Find A Penny, Pick It Up - Coins as Picks

Playing guitar with a coin as a pick is either a decision based on tone and feel or a necessity after dropping your pick on a dark stage. A few guitarists choose to regularly use currency as plectrums, probably most notably Brian May who buys sixpences (which are no longer currency) to use. I thought today I'd try out a couple of coins I had in my wallet.

First up is a two pence piece. Made out of 1.85mm thick copper plated steel, this coin is totally round and has a smooth edge. Without bevels, this coin can be a bit scratchy, but the lack of edges mean that there is little friction between the pick and the string making your playing balanced and even. The tone of the 2p in almost mid scooped, with brightness and attack at the top end and warmth and support in the lows. The 2p would work well for a rhythm guitarist who didn't do too much intricate picking but rather spend most of the time strumming.

The 10p coin is slightly smaller than the 2p, made out of nickel plated steel, and has ridges on the circumference. The ridges add some texture to the pick sound which his recollective of the Queen guitar tone. The tone of this pick is thinner and I found it harder to play lead - using this coin would take some getting used to as I would have to relearn a picking technique which didn't produce scuffed notes.

The 50p coin is the largest of the four coins I'm trying today. It has seven corners and is made of cupro-nickel (an alloy of copper). The corners in this coin definitely make the playing experience easier and more similar to using a standard plectrum, and it does exhibit the same qualities as using a larger plectrum in the increased volume.

Finally I have a 20p coin, the smallest of this selection. Again this coin has seven corners - they are admittedly quite blunt but I still would rather have these than a rounded edge. As with the other picks, the sound is a bit scratchy but still has plenty of clarity and would work just fine in a band mix. the smaller footprint of this coin tempts you to play faster, but I kept tripping over myself using this pick for articulated lead playing, and I found myself wanting a more acute corner rather than the smooth corners of this small coin.

Overall I think using a coin as a plectrum is a choice you must make on feel and tone - they definitely do work as picks as plainly shown by Brian May, but I found the experience challenging and I did not enjoy the tone enough to want to change my playing habits and relearn picking muscle memory for it. Definitely experiment using a variety of coins though, find one which suits your playing style in feel and sound before settling, and remember many companies offer metal picks or round picks as alternatives which might suit you better.

Remember to follow The Pick on all the social medias, and come back next Wednesday at 11am BST for another post. Thanks for reading!

Howling Monkey Picks - Something To Howl About #GetNuts

This week I'm checking out some Howling Monkey picks. These picks are made from tagua, a nut which grows on palm trees in the rain forests of South America, and which makes a really interesting pick material. These plectrums are very environmentally friendly, unlike wooden picks which require tree harvesting, bone from animals or plastic which utilises environmentally harmful materials, tagua nuts are just picked from trees.

First up I have the Jazz III size pick with classic grip in an awesome turquoise/blue colour. The classic Howling Monkeys grip features the logo engraved on one side and two diagonal lines on the other. This pick isn't overly thick, coming in at around 1.8mm, so works great as a Jazz III upgrade. When compared side by side with the aforementioned Dunlop plectrum, the Howling Monkey pick is louder and brighter with less pick noise - why wouldn't you want those upgrades! I also have the Jazz III pick which has the 'pistol grip', a rounded diamond with a grid etched inside which genuinely really helps with grip (although the tagua material is naturally matte finished and has a nice feel without the pistol grip) and is finished in a nice rusty red colour. The third Jazz III mutation which is available is the Fat Jazz - a pick which features the pistol grip, and slightly wider shoulders than the other Jazz III models. The model I have is finished in a sickly green which I'm not as keen on as I am the others, but the extra size suits me a lot better than the smaller models, and I find this one easier to use when playing rhythm parts.

The standard size Howling Monkey pick exhibits the same tonal qualities as many larger picks which don't flex, being tonally quite balanced but with more attack noise than the smaller Jazz III. The pistol grip feels more necessary on the larger picks and works great to stop the pick slipping around, meaning your playing is a lot more consistent. Also available is the Fatty pick, which is a slightly larger standard, which is tonally similar to the standard.

