The Red Triangular Pick from Herdim is three picks in one. You can use all three tips from it and they have different gauges. I used it a lot when playing acoustics.
Ultex is fun. I've always said it feels like the string bounces back, which his great for bouncy "core" riffs, but that "bounce" also feels like it goes back into your hand, causing extra fatigue.
Great idea for a video!!! I don’t see enough pick videos out here. Personally I started using the DAVA delrin control pick about 20 years ago when my wife gave them to me as a Christmas gift and that’s my go to / all time favorite pick! They have a bunch of different types also.
The problem I have with most picks is that they always, and I mean ALWAYS twist when I play. The only exception are some that a friend makes. He scours the hills of north California for jade. For reasons unknow, they do not twist when I use them. I have tried all sorts of surface enhancements for more texture to see if that will improve my grip without needing a death grip to get them to stay in place. None worked. I have found that more square edges, compared to round edges makes for brighter sounds, and more rounded edges make for softer sounds. Also, harder materials some times make for brighter sounds. The jade picks are rather bright, but I need to modify the point a bit. I was wondering if that shark fin pick was supposed to offer 3 different points for picking.
The Dava is very versatile, I love the yellow ones for Western guitar and Rock on electric, but the plastic and rubber can detach slightly and this is a recipe for upstroke string breaking. The Kirk Jazz is one my daughter (11yrs) loves and the dent actually helps that it sticks a bit better to her small index finger.
My go-to picks are the 2mm Ultex Jazz III's, they're the transparent yellowish ones. I've tried many but nothing has topped these for me. That said, I never really considered how much effect the pick has on the sound, so I may look into finding something thinner and/or bigger when I'm doing chord or softer/smoother parts in recording.
I've tried dozens of different pick shapes and materials. They each sound and feel different. The standard Fender Cellulose Nitrate Picks have a excellent combination of nice tone, chirp, and feel. But, they don't wear well and are prone to getting annoying nicks in the edges. Still my favorite picks, and the nicks can be sanded out pretty easily.
I bought some of those fender tear drop picks around 2007 because i heard michael angelo batio say he used tear drop shaped picks and i didnt know he was talking about the dunlop jazz iii XD
Was surprised to see Dava Control picks on here. I'm a Jazz III player, and Dava picks are pretty much the only other thing I like to use outside of a Jazz III. They also make a Jazz III size version of the Dava Control picks, and they're great too. I like that they have flex in them so you can strum with them if you want, but they have the super rigid tip that allows you to choke up on it and get more of a Jazz III-like experience.
Dunlop Ultex Sharp 1.0 is my all-time favorite. Never feels slippery and has great edge retention. Great for all styles, acoustic and electric. Been playing 23 years and I've tried every pick up and down the Jim Dunlop line, in different pick sizes. Tried the picks that Tim Henson, Kirk Hammett, John Petrucci, Rusty Cooley, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Paul Gilbert (Ibanez pick) use, but I always go back to the Ultex Sharp 1.0 Another pick that is oddly satisfying and fast is the Dunlop Flow Jumbo 4.0.. but only for electric guitar
i've been using dava picks for years and years. i use the ones you show for acoustic stuff, and the regular red ones for most electric stuff. i use a jazz 3 alot too, but i really think they should come with a warning. i started out using the regular fender picks. i tried the jazz3 because everyone said how great they are. after about 3 hours of playing one, i discovered that most other picks feel like i'm picking with a dinner plate now, and i hate using them. for me, the jazz picks work best after i wear the point off of them
I tried the Jazz III years back after Matt Heafy mentioned using them and now I'm stuck with them apparently. My preferred material is Tortex although I really love Ultex overall (little thick for me). Been looking at the Dava picks recently as well.
I didn't know Dava picks existed until I saw Thy Art is Murder live. One of the guitar players uses them and I caught it at the end of their set. Not for me but I get the appeal.
I've used a lot of different picks over the years but I keep coming back to the dava ones. They were really useful after I injured my thumb and had a hard time keeping a steady grip on smoother picks for a while.
Years ago when I first played with dunlop jazz 3 I've never gone back to some random picks. Never thought that a pick could hold me back until I got a taste of jazz 3. :D For metal bass I prefer bigger and thinner pick as it gives more definition to the attack. Another great discovery was Elixir strings, they might cost a double of some basic strings but they hold the clarity about three times longer and they feel so smooth to play.
I swore by the jazz IIs for forever but then I guess I just got over them. They certainly helped me improve my picking skills and capabilities and helped me get to the next level, and made me think about why that was and change my ergos with regular picks
Elixirs are well worth the money. They cost twice as much as most other strings, but they last 2-3 x longer, wether you are an occasional hobbyist or a gigging musician. They just sound great in general too and stay nice and keep their brightness and sustain longer. I just strung up my brothers Donner with them, and it sounds like a $400-$500 guitar now lol
Where I'm from the local music stores don't seem to stock cheap strings, Elixir strings were only a bit more expensive than the cheapest sets (can't remember the brand but they were still good), so i always go for them and love them.
