In the Key of Garcia: Holding the Pick, There's more to it that you think.

[@josephboyle7444]

interviewed by the great and honorable journalist Jas Obrecht, worth a follow for all his material!

[@timkritzer134]

You are correct, Frets was an acoustic centered magazine. Great content sir!

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@bjlkd]

Thanks for the insight. I remember the guitar player interview and changed my pick size because of it but I never went as thick as he did. I’m going to give it a try. And thanks for the interview link!

[@michaelpiercey2160]

The Adamas is where the rubber meets the road. Used those 2mm Gator picks for years and switched over 3ish years ago. Love them for all styles.

[@DD8MO610]

That’s the tip!!!! Thanks for the interview put on. I recommend everyone listen to “Jerry on Jerry”.

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Oh yea that book is great, and even better as an audiobook experience. Thanks for watching!

[@justinpurser4736]

The two most economical elements of any guitarist's sound to start investigating are their pick & string choices. As you mentioned the Jim Dunlop Adamas 2.0 picks & Vinci .10 gauge strings are Jerry's. I love those picks for the "slice" in the attack, unique to say the least! Sadly, I believe Vinci strings are out-of-production at this time (substitute the .10's of your choice.) Keep up the good work, Crazy Legs!

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Thanks!

[@daveyboy8907]

Glad you are making alot of videos..I subbed a long long time ago but never got notifications..I will keep an eye out..Thanks

[@matthewmcnamara5650]

Short time listener first time caller. This may sound crazy, but I have been playing fingerstyle for 20 years across all the stuff I like, including a lot of Dead. I decided I needed to get a better attack for some Dead solos and tremolo picking. Sounded washed out and muddy without a pick. So basically learned to pick at my advanced age and took in all this technical stuff on technique, including all these shredding technical players who hit the strings at an angle, not so much flat pickers or twangy country stuff that I really like. LST, ended up settling on this Ernie ball prodigy pick 1.5 mm medium shield and using it on Hot Rod lincoln. Worked great. Finally came back to Dead stuff and it weirdly works like a charm for Jerry stuff. Combo of wrist and a lot of what he talked about in something I read as a “pencil” technique.

[@fubarsnafu4994]

I hate it when people try to put a musician in a box.. what kind of amp… coffee or booze? Pick or finger? You know what made him excellent guitarist? He didn’t question the task in front of him he just STF UP AND PLAYED HIS GUITAR. The man noodled in his sleep. - Is no pill. No deal with the devil. No genie in a bottle. None of the aforementioned techniques will gain you fame and fortune. You need to practice every day and every night even if it sound like your killing the neighbors cat. Just keep playing.

[@BobSperber]

Yes, fantastic full interview. and a great little video discussion, thanks. I never knew Jerry played with thick picks but I tend to use 2mm mando picks, and the edges look a lot smoother than what you held up. it’s very close to being an equilateral triangle with no real pointy edge. It just provides such a smooth attack. as for strings, after 53 years, I really never gave a damn and still don’t. I just like them to be fairly fresh - not that my opinions makes me a great player but I play for love, not gold or my life!

[@eriklarson4973]

Thank you, I do appreciate your videos very much. It should be pointed out to all that the Dunlop reissues of this pick are plastic not graphite like the original picks that Garcia used. The real ones actually make a thud on the string not a click sound. You can tell the difference when you touch the original graphite picks to the string you actually get a little sizzle sound through the pickups. The plastic Dunlop picks do not do this. The originals wore out the tip much faster in my experience than the harder plastic Dunlop picks. If you are lucky enough to find the originals in the red package, snatch them up and cherish them. The difference is night and day!

[@crazylegscabs5659]

This is actually pretty amazing. I always just assumed they where the same as the old ones. Thanks for watching and engaging. I really appreciate it. I betting start my hunt for some old ones!

[@Archiep2979]

Night and day for sure. I covet my stash of real graphite.

[@sirbergersworth]

When I first moved to the Adamas I used the shoulder (heel) because it felt more comfortable. Once Sarno told “you won’t get the attack we want to hear with the shoulder”, I went to tip and forced myself to adapt.

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Yea it’s tough going back. I’m trying to re adapt, and it’s a steeper learning curve than I expected.

[@sirbergersworth]

Definitely steep. In a few weeks the shoulder will feel odd like the tip used to. 😂

[@BrianGay57]

I just recently switch from using the shoulder of my 1.0mm picks to using the pointy end. Using the tip, I notice more flex as well, so I just order some 2.0mm picks to try out. I have a couple of 3 or 4mm bass picks, but they’re also a lot smaller, like the Jazz IIIs. Over the years I find I like less, and less “give” in my picks. Any flex makes me feel less in control of my pick attack.

[@colbyg1784]

Weird, as the interview just popped up for myself a few days ago, and It was just as profound for me as it seemed to be for you

[@Gr8fulbluz]

I was Dunlop jazz iii for a long time. About 20 years ago a friend in a GD cover band gave me an Adamas. Love it for electric, not a big fan on acoustic. It is my go to for electric now. I will try anything. I have recently been using sea shell I gathered from the beach on my acoustic. Sounds great but you have to work them in to be smooth and not crack.

[@BrianGay57]

New sub. Good points about pick choice and grip. I have followed a similar path. Early on, I began going heavier and heavier with my picks. I started with super thin Fender picks, but would literally tear them apart with my heavy hand. I did .5mm for while but moved up to 1.0 pretty quickly. I also have used 2 or 3mm bass picks on occasion as well. I also avoided the pointy end like you, but used the “shoulder” of my picks. I did it partly for the different tone, but also because I tended to get “caught up” in the strings, especially when trying to skip strings. This also lead to me learning hybrid picking as another “cheat” to help me do string skips without getting tangled up. I have only recently begun trying to use the pointy end again, and my 1.0 picks are starting to feel “flimsy” to me, so I think I will try out a 2.0 and see how I like it. My cousin calls my 1.0mm picks “logs” so I don’t know what he will make of a 2.0!

