have had to stick to the
<<    spanish technique of tone production as my nails are out to lunch.
 
	You really can't use it 'all the time' it's just not an all
	purpose sort of device.  All the pick is for is to assist
	the user in deveolping the 'proper' picking technique.

	It's not something you can use as you main pick,.

	At least this is the impression I got when I first saw one,
	and I understood what that mean when I tried it.  

	As far as quarters and half dollars go....  I'll just bet you
	burn thru tons of stings!

    nah, I just use picks for special effects. Mostly classical right hand.
    Can't find the pick, so grab whatever. Cat, shoe, whatever. Ridges on
    the coins sound wild!
    

    I saw somewhere her that these little buggers were goin for 9.95???? 
    Well if your interested, Fitchburg music sells them for $1.00 --  I
    purchased one and would only use it to sharpen lead (single string)
    parts as it is not very good for multi string stumming.  I do a lot of
    both in my music.
    
    
    Bruce
    

<<    Well if your interested, Fitchburg music sells them for $1.00 --  I
<<    purchased one and would only use it to sharpen lead (single string)
<<    parts as it is not very good for multi string stumming.  I do a lot of
<<    both in my music.

    Well there you have it.  Sounds like a close out to me..
    
    Good old Dave Rivers.....  always there to save us working musicians
    an honset buck.  Thank God he's running the show now.  I remember
    when Martel ran the place.  That guy would have made a profit on his
    mother! 

    

    
    Martel was money greedy!  Dave's a great guy and a good musician
    too!  He thinks at a musicians level (not that it's lower) and doesn't
    try to screw anyone like Martel.
    
    Mr. Ed...I'll actually buy something there now with Dave running
              things!
    

RE: Fitchburg Music.
    
    I used to work there when I was in high school.  I was working with
    Don Riks Fixing up guitars.  Jerry was such a bonehead... not too
    mention other things....  :)

        
    Anyhow, Dave is a real good guy for sure.
    
    Today, we can walk into the store, and walk out with just
    about anything, just to try see if it does the job.. and if we 
    come backand tell Dave, no, didn't do it.. he replies, 
    "why Buy it.. Don't worry, I'll get you eventually..."
    
    He's a dynamite guy to work with.

    

    re: .21
    
    I remember when Don Rix worked there, he gave me a great deal on
    a fender telecaster.
    
    Wonder what ever happened to him.  Is he still gigging?
    
    cheers/mike

    The Minor Chord in Acton also sells these for 99 cents apiece.  I
    think the large prices we've seen were packs with several picks?
    
    Karen.

    
    re:22.. Don Rix..
    
    Ohh he's still there.. At least I've seen him there last few
    times I was in.. (few weeks ago.)
    

    RE: Fitchburg Music (or should I say, The New Fitchburg Music Store?)

    I can't speak highly enough of the place, Dave Rivers, and the staff.
    Alan has been particularly kind to me (as was Danny, whatever happened
    to him?) and Dave himself.  Dave swung me some incredible deals
    on PA gear.  You're right, he always let me try before I'd buy.
    
    I almost bought Dave's "custom" Tele-blaster.
    
    Of course Martel was a rip-off, how'd ya think he could afford the
    Rolls (or whatever he drives).
    
    	joe.

<<Of course Martel was a rip-off, how'd ya think he could afford the
<<Rolls (or whatever he drives).
  
This is off subject, but..

When I worked at Fitchburg music, (75/76 ish) I had to take a ride with Rix 
one day to Martels house to pick something up.

This guy had about 9 anitque cars , and trust me, the Rolls Royce was
probably the "Every-day, bang around town" car.

He had some real winners.

Had all of em in a garage about 60 yards long.

Rix said that Jerry had some "Expensive hobbies"  

No kidding!

    Finally picked me up a stylus pick.  Took it to the privacy of my
    own home (where only the wife and cats could laugh at me) and attempted
    to play with it for a while.
    
    I can't play nuthin' with this pick.  Just when I was about to give
    up on it, I happened to pick it up by the stylus end.  What a great
    handle it makes!  I doubt I'll ever drop my pick again!
    
    Guess I'm just a "meat 'n potatoes" guitar player.
    
    								   Marc
    

What are the dimensions of this pedagogical plectrum?  Same geometry as the
standard round-shouldered pick?  How tall is the conical section?  Did the 
Joker really die?