I swear by the Black Mountain thumbpick because it addresses a problem with the way my hands are proportioned and allows me to get the pick in the most optimal position without needing to actively grip it. To try and explain: I have a fairly long thumb and the most comfortable way for me to hold the pick places the entire digit beyond where the knuckle of my index finger is when I form a fist. That used to require me to use both my index and middle finger in a kind of pinching motion in order to get a decent pick position. This would end up creating tension in my hand and would also mean that one of my fingernails was fouling up against the strings sometimes. For people with shorter thumbs/a longer index finger, it's possible to set the hand in a kind of fist that creates a very secure grip on the pick without actively holding onto it, but that level of contact between my thumb and index finger really doesn't happen for me until I have more than half of my thumb sticking beyond the knuckles. With the Black Mountain I can be in that more extended thumb position and only need to apply very light amounts of pressure from the side of the index finger. I now have a much better picking position from an ergonomics standpoint and I can much more intuitively adjust the angle of the pick by subtly flexing my thumb joint. The ability to easily do fingerpicking and even adjust the controls without needing to consider how to do it without dropping the pick is also really good. I prefer the jazz tipped ones, so it's not great to have such an expensive pick when the edge wears down and it needs replacing but I feel like the improvement in terms of how easy it is to play with them as compared to a regular pick makes up for it. If they started doing them with a material that kept a sharp tip for longer and/or could be sharpened easily without wearing it down too much they'd be perfect
That's awesome that PickBoy picks are still around. I used to like them back in the day. There were two variations, a nylon one and some kind of ceramic one, which probably wasn't too far off that bone pick sound. Then they became unavailable in NZ. Most of the time though I used the medium D'Addario delrins or the Jim Dunlop 1.0mm nylon. The problem with the delrin pics was they tended to get a bit slippery. This could be sorted by scratching the surface up with a box cutter etc. A couple of years ago there was a variant called the "Star Pick". Essentially a clone of D'Addario delrin, but had a star shaped hole punched through the centre. That worked extremely well for grip improvement. Then they became unavailable locally. These days I literally use whatever is on hand. Have made my own before too using polycarbonate from broken CDs and on occasion from old swipe card material.
I use the Pickboy Edge (looks exactly the same but has raised dots instead of the “speed holes”) and I love it. I like how stiff it is and it is a nice size, between a standard pick and a jazz III.
Kirk hammets picks aren’t smaller. It definitely feels like it though but that’s just because of the little notch that was taken out of the top. They’re the same size as a regular jazz 3 though.
The sharkfin is 3 picks in one... the ridges give a fuller sound to strummed chords. the rounded and sharp parts of the pics are for different types of soloing... I have them in 1.5MM and use them exclusively with my acoustic guitars.
I can’t use em all the time but I LOVE my Dunlop Fins .50! I play them like a regular pick though and a little bit of the fin still hits the strings most of the time.
The whole point of the Dava picks is that they are soft when you hit the strings parallel and hard when you pick in an angle. How close you hold the pick to the tip doesn't influence the flexibility all that much. Because it's flexible when picking parallel, it gives you that nice thin pick slap and control when playing chords, and because it's hard when you hit the string in an angle, it's also great for shredding.
I’ve been using the “old” carbon nylon from pick boy (the ones with the marijuana leaf on) since I found them like 20 years ago, always found them fantastic for feel and playability, too bad they wear out like butter and they’re quite hard to find now
The first pick I remember having was the Sharkfin. They are great for acoustic strumming where the individual notes aren’t important. There is a video here on the wonderful YT where Patrik Tanner shows three ways of using them. I’d actually forgotten about them, so might check them out again. Thanks!
So am I! Love these red Sharks specially for strumming with acoustic Guitars since over 40, or 45 years, i think. But okay ... I 've never been a Pro!🤷♂️ ...and - Sorry for my bad, old School-English 🙈 Greetings from Germany.👴🏻🤘
I've been swearing by Dava control picks for over a decade. I still have one from around 2013 when the dimples had indents (and they were ever so slightly smaller), but I'm grateful they grew a little more past 'jazz size'
I really like the Dava’s I use them a lot. But my all time favorite one I have to say is Dunlop 1mm nylon. That was my pick for over 10 years. Also Andy James’s signature picks are badass. Iron Age guitars has amazing picks as well. Expensive but the quality is truly there.
If you like the 2mm ultex, then definitely try the flow 4.2mm. Same material but the extra thickness means it has even more attach and tons of high end, and really comfortable in the hand.
The Sharkfin pick was the de facto pick for acoustic guitars when I started learning in the 90’s. The red one was the thinnest and they made a purple one which was pretty chunky. I had forgotten about them.
I've used it for 40 years. I use the pointy part. I use it for both electric and acoustic guitars. I mostly play finger style on acoustic and mostly with pick on electric.
