Wear

Had been playing these two since last weekend: V-Pick (L) Traditional/ Gravity (R) 003 Custom.

I think I am rather merciless when it comes to pick attack. The Traditional had this much wear after only a day's worth of play. Someone told me to ease the picking hand but compromised pick attack just doesn't produce the desired note articulation, especially for angry riffs. The Gravity fared slightly better. It might be down to the materials used. 

Dimension

An unlikely candidate for last night's practice; V-Pick's Dimension 4.0 (ghost rim).

I was feeling a little edgy playing fast stuff & felt that the pick I was using didn't have that much meat to deliver the aggression through effectively. It's not about not having a hard pick material but a thicker pick to promote a more effective grip especially when attacking the strings from a certain slant. The Dimension is 4mm thick, 1 mm thicker than what I usually have lying around & that's all I needed to make the session more effective & enjoyable.

King vs King

These picks are pretty much in the same league. The manufacturers interpreted them differently; same thickness, same unpolished edges & even the same colour family. The Jazz King has, well, the jazzers in mind. The tip is rounded to let the player glide across strings effortlessly while maintaining command at the picking end. The Ed King, by virtue of its more pointed tip, invites the player to showcase some precision picking while propagating effortless movements as well. I don't particularly favour one over the other. On some days one of them serves me better than the other. 

Zaza picking

It's a good Friday when the stuff you least expected just popped into the mail box. I ordered the V-Pick Neil Zaza pick about ten days ago. International delivery was free, so why not. I've always been a fan of grooved picks. In this case, the holes there are my favourite kind of indentation that promote grip. To me, a good grip is essential considering the intensity of my picking. The 2.75mm thickness was the other gratifying consideration. I prefer a 3mm pick or thicker but under certain configurations (materials, shape, etc.), shaving a little off the preference works as well. The only aversion in this case is the width; I play better with something a little wider to the grip. 

Wishing you folks a good weekend ahead 🃁

Cycle of picks

A Good Friday morning to all. Lovely long weekend, yes?

I'm sure may of us here would have purchased & kept a few picks in our collection. Even if you're not a collector, you would have wisely kept a few for referential purposes, no? The primary reason here, for keeping stuff which you less preferred, is to bring them out on days when you think all else failed. On playing days, my ritual is to have a few picks out & at the ready. Even if I already have a favourite, go-to pick in hand, at a certain point in time, I'd switch picks just for variety's sake. You'd be surprised to discover that the ones you cast aside as spares or back-ups would be more adept than you would have believed them to be in the first place. I'm saying this because for those of us with more than one guitar especially, would have different string gauges, neck radii & string action, among other factors, which would react differently with a different pick profile. If we don't own a few picks to begin with, we wouldn't have discovered this special adaptation so to speak.

In the example above, I had the (L-R) Karma (DAW manufacturing), Mummy (V-pick) & Stubby (Dunlop) picks at the ready. As you've noticed, it's actually a line up of (L-R), flat, grooved & dented pick surfaces. I react differently to the feel, I play differently using these picks with various guitars, my picking efficiency gets affected with these picks, my brutal riffs work better with non-flat pick surfaces & the list goes on with slight variable differences. So which of these picks work best for any playing situation? None. I need different picks for different playing circumstances; different tools for different jobs as they say. So the next time you are on the verge of disposing seemingly dud & useless picks, do re-consider 😃

Still Mummy-ing

I'm still busy with these picks. They are not entirely customized to my specs but they are sporting my preferred colours & thickness. The clear version is the manufacturer's default model (2.75mm). I like them for their tank grade hardness but light at the same time so no unnecessary effort is required to overcome the weight resistance. 

What does a preferred pick do to your playing? It gives you more articulation. The simple reason being, it's what you want it to be so it's the 'perfect' tool for the job. It's how the tennis player feel after getting his dream racket & how the footballer feels after putting on his dream boots; the perfect implement at your disposal. There's now more focus on the crucial element- your playing.

Then comes a friend who says your pick is crap, it's unplayable. You should be smiling broadly because you now have proof that the picks are absolutely unusable unless it's handled by you. Perfect. However my friends, your preferences may change along the way, on various grounds. As such, your preferred pick may change. You will then retire your previous love in the knowledge that they've served you well. 

Boutique picking

There are many players out there who adopt an anything-goes attitude when it comes to guitar picks. this indifference is the direct result of not hearing the immediate difference a pick makes to their tone. I started out as such. Being contented with a popular brand pick was more than enough to get me going. Peavey & Ernie Ball were my preferred picks (pun intended). Everything changed when I came across Dunlop's Stubby picks. The harder material, the extra grip & that pointed tip affected my playing in many positive ways that it became an exclusive favourite. Today, after the internet revolution, we have the luxury of acquiring our preferred picks online should they not be available off the shelves at the stores. I'm here to share the so called boutique picks by virtue of material consideration, construction & of course, price.