Bob

    
    
    Looks like this                 --------------
                                   /              \
                                  /                \
                                 /                  \
                                 \                  /
                                  \                /
                                   \              / -------flat
                                    \            /
                                     \          /
                                      \        /
                                       \      /
                                        \    /
                                        /    \
                                       /      \ ----round
                                       --------
                                        \    / 
                                         \  /---1/8th inch and round
                                          \/    
                                               
                  Ain't exactly CAD/CAM, is it.
    
                                     Rich
    
    

    
                                        |
        Side view anyone?               |
                                        |
                                        |
                                       / \
                                       \ / ----conical part smaller
                                        v        than depicted.
                                               
    
    
                                           Rich
    

Thanks.

    
    I got the pick and its great. In a couple of hours I too noticed
    a big improvement, BUT I have a problem counting with the metronome.
    I'm okay If I'm playing triplets, but anything after that and my
    rhythm goes to pot !! 
    
    Oh gawd - Methinks me should take up table Tennis!

This pick is great!  I could see real gains in less than an hour.  I'm slowly 
retraining myself after two years of tendonitis, and I really want to do it 
right this time so this thing is a real blessing for me.  I've always been 
aware of a basic inability to accurately control my pick depth and angle and, 
in the past, it took a huge effort for me to make even a tiny bit of progress 
on the problem.  I feel like I made a month's worth of progress in one hour
just because of the Stylus.  Damn, I sound like an advertisement.

I don't want to make it sound too easy.  I put forth some pretty intense 
effort to accomplish what I did.  The trick is that this pick focuses your 
effort for you.  It's a brilliant invention.

I ordered mine from the manufacturer, who told me that stores will be selling 
only the single-pick/instruction-sheet package.  If you want the four pick 
package with a detailed pamphlet including exercises, you'll have to order it.

Gracias/merci/danke/thanks to Buck for publicizing this pick!

Bob

    
    Does anyone out there know of a place that still sells these things??
    I am in the UK and I can't get hold of one for love nor money, anyone
    got one they wanna sell??????
    
    J. 

    Saw one at Mr C's while I was in Mass for Xmas.  He's got a truck load
    of them.
    
    jc

      
    Ok where in the States is Mr C's......do you have an address, I
    am in England and as previously mentioned I can't find the things
    anywhere.
    
    J

    Whooops, I suppose I should have said this before.
    
    Mr C's is on Main Street in Marlboro.  The one thing that kept me from
    buying one to try is he didn't seem to have the "instructions" on 
    the stylus.  Somebody out there in Mass should be able to pick one
    up for you...
    
    jc (In Colorado)

    
    Chandler guitars in Sandycoombe Road (sp?) Kew London haad them.  They
    advertise in Guitarist I know they had some.
    
    Cheers
    
    	Pete.

I ordered mine from the mfgr.  They told me that's now the only way to get
the complete instruction booklet, as opposed to the one-page version they ship 
to stores.  I think there's a phone number or address in this note somewhere,
or, if you remind me, I'll look through my stuff at home.  


Bob

    Buck gave me his a year or so ago and when I'm depressed about my right
    hand (like after watching the Gilbert video) I dig it out and work on
    my clearity and speed. It helps, but it also hinders. It helps get the
    feel of speedy pickwork, it hinders in that there is no way that I'll
    ever hold a pick that way ALL the time, doesn't fit my chord bashing
    ways.
    
    dbii

It helps me a lot...when I make the effort to use it, that is.  If I do a 
serious workout with the Stylus before the real thing, I play much better.
I think it depends on how much of a pick-depth problem you have.  With me,
its pretty serious.  My fine motor control in that direction is weak so the
Stylus helps get me in a narrower groove.

I agree about the pick geometry being too non-standard.  I would love to grow
my Styluses about 20% bigger and smooth the edges.

Bob

    Would this pick work with double-string instruments, like
    mandolin? (Tonight's rehearsal just boosted the speed of
    Black Mountain Rag to the point where I'm going to have to
    start seriously practicing...) I've seen 'em, and played around
    with one, but I'm picturing the thing getting caught between
    the strings...

    
    I didn't use it much but it did make me sub-conciously stop 'digging'
    too far when I used a normal pick. FWIW I still can't pick particuly fast, 
    but I've now gotton MUCH quicker with legato - thats when I stand there 
    and chew the pick - the stylus pick tastes good!
    

>         <<< Note 1556.45 by STAR::BECK "Beware OSI Layers 8 and 9" >>>
>                   -< Does it work with mando or 12-string? >-

Paul,

I haven't tried it on mando or 12-string (yet...if I ever play my mandolin 
again, I will), but I can see how it might get stuck between strings on a 
12-string.  Seems like it oughta work on a mandolin.

Bob