I do own a Sharkfin guitar pick and it honestly doesn't play that bad, the whole form of the pick is quite weird but you get used to it after a while and the softness of the pick is quite satisfying to me.
you can also lace the picks that have holes to add more grip into them, most picks if you drill them to put a couple loops of heavy thread in they just break at the holes
They've been my pick of choice for YEARS now...I like the versatility. Hold it normal and it's a bit flexible for strumming, then choke up on it and it's stiffer for lead stuff. I love them!
never had the Dava control grip tip pick, but the concept of it being more flexible when you hold it by the tail and more rigid when you hold it closer to the tip should be applicable to any pick below 0.80 thickness. Not exactly a technological marvel
Apart from stellar playing, that was the most useful guide to how picks make a difference to tone. I am going to make sure that all my player friends watch it and agree on the fact that picks do make a difference!
Love the Dava picks. They have a TON of different colors that have different pitches, curves, and angles for the plastic ends. Great picks if you're into pick technicalities.
Same. I struggle with shaky hands and simultaneously gripping everything in life too hard. The rubber really lets me relax and not drop it every few minutes. Was so nice.
My very first pick I used ( 40 years ago ) was that triangle shaped pick. Trying to play some Judas Priest as a teen. It wasn't too bad, but eventually moved on the the standard shaped pick.
The Pro Plek shape was used by Ritchie Blackmore and Les Paul. Also Chris Broderick from Megadeth sells the Pick Clip which also attaches to your thumb but you can use whatever pick you like in it. The fact that Eddie used thin/medium picks always blows my mind.
Dava Control picks are a regular of mine. They were given to me years ago and they're really nice picks. I never noticed much of a difference with where I held them, but they were good for clean strumming.
I strictly use Hetfield Black Fangs (which I think are discontinued) so I use the White Fangs now and I LOVE them. I’ll never use a different pick. But that’s just me. Crazy how many different picks there are.
the ridged side of the sharkfin pick is supposed to simulate the attack sound of a 12 string which kinda works on steel string acoustic guitar. but only for chord strumming.
The coil pick is used in brazilian music to the 7 strings acoustic guitar, cause it is the guitar to the bass line . The pick is used to the bass line and the fingers to chords. But there is another regular guitar to the chords. The 7th strimg is a C .the best was Dino Sete Cordas
Dunlop tortex used to make a shark fin pick with the exact same shape as those I used to get them back in the day. I now use dunlop 3 mm big stubby, but use the blunt corner with an almost parallel attack
My favorite picks are some that my wife (though we weren't married at the time) brought back for me when she went on a trip to Peru. They're made of horn, and feel and sound incredible. It's almost like a thick fingernail, since horn and fingernails are both made of keratin. You know those tortoise shell picks that are illegal now? Also made of keratin, so a pick made of horn is basically the same thing (I assume, as I've never used a tortoise pick). My favorite easy-to-get picks are Snark Teddy's neo-Tortoise. They're supposed to feel like tortoise she'll but made out of plastic. They don't really feel like the horn picks to me, but for a plastic pick they're super nice. A little bit of texture on one side to make it a little more grippy, but the tip and the bottom side are slick so it slides over the string nicely.
I have a steel, aluminum and a copper pick and they each have some crazy percussive elements to them. The copper and the aluminum are pretty cool for soloing, you get these high attacks that help emphasize some sections. The steel is good for chugging I've found . Has a djent element already. I also have some wooden picks made from different woods. They each have good applications
my current favourite pick is a tortek flow. I have the white one (I think 1mm thick) and my music teacher introduced me to them. I've been playing for almost a year now
Try Purple Plectrums at some point. They've got some of the most massive picks I've ever seen. They've got some single picks that are so large that they're like $50 a pop.😂 I got one of their variety packs a long time ago, and I will say, there's a couple of the smaller ones that I've completely fallen in love with. Surprisingly really solid picks. I think you'd get a nice chuckle out of the larger ones though.
I've been using Fender extra heavy 347s for decades. I've compared them to a lot of other shapes and materials, but I keep coming back. They just have the perfect sound and feel for me. They're the same material as the 354 and have the same edge, so they sound very similar. But the back end is a bit wider, so they stay in place a lot better.
@@selkie6341 I just checked and it looks like they stopped making them in extra heavy. I bought a pack of 100 some years ago and haven't looked since. There's not a huge difference between heavy and extra heavy with Fender picks.
I started with dunop nylons 0.60 or 0.73mm. Got into jazz3s and stubbys Dava controls are my goto pick now. They're like having a stiff jazz and flexible nylon pick in one. Adjusting your grip and the stiffness is second nature coming from nylons. I used to make ivory picks from old piano keys.. just like the bone one.
My go to pick is the Dunlop Big Stubby 3mm. It's very thick and hard, has a very agressive attack but it makes it easy to play very fast and have a lot of control. Looks good too, transparent purpley goodness.
I think anyone who has ever played around with their box of picks at home knows very well that thickness and sharpness of the tip affect the tone. The thinner and sharper the pick - the more treble heavy the sound will be, the softer the edge and thicker it is the sound will end up smooth and heavy. There's one you didn't try though and it's one of my favorites : the ultra-thin solid stainless steel pick. The attack and sound on those bad boys is mean and lean. They also strip any coating your strings might have but hey, chances are you're slacking on changing your strings regularly anyway.
