How Thick's Your Pick

[marnold***]

I'm assuming the answer is "yes," but do all the V-Pick users really think they're worth $4.00 each?

The Fender picks I use are $4-5 a dozen. I can afford to have a "critical mass" of them around so I always have one or two when and where I need them - in my car, in my gig bags, in my guitar cases, etc. And I can afford to wear them out and/or lose them, which I do on a regular basis.

I don't think I would want to do that with V-Picks at four bucks each...unless they're dramatically, amazingly superior to anything else. Are they? And if so, why?

I was in the same boat. After trying a couple I came to the conclusion that I just liked it better. For reasons, I mainly listed them here. There's a bunch of other reviews in that thread as well.

[TS808]

I use either Fender Heavy, or Clayton picks at .80 thickness. I tend to switch around with picks alot though and will use a Fender medium once in a while, or a Dunlop Tortex at .73.

[Robert****]

Actually the V-picks are only worth $3.99 but I can handle that extra cent.

Joking aside, assuming you don't lose picks all the time - what is $4.00 to you? A big investment, a Latte at Starbucks, a juicy hamburger, a pack of the cheapest strings you can find? I don't lose my picks very often, and I am by no means wealthy, but 4 bucks for a great pick is for me not a big investment for something that makes guitar playing more enjoyable and fun.

[just strum]

Robert is known as "money is no object" so the extra penny is a drop in the bucket to him.

He is right, if you aren't prone to losing them at a rapid rate, $4.00 isn't a big deal and most likely you will like them. Robert and I didn't see eye to eye on this not to long ago, but I do find the picks to be nice. However, I lose picks at a very rapid rate, so I am careful with the three remaining ones I have.

[Fab4]

Let me clarify: I don't mean to imply that a $4 pick (or a $20 pick or whatever) isn't worth the investment. If it works for you, then it's worth whatever you're willing to pay for it. In fact, I'd be willing to give one a try to see if it is worth it to me.

What I'm asking is "Why is it worth it to you? What do you like about them so much that they're worth the money to you?"

[just strum]

Let me clarify: I don't mean to imply that a $4 pick (or a $20 pick or whatever) isn't worth the investment. If it works for you, then it's worth whatever you're willing to pay for it. In fact, I'd be willing to give one a try to see if it is worth it to me.

What I'm asking is "Why is it worth it to you? What do you like about them so much that they're worth the money to you?"

For me, they do seem to provide a different tone, they tend to be more versatile in attack (could explain the tone) and for some reason you can play them with a looser grip than many other picks (don't know why)

[thekiwidisciple]

Dunlop Tortex 2mm

[rev156]

Dunlop black gold 1.14 in the Jazz III size. Awesome!

[Fretcruiser]

2.0 baby. You have total control over the sound that you make when you hit the string. You have great recoil which makes it so much easier to play fast. My buddy had a thin pick that I tried to use...and to me it felt like I was trying to strum with a piece of paper.

[wingsdad]

As thick as it needs to be.

What I mean by that wisenheimer crack is it depends on what style I'm playing and the right-hand technique it requires for attack & tone.

A constant is the shape/size. I prefer smaller, rounder, blunt-tipped types. To me, big picks and/or pointy tips are clumsy.

But as for thickness, for steel-string acoustic guitar, as I string primarily with .010-.047's or .012-.053's, for strumming, mostly .073's (mediums) for flexibilty yet enough volume, but as thin as .050 for faster, lighter, complex strums & to get the rhythmic 'raking' percussive sound in the mix. For flatpicking, single string lines or arpeggio things, I go for around .80-or-so, but no heavier.

For electrics, stringing only with .010-.046's, it's pretty much no lighter than .073's/mediums for rhythm strums, to keep the right hand light, but usually I go with .80's or 1mm's as the 'most versatile', all-purpose type.

Single string and arpeggios, though...again, to keep the right hand light and in control of attack for tonal nuances, it's:

THICK.
Mine's about 4mm thick (sharpened to a point) and made from some kind of hardwood. .... Gives a mellower sound as the pick attack is dampened.