[@PBWilson1970]

Great video! I'm enjoying your deep dives into the details of Jerry's technique and gear. I too felt similar thoughts about the interview and the added comments by Jas Obrecht. I've got that issue of Frets and look at it differently after hearing his details about Garcia's health. It always amazed me that even through those rough times, Jerry's playing was still top notch. About the pick, I am glad that I found out Jerry's preference back in the '80s from a "100 Pro's Picks" poster found in an issue of Guitar Player Magazine. Google it. I'm reading the back where they share details from the picks themselves and a number of the players. Jerry's blurb goes, "When asked for a pick, the Grateful Dead leader fumbled through his pockets and pulled out this slab. He stared at it reverently for a moment and mused, "You know, man, this is all that stands between me and abject poverty!"" Keep the videos coming!

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Wow great info! I’ll absolutely look for that 100 Pro Pics piece. I’m always looking for good original source material like that. Thanks, and thanks for watching!

[@mrbuttons1243]

I remember that poster. It was awesome.

[@markcar70ify]

Another great video!! 👍

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Thanks!

[@TedToob]

The dominant type of picks used by bluegrass flatpicker's these days are called BlueChip Picks... I enjoyed - I front a Grateful Dead Band in CA called "Ted & Company."

[@crazylegscabs5659]

About a day or two after I posed this a close up shot of Billy Strings holding his Blue Chip came across my Instagram feed. Just just be in the zeitgeist this week. Thanks for checking out my video ✌️

[@jroc2201]

I love these picks, there's something there

[@matteivers3645]

Love what you got going here Peace

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Thanks buddy!

[@mantashaft]

Hey new to your channel, I’ll take a peek at your older videos

[@waynegram8907]

CRAZY LEGS CABS, besides the pick , garcia used the middle pickup and what else to get those garcia tone? Do you think those brass bridge and brass tail piece make a big difference in getting that garcia tone?

[@crazylegscabs5659]

In my humble opinion, its the sum of a lot of little parts. But the 30,000 foot view is high powered pickups into a Fender-ish clean amp platform and out to some JBL or equivalent speakers get you a good way there. Thanks for taking the time to watch!

[@waynegram8907]

@@crazylegscabs5659 you mean that the alembic preamp buffer makes a big difference in getting that Jerry Garcia tone?

[@waynegram8907]

@@crazylegscabs5659 the high output is from the alembic preamp buffer not the pickups, it's mostly that alembic buffer plus the buffer changes the frequency response and output impedance is completely different because of that buffer output impedance

[@sirbergersworth]

I can’t seem to hold onto the TF graphite picks. I do enjoy the sound of them. Just a tad different than the Adamas. I still try every few days to use them but they either spin or slip around in my fingers.

[@ricky4214]

i'm a jerry enthusiast and I use the Adamas 2.o graphite. My brother is well aware that I use this pick, so what does he get me for Christmas? he gets me the pick he uses...thanks...its more of a middle finger than a present

[@tayloremerson4476]

The word is plectrum, people ;")

[@NathantheRealtor]

Nice commentary. I’ve personally landed on bluechip .40-I dig the triangle shape for acoustic. Electric, I go .50 in teardrop. I find with that material, .40 gives a great snap and clarity, .50 is a bit too round IMO. Going to check that interview now…

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Thanks for watching!

[@chrispetrolino9059]

I dig that guitar. What is it?

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Thanks! It’s a Vantage, I’m working on a video about it right now!

[@ScottLaneMusic]

I think Jerry would have eventually migrated to Blue Chip Picks...

[@grosebud4554]

Telefunken makes good adamas remakes

[@swampduck2609]

I just can’t get a good tone with these, especially with chords.

[@zummo61]

Nah. It’s all in Jerry’s head.

[@crunchycentar4766]

Pick has a little to do with it

[@-elijahriggs-]

Flat pickers use very thick picks

[@randallmason3108]

I still have a copy of that issue of Frets (which was an offshoot of Guitar Player dedicated to acoustic instruments). My friend’s band (New Grass Revival) was on the next month’s cover and he told me the photographer mentioned to him that Jerry’s photo was retouched to remove the black soot from his hands. That being said, I personally thought and think the magazine cover was fantastic because it showed Jerry didn’t give a fuck about how he appeared. At least he didn’t wear a goofy hat and neck kerchief. I think it’s lame that both the interviewer and you preface your pieces about how Jerry was using hard drugs. It’s informative, because it explains all the whiffing and snorting going on throughout, but that has zero to do with the content. As you point out the interview is “astounding” and Jerry is “bright and jubilant”. Garcia was an anomaly…. he remained brilliant and funny and positive and insightful in spite of being doped up and coked to the gills. I hate those drugs. I hate being around tweaked out people, but I also hate being around judgmental jack offs.

[@crazylegscabs5659]

Hi Randall, thanks for the feedback. The thing that bothers me most about this video I made is that I didn't take a nano second to commit to memory Jas Obrecht's name. The man was a giant in the world of guitar journalism it turns out. Oh well, live and learn I guess, it's a great little nugget of a conversation, I'm so glad Mr Obrecht decided to start posting these interviews. Take care.

[@jordanblack2250]

Nice pickin, you are out of tune tho bro 👌