I swear by them. Takes away the issue of the pick slipping and the fact that you can relax your hand a bit without worrying about dropping it allows you to play with less tension, in turn allowing you to play alternate picking lines more easily.
ohh shark fins with the rugged side against the strings is insane for palm muted extreme metal riffs, always was one of my favourites but a bit strange to play with for other than the full palm muting as you need to switch grip on the pick depending on what your playing :)
I always liked small teardrop-shaped picks (Tortex Dunlops, I believe), 0.88 mm thickness. They're big enough to get a good grip on, but small enough to allow for fast and nimble motion, and without the bulk of a standard Dunlop pick (so you don't need to choke up to get more precision). 1 mm was always too rigid for me - 0.88 mm gives chugs that are nearly as weighty, but also allows for a slightly softer touch playing leads, and I even use 0.73 mm on occasion, for lighter music.
Call me crazy but I've had the best results using the 1.0mm Dunlop flow series picks, but I use one of the top corners and hold it sideways gripping over the length of the pick. The blunted point seems to glide over the strings easier with overall less friction for me. And I find it easier to choke up and leave less of the pick hanging out that way also.
I switched to the 1.0 Flow about three months ago after a couple of decades using the regular 1.0 Tortex. I'm glad I did. Excellent pick, and I doubt I'll ever change it.
I use sharkfins when playing my acoustic guitar. The ribbed side allows to hit each string multiple times which gives me something lika a distortion to the sound.
My favorite picks are the Graphtech picks. The different compounds they're made of realy effect the tone in different ways. They even sound musical when they are dropped!
I got 2 packs of these for free last year from Graphtech. I can't stand how tiny they are... But, you can get crazy harmonics for days with them and super easy! If they were just a little bit bigger...
@@MainPrism They do have larger ones if you order them. I like the small ones because i used to use a penny so they're comfortable for me, but when i ordered the variety pack i got some larger ones as well. But now everything else just feels like plastic to me.
@@stevenpipes1555 I'll have to check those out. When I got mine they had just came out and they only had the smaller ones. I started using Flow Gloss 2.0's not long after and now nothin else feels right to me either. Even after using Jazz 3s for years prior.
I'm really fond of Star Picks, which have a star shape cut out of the center for extra grip. They might be a Sam Ash owned brand, as I've only ever found them at those stores. They come in a variety of thicknesses so you have a few options if you ever decide to give them a try.
For context, finger picks are a big part of the lapsteel guitar technique. Since the instrument is played horizontally it's harder to hit the strings with your fingernails (especially the thumb), and the instrument begs for playing chords often with strings that are appart from each other, so using a regular pick would be very tedious and limiting.
Im all about my jazz-3... dunlop makes a thinner version called the tortex M3. Its the same size and shape, but it's a little thinner(still stiff with no bend). You can turn it sideways for acoustic playing. They're the only 2 pics ill play with!
Try turning some of those pics in different ways, for different effects. The ridges and splits on a lot of them can yield some very interesting effects.
I recently picked up a pack of Heavy picks from dan's guitar store on amazon. Super heavy picks, same size as Jazz 3s. I believe the guitarist from GloryHammer uses them so amazing for fast metal.
I've used Dava ever since I discovered them like 10+ years ago. When I have 1+ hour long play sessions and my hands are just soaking wet from sweat, most picks slip out of my hands but Dava picks stay put. I love them!
The red is Sharkfin is the thinnest of the series. I use the heavier versions for picking. The scallop side is great for strumming with a 'scrape' sound which is really cool. Takes getting used to but it's worth it.
Listen to this new song 'Ethereal' on Spotify ▶ bit.ly/3RA4nll
Get my signature picks + pick box here ▶ bernth.myshopify.com/
how do you comment 7 days ago but the video is 6 days ago bro timed travel 💀
Bro that's my name 🤔 songs awesome tho I'll allow it lol
Could I send you a guitar pick to try out?
The Red Triangular Pick from Herdim is three picks in one. You can use all three tips from it and they have different gauges. I used it a lot when playing acoustics.
Ultex is fun. I've always said it feels like the string bounces back, which his great for bouncy "core" riffs, but that "bounce" also feels like it goes back into your hand, causing extra fatigue.
The cutout on Kirk Hammett's Jazz 3 pick was put there for pick scrapes.
Also to double pick the strings and make some cool strumming sounds.
Takes some learning curve to adjust the attack angle and speed, though.
Why am I here? I've never touched a guitar.
You should its fun
The end of playing guitar is bankruptcy do not play
All of the signs of the universe brought you here to tell you that you would be a great guitar player so go try it
@@조태자-n1kI will confirm. I’ve been playing a year and own four guitars, amps, extra strings. It’s a love hate relationship with my bank lol
@@UncleBucks914 guitars in a single year ? WHAT ?
Drinking game idea: Open the video and do a shot every time you hear the word "interesting".
Great idea for a video!!! I don’t see enough pick videos out here. Personally I started using the DAVA delrin control pick about 20 years ago when my wife gave them to me as a Christmas gift and that’s my go to / all time favorite pick! They have a bunch of different types also.
The "Dava Control" pick is actually one of my favourites, haha
Same
Same here!
Same I use these all the time!
