V-Picks anyone?

[StratsRock]

Has anyone tried V-Picks? I ordered a Tradtion 2.75mm and a Medium Pointed 1.5mm to try. I'm curious to see how they will feel.

[jonc]

a number of guys on the Toyz forum have tried them out. i tried them at one of the guitar shows and thought it felt good and gave a different attack than other picks i've tried, but was too cheap to spring for it. here's a thread that might help and there are some others as well if you do a search:

http://www.musictoyzforums.com/showthre ... ight=picks

[StratsRock]

Thanks Jonc. I appreciate the link. I've got 2 of these picks orderd. Should arrive this week. I'm anxious to give them a test drive.

[blargfromouterspace]

I hadn't heard of these V-picks, I checked them out - they make an 11.5mm one

I'd give them a shot, but I have a problem with clear picks - they're damn near impossible to find, even if you don't drop them. Keen to hear your thoughts on them.

[StratsRock]

They certainly have some hugely thick picks. I'm getting a 1.5mm and a 2.75mm which will be quite a jump for me. What attracted me to them was the fact they kind of stick to your fingers and don't slip. I'll pass along my thoughts about them once I've spent some time with them.

[gamabry]

I bought the "sampler" pack a few months ago. It comes with about 7-8 different size picks. I think they are great. I can't tell you why they aren't as slippery as the garden variety plastic pick but they aren't. Give one a try. I think you'll like them. One of their selling points is that the different thicknesses give different tones. That's true. It does. The uncommonly thick picks give a more mellow tone but my favorite is the large, thin, triangular pick. As mentioned earlier, they are easy to lose due to their clear color. You have to be careful where you lay one down or you're apt not to find it again for a few weeks...if ever.

[sirmyghin]

Haven't tried one, I was talking to the owner/operator via email hoping he would send me a sample once though . I am a bit of a skeptic as I already play no flex picks (agate) and they have that stick to your finger thing V picks trick and tote also. I mean it will stick to your thumb of finger for a second before it falls at all, and needs very little grip to play at any speed.

[sickbutnottired]

I'd have to buy 1000 of them. I'm so scattered. Clear is not a option for me. I had a pickin buddy a couple years back who had this collection of premium picks. Tortoise shell, all kinds of stuff. I had never hear of such a thing. But they did all sound different, and some great.

I would like to hear what you think, though. Eventually they'll make safety green one I could find!

[RickT]

I like them a lot. They don't slip and they sound good. They are expensive, but I just keep them in the gig box so they don't get lost.

RickT

[nizarilhamy]

My friend once had, when Avenged Sevenfold concert in my country, Zacky threw picknya, and lucky my friend who got it, and when he used it, it feels so light and not easily broken, suitable for appeal

[sirmyghin]

If you want to try some acrylic picks, that don't cost 15$ each, try gravitypicks.com. I have 2, one is a razer mini 1.5mm the other is a thick razer. The thick full sized razer is too much for me, too wide and rounded on the tip (sharper than traditional) very nice and warm sounding. The Razer mini 1.5mm has a sharper tip and is very very nice, bigger than a jazz 3, small than traditional, I dare say perfect sized. Both are no flex (imperative for me) and are slightly warmer than the stone picks I use. They are by no means harsh, and are 5$ a pop.

[Ledergeist]

2.75 mm thick????

Wow.

[turbo]

V-picks are cool... They vary widely in thickness.

There are regular v-picks which seem about 1.5 mm or so. I have some of these, they sound more like regular picks than some of the thicker ones. I think you can get these in small (about like a jazz iii but triangular), medium and large (big triangle).

Then you get to the premium picks which start about 2.75 mm or so. With these you really start to notice a bigger, louder more bassy "rounder" tone. I have a Diamond I think, about the same size as the regulars but thicker, and it's pretty awesome.

Then you start to get into the really large range. I have a Psycho that is huge (like the size of those big triangle picks) and is i think 5.75 mm thick. It's MUCH easier to play with than i thought it would be. Fast licks, whatever, no problem. Very very big fat round tones that I love for metal rhythm (great for recording).

Then you get in the absurd range. I don't have any of these. I believe they're 9-11mm. One is called the colossal. I'm curious about these having tried some of the others, they seemed to be marketed for "practice" use.

I much prefer the pointy ones to the rounded, and IMO they sound better too. I got a rounded snake for free (seems like they throw in a couple to try/give away with many orders), and I just didn't like it compared to my pointy one. I do usually use Jazz iii ultras so maybe that's why i like the pointed. On the other hand, I also like Fender extra heavy, but the rounded V-picks just didn't speak to me.

If you play lots of fast alternate picking licks on the unwound strings, you will definitely notice a "chirping" sound. It is more noticeable on some types of licks than others. This is IMO, the biggest problem of the V-pick.

They are still great sounding picks, and a chirpy chirp here and there wouldn't necessarily keep me from using them live. They have been incredible for me for practice and give a powerful tone for heavy rhythm recording.

One last thing, I think they make an "acoustic" pick that i believe is identical to the psycho I have. They sound AMAZING on acoustic. SO loud. I can only imagine they'd be a great tool for recording acoustic guitar.

[sirmyghin]

Any rigid pick will give you some chirp, usually you are hearing it from the guitar, not the amp though. Bassier tone I would argue, is a downside however, less highs in fine but more bass is just unnecessary. Then again most metal bands don't give their bass enough space as is and make mush out of the bottom end in consequence, instead of letting the bass do what it does, much, much better.