Of Guitar Picks and Men - Part II
Here's my update on the picks I purchased.
First up is the Ice Pix stainless steel pick. I like this sucker. It's completely inflexible and the same size as my sterling silver pick, but a bit lighter. It has small ridges cut out of it so that grips nicely in the hand. The sound while playing is similar to my #1: bell-like, and a bit dark (but not as much). It's a good choice for those who are interested in getting the benefits of a metal pick without the price of something very fancy.
Next, the Dava Control Master Control with nickel silver tip. What these guys attempted to do was to create a metal pick that has various degrees of thickness. The tip is nickel silver, but the part that you grip with your fingers is made of plastic. If you choke up on the pick, you get a feel that's similar to a heavy pick. If you hold it near the far end, it simulates a thin pick. I've found that this little guy's weight is closer towards that of a non-metal pick and it's easier to manipulate, especially when playing galloping Iron Maiden/Diamond Head style riffs. There is some chunkiness that is lost, however, when playing said riffs muted.
Wirething's steel wire pick is truly a unique item. Like the Dava sucker, it has a plastic grip so that its weight is similar to a traditional pick. The grip is textured differently on each side so that it's obvious which side is meant for your thumb (a unique trait I've not encountered before). For me this pick behaves the closest to a regular one (straight down to it being more "clicky" as it hits the guitar strings), but with some of the tone elements one gets with a metal pick.
(Note: a nod goes out to Musician's Friend for providing those three picks to me rapidly and at a fair price)
Finally, we come to the Big West titanium number from Guitar Pick Central. It's my favorite of the new batch because it's so damned unique. Its small size makes it hard to use at first, especially for those of us who are used to the 351 shape. Once one uses it enough, however, it becomes obvious that its small size is a plus when it comes to preciseness. It's as hard as a rock and gives excellent tone, but it's surprisingly light. I love it.
The only negative I've experienced with all metal picks is a squeak noise one can get from the guitar strings as metal rubs against metal. It's especially noticible when doing fast runs on the high strings. But don't let that small feature dissuade you from trying one of these babies - metal rules!
First up is the Ice Pix stainless steel pick. I like this sucker. It's completely inflexible and the same size as my sterling silver pick, but a bit lighter. It has small ridges cut out of it so that grips nicely in the hand. The sound while playing is similar to my #1: bell-like, and a bit dark (but not as much). It's a good choice for those who are interested in getting the benefits of a metal pick without the price of something very fancy.Next, the Dava Control Master Control with nickel silver tip. What these guys attempted to do was to create a metal pick that has various degrees of thickness. The tip is nickel silver, but the part that you grip with your fingers is made of plastic. If you choke up on the pick, you get a feel that's similar to a heavy pick. If you hold it near the far end, it simulates a thin pick. I've found that this little guy's weight is closer towards that of a non-metal pick and it's easier to manipulate, especially when playing galloping Iron Maiden/Diamond Head style riffs. There is some chunkiness that is lost, however, when playing said riffs muted.Wirething's steel wire pick is truly a unique item. Like the Dava sucker, it has a plastic grip so that its weight is similar to a traditional pick. The grip is textured differently on each side so that it's obvious which side is meant for your thumb (a unique trait I've not encountered before). For me this pick behaves the closest to a regular one (straight down to it being more "clicky" as it hits the guitar strings), but with some of the tone elements one gets with a metal pick.(Note: a nod goes out to Musician's Friend for providing those three picks to me rapidly and at a fair price)
Finally, we come to the Big West titanium number from Guitar Pick Central. It's my favorite of the new batch because it's so damned unique. Its small size makes it hard to use at first, especially for those of us who are used to the 351 shape. Once one uses it enough, however, it becomes obvious that its small size is a plus when it comes to preciseness. It's as hard as a rock and gives excellent tone, but it's surprisingly light. I love it.
The only negative I've experienced with all metal picks is a squeak noise one can get from the guitar strings as metal rubs against metal. It's especially noticible when doing fast runs on the high strings. But don't let that small feature dissuade you from trying one of these babies - metal rules!
posted by Hollow Man at 12:53 PM
3 Comments:
Well - it's hardly surprising that the Titanium pick is as hard as you claim it is; that stuff is unbelievably strong and light. There's a reason the Soviets kept building submarine hulls out of that metal.
So the Dava and Wirething are both useless to those of us that hold the pick, um, sideways. Damn them!
Yes, those two are 100% useless to those who like to use one of the two more rounded ends of a pick. Try the Ice Pix line - they come 3 to an order from Musician's Friend, and in brass and copper flavors to boot.
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