Pick Noise

you might want to try a different brand of pick. you may also want to use a thinker one.

A thinner pick might help, but first, I would check how you're holding the pick. More specificially, check how the pick is meeting the strings. Ideally the pick and the strings should make a 90 degree angle with each other, but do to personal style and comfort, it won't be absolutely perfect. However, if it's too far from 90 degrees, then as you pull the pick off the string, the edges can slide accross the string, causing a scratchy noise. I know this because I realized that I had this exact problem and I am still in the process of trying to break my bad habit. Maybe you're experiencing the same thing. Hope this helps.

I don't think a thinner pick would help, but a thicker one would. Thin picks make a pronounced, bright snapping sound.

I like what Jason said. I had a friend who was really into speed picking. But he would hold his pick at a very sharp angle. So really the edge of the pick and not the flat of the pick would meet the strings. Although he could really pick fast, much faster than me, it sounded horrible. You could hear a "sliding" sound continuously. It was a very annoying sound. I told my friend, but he continued to play that way because it is very easy to pick fast this way.

What angle to you mean? The angle between the flat part of the pick and the guitar, or the angle between the edge of the pick and the guitar(ie. tilt towards the headstock)?

---> ____ String

---> ____ Pick

This is good, the flat of the pick should be parallel to the string.

---> ____ String

---> Pick

This is bad, the pick is held at an angle to the string. The edge of the pick will strike the string and cause a sliding or scratchy sound.

Here is a page showing pick angles. Look at the 2nd series of photos. This is what we are talking about. It is ok for there to be a little angle, but only a little. With too much angle the edge of the pick will scratch the string which sounds awful.

http://www.bryankimsey.com/music/righthand.htm

I could hear the "click" of my pick hitting the strings and it was annoying. Then someone on this forum suggested using only the tip of the pick. I changed how I hold the pick, and it made a huge difference. I also switched to stiffer picks (Pickboy carbon graphite 1.0s) and that helped too.

PS Welcome back.

I tried re-angling the pick. Well, I don't angle the pick so much as I like the guitar on an angle, but it didn't work. I tried holding the pick how it is in the pick but it didn't work either. And it's not a scratching sound, it's a clicking sound. Listen to my recording in Hear Here and you'll hear it.

OWA

That could be the sound of your guitar (haven't listened to the clip yet). My Telecaster tends to really stress the high frequencies. So, you get a clicking sound. You can often turn your tone knob down some. The tone knob never adds bass, it only takes away the high frequencies. When at 10, you are getting the max of all frequencies. At 0, you are just getting the low frequencies.

My LP Studio has a much mellower tone than my Tele. I never get a clicking with it.

So, some guitars tend to sound like this, while others do not.

OWA

I went to your site and listened to the clip "new guitar soundbyte". Was that the one you wanted me to listen to?

The tone did not sound bad. I think I did hear the slight clicking or popping you are talking about.

Another thing you can try is lowering the pickups. When a pickup is too near the strings you can get a boominess or even popping type sounds. Some people try to put their pickups as close to the strings as possible because it makes the guitar louder. But if you get too close you can get some bad sounds. It is said that it also reduces sustain, as the magnetic field of the pickup pulls on the string and stops it from vibrating. Don't know if this is really true, but it seems possible.

The pickups usually have two small screws on each side. Make small adjustments and see if this helps.

you have to keep the pick perpendicular to the strings, as Wes said. Also, make sure you pick THROUGH the string, making it come to rest on the string next to it. This allows for even vibration and lets the pick clear the string. It also makes you put even pressure on the note you're playing, and there won't be any of that click.

what i think you should do is to forget about playing a song for a while. get an assortment of picks and sit with your guitar and try to make different kinds of sounds in as many different ways as you can think of.

Does your amp have a "Presence" control? That controls the very high frequencies that mostly are noises from the pick and fingers. Turning it way down will quieten this stuff a good bit.

Have you tried picking lighter. kind of like touch playing. You really don't need to be hitting the strings very hard. A lighter touch will help you play with more control. You'll be surprised at the different dynamics you'll also be able to achieve.

joe