Nylon Picks ... Dunlop, Herco, Nylflex... Help?

[Zingeroo]

Need some advice from guys who play nylon picks. After 30 something years of playing guitar in which I've ignored these picks because they weren't as colorful or pretty as other types, I've had an epiphany that I just play better and more expressively with them! I'm excited over a little piece of plastic!

So, I have tried Dunlop .60mm and .73mm and I very slightly favor the .60mm picks, though I wish I could find something in between. Just a LITTLE bit stiffer than the .60.

I want to try Hercos, but I'm confused. The Flex 75's, I've read, are 1.01mm. Is this accurate?
I searched for "Herco .60mm" and Sweetwater advertises the Flex 50 as being .65mm. Is this true?
Can anyone see why I'm confused?
What about the Herco Vintage 66?

Unfortunately, the Guitar Center around here doesn't stock Herco. I miss old time guitar stores that would have a tackle box full of picks and I could grab one of each to try.
I can see where buying a minimum of 10 or 12 picks to try out can get pretty expensive and wasteful.

Any and all comments are welcome. I feel like this is one of the missing pieces of the puzzle. I can now hear how all my favorite guitarists used this bendy piece of plastic to get the sounds I'd been struggling to get.

 

[Kev O)))]

Herco Extra Light Whites are very close, size wise to the Nylon .60s

 

[softclipper]

You're in the same way that I was years ago. I guess you like the snap and crunchy attack and dynamics coming from nylon picks (even better when well worn, check it out). The range .60 mm - .70 mm is the magical gauge to me when speaking of nylon, being .65 mm the exact sweet spot to me. There are not too many picks in this exact gauge.

Yes, Herco Flex 50 are .65 mm. My all time favourite pick. Every other Hercos, including Vintage 66 are heavier (white is around .73, gold .84 and silver .96 or so). From the Flex series the silver is around 1 mm, as so the Holy Grail ones.

Also do not forget to scratch the side of the picks in a hard floor if you like this kind of lovely attack and play with the round and dimpled side as well, not only with the tip. Those 'savage' things are old tips coming from the greatest, Tommy Bolin, Don Felder and a 'few' ones more.

Welcome to the nylon magic!

 

[Zingeroo]

You're in the same way that I was years ago. I guess you like the snap and crunchy attack and dynamics coming from nylon picks (even better when well worn, check it out). The range .60 mm - .70 mm is the magical gauge to me when speaking of nylon, being .65 mm the exact sweet spot to me. There are not too many picks in this exact gauge.

Yes, Herco Flex 50 are .65 mm. My all time favourite pick. Every other Hercos, including Vintage 66 are heavier (white is around .73, gold .84 and silver .96 or so). From the Flex series the silver is around 1 mm, as so the Holy Grail ones.

Also do not forget to scratch the side of the picks in a hard floor if you like this kind of lovely attack and play with the round and dimpled side as well, not only with the tip. Those 'savage' things are old tips coming from the greatest, Tommy Bolin, Don Felder and a 'few' ones more.

Welcome to the nylon magic!

Your post is much appreciated. I didn't think I'd like a thin pick this much, but it just feels and sounds so much better. I think years ago maybe nylon picks were made more cheaply, there were rough spots where the plastic wasn't trimmed so well? It just seemed like such a cheap pick at the time, I was more enamored by the Tortex picks at the time.
I took a chance and ordered some Flex 50s, glad to see that it will probably be just what I'm looking for, just a tad bit stiffer than the Dunlop .60, not as stiff as the Dunlop .73.
Again, it's so weird that a little piece of plastic can be inspiring me this much, but here we are!

 

[Amp_Addicted]

I decided about a decade ago that I prefer nylon over other pick materials. Its tone is brighter than celluloid but not as snappy as Tortex or Delrin. Buying a dozen picks is pretty small investment in tone. I probably have around 200 or so pick in storage. Finding the right string and pick combinations can net major gains in tone. I use Herco 66 Silver, Dunlop Jazz III(red) and Herdim Blue mandolin picks. I would suggest trying out some Herdim picks. They're a bit more expensive than the Dunlop pick, but the Herdim are close to the original Herco Flexylon picks.

