V picks

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dannyahansen
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V picks

Post by dannyahansen »

Hey guys,

http://v-picks.com/picks.php


I recently revisited the V picks I bought back in 2009. I actually like them quite a bit and have been using the small pointed that the shredder. I checked out their website and they have added a ton of new models. I ordered several of the the "jazz III" type picks. The Venom, The Switch Blade, The Onyx (both the 1.5 and the 2.75), and The Stiletto. If the "ghost rim" option was available I ordered them with it. I am excited about all they have done. I really like the company back in 2009 and they are still top notice in the service department. Once I get my picks I will give a review. I thought they had a promising idea.

The picks are a bit of money but they last a long time (probably a life time if you don't lose them) and they have great tone. Now they have options that even I should like. I never liked the chirp you get with them and the ghost rim option is supposed to limit that chirp. We shall see.


I just found my old posts over at TK it looks like it was 2008. My how time flies.
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Nick Hughes
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Re: V picks

Post by Nick Hughes »

Aren't these the picks that are suppose to stick to you fingers due to body heat/friction?
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dannyahansen
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Re: V picks

Post by dannyahansen »

Nick Hughes wrote:Aren't these the picks that are suppose to stick to you fingers due to body heat/friction?
I am not sure of the exact reason. But they do have a natural grip to them. They are unlike and other material I have used. In fact that is one reason that I don't like the jazz III's is that those tend to slip a bit in my hand. I mean almost every pick does slip. So if any of these models check out I probably will be switching.
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dannyahansen
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Re: V picks

Post by dannyahansen »

Ok so I got my picks yesterday.
The first thing I noticed right away was the bevel on the picks have changed. I ordered a Screamer for my Dad as he likes these picks. The bevel on that pick is way more pronounced than they used to be.

Over all, I found that all of the V picks I have owned (which are several models from the small pointed to the shredder) they do effect the tone of an acoustic quite a bit more than an electric. I will note that when I say electric I mean a heavy over driven amp, not a clean amp.
I did hear a bit more difference once I switched to clean but it was not as much as the acoustic guitar. My wife and I spent an hour playing one acoustic and 2 Jackson electric guitars with all of the picks.

So lets start with the Screamer. They have added a much more pronounced bevel and the pick is pointier because of it. I actually found this pick to be the warmest of them all. It also chirped the most. But, I still like this pick. It is very very easy to hold.

Next is the Onyx. This pick is a nice upgrade over the Shredder. I was finding that 3 pointed ends, I was getting cut on my index finger. I liked the attack of this pick. One thing about these picks is that I find doing pinch harmonics it is a little bit harder for me to hit them. And it has to do with the pronouncement of the point relative to the fleshy part of my thumb. There is just more space. Also, the rounded edges I find I use those more. They just role off the string. I did 2 sizes on this pick. I like the thicker pick more.

Next is the Venom. This is probably my favorite of the picks. IT is a little bit bigger than the Jazz III but it has a really nice bevel to it that you really cannot see in the pictures. This pick has a much more accurate pick attack. I also found it to have a much more pronounced attack and it seemed to have more presence across all guitars. My wife and I also did a test on the grippage between the Jazz III and this pick. I was gripping both picks as hard as I could and the V pick was much harder to pull out of my hand. I think this is my new fav.
I would like to see this in a thicker 2.75 MM size.

Next up is the Switchblade.
This pick was bigger than I thought it was going to be. It is almost the same size as a regular Dunlop pick just more pointy. This is probably my next fav. I ordered the Ghostrim. What the Ghost Rim is a were the edge of the pick is ground and then unbuffed. There was also no bevel. I am guessing that non ghost rim option has bevels. I really like the bevels. How ever trying to play loud or having a pronounced pick attack, This pick was the easiest of all to have a strong pick attack. Not much effort here to get that attack. It also sounded very similar to the Venom. More presence, but it did not glide as easily as the Venom. I think due to the Ghost Rim. Would like to see this in the thicker 2.75 MM size.

Next is the Stiletto. This is almost the same as the switch blade the only difference it the size. It is smaller than a Jazz III. The funny thing was about this pick is that I really didn't find my self gravitating towards it all that much. I think I like the feel of the bigger picks. I also found it was bit warmer than the bigger switch blade and the attack was not as pronounced. I did get the ghost rim option on this. I would like to try a regular version of this pick.