I love the version with the metal tip, gives my bass a really furious attack.
Yeah I was surprised to see that too, I've used them in the past and enjoyed them, and I know for a time in the past, Rick Graham used DAVA as well.
The problem I have with most picks is that they always, and I mean ALWAYS twist when I play. The only exception are some that a friend makes. He scours the hills of north California for jade. For reasons unknow, they do not twist when I use them. I have tried all sorts of surface enhancements for more texture to see if that will improve my grip without needing a death grip to get them to stay in place. None worked. I have found that more square edges, compared to round edges makes for brighter sounds, and more rounded edges make for softer sounds. Also, harder materials some times make for brighter sounds. The jade picks are rather bright, but I need to modify the point a bit. I was wondering if that shark fin pick was supposed to offer 3 different points for picking.
The Dava is very versatile, I love the yellow ones for Western guitar and Rock on electric, but the plastic and rubber can detach slightly and this is a recipe for upstroke string breaking. The Kirk Jazz is one my daughter (11yrs) loves and the dent actually helps that it sticks a bit better to her small index finger.
My go-to picks are the 2mm Ultex Jazz III's, they're the transparent yellowish ones. I've tried many but nothing has topped these for me. That said, I never really considered how much effect the pick has on the sound, so I may look into finding something thinner and/or bigger when I'm doing chord or softer/smoother parts in recording.
I actually said “bless you” when he sneezed
Great video. Hadn’t realised that plecs could make such a difference to guitar sound.
I've tried dozens of different pick shapes and materials. They each sound and feel different. The standard Fender Cellulose Nitrate Picks have a excellent combination of nice tone, chirp, and feel. But, they don't wear well and are prone to getting annoying nicks in the edges. Still my favorite picks, and the nicks can be sanded out pretty easily.
I bought some of those fender tear drop picks around 2007 because i heard michael angelo batio say he used tear drop shaped picks and i didnt know he was talking about the dunlop jazz iii XD
0:31 Bless you
I use kirk hammets pick! Actually the weird cut on the other side of the pick is for scratch/slide on the string
Was surprised to see Dava Control picks on here. I'm a Jazz III player, and Dava picks are pretty much the only other thing I like to use outside of a Jazz III. They also make a Jazz III size version of the Dava Control picks, and they're great too. I like that they have flex in them so you can strum with them if you want, but they have the super rigid tip that allows you to choke up on it and get more of a Jazz III-like experience.
Dunlop Ultex Sharp 1.0 is my all-time favorite. Never feels slippery and has great edge retention. Great for all styles, acoustic and electric.
Been playing 23 years and I've tried every pick up and down the Jim Dunlop line, in different pick sizes.
Tried the picks that Tim Henson, Kirk Hammett, John Petrucci, Rusty Cooley, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Paul Gilbert (Ibanez pick) use, but I always go back to the Ultex Sharp 1.0
Another pick that is oddly satisfying and fast is the Dunlop Flow Jumbo 4.0.. but only for electric guitar
I tried the Dava picks at a mates and now they are my go to pick. The grip is just perfect and very rarely slips!
i've been using dava picks for years and years. i use the ones you show for acoustic stuff, and the regular red ones for most electric stuff. i use a jazz 3 alot too, but i really think they should come with a warning. i started out using the regular fender picks. i tried the jazz3 because everyone said how great they are. after about 3 hours of playing one, i discovered that most other picks feel like i'm picking with a dinner plate now, and i hate using them. for me, the jazz picks work best after i wear the point off of them
I tried the Jazz III years back after Matt Heafy mentioned using them and now I'm stuck with them apparently. My preferred material is Tortex although I really love Ultex overall (little thick for me). Been looking at the Dava picks recently as well.
I didn't know Dava picks existed until I saw Thy Art is Murder live. One of the guitar players uses them and I caught it at the end of their set. Not for me but I get the appeal.
I've used a lot of different picks over the years but I keep coming back to the dava ones. They were really useful after I injured my thumb and had a hard time keeping a steady grip on smoother picks for a while.
Years ago when I first played with dunlop jazz 3 I've never gone back to some random picks. Never thought that a pick could hold me back until I got a taste of jazz 3. :D For metal bass I prefer bigger and thinner pick as it gives more definition to the attack. Another great discovery was Elixir strings, they might cost a double of some basic strings but they hold the clarity about three times longer and they feel so smooth to play.
I swore by the jazz IIs for forever but then I guess I just got over them. They certainly helped me improve my picking skills and capabilities and helped me get to the next level, and made me think about why that was and change my ergos with regular picks
Elixirs are well worth the money. They cost twice as much as most other strings, but they last 2-3 x longer, wether you are an occasional hobbyist or a gigging musician. They just sound great in general too and stay nice and keep their brightness and sustain longer. I just strung up my brothers Donner with them, and it sounds like a $400-$500 guitar now lol
Where I'm from the local music stores don't seem to stock cheap strings, Elixir strings were only a bit more expensive than the cheapest sets (can't remember the brand but they were still good), so i always go for them and love them.