1. Drangons Heart

The company owned by C. Whitney is churning out that peculiar outline as a take-it-or-leave-it prospect for potential buyers. But let's understand the fact that it's offering a 3-tip option for players & this is the most un-plastic material in this group. So you have been warned :-)

2. V-Pick

Vinnie Smith had been gathering picking momentum (no pun intended) with his selection & it's easy to see why this is so; V-Picks are the most no-frills in terms of application. Add to that, the most grip friendly in this selection as well, without any extra indentations or scores.

3. Howling Monkey

If you want your picks to be thick without weight issues, this is the brand for you. It also has that grainy feel for grip considerations so fair warning to those who like theirs smooth instead.

4. DAW 

Russian & the friendliest manufacturer in this gathering. I personally feel the DAW stuff are best used for precision picking. The plastic concoction involved is also the least clanky. I tend to get carried away with the pointed standard version. 

The obvious hurdle when it comes to boutique picks is definitely the price. One could easily acquire a packet of non-designer picks for the price of one tragic piece of boutique pick. However, once you clicked with a boutique piece, it'll probably last you for a long time by virtue of the higher quality material concoction involved; a typical boutique piece just lasts longer. The personal touch of a boutique selection is also the turning point of not wanting anything else as replacements. Yes, it's that particular & worth every cent once you become a convert. I might have a give-away soon :-)

Living with the Mummy

This was a recent delivery. I'm in the midst of trying V-Picks, as many as possible, in various sizes & manifestations. This one here is called the Mummy. The indentations there were not laser etched, they were tool grounded & you can feel the raw end product. The textured perimeter is what the manufacturer refers to as the ghost rim. The intention of which is to transfer some pick grip to the strings, the result- some friction induced bite into your picking. Shredders & grinders alike will appreciate this consideration. 

Less pointed

In this episode of my V-Picks adventure, I've opted for a few less pointed picks. Speed-wise, less pointed picks do better for riffs than their pointed counterparts, especially so for thicker gauged strings. Moving over to the thinner strings, rounded tip picks lacks precision, so this is the very trade off.

V-ing

These were in the mail 2 days ago. I'm trying the smaller V-Picks, also one with grip holes.

V-Gravity

I'm not rubbing salt into anyone's wound. I'm in fact going through a withdrawal syndrome till there is something comprehensive to address my switch from Gravity picks to another preferred brand name. I have a used Gravity pick seen above which was brought out for an A-B comparison against a V-Pick also seen here. While the Gravity appealed to me in terms of tone, the V-Pick is preferred in terms of feel. There's no issue ordering a personal Gravity pick from the online store, the V-Pick has no such option. Hmm...

V-ing

If everything goes well, I might just settle with V-picks. I'm more at home playing picks with center indentations or holes drilled into them. Gonna try the Euro models next, trying not to return to the Stubby.

Santa was here

No he wasn't. Unless the postman's name was Ahmad Santa Bin Ali Clause. But he delivered this box of happiness to me- my Oddfellow The Bishop overdrive. It's actually a Klon-esque unit.

Also in the mail box (managed to check before reaching home)- my V-picks. Selected models were on sale so why not. Festive mood, definitely :-)

Boutique picking

Nothing like spending the holiday with personal engagements (especially when nobody's home); nothing extensive, just evaluating the 'boutique' picks I have lying around here: Chicken Pick, Gravity & V-Pick. All 3 picks aren't for the sentimental, especially the strummers among us. They have a certain degree of retaliation that inevitably singles them out for specialist applications- speed & precision.

As mentioned above, these picks are distasteful when it comes to strumming; there is no flexibility whatsoever so be warned. Due to their rigid pedigree, there is an element of absorption here so they're not too kind to acoustic applications because they make themselves heard. The clicking/clunking contact noises might drive some of us nuts. 

The Gravity & V-Pick are cold-hearted assassins; they are similar in such a way that they make their inorganic presence felt all the time. In use, we can hardly tell them apart in terms of tone. Feel-wise, that's where the difference sinks in, the Gravity has a harsh, very abrasive contact against your strings, while the V-Pick manifests a more gliding performance. The Chicken Pick did well in differentiating itself in this aspect. There is a certain degree of contact pleasure to such an extent that you need to convince yourselves it's not plastic. In fact, it feels & sounds like a bone composite but the manufacturer specified it to be plastic with a dash of personal formula & I must say it's definitely a winning one. It's also the smoothest amongst the trio with a very exclusive presence to boot.

Where I come from, wimpy picks are out of the question. I hit my notes hard (as opposed to fretting them hard) & need my picks to stay put with every attack. Majority of the picks which are less than 1mm thick have a high tendency to die a quick & terrible death as they break & snap under pressure. Investing in the trio you see here is a matter of personal embrace, simply put, I can't play anything else. If you are new to such thick picks, it is definitely an immediate put off because it takes a different handling approach to get one going unlike your preferred thinner picks. Do keep an open mind, we need different tools to get the different jobs done & these picks require you to embrace them objectively. If you don't have the urge to speed up or pulverize every single note you play, you probably won't need them. Despite treading on the hard pick turf, I still have thinner picks within reach just to give some perspective to my playing every now & then. 