Last is the ultralite Small pointed. They sent this one to me free. For me this pick did very little for me as I am so used to a stiffer pick. This pick did feel a lot more traditional in terms of its flex. So if you like a .73 or 88. tortex you will like this pick a lot.

Conclusion.
For me the biggest thing I notice across the board is the feel of the pick. I think they are superior in accuracy and playability. I think there is a small degree of tone. I know a lot of guys hype up that "The tone is so amazing and when I used regular picks it just sounded dead". What I am trying to do with this review is keep it real. I think that the biggest difference you are going to see is on acoustic guitars in terms of tone. Then electric guitars with a clean channel on them. Then the dirty channels. In fact most of the picks sounded very very similar to both my Wife and I when I was just playing. I did 3 exercises with the picks on the dirty channel with 2 different Jacksons. One with a floyd tuned down 1/2 step. And one tuned standard with a tune-o-matic. The first was just 16th notes on the A string. I notice a difference in tone from the Jazz III's to the V picks. The most pronounced for me was the Venom and the Switchblade. Even my wife said there was a difference. Next was a 16th note pattern that just alternated between the G and the B string with the 2nd frets fretted. The experience was similar to the previous exerciser. Then I did some lead work. Now, when I did the lead work the tone did not seem to be all that different across the picks. What was different was the accuracy and feel. Across the board I thought the V picks played better.

So even if my ears might not be able to tell the difference in all situations what was consistent was the feel and playability. That is typically the number one thing I look for in a guitar is the feel of it. Next is the tone, and last is the looks. The reason why tone is number 2 on the list is there are many things you can do to change tone on an electric guitar from string type to pickup type to the amp you are using. But if a guitar plays like crap (Neck profile) most of the time there is very little you can do to change it.
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Nick Hughes
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Re: V picks

Post by Nick Hughes »

dannyahansen wrote:Ok so I got my picks yesterday.
The first thing I noticed right away was the bevel on the picks have changed. I ordered a Screamer for my Dad as he likes these picks. The bevel on that pick is way more pronounced than they used to be.

Over all, I found that all of the V picks I have owned (which are several models from the small pointed to the shredder) they do effect the tone of an acoustic quite a bit more than an electric. I will note that when I say electric I mean a heavy over driven amp, not a clean amp.
I did hear a bit more difference once I switched to clean but it was not as much as the acoustic guitar. My wife and I spent an hour playing one acoustic and 2 Jackson electric guitars with all of the picks.

So lets start with the Screamer. They have added a much more pronounced bevel and the pick is pointier because of it. I actually found this pick to be the warmest of them all. It also chirped the most. But, I still like this pick. It is very very easy to hold.

Next is the Onyx. This pick is a nice upgrade over the Shredder. I was finding that 3 pointed ends, I was getting cut on my index finger. I liked the attack of this pick. One thing about these picks is that I find doing pinch harmonics it is a little bit harder for me to hit them. And it has to do with the pronouncement of the point relative to the fleshy part of my thumb. There is just more space. Also, the rounded edges I find I use those more. They just role off the string. I did 2 sizes on this pick. I like the thicker pick more.

Next is the Venom. This is probably my favorite of the picks. IT is a little bit bigger than the Jazz III but it has a really nice bevel to it that you really cannot see in the pictures. This pick has a much more accurate pick attack. I also found it to have a much more pronounced attack and it seemed to have more presence across all guitars. My wife and I also did a test on the grippage between the Jazz III and this pick. I was gripping both picks as hard as I could and the V pick was much harder to pull out of my hand. I think this is my new fav.
I would like to see this in a thicker 2.75 MM size.

Next up is the Switchblade.
This pick was bigger than I thought it was going to be. It is almost the same size as a regular Dunlop pick just more pointy. This is probably my next fav. I ordered the Ghostrim. What the Ghost Rim is a were the edge of the pick is ground and then unbuffed. There was also no bevel. I am guessing that non ghost rim option has bevels. I really like the bevels. How ever trying to play loud or having a pronounced pick attack, This pick was the easiest of all to have a strong pick attack. Not much effort here to get that attack. It also sounded very similar to the Venom. More presence, but it did not glide as easily as the Venom. I think due to the Ghost Rim. Would like to see this in the thicker 2.75 MM size.