No Filter: Insanely talented man makes great music with pieces of plaatic
I swear by the Black Mountain thumbpick because it addresses a problem with the way my hands are proportioned and allows me to get the pick in the most optimal position without needing to actively grip it.
To try and explain: I have a fairly long thumb and the most comfortable way for me to hold the pick places the entire digit beyond where the knuckle of my index finger is when I form a fist. That used to require me to use both my index and middle finger in a kind of pinching motion in order to get a decent pick position. This would end up creating tension in my hand and would also mean that one of my fingernails was fouling up against the strings sometimes.
For people with shorter thumbs/a longer index finger, it's possible to set the hand in a kind of fist that creates a very secure grip on the pick without actively holding onto it, but that level of contact between my thumb and index finger really doesn't happen for me until I have more than half of my thumb sticking beyond the knuckles.
With the Black Mountain I can be in that more extended thumb position and only need to apply very light amounts of pressure from the side of the index finger. I now have a much better picking position from an ergonomics standpoint and I can much more intuitively adjust the angle of the pick by subtly flexing my thumb joint.
The ability to easily do fingerpicking and even adjust the controls without needing to consider how to do it without dropping the pick is also really good.
I prefer the jazz tipped ones, so it's not great to have such an expensive pick when the edge wears down and it needs replacing but I feel like the improvement in terms of how easy it is to play with them as compared to a regular pick makes up for it.
If they started doing them with a material that kept a sharp tip for longer and/or could be sharpened easily without wearing it down too much they'd be perfect
That's awesome that PickBoy picks are still around. I used to like them back in the day. There were two variations, a nylon one and some kind of ceramic one, which probably wasn't too far off that bone pick sound. Then they became unavailable in NZ. Most of the time though I used the medium D'Addario delrins or the Jim Dunlop 1.0mm nylon. The problem with the delrin pics was they tended to get a bit slippery. This could be sorted by scratching the surface up with a box cutter etc. A couple of years ago there was a variant called the "Star Pick". Essentially a clone of D'Addario delrin, but had a star shaped hole punched through the centre. That worked extremely well for grip improvement. Then they became unavailable locally. These days I literally use whatever is on hand. Have made my own before too using polycarbonate from broken CDs and on occasion from old swipe card material.
It's always fun to try out new picks. Somehow I always return to the Sharp Tortex
I use the Pickboy Edge (looks exactly the same but has raised dots instead of the “speed holes”) and I love it. I like how stiff it is and it is a nice size, between a standard pick and a jazz III.
Kirk hammets picks aren’t smaller. It definitely feels like it though but that’s just because of the little notch that was taken out of the top.
They’re the same size as a regular jazz 3 though.
I like the dava picks, the grip works for me, doesn’t slip.
Mach weiter so dein Content ist so verdammt gut geworden
When i met him Josh Elmore of Cattle Decapitation was playing those Dava Control picks and gave one to me. He said its like having two picks in one :D
I use that Black Mountain thumb pick. For "regular" picks, usually a gator grip or else a wegen style pick
The sharkfin is 3 picks in one... the ridges give a fuller sound to strummed chords. the rounded and sharp parts of the pics are for different types of soloing... I have them in 1.5MM and use them exclusively with my acoustic guitars.
I like them too, I think that the thing to do is experiment with holding them until you find the tones you like...
This!
I love them! 😅 Have a bunch of them here, got a multi pack to try different sizes, usually like around 0.8 - 1.0mm
I used to love the Dava, but the rubber comes down too close to the tip. Really liking the Andy James Flow and Dunlop Petrucci Majesty picks
I can’t use em all the time but I LOVE my Dunlop Fins .50! I play them like a regular pick though and a little bit of the fin still hits the strings most of the time.
The whole point of the Dava picks is that they are soft when you hit the strings parallel and hard when you pick in an angle. How close you hold the pick to the tip doesn't influence the flexibility all that much. Because it's flexible when picking parallel, it gives you that nice thin pick slap and control when playing chords, and because it's hard when you hit the string in an angle, it's also great for shredding.
Thanks for having a pretty direct comparison at the end, that really ties the whole video together.
I’ve been using the “old” carbon nylon from pick boy (the ones with the marijuana leaf on) since I found them like 20 years ago, always found them fantastic for feel and playability, too bad they wear out like butter and they’re quite hard to find now
The first pick I remember having was the Sharkfin. They are great for acoustic strumming where the individual notes aren’t important. There is a video here on the wonderful YT where Patrik Tanner shows three ways of using them. I’d actually forgotten about them, so might check them out again. Thanks!
So am I! Love these red Sharks specially for strumming with acoustic Guitars since over 40, or 45 years, i think. But okay ... I 've never been a Pro!🤷♂️ ...and - Sorry for my bad, old School-English 🙈
Greetings from Germany.👴🏻🤘
@@gerd2213 Nothing wrong with your English.
I've been swearing by Dava control picks for over a decade. I still have one from around 2013 when the dimples had indents (and they were ever so slightly smaller), but I'm grateful they grew a little more past 'jazz size'
I really like the Dava’s I use them a lot. But my all time favorite one I have to say is Dunlop 1mm nylon. That was my pick for over 10 years. Also Andy James’s signature picks are badass. Iron Age guitars has amazing picks as well. Expensive but the quality is truly there.