Seen above:

• Chicken Pick: Tritone III
• Gravity: Stealth Standard
• V-Pick: Pearly Gates

V-Pick: Onyx

Here's a new one by V-Pick: the Onyx. The manufacturer says it's the fusion of its two other models, the Nexus & Psycho Shredder. Looking forward to try one...

Dunlop Stubby vs V-pick

So this is the ultimate showdown; Dunlop's Stubby juggernaut to take down the colossal V-Pick... not quite. I believe the respective picks you see here were differentiated in design by the manufacturer to address different needs but from a personal point of view, I believe the respective products give the player a different playing feel which in turn influences the performance standards.

V-pick

It all started not too long ago when Mr. Brendon from BGW Guitars sent over a complementary V-pick knowing I am a fan of tank-grade picks; I can't live playing picks which are less than 1mm thick. Initially, I was dismissive of it as it's just another acrylic alternative; I've been playing the Stubbys for a while & this pick isn't a drastic departure from my current engagements. However, the unique selling point has to be the V-pick's beveled edges which means the strings leave the pick's contact at a faster action- it's not rocket Science this one, a simple innovation by a guitarist (founder Vinni Smith is a guitar enthusiast) for guitarists. The beveling also means, the edges of the picks are thinner than the rest of the grip area so you'd thought that you are holding a thick, unplayable piece of plastic in your hands but the tapered edges are actually doing the job. 

I am currently using the Traditional (as above) & Small Pointed versions which work fine for my needs. My only gripe here would be the colour; sometimes dropping a V-pick on the floor is equivalent to losing it for good. But not to worry, V-picks also come in red & glow-in-the-dark alternatives.

Dunlop Big Stubby

This has been my long-term favourite & it' still is. I favour the 3mm version & have them in my wallet, office drawers, on top of amps, bag pockets; they have become virtually ubiquitous. When Adam Teoh was still working at Swee Lee (Bras Basah showroom), he knew how many I'd purchase in a single transaction- many (I recall buying 30 pieces, that's the most number of Stubbys I ever bought in a single receipt). If we look at the Stubby, we note its curved nature; in Ibanez-speak, the Stubby is the pick version of the S-series body. This design feature is the pick's upper edge, it doesn't need beveled edges to accentuate precision picking. My other liking here is the pick's centre indentation which promotes grip effectively. I use to burn holes in other picks just to get some grip going but it's inherent with the Stubby. 

I wish the Stubby's tip was more pointed when they leave the factory, my current practice is to file the tip further to make it very sharp, I believe this enhances more precision. Well, it works for me.

Conclusion

Conceptually, both picks manifested different means to the same end- precision picking. The different playing comfort is the choice determinant; I like both picks & would toggle between the Stubby & the V-pick so if you see someone switching picks often while trying guitars out in the stores, that'd most probably be me. Be informed that there is at least a $3 difference (no kidding) between these picks.

Where to get them:

• Stubby: Swee Lee/ Davis GMC
• V-pick: BGW Guitars

V-pick: Winners

As promised, here are the V-pick giveaway winners (in no order of merit):

• Eduardo Bansil
• Wayne Tan
• Wong Jin Hao
• Dylan Yeo
• Anonymous Anwar

37 replies were received, some of which were disqualified because the pre-requisites of naming the founders (plural, not singular) & submitting before 12noon were not met. Thanks for participating.

Congrats to the winners! Please reply my e-mail, I'd like to get the V-pick to your residences ASAP (less the Hello Kitty pick holder). More importantly, thanks for following my shenanigans here, the last thing I'd thought it'd become was a staple read. Regardless, this is my opportunity to thank you- nothing beats having friends who understand your passion. Cheers & have a good week ahead.

PS: My utmost thanks to Mr. Brendon @ BGW Guitars for making this happen.

V-pick: You want one?

Dear valued followers, I have acquired a few V-picks for a good price from BGW Guitars (thank you Mr. Brendon!). I would like you to try the Small Pointed model pictured above (read more about the Small Pointed V-Pick here: CLICK) absolutely at my expense. The first lucky reader who can tell me the name of the V-Pick Inc. founders will receive the Small Pointed V-Pick via post. Please adhere to the following instructions:

• e-mail your answer to dark1349@hotmail.com before Saturday 12.00 noon, 5th March 2011 according to the time specified by the clock at the foot of this page
• do NOT include your mailing address until you are declared the winner, I will get back to you for mailing details
• this contest is open only to Singapore & Malaysian residents only (apologies, but my sponsor is only willing to spare the mailing charges to the aforementioned destinations, in the mean time...)

 So the V-pick in the pic above will be yours, less the Care Bear pick holder, of course. Good luck.

PS: The following people are disqualified (he he...) from taking part because I am giving you a complementary copy anyway:

• Bro Ijau (will notify you once it's on the way)
• Bro Zahid (will pass to you together with the Morbid Angel tix)
• Bro Naz (already received yours, yes?)