little stupid problem

[Micolao]

here it is:

the pu of my sr4 EAT MY PICKS...

sometimes, often live or at the rehearsal I play hard with the pick and I do it exactly on the bridge side of the pu and the raised poles (to be true mostly the A string pole wich is not contoured) really destroy my picks...
I can buy billions of picks, I can pay more attention, I can try not to play over there, but I don't want to think about it when I'm playing live,
also I don't want to lower the pu too much for obvious reason...
I use hard picks, dunlop tortex blue and purple or pickboy carbon nylon (the one with the cannabis leaf) they have different shape but they all wear off at least every 3-4 songs in a live set becoming unusable...
I know it's a silly problem, but...
suggestions?

 

[asianjeff]

you can go through a tortext blue in 3-4 songs let alone a purple?!

I don't think its the pup problem... maybe you are playing a little too hard...

 

[AnthonyD]

Technique?

Then again, I'd just be sure to have a supply of picks on hand...

 

[ekb16b]

geez one pick every 3-4 songs.. mind me asking wot kinda music u play? headbanging stuff?

 

[mynan]

To quote a drummer friend of mine, and granted he was talking about drummers..."broken equipment = broken technique".

 

[phatduckk]

expose less of the pick with your grip. i guess thats a technique change but that will help... if the pick's end doesnt reach the pole peice then it cant get eaten.

+ you'll be able to play faster... or play fast easier since there will be less resistance. might also get your tone cleaner cuz it would reduce clack

i change how i hold my pick, the angle i hold it at and how much of it i expose quite often. different grips and angles make certain things easier, faster and/or cleaner

my 2 cents

 

[Micolao]

To quote a drummer friend of mine, and granted he was talking about drummers..."broken equipment = broken technique".

so I assume that when the last Behringer pedal I bought broke, it was a problem of how technically I pressed it and not a quality issue

I don't play THAT hard, (I play in a dark rock band, no headbanging stuff ) I think phatduck is right, maybe it's a problem of how much I expose the end of the pick, but it's the way I feel comfortable , anyway I'll try to expose less pick...thank you phatduck I'll work on that...
I don't broke them (although in the last live I actually broke a tortex but the pu was higher than now) but the end of the pick wears off and I loose all the attack (wich it's important to me)
the problem is that the end of the pick touch many times the uncountored pole wich is very sharp and simply "uses up" (is this right in english? )
anyway...wish my pole was contoured...

 

[EBMM7181]

saxnbass lives in Italy.......maybe he could come over and help you with technique =)

 

[strummer]

Ok, don't shoot me but...
Try those stupid small DUnlop Jazz picks They are so tiny you'll have no way of reaching the pu poles with it...
At first it feels strange, but they are plenty thick and work well for me

 

[Big Poppa]

the stingray may not be for you how about the Sterling

 

[rhythmCity944]

I play with a pick and rarely have a problem...I also play the agressive and fast stuff too...I've only broken maybe 5 picks in all the years i've played...from my experience, the heavier picks (anything over a milimeter in size) are just more brittle because they are stiffer, less flex...i use the d*&lop .88mm green picks, EB heavy gauge, or the F$%D$R heavy celluloid picks, anything lighter is too flimsy and anything heavier is just overkill in my opinion...

I was pickless while jamming with my bro's death metal band and couldn't keep up with the 1/64 million note runs at 150bpm finger style so i borrowed a pick from the guitarist...it was a 1.5mm and I broke it within 10 minutes...borrowed another pick and it only lasted 10 or 15 minutes more...i believe it was because the pick was too stiff

tone wise I also found that celluloid is the best in my opinion...least dull of all other materials out there except something metal which is way too bright in most cases...also I found the heaver picks don't allow as much of the natural harmonics to shine through as a lighter pick...still, this is from my experience...

also when I play guitar and I do a lot of pick slides, I generally nick the picks and after that they tend to break soon after or get held up on a string in the nick...

 

[mynan]

so I assume that when the last Behringer pedal I bought broke, it was a problem of how technically I pressed it and not a quality issue

Behringer?...Yes, that would be broken purchasing technique.

 

[phatduckk]

it always sucks having to change technique cuz thats what youre used to and that's what's comfortable to you. but that doesnt mean what youre comfortable with is gonna work all the time so every once in a while you gotta adjust. the good thing about dealing with adjustment is that now you have become comfortable w/ 2 styles... so you got more tools in the bag.

just practice at home standing up... cuz sitting down will put the bass at a height that's probably not the same as when you're playing live. and as boring as it sounds... watch the pick while you play. you'll see it hitting this n that. then make a super tiny adjustment and see how that works for you and if it hits the poles.

good luck dude

 

[Micolao]

Thanks guys
I appreciated every suggestion ...
well, let's close this 3D with a sample of my SR4 played with a pick
(bass intro of Quarantined of At the drive in)

gospel.bo.it - EKO MM+BDI21/micolao quarantined

do you like the sound?

 

[guitarball]

try lowering your p/u a bit, it sounds like your really pounding it ,,so, a little lower won't really change your tone too much...keep a nice battery in there and KILL IT DUDE ! I know you mentioned the obvious reasons, but lemme know what happens.

cheers
Brent