Next is the Stiletto. This is almost the same as the switch blade the only difference it the size. It is smaller than a Jazz III. The funny thing was about this pick is that I really didn't find my self gravitating towards it all that much. I think I like the feel of the bigger picks. I also found it was bit warmer than the bigger switch blade and the attack was not as pronounced. I did get the ghost rim option on this. I would like to try a regular version of this pick.

Last is the ultralite Small pointed. They sent this one to me free. For me this pick did very little for me as I am so used to a stiffer pick. This pick did feel a lot more traditional in terms of its flex. So if you like a .73 or 88. tortex you will like this pick a lot.

Conclusion.
For me the biggest thing I notice across the board is the feel of the pick. I think they are superior in accuracy and playability. I think there is a small degree of tone. I know a lot of guys hype up that "The tone is so amazing and when I used regular picks it just sounded dead". What I am trying to do with this review is keep it real. I think that the biggest difference you are going to see is on acoustic guitars in terms of tone. Then electric guitars with a clean channel on them. Then the dirty channels. In fact most of the picks sounded very very similar to both my Wife and I when I was just playing. I did 3 exercises with the picks on the dirty channel with 2 different Jacksons. One with a floyd tuned down 1/2 step. And one tuned standard with a tune-o-matic. The first was just 16th notes on the A string. I notice a difference in tone from the Jazz III's to the V picks. The most pronounced for me was the Venom and the Switchblade. Even my wife said there was a difference. Next was a 16th note pattern that just alternated between the G and the B string with the 2nd frets fretted. The experience was similar to the previous exerciser. Then I did some lead work. Now, when I did the lead work the tone did not seem to be all that different across the picks. What was different was the accuracy and feel. Across the board I thought the V picks played better.

So even if my ears might not be able to tell the difference in all situations what was consistent was the feel and playability. That is typically the number one thing I look for in a guitar is the feel of it. Next is the tone, and last is the looks. The reason why tone is number 2 on the list is there are many things you can do to change tone on an electric guitar from string type to pickup type to the amp you are using. But if a guitar plays like crap (Neck profile) most of the time there is very little you can do to change it.
Nice review

What do you think about stone and wooden guitar picks ?
I haven been looking at a few wooden and gemstone picks and seeing that you have good experience with all types of guitar picks It would be best to seek your wisdom.

I don't want to buy 15 20$ worth of picks and find I font like them
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dannyahansen
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Re: V picks

Post by dannyahansen »

Nick Hughes wrote:
Nice review

What do you think about stone and wooden guitar picks ?
I haven been looking at a few wooden and gemstone picks and seeing that you have good experience with all types of guitar picks It would be best to seek your wisdom.

I don't want to buy 15 20$ worth of picks and find I font like them
Wooden picks? I can't imagine that they would have much attack. Maybe if you had the hardest of the hard woods. So maybe I could see a maple pick. Stone, I think could work, it would be really bright. It would need to be polished like granite. I can't imagine that would be cheap either.

I have not had any experience with either as I have never seen either product. One thing I do know is that metal picks are terrible. Just throwing that one out there.

As far as this (V Pick) material I highly doubt that you will find a better guitar pick out there. If I were to buy just one pick it would either be the screamer (I think that is the safest pick they make that covers the broadest spectrum) or I would do the switchblade. I would only do one or two picks and invest the 7-11 dollars (3 bucks for shipping and 4 dollars if you ordered another pick) And try those 2 and see what you think.

If you have been using traditional pick material like tortex or Fender mediums I think you will be shocked, seriously. If you have been using the Jazz III's I think that you will like these picks, it is that the jump won't be quite the same. The reason why I say shocked for the traditional material is that the speed and accuracy (as well as tone) is a much bigger difference from the traditional picks to the V pick. There is a difference in speed and accuracy from a traditional pick to a Jazz III. But there is even more speed and accuracy to the V picks from traditional.

If I had switched to a V pick from a tortex pick I probably would have been blown away. I remember when I made the switched to Jazz III's. I remember that it took a bit to get used to the size but I notice an increase in accuracy and speed. Not right off the bat but it did come, in terms of speed. I can hardly stand normal picks now. They feel so clunky. The same thing happened when I ordered these latest picks. There seemed to be at the very least an increase in accuracy which leads to a cleaner, clearer, sound.

