Sharpening picks?

[TomAwesome]

Does anyone here sharpen their picks? If so, what are some good methods of doing it? I decided to try using some of the 1.14 Ultex picks I don't use as much anymore to experiment with this since they have a pretty rounded edge. I took a metal file to one, but it took a while, and the results were pretty mediocre. I think I like the direction it's going in, but filing doesn't seem like the best way to go about this.

 

[Zepp88]

What about affixing a fine piece of sandpaper to a flat surface and rubbing the pick against that?

 

[march]

Try to get a few of those sanding papers that come in a sponge format, get different grits so that you can first rough shape it, then make it smooth with a finer one. Better than paper or a hard surface imo, as the sponge will give in and "follow" the original curve/shape of the pick, rather than forcing a straight line ... don't know if that makes sense.

At some point I used to cut first with some scissors then sanding, but since then I got them in the right shape, just a bit of sanding left to do now.

like those Shop 3M: 3M Softback Sanding Sponge, 2606, 4 1/2 in x 5 1/2 in, Medium

 

[Zepp88]

^^ Nice idea there.

 

[Sebastian]

Im sharpening my picks ( 0.69 Planet Waves ) using a penknife.. and a paper knife ...
works good

 

[Zepp88]

I just buy sharp picks

 

[Dr. Von Goosewing]

Just get Jazz III's, they don't need sharpening

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

I just keep playing with them till the rough edges are gone.

 

[mnemonic]

back when i used to use fender celluloid picks, i would sharpen the tips using one of my dads old metal files, works great for getting a nice straight edge. then i discovered jazz III's

 

[Ze Kink]

I sometimes experimented with sharpening some 1.5mm and 2mm Gatorgrips and Delrins, but it wasn't really worthwile IMO. I did it because I thought Jazz III's are a bit too small and Jazz III XL's are a bit too soft. I then switched to Ibanez Grip Wizards, then back to Jazz III's (mainly because I couldn't find Extra Heavy Grip Wizards anywhere), then to Jazz III etc.

So yeah, I don't bother, because my pick preference changes approximately once in a few months. I just used Jazz III's for about 6 months, which is pretty long for me, but now I switched to Jazz III XL's again.

 

[TomAwesome]

What about affixing a fine piece of sandpaper to a flat surface and rubbing the pick against that?

That's not really much different from what I'm doing now. That would just switch which part I'm moving.

Try to get a few of those sanding papers that come in a sponge format, get different grits so that you can first rough shape it, then make it smooth with a finer one. Better than paper or a hard surface imo, as the sponge will give in and "follow" the original curve/shape of the pick, rather than forcing a straight line ... don't know if that makes sense.

Well, the thing is that I'm trying to force some straight lines.

Just get Jazz III's, they don't need sharpening

back when i used to use fender celluloid picks, i would sharpen the tips using one of my dads old metal files, works great for getting a nice straight edge. then i discovered jazz III's

Jazz IIIs are nice, but the edges are only slightly less rounded than the Ultex. Just to clarify, I'm not trying to make the tip more pointy and triangle like. I'm working on the actual edges here. Think about sharpening a sword or knife. That's more or less what I'm going for here. The idea is to try to get the snappy attack of a thin pick with the control and precision of a thick one.

 

[Zepp88]

I only suggested that because I figured you'd have more control that way.

 

[Hcash]

I've said it before and got crap for it but for allot of pics, swiping it on carpet will sharpen it very well. It isn't good for reshaping the whole pick. But if you just need the sharpen the tip some, it works. Nylons don't work... Those big ass stubby picks probably won't work worth a damn. I always clean up the tip of my Dunlop Tortex .88 jazz picks before playing...

 

[voiceguitar]

id just get new ones bro, if you think about it - depending how much you change the shape through sanding, your hand has to modify its way of picking... there for you never really tone in on your accuracy ( or it is harder to later on when you get a fresh pick )

p.s. this is a theory - do what youd like

 

[TomAwesome]

I only suggested that because I figured you'd have more control that way.

Oh! Hmm. In that case, not a bad idea.

I've said it before and got crap for it but for allot of pics, swiping it on carpet will sharpen it very well. It isn't good for reshaping the whole pick. But if you just need the sharpen the tip some, it works. Nylons don't work... Those big ass stubby picks probably won't work worth a damn. I always clean up the tip of my Dunlop Tortex .88 jazz picks before playing...

Carpet? Really? Hmmm. Too bad there's no carpet in this house.

id just get new ones bro, if you think about it - depending how much you change the shape through sanding, your hand has to modify its way of picking... there for you never really tone in on your accuracy ( or it is harder to later on when you get a fresh pick )

p.s. this is a theory - do what youd like

I was slightly worried about this, too, but I don't think it's much of an issue since sharpening the edge has very little effect on the actual shape of the pick. I tend to switch picks around on a whim, though, so getting used to a pick that's shaped differently doesn't take me long at all.

 

[ulao]

interesting story.

First I use the small jazz style picks.

I had to do a metal style cover of devil went down to Georgia. Not sure if you ever focused on the fidilin' but its not easy to pick.. To get the song right you have to butterfly in the same rhythm as the fiddle. So I took one of my picks and sharpened the edges and gave it a finer point. The theory was to get faster action. It actually worked and I was able to play the song..

in practis when I dual a pick I just buy more.

 

[Alex-D33]

one of the fastest ways I know of and I'v been using this method since high school, If you have carpet in your house or apart ... give 2 to 3 long or short strokes will maintaining the shape of the pick(like if you was cutting carpet with the side of the pick). 3to 4 times on both sides works for me but then again I use TORTEX H3 'S ... It depends on the thickness of the pick. Hope I helped \m/

 

[damigu]

Just to clarify, I'm not trying to make the tip more pointy and triangle like. I'm working on the actual edges here. Think about sharpening a sword or knife. That's more or less what I'm going for here. The idea is to try to get the snappy attack of a thin pick with the control and precision of a thick one.

makes sense logically, but it kind of seems like chasing your tail.
it doesn't take me long to wear down a pick's actual edges just from playing, so i'd have to be constantly "repairing" the edge on my picks.

there are picks out there that are tapered so that the tip is thinner and the part you hold is thicker--i would imagine those should give you the qualities you're after.

 

[cow 7 sig]

i sharpen all my purple tortex pics with a pair of scissors from the first aid box.

 

[TomAwesome]

makes sense logically, but it kind of seems like chasing your tail.
it doesn't take me long to wear down a pick's actual edges just from playing, so i'd have to be constantly "repairing" the edge on my picks.

there are picks out there that are tapered so that the tip is thinner and the part you hold is thicker--i would imagine those should give you the qualities you're after.

You're probably right with most picks, but Ultex is pretty resilient. It takes me forever to get any visible wear on it, and I wear down normal picks pretty quickly. Even holding it down on the edge of the table and going at the edges with a metal file, it took longer than expected to see any results.