 

[peter_heijnen]

Picks make a huge difference, but it's not only the sound that matters. I've been playing the Dunlop Tortex 1.4 for ages now. Not because it sounds the best but because it feel the most natural in my hand.

Besides the pick itself, holding it makes a difference too. Try picking with the side or back of the pick, you'll notice how it sounds fatter. But then again, i don't do that because i want the pick to feel natural in my hand and holding it that way does feel less natural to me.

 

[softclipper]

I took a chance and ordered some Flex 50s, glad to see that it will probably be just what I'm looking for, just a tad bit stiffer than the Dunlop .60, not as stiff as the Dunlop .73.
Again, it's so weird that a little piece of plastic can be inspiring me this much, but here we are!

There are even lots of nylon grades, for example the red/black nylon Jazz III, being the difference the amount of sand, carbon, etc., in the blend. So the reds are softer in feel and tone and wears slowly and the blacks are stiffer and wear more quick. It's the same than the Flex series vs Vintage 66, the Flex nylon is a bit raw and crunchy and the Vintage 66 is more polite, warm, even dull in some contexts.

Also, nylon age not only with time stored, so humidity, sun exposure, etc. I have lots of picks, new and NOS, recently I'm playing with Herco celluloids from 50s or 60s and the celluloid from these ages is great. Not too much solvents in the blend already, a very good 'dry' and vintage tone. And I have even some tortoiseshell from sixties before ban coming from my father, who played decades ago with them because there was not too much to choose in the store. Museum pieces from years ago.

All these things are great and have a place in the tone searching but 'cheap' nylon sometimes gets the perfect solution in the tone you are looking for and you can't see it until you get one and play.

 

[datainadequate]

So, I have tried Dunlop .60mm and .73mm and I very slightly favor the .60mm picks, though I wish I could find something in between. Just a LITTLE bit stiffer than the .60.

Saint Jim has heard your supplication, and suggests Dunlop Nylon Midi 0.67

As a nice bonus it’s nice and easy to find when you drop it on the pub floor.

 

[softclipper]

But no dimples on the edge, so no fun.

 

[Musicmaster]

Bumping because this thread has been very useful to me! Especially the caliper measurements of the different Hercos. My new favorite pick is the Flex 50 for both acoustic and electric. I'm also enjoying the Vintage '66 Extra Light Whites and the Vintage '66 Light Golds.

 

[fuzz_factor]

I hated nylon picks the first time I tried them. I got a (IIRC) Herco Flex 75 with a Catalinbread pedal years ago and was like, "why do people like these?"

I recently found out a gray nylon Dunlop .88mm my pick box. Probably decided to try it after reading something about nylon picks here. It's warm and flexible for strumming acoustics. Of course, I went down the rabbit hole, read more threads and ordered a bunch of nylon picks: More of the .88s, Herco Flex 75s, the gold Hercos (66s?) and the Holy Grails.

The Holy Grail is almost everything I haven't liked in a pick over the past few year: I've used smaller, heavier Jazz III-ish picks, avoiding 'regular' sized picks. I've favored Tortex, Acetal and Blue Chips. Yet the Holy Grail is pick I grab first these days when playing any kind of rock.

 

[Miki Dord]

When it comes to nylon IMHO this are the best picks on market.I like thicker ones, anyhow they have 0,6 and 0,7
IMHO it matter how they feel you know stiffness, not that is the thickness.

I think they are sold there in the US as ''brain picks'', also in past as ''snalin dog'' but i herd they change qulity so if you can get Janicek honestly i don't know for better nylon pick, it is much better then Dunlop it terms of longevity.

And they are don't cost more at least here ....