The Primate Howling Monkey pick is the most basic tagua pick which Howling Monkey makes. With no fancy colouring and the only extra grip coming from the Howling Monkey logo engraving, it may seem a surprise that I really enjoyed using this plectrum, even compared to it's big brother the standard Howling Monkey pick. The bevels on this particular plectrum are great, and it has very little pick noise. The tone of this pick does that great thing where it changes based on your playing - digging in allows you to access just enough brightness and backing off a bit gives you warmth whilst retaining precision. The Primate is definitely one to try!

The Triforce pick is a three cornered plectrum, each corner being the same. It is the thickest of the selection I have - on the Howling Monkeys website it says the pick thickness varies between 1.8mm and 2mm and this particular pick is definitely at the thicker end. This pick has the same clarity and precision as the other Howling Monkey picks but is more warm, probably due to the extra thickness. Whilst this particular model isn't for me, I can see many players really loving this pick.

The Saucer pick is a pick with three very rounded edges, meaning there is very little friction or drag between the pick and the string. This pick is slightly quieter than the others, but works great for strumming open chords. Lead playing is a bit more scratchy but I don't think that's the kind of playing this pick was designed for. This pick also works great on acoustic guitar or mandolin, and has a very balanced, even sound across all the strings.

After trying out this selection, I would highly recommend the Jazz III models, particularly the Fat Jazz. I love the tone of these picks, generally well balanced with a lightly boosted brightness, the material feels great between your fingers as well as being environmentally sustainable, and the picks all look great. They also offer custom pick designs on their website, which I would love to try - you definitely need to check out Howling Monkey picks! #GetNuts

V-Picks Spotlight - Part 2

This week I am checking out some more V-Picks! Having been my pick of choice consistently for the last six months, I thought I'd share some more of my favourites from Vinni and the other folks at V-Picks. The five picks I've chosen to write about today are all of a similar shape and style but which all exhibit different tones and feels, appropriate for different styles and performances.

First is the Snake pick. This is a triangular plectrum with very sharp points on all three of the corners. This is a great example of the V-Picks bevel - this thing is as smooth as anything, coming to very even points which reduce friction with the string and provides a very even and clear attack. The gauge of this pick is 4.1mm and is very comfortable to use. Much like smaller picks, the snake works really well for clear pinch harmonics and fast articulated licks, but still feels comfortable to use for rhythm playing.

The Dimension pick is the same size and shape as the snake, however has curved edges on two of it's three playing tips. The ghost rim I have on my dimension pick gives a really unique timbre to the attack. When you play lightly there is an almost violin-like timbre, and when you play aggressively you get a bit more bark, recollective of playing with a coin. The choice of a more pointed side or a rounded side to pick with gives more versatility to the already very unique and versatile pick. The Dimension Jr is 2-3mm smaller than the regular on all sides, and mine has the usual V-Picks smooth bevel. If you prefer a smaller plectrum but want a more comfortable gauge, more grip and more tonal variety, why not check out the Dimension Jr.

Next is the Tradition pick. This pick has the smaller gauge of 2.75mm and a more regular plectrum shape, and exhibits a more balanced tonal quality. Whilst retaining the clarity in attack which is somewhat signature to V-Picks, there is a warmth which balances out the brightness which sounds great on acoustic guitar.

Finally for this weeks post is the Farley pick. This signature pick for jazz guitarist Dean Farley has rounded edges which allow for fast and even lead playing without much string attack noise. This pick has an interesting mid-hump in it's tonal quality which is really interesting and unique - I can certainly see why this kind of pick would work well for guitarists who play mostly clean, clear melodic phrases and complex chord sequences.

One aspect of the plectrums which I haven't mentioned in this spotlight on V-Picks is the grip, but that's because there isn't much to say in this area - they just grip really well. You might not think it due to the well polished, smooth finish but the material used to make the picks just make holding onto these things particularly easy no matter how dry or sweaty your fingers get when performing.

If you've not got yourself a V-Pick yet, definitely go and check them out - since I have been writing this blog I have tried out a lot of picks but I have used one pick through them all, my signature V-Pick. Go here to check out their website, and definitely read their awesome 'About Us' story.