Metal finger picks

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

Lockdown boredom prompts this post.
Most players will, after a few months of playing, settle on a pair of metal picks which are comfortable.Once We have selected the gauge which suits You there is little else to do but get on with the technique of playing.
I am not asking for Your thoughts on any particular brand name. I wonder if the actual composition of the metal used for the picks will affect the tone.We see picks made from steel(varying compositions) silver,brass and probably other exotic metals.I have used steel and brass and can not detect any tonal difference.
What do YOU think ?

[hickenjr]

I have used stainless steel, brass and nickel silver.
They all have subtle differences to me.
I think stainless steel is the most tinny of the lot.
Brass is the warmest to my ears but can be slightly dead sounding at times (although I've never gone wrong with brass picks, especially in my early days).
Nickel Silver provides a good balance of warmth, consistency and punch. It's brighter than brass, but less tinny than steel.

I think it all comes down to preference.

On a day to day basis I use Nickel Silver Perfect Touch Finger Picks. The reason I use these isn't really because of the material though as I am a lover of brass picks. The Perfect Touch ones are much more comfortable than my Nationals or Dunlops on my fingers. I do hope to get a new brass pair and another nickel silver pair in the near future. These ones will have slightly rounded blades as per my Nationals or Dunlops, right now I'm using totally flat face picks. It isn't really effecting me but the company said to me personally that round picks give you more angle of attack than the flat ones and lead to easier playing and potentially better tone.

I recorded my Fernando cover with brass picks and a while ago my family band (Tau Ceti) did a cover video of Vernon Oxford's "In The Shadows of My Mind" which was recorded with my Nickel Silver picks. The amp settings were very similar on my Fender Twin but variables when recording probably don't make this a consistent comparison anyway. People said they liked my tone both times round anyway so that was good enough for me.

I notice a difference but then again, I notice differences on a day to day basis when I'm practicing. It's just how I feel and probably not just limited to my gear. It's my ears and my heart on the day.

[Danny Mitchell]

Lockdown boredom also prompts this response!
Having only ever used steel picks(and fingers) I can't comment on any others, and I'm happy with these, but this question made me recall (perhaps mistakenly) an old post about using steel bars with steel strings, and that this combo causes wear and noise. Could this extend to picks and strings? The consensus was steel/nickel being the best combination. I'm sure the metalurgists, engineering and generally experienced types could explain this, but, being but a numpty, it's well outside my bailiwick.

[Jif]

It's all subjective though to my ear I'm with Steve on this one, nickel silver sounds mellow, warm and has a zing to it that I haven't found using other metals.

[SteelieAJK]

I use a nickel pick on index finger and a brass on middle finger so that i can see which is which in low light. My ears cannot discern a difference. Of all the factors affecting tone, I would put pick metal fairly low down.

[Ken Byng]

Nickel silver here.

[Tony Russell Davis]

Gold - on the tax return

[andrew marson]

I have nothing to offer on this question as I sound rubbish on either , but can I award a million lockdown bonus points to Danny Mitchell for use of the word "bailiwick"? Cheers, Andy.

[Danny Mitchell]

Thank you, Andy, for that extremely generous award. Where does one redeem these points? And, are they comparable, in value, to the Kensitas coupon, or to the Greenshield stamp?
My first acoustic guitar, a Nymph, came courtesy of said Kensitas coupons. At least, I thought it was a guitar, it was in fact a Bullworker in disguise, and the impressions it made on my fingertips left me with a lifelong admiration of the Camel Toe.
Apologies for the, off topic, diversion.

[Davie Holland]

Nickel Silver for me....but isnt the tone all in the hands? ....and the amp...and the speaker...and the strings...and the pickup...and the volume pedal....and the leads...and the room temp....and the bar....and the tuner (okay maybe not the tuner lol)