If you like the 2mm ultex, then definitely try the flow 4.2mm. Same material but the extra thickness means it has even more attach and tons of high end, and really comfortable in the hand.
The Sharkfin pick was the de facto pick for acoustic guitars when I started learning in the 90’s. The red one was the thinnest and they made a purple one which was pretty chunky. I had forgotten about them.
I've used it for 40 years. I use the pointy part. I use it for both electric and acoustic guitars.
I mostly play finger style on acoustic and mostly with pick on electric.
The original Swedish sharkfin picks had a green nylon one that was even thinner, felt like a piece of paper, but another interesting sound!
4:26 Speed Holes!!! Fuck yeah!!! Race car pick right there, brother.
I do own a Sharkfin guitar pick and it honestly doesn't play that bad, the whole form of the pick is quite weird but you get used to it after a while and the softness of the pick is quite satisfying to me.
I use the pointy part.
you can also lace the picks that have holes to add more grip into them, most picks if you drill them to put a couple loops of heavy thread in they just break at the holes
I actually love the DAVA a lot for acoustic, very versatile for my play style!
They've been my pick of choice for YEARS now...I like the versatility. Hold it normal and it's a bit flexible for strumming, then choke up on it and it's stiffer for lead stuff. I love them!
never had the Dava control grip tip pick, but the concept of it being more flexible when you hold it by the tail and more rigid when you hold it closer to the tip should be applicable to any pick below 0.80 thickness. Not exactly a technological marvel
@@vasileseicaru8740 Nope. Pretty simple. I love them!!
I got a friend who got some of these and says they are his favorite picks to use
Chris Broderick of Megadeth invented that pick. He talks about it in an interview between him and George Lynch. Go check it out 😎
Which pick?
Which pick?
literally wich pick?
@@I_like_guitar it was the spring thumb pick
@@I_like_guitar his thumb pic
Apart from stellar playing, that was the most useful guide to how picks make a difference to tone. I am going to make sure that all my player friends watch it and agree on the fact that picks do make a difference!
Dunlop ultex .73 standard shape Is my all time favorite pick. Bought a literal lifetime supply recently. Best $75 I ever spent
Love the Dava picks. They have a TON of different colors that have different pitches, curves, and angles for the plastic ends. Great picks if you're into pick technicalities.
The James Hetfield White fang (1.14) is my go-to pick in most cases but I'll change up the thickness of the pick depending on what I'm playing.
I've used the Dava jazz picks for a few years now. Im a big fan.
Same. I struggle with shaky hands and simultaneously gripping everything in life too hard. The rubber really lets me relax and not drop it every few minutes. Was so nice.
My very first pick I used ( 40 years ago ) was that triangle shaped pick. Trying to play some Judas Priest as a teen. It wasn't too bad, but eventually moved on the the standard shaped pick.
You the man Bernth!! Keep up the good inspiration and happy holidays 🎸🥂
you should totally add a pinch harmonic test to these picks
Loved the jazz 3 pics, but made a transition to the Dunlop stubby 2.0mm, same size but harder and bit thicker.
3:28 It's almost like those weird "rectangular" shaped picks that Ritchie Blackmore use
The Pro Plek shape was used by Ritchie Blackmore and Les Paul.
Also Chris Broderick from Megadeth sells the Pick Clip which also attaches to your thumb but you can use whatever pick you like in it.
The fact that Eddie used thin/medium picks always blows my mind.
I'm surprised the dava picks got such low reviews, those are my go to. Mostly just for the non slip grip
Take a shot every time he says the word "interesting"
6:53
Ooooh, now I know where the intro riff from "Hourglass" comes from 😮
Dava Control picks are a regular of mine. They were given to me years ago and they're really nice picks. I never noticed much of a difference with where I held them, but they were good for clean strumming.
I agree, I play mainly acoustic and I really enjoy them for it. Especially on certain guitars of mine, they sound wonderful.
I strictly use Hetfield Black Fangs (which I think are discontinued) so I use the White Fangs now and I LOVE them. I’ll never use a different pick. But that’s just me. Crazy how many different picks there are.
The white fangs are very good! I love mine 🤘
I’ve been using the Kirk hammer v cutout pick since they came out and everyone hates them but I love them!!
the ridged side of the sharkfin pick is supposed to simulate the attack sound of a 12 string which kinda works on steel string acoustic guitar. but only for chord strumming.
I use those red Dava picks. Personally they are what allowed me to improve my speed.
1:32 I could swear you would play Feijão de Corda by Kiko Loureiro.
That song is amazing!
The coil pick is used in brazilian music to the 7 strings acoustic guitar, cause it is the guitar to the bass line . The pick is used to the bass line and the fingers to chords. But there is another regular guitar to the chords. The 7th strimg is a C
.the best was Dino Sete Cordas
I only use one kind of pick, but if i dont have one, i just use a beer tab.😂🍻
Dunlop tortex used to make a shark fin pick with the exact same shape as those I used to get them back in the day. I now use dunlop 3 mm big stubby, but use the blunt corner with an almost parallel attack
Ich benutze die Herdim Dinger schon seit Ewigkeiten. Mir drehen sich die Pleks immer zwischen Fingern weg. So brauche ich darauf nicht achten.
