Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Chris always said that part of his sound came from how his right thumb would hit the strings just after the pick hit them. I was trying to replicate his method and it seems really hard to get the relationship of the pick to thumb to create this effect he always talks about. Have any of you guys achieved this, successfully?

However..........I think I hit upon a method of picking that is probably a lot closer to what is really going on with his picking style.

Let's hear read your thoughts on this particular aspect of Chris' playing technique.

Chris, you are always welcome to join in on these discussions.

I think he may have developed that style in the 80's. Doesn't it involve holding the pick " backwards" so the point of the pick is away from the string? That's been my impression...

He holds the pick sideways, with the pointed end toward his wrist. Bobby Vega holds his picks the same way.

Bassically, MIchael

I can do it fairly. It helps to have thick thumbs and how much pick you have exposed. Watch his hand closely.

Something I have found is to rake the pick across the strings at an angle somewhere around 45º so that the pick almost just scrapes the string giving a nice raspy tone.

jps wrote:Something I have found is to rake the pick across the strings at an angle somewhere around 45º so that the pick almost just scrapes the string giving a nice raspy tone.

Back in the days when I couldn't afford fresh strings, I developed this exact technique to "coax" every bit of round wound tone out of my basses. to keep the string from ringing to obnoxiously, I started muting it with my picking thumb as well, sometimes "chirping" a slight harmonic overtone, which you can control with practice. its the only way I pick now, and sounds quite different from straight head on picking.