I went with (and still go to) Dunlop Big Stubby 2 or 3mm's, but about 5 years ago, I found these 'Pickboy' exotics at my Local GAS Station. I found this link to one place that may carry them.Scroll down past the stone picks to the Bone, Ebony and Horn ones, the 3 that I have. There's also a Rosewood on the next page:

Pickboy Exotic Picks

They only show the thumb indent (like a Big Stubby's) side here; the other side has a nicely angled finger groove that the side of the index finger nestles nicely into. Very natural feel, and especially good to keep a firm grip as you loosen up a little to mellow things out.

The bone's the 'brightest', the ebony the 'mellowest' of the 3.

They cost me $2 each at the time I got them, but my dealer hasn't gotten them back since, although he carries a variety of Pickboys' other types.

[Robert****]

Oh Wingsdad, looking the prices on those picks, you might get in trouble with the "picks police"!

I'd sure like to try a rosewood pick though.

[just strum]

Holy cow, I didn't even catch that, good thing Robert dropped a dime on you.

Man, we have to sit down and discuss this wild spending.:

[wingsdad]

Oh Wingsdad, looking the prices on those picks, you might get in trouble with the "picks police"!

I'd sure like to try a rosewood pick though.

No way for the stone picks But, if you find 'em, at $5 US they're in the ballpark of the V-pick...

Man, we have to sit down and discuss this wild spending.:

Yep, I 'stretched' to drop 6 Beans on 3 picks. And had I known they were called 'Exotic', I would've passed on them, because they sure didn't do any kind of pole dance when I fixed my gaze on them. : But you know how it is, amigo...sometimes, ya just 'gotta have it'. :

But...at $5 each today instead of the $2 I paid? I'd pass & go for a dozen of your faves, the Big Stubby. Of course, you know my relationship with my Local GAS Station, and they wouldn't be $5, either. I might have to go all the way to $3, and pull this out of the back of my wallet to cover one:

[bek]

I had gone along for quite awhile using only the big Fender Heavy picks and Clayton 1.0 that were the same size, on every guitar and string gauge. I tried the V-Pick starting with the Freakishly Large Rounded one and I liked it but wanted more snap. Then I used the Big Fattie but it's pretty big and I wasn't sure what I thought, and it doesn't snap for me, either. I like the Screamer better yet, and I think the Dimension will be good for me, too. There's some snap in those. I usually just keep the big Fenders in my pocket and use those, as I'm too cheap to want to maybe lose a V-Pick. Anyway, a real good indication of something the V is good for came up the other day when I was playing my Strat and wanted more meat in the tone. I picked up a V-Pick and there it was! It was kind of like turning up the midrange tone on your amp. Very nice.

[oldguy]

Dunlop Lucky 13 So Cal 1.0.

[Spudman***]

I'm consistently either a 1.0 Tortex or a 2.0 Big Stubby. Occasionally I'll break out the iceberg sized V Pick and I can't tell how thick those are.

[Tone2TheBone]

Been playing the thick purple and blue 1.5 and 2.0 picks from Dunlop lately and loving them. Also love the thick pick I got from Vinni.

[sunvalleylaw]

I'm consistently either a 1.0 Tortex or a 2.0 Big Stubby. Occasionally I'll break out the iceberg sized V Pick and I can't tell how thick those are.

Have you tried a dunlop Ultex yet? Kinda like the Tortex, but a little less "gummy" and seem to have a brighter sound to me.

[Viking Power]

Wow, I am blown away by the rampant use of "thick picks"!

My instructor has told me previously, "the thicker the better" and I have tended to disagree (mostly out of ignorance). My experimentation with pick thicknesses since picking up the guitar in January of this year are leading me to wander which pick is best for my current scenario. My lone axe at this point is a steel string acoustic and it SEEMS that the thicker picks produce a duller sound. Is this correct? Having said that the thinner picks I've tried .73 and under seem "floppy" though very quick on the attack.

Thanks for the interesting thread though guys!: Always great to come here and read of new ideas, theories & experiences.