PS i love thicker ones min 1mm, this Jazz B 1,4 Janicek are my fav. Nylon is amazing martial or maybe i'm just subjective because legends use nylon picks ☺

 

[Stratburst70]

I started using the Dunlop Nylon 1mm when I began playing out in 1990, and I have used them ever since. I use the point, the butt - whatever it takes to get the sound I want.

My drummer turned me onto Herco Flex 75’s a few years ago; now I alternate between those and the Dunlops.

 

[5F6-A]

Another vote here for the Holy Grail. They have a clicky tone that I haven't found in any other nylon pick. I haver tried regular Hercos, Vintage 66s and Planet Waves Nylflex. The HG is my all time favourite in terms of tone, feel and they last forever. The Nylflex is second. Did not like the other Hercos....

 

[Highway Man]

1.14mm Dunlop Max Grips. The perfect picks for me.

 

[Miki Dord]

I won't ask for explain how people can hear difference when it's is same material basically Holy Grail and Nylon Dunlop but OK ☺. If they can hear it good for them.

I've favored Tortex, Acetal and Blue Chips.

Acetal is great material, i like Clayton Acetal picks a lot.

1.14mm Dunlop Max Grips. The perfect picks for me.

those were the fav picks of my bandmate RIP.Anyhow great picks, it is high quality nylon. I try the pick tapping to determinate the resilience and with 1,5mm max grip i don't cut edges. Also this Janicek are amazing,to be honest i don't know what formula they use but have saw on x places people saying how old snarling dog aka brain picks last extreme long and it is truth.

Old Herco is a bit myth for me, just don't now why people search for them. This Herco 75 from Dunlop are better.
Maxgrip are great when it comes to material.
EDIT far as i know German HERIBA didn't made material for last 40 years so...for those who search old stuff this is imho the closest, it ain't Herco nor it looks identical but it has great grip.

They cost like 7-8 Euros (US$) per 12

 

[Twoinch]

Saint Jim has heard your supplication, and suggests Dunlop Nylon Midi 0.67

As a nice bonus it’s nice and easy to find when you drop it on the pub floor.

View attachment 309749

Went through a similar experience... Ended up finding the dunlop .67s and they are now one of my most used picks.

Dunlop has a while line of inbetween sizes..

 

[Twoinch]

I won't ask for explain how people can hear difference when is same material Holy Grail and Nylon Dunlop but OK ☺. If the can hear it good for them.

Holy grails are not the same material as dunlop nylons. Not at all.

Not all nylons are the same.

And herco sizes are not comparable to other brands. Herco 75 is nowhere near .75 but but actually 1.01mm

 

[Miki Dord]

Holy grails are not the same material as dunlop nylons. Not at all.

Not all nylons are the same.

And herco sizes are not comparable to other brands. Herco 75 is nowhere near .75 but but actually 1.01mm

Yes i know that all nylons aren't the same, as well as that Herco name ala 75 has nothing to do with thickness. I mentioned that max grip nylon and Janicek nylon to me seems far better.
I compare Herco Flex made by Dunlop with Holy Grails Dunlop and i didn't notice anything crucial nor VS regular Dunlop nylons except that they seems to me to last a bit longer. Max grip is different it's a far more resilient.
Without details in formula what is different i can only guess as all others. If anyone have formula i would like that they share it.

So let me sum it up Herco Flex 75 by Dunlop VS Holy grail by Dunlop i didn't notice the HUGE difference.

 

[Miki Dord]

OK i found it alone ''felxylon''
it seems that same material is still in use for production of some medical stuff etc, like gloves but as someone mentioned it's the same as Herdim or this which i also mention HERIBA or 100's of other flexylon picks, with a various brand names.
In my region so called ''sun'' picks were popular and it's the same material.

EDIT if i only knew that people will love so much those old picks i could get 1000's of them silly cheap, i wonder what is the price for old FELXYLON picks? if someone knows pls share.