Now as far as tone, my wife and I spent another hour with the picks last night. I had her close her eyes and listen to me play for an unbiased ear. I did not want her perception of sight to color what she thought she was hearing. She could tell when I was playing with the Jazz III's and when I had the V picks. The only time should could not tell is when I was doing speedy licks on the higher register of the guitar. But slow licks higher up she could tell. Chunky rhythms she could really tell. Things in the mid range were about the same as the chunky rhythms. I ended up gravitating to the Switchblade time after time. I thought it was the Venom. But the Switchblade is bigger and easier to control. It also had noticeably more tone, attack, and presence. And I am not one to throw that out there lightly. It really did, by objective standards, have more tone.

I will be ordering the buffed, beveled switchblade today. I probably will order a screamer too. I gave the one I ordered to my dad so I didn't get much time with it.

I really hope that you are not scared off by the higher price tag of the V picks. I mean 4 bucks is what a whole bag of picks cost. So it is a bit of money for one in comparison but I think any one that gives them a shot will like them. And 4 bucks in not a huge amount of money unless you are broke. Then anything seems like too much money then.
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Re: V picks

Post by sytharnia »

dannyahansen wrote: One thing I do know is that metal picks are terrible. Just throwing that one out there.
i'll have to disagree there .... I only use metal picks and they are fanatastic :D
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Re: V picks

Post by dannyahansen »

sytharnia wrote:
dannyahansen wrote: One thing I do know is that metal picks are terrible. Just throwing that one out there.
i'll have to disagree there .... I only use metal picks and they are fanatastic :D
Rofl. That is cool I don't mind a disagreement. I am genuinely glad you found something that works for you. For some reason it was the sound that drove me away. Maybe it was because they were too bright. Is there such a thing?
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Re: V picks

Post by sytharnia »

dannyahansen wrote: Rofl. That is cool I don't mind a disagreement. I am genuinely glad you found something that works for you. For some reason it was the sound that drove me away. Maybe it was because they were too bright. Is there such a thing?
I know a lot of people who say they are to bright but thats one of the things I love about them, that snap you get...I also love how they really make you focus on your right hand technique, and I love how thin they are. I have tried going back to other types of picks (because string wear is a bit of a bitch with the metal) but they are all to fat
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Re: V picks

Post by devorerd »

I personally use the EVH picks, easy to grip, good action..only complaint is after about 20 minutes..they loose some of their tension (i.e. become too flexible)..but put it down for an hour and it's back in action!
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Re: V picks

Post by Paul Wolfe »

I bought a Dunlop standard Tortex pick (Blue 1 mm) way back when and have never wanted anything else... then I got a Pick Punch and I punched a bunch of picks out of old credit cards and LPs, so that's what I use now, 'cause they feel good, sound good, and I can get about 80 picks out of a $1 LP from the Goodwill.
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BowTie29
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Re: V picks

Post by BowTie29 »

devorerd wrote:I personally use the EVH picks, easy to grip, good action..only complaint is after about 20 minutes..they loose some of their tension (i.e. become too flexible)..but put it down for an hour and it's back in action!
I find that too, they get really soft, I really dont like them and wouldn't recommend them personally. I find that they have terrible tone too.
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Re: V picks

Post by dannyahansen »

Paul Wolfe wrote:I bought a Dunlop standard Tortex pick (Blue 1 mm) way back when and have never wanted anything else... then I got a Pick Punch and I punched a bunch of picks out of old credit cards and LPs, so that's what I use now, 'cause they feel good, sound good, and I can get about 80 picks out of a $1 LP from the Goodwill.
Ha, that is great. That is one way to get really inexpensive picks that probably work fairly well.
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Re: V picks

Post by Paul Wolfe »

Danny, the records have a similar thickness to the Dunlops, and , yeah, they work great!
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dannyahansen
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Re: V picks

Post by dannyahansen »

OK so I ordered a Switch Blade with the buffed edges. I thought that this pick would have a bevel to it like the Screamer and the Venom. But it doesn't. In fact I really cannot tell much of a difference in the Ghost Rim option and the standard buffed option. So far I think the Venom is the pick of choice for me. I just like that beveled edge. I really think a thicker 2.75 mm Switch blade with a bevel like the Screamer would be the best pick for me.
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