Does Size Matter? - Big Picks vs Small Picks

I had a tough time today trying to think of a sensible title for this blog post, so decided not to. That's right, today I am comparing a selection of three small picks to three of the larger picks in my collection. These come from ToneFirst Customs, Gravity, Dunlop, V-Picks, Winspear and Wegen Picks.

Before starting I thought I'd outline my expectations about the kind of results I expected to see when comparing smaller picks to larger picks. In general I assumed the smaller picks would be quieter with less dynamic range on tap, brighter sounding and easier to play speedy licks with. The increase in size gave me the impression that the larger picks would be both more dynamically and tonally variable, with more volume available and more depth to the tone, but possibly more sluggish to play with.

The first plectrum I picked up was the Jazz 3-esque ToneFirst Custom Master Series, a 1.5mm thick piece of modified acrylic. I instantly noticed that I held the pick with only the tiniest of corners showing to strike the string with, which enabled me to play pinch harmonics very clearly, but somewhat capped the amount I could dig in without brushing my thumb against the string when the accompanying harmonic was not desired. These points are also noticeable when using the Gravity Sunrise Mini 2, which is slightly shorter length-wise, making chordal work challenging to play without serious consideration of my strumming technique. Tonally the ToneFirst Custom is surprisingly rounded, with clarity in the top and a nice warmth to it, and the Gravity has it's recognisable brightness which is sure to cut through a band mix. The third small pick I tried was the Dunlop Tortex Small Tear Drop 1.14mm, which is a longer pick and lends itself more readily to strumming and has that Tortex sound which many will enjoy.

The V-Picks Saga plectrum could hold all three of the small plectrums in it's surface area, and because of this the issues with strumming and accidental muting which were noticeable when using the smaller picks were no longer an issue. The rounded edges of this pick give the sound a duller attack, but this is somewhat counter-balanced by V-Picks signature tone which is still noticeably bright. The Wegenpicks Trimus 350 is very similar in shape to the V-Picks Saga but at least twice as thick. The bevels on this pick are really nice and rounded, skipping over the strings with ease, but still doesn't encourage fast lead melodies like the smaller picks do. The Winspear Bloodline Longsword V is a different shape all together - just as tall as the other two picks, but the shape of an isosceles triangle. The thickness tapers down from 5mm at the thick end, and the material is very light weight, which is interesting for a thicker feeling pick. For such a soft feeling material, the Longsword has a very precise attack and felt nicer to play lead with than the others did.

In general I think this informal experiment shows why most players favour a pick which is somewhere in the middle, offering traits observed in both larger and smaller picks, however for players with more specific guitar tones the more extreme ends of the plectrum spectrum might be more appropriate. And as I usually find myself saying, the recording studio will always be a place where a wide variety of tones are required to create varied tonal layers, and being able to easily switch between plectrums is very useful.

Do you find yourself regularly using particularly small or large plectrums? Let me know why you like them in the comments! Also remember to follow The Pick on social media for updates on blog posts, interesting guitar or music things and possibly free stuff coming in the future...

Bone & Horn Jazz 3s and Spearheads - Iron Age Guitar Accessories

In previous reviews I have really enjoyed playing with picks made from bone and horn materials, so when I saw two sets of these picks in my Iron Age pick selection I was really looking forward to trying them out. In both the jazz 3 and spearhead shapes, these offer a cool alternative to a standard pick as well as a more innovative, stylistic pick.

Tonally, there isn't much in it between the two materials. Both the bone and horn are full and rounded, far from thin sounding, and a great pick for someone who isn't in the market for a pick with a specialist tone. The jazz 3 shaped picks have a 2.5mm gauge which I find very comfortable, and have two holes in them which help with grip. These picks also come with small lanyard clips so you can attach them to your keys, a very cool little feature. They feel very reminiscent of the original jazz 3s but sound much fuller and louder, so if you're a regular j3 user, check these out!

The tonal difference between the difference is more obvious in the spearhead picks (check out my review of other spearhead picks from Iron Age guitar accessories here). Finished in a more matte feel than the jazz 3s, the bone pick has a more audible attack which I enjoy. The tapered point of the spearhead picks makes playing fast lead work very precise and the engraved designs both look very cool and unique and aid massively with grip.

There isn't much else to say about these picks - they play very well and sound great as I've come to expect from Iron Age guitar accessories. If you haven't yet, definitely check out their website, they have some very unique guitar picks which are all very musically voiced performance and composition tools, as well as some useful accessories and a very cool blog! Next week is the last of the Iron Age pick reviews, so be sure to come back next Wednesday and check it out.

As usual, remember to follow The Pick on social medias, links are down the side, and why not check out some other pick reviews! If you're a Jazz 3 style pick user, why not check out my reviews of these other Jazz 3 style picks: ToneFirst Customs, Winspear, Purus Handmade Picks, Awe-In-One, Gravity Picks and Chicken Picks.

Wedgie Picks Rubber Picks

In the last part of the spotlight on Wedgie picks I'm looking at some rubber plectrums. Available in two thicknesses: 5mm and 3.1mm, these come in as the thickest picks Wedgie offers. Each gauge of pick comes in three available feels, soft, medium and hard, and it's suggested that they are a pick which sounds like playing with your fingers but feels like a normal pick. I will be testing these out on my steel string acoustic guitar and bass guitar.

