Hey Guys,
Just a quick reply with regard to picks/plectrums ... before RG posts the results for his Cali pickup.
As RG noted earlier in this thread ... sometimes using a different pick material can make all the difference.
I've been using brass picks for a while now, with good results (I think Harry Cody used metal picks too). I bought a small sheet of 1.5mm brass and cut the shape out to match a Jazz III, then filed and chamfered the edges (there's quite a noticeable chamfer on the red Jazz IIIs), and finished it all off with some fine wet/dry paper. I did the same with 1.2mm and 0.9mm brass sheet.
1.5mm = very heavy pick
1.2mm = still a heavy pick
0.9mm = just a heavy pick (but probably the favourite, and frequently used)
I may drill a few holes, just to reduce the weight some more?
Sound wise ... cos they're chamfered they slip across the strings nice and easy, there is some scraping but I kinda like that, and the brass produces a really nice strong/powerful tone. Also, I was expecting the brass to be slippery to hold ... but it's the exact opposite, the chemicals/sweat from your fingers react with the brass and this holds the pick in place.