The concept of a pick which sounds like you are playing with your fingers is an interesting and unique one, and whilst testing them out I struggled to find a style of playing which suited the sound. Strumming the guitar has a very dull sound, almost as if a low pass filter had been used and slightly removed by using the slimmer gauge or the harder picks. Playing lead with these rubber picks is a challenge, the texture is too tacky and grips onto the string. Whilst it is a unique tone for a plectrum, I'm struggling to think of a use for these picks other than as a creative tool (which is no bad thing!).

Moving over to bass guitar, I can see more of a practical use for these plectrums - it definitely does sound like playing with fingers, and for a guitarist with (comparatively) soft fingertips. There isn't much noticeable difference between gauges on bass, tending not to play with enough dynamic variance to notice the tonal differences. These picks are definitely worth considering if you struggle with getting blisters on your fingers after playing bass but don't like the tone of a regular plectrum.

These rubber picks are a nice way of rounding off the spotlight review of Wedgie picks, with a more unique approach to pick design but retaining the Wedgie style with the thumb concave and modern looking logo.

As well as the picks, the folks at Wedgie picks also sent over a couple of cool accessories, including a drum key and some cymbal washers (which have yet to be used but are in the bag of stuff I take to gigs, just in case!), both a guitar and a bass pick holder, which clips onto the headstock of your guitar and can hold two thin plectrums, and a micstand pick holder.

Hopefully you've enjoyed this series of reviews taking a look at Wedgie picks, if you haven't read the others, I'll leave the links at the bottom. As usual remember to follow The Pick on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe so you get email updates when I write a new post - links are in the sidebar.

Wedgie Picks Part 1

Wedgie Picks Part 2

Wedgie Picks Website

Brass & Copper Picks! - Iron Age Guitar Accessories

Today on The Pick I'm checking out a couple of metal picks from Iron Age guitar accessories - one brass and one copper. These picks have a regular shape to them with a slightly widened top, and feature engravings which look like they could have been found on a dusty Roman road in the early AD's. Unfortunately these engravings have been coloured in with what looks like sharpie pens in a very rough fashion which slightly spoils the look for me.

The tone of both of the metal picks is unique but definitely usable. The brass pick is tonally very bright, but this can be tamed by changing your picking dynamics. Playing softer reveals a very sweet tone, retaining the clarity of the brightness but very well balanced.

The copper pick is audibly warmer than the brass but still has the same top end sheen. Again I much preferred the tone of the pick when playing delicately, something which took some conscious effort as the weight of these metal picks definitely seems to encourage heavier playing which can soon become scratchy.

As well as featuring engraving to aid with the grip of the plectrum, both picks are slightly concave, leaving a rounded dip for your thumb to rest. It also states on the Iron Age website that the copper pick has a natural benefit in it's oxidation, which increases it's grip. Oxidation is a process which effects metals which react to contact with oxygen, most notably iron which rusts, so there could be some discolouration of the pick with time. It seems Iron Age are stating this "natural benefit" to cover their tracks, but I quite like the discolouration on mine!

Iron Age also suggest on their website that these picks work well for bass guitar or mandolin. I found that on bass guitar both picks added a lot of top end to the sound, which in some cases is desirable, and also increased the overall volume of the bass. I wasn't so keen using these picks for mandolin, as I found that they were too scratchy - I much prefer softer picks for mandolin as it can become too harsh and brittle sounding.

Overall I have really enjoyed trying out these metal picks. Whilst they aren't the sort of plectrum to would reach for as I walk out the door to go and play a gig, they could come in useful in the studio where a variety of textures and tones are required. It is worth pointing out that some guitarists favour metal picks, such as Brian May who famously uses a sixpence.

Remember to follow The Pick on social media and subscribe to get notified when new posts are made - all the links are in the sidebar.

Also check out the other Iron Age pick reviews here:

Exotic Wood Picks

Coconut Shell & Macassar Ebony Spearheads

Carbon Fibre?!

Stone Picks!

Wedgie Picks Spotlight Part 2

This is part two of the spotlight review of Wedgie Picks. Today I will be checking out the Delrin EX and XT picks. These picks are made to be very durable - the Wedgie Picks website states these can withstand just about anything!

Starting with the Delrin EX picks, these come in a wide assortment of colours according to the gauge of the pick. Naturally I gravitated to the thickest of the bunch, a purple 1.14mm (sound familiar?!). This pick is very balanced tonally, providing an overall guitar sound which would fit nicely in a rock band set up, but which would compliment almost any style of guitar playing. I must say the material of this pick is my most preferred out of all the preceding Wedgie Picks I'd tried. It was less likely to rotate between my fingers as I played and had a much quieter string attack. As with the other Wedgie Picks, as I tried the thinner gauges of pick I lost warmth in the tone and gained pick attack noise. These picks are very reminiscent of the Dunlop Tortex picks (and not just because of the colour scheme!) - the matt finish and the balanced tone reminds me of the purple 1.14 tortex pick I used for a long time.

As with the Clear XLs and XTs, the Delrin XTs come in a smaller selection of gauges but do feature the later etched grip. With this material I'm not sure the extra grip is as necessary as it was on the Clear Wedgie picks, I would suggest trying out both to see which you feel more comfortable with.

I have enjoyed trying out these Delrin picks over the last week. These definitely feel a lot higher quality to me than the previous Wedgie Picks I tried out a couple of weeks ago (here) and I have been using the Delrin XTs regularly when playing acoustic - they feel to me like a higher quality version of the Dunlop Tortex picks, mainly due to the enhanced grip.

Check out the Wedgie Picks website for more information and to purchase some of these plectrums, check out the Wedgie Picks spotlight part 1 and follow The Pick on social media - links are down the side.