Ritchie Blackmore used a pick like the Dandrea. It helps with the pick sweeping over the strings more efficiently.
Davas are my favorite pick - not because of tone. They just feel so good between my fingers. If you don't know them - check 'em out.
My favorite picks are some that my wife (though we weren't married at the time) brought back for me when she went on a trip to Peru. They're made of horn, and feel and sound incredible. It's almost like a thick fingernail, since horn and fingernails are both made of keratin. You know those tortoise shell picks that are illegal now? Also made of keratin, so a pick made of horn is basically the same thing (I assume, as I've never used a tortoise pick).
My favorite easy-to-get picks are Snark Teddy's neo-Tortoise. They're supposed to feel like tortoise she'll but made out of plastic. They don't really feel like the horn picks to me, but for a plastic pick they're super nice. A little bit of texture on one side to make it a little more grippy, but the tip and the bottom side are slick so it slides over the string nicely.
thanks for the suggestion, definitely gonna look for horn carved picks now. youre theory is completely scientifically sound
I have a steel, aluminum and a copper pick and they each have some crazy percussive elements to them. The copper and the aluminum are pretty cool for soloing, you get these high attacks that help emphasize some sections. The steel is good for chugging I've found . Has a djent element already. I also have some wooden picks made from different woods. They each have good applications
my current favourite pick is a tortek flow. I have the white one (I think 1mm thick) and my music teacher introduced me to them. I've been playing for almost a year now
Try Purple Plectrums at some point. They've got some of the most massive picks I've ever seen. They've got some single picks that are so large that they're like $50 a pop.😂 I got one of their variety packs a long time ago, and I will say, there's a couple of the smaller ones that I've completely fallen in love with. Surprisingly really solid picks. I think you'd get a nice chuckle out of the larger ones though.
I've been using Fender extra heavy 347s for decades. I've compared them to a lot of other shapes and materials, but I keep coming back. They just have the perfect sound and feel for me. They're the same material as the 354 and have the same edge, so they sound very similar. But the back end is a bit wider, so they stay in place a lot better.
Where do you get these? The fender site only has up to heavy for 347s...
@@selkie6341 I just checked and it looks like they stopped making them in extra heavy. I bought a pack of 100 some years ago and haven't looked since. There's not a huge difference between heavy and extra heavy with Fender picks.
I love Dava pics (Jazz III is the only way to go haha) and use them almost exclusively as they will never fly out of my hand during a set.
"silky soft and smooth" I laughed at that part
I started with dunop nylons 0.60 or 0.73mm.
Got into jazz3s and stubbys
Dava controls are my goto pick now. They're like having a stiff jazz and flexible nylon pick in one. Adjusting your grip and the stiffness is second nature coming from nylons.
I used to make ivory picks from old piano keys.. just like the bone one.
For Dime Bag and Wylde Pinch Harmonics, for me I found the Jazz 3 made a huge difference
My go to pick is the Dunlop Big Stubby 3mm. It's very thick and hard, has a very agressive attack but it makes it easy to play very fast and have a lot of control. Looks good too, transparent purpley goodness.
I think anyone who has ever played around with their box of picks at home knows very well that thickness and sharpness of the tip affect the tone. The thinner and sharper the pick - the more treble heavy the sound will be, the softer the edge and thicker it is the sound will end up smooth and heavy.
There's one you didn't try though and it's one of my favorites : the ultra-thin solid stainless steel pick. The attack and sound on those bad boys is mean and lean. They also strip any coating your strings might have but hey, chances are you're slacking on changing your strings regularly anyway.
I gotta say, I was impressed by the D'Andrea Pro!
(The little house shaped one)
I only use the sharkfin picks, the clear red ones you ised in this are my go to, a normal shaoed pick no longer feels right!
The spring thumb pick looked pretty cool not gunna lie
I swear by them. Takes away the issue of the pick slipping and the fact that you can relax your hand a bit without worrying about dropping it allows you to play with less tension, in turn allowing you to play alternate picking lines more easily.
ohh shark fins with the rugged side against the strings is insane for palm muted extreme metal riffs, always was one of my favourites but a bit strange to play with for other than the full palm muting as you need to switch grip on the pick depending on what your playing :)
I always liked small teardrop-shaped picks (Tortex Dunlops, I believe), 0.88 mm thickness. They're big enough to get a good grip on, but small enough to allow for fast and nimble motion, and without the bulk of a standard Dunlop pick (so you don't need to choke up to get more precision). 1 mm was always too rigid for me - 0.88 mm gives chugs that are nearly as weighty, but also allows for a slightly softer touch playing leads, and I even use 0.73 mm on occasion, for lighter music.
Call me crazy but I've had the best results using the 1.0mm Dunlop flow series picks, but I use one of the top corners and hold it sideways gripping over the length of the pick. The blunted point seems to glide over the strings easier with overall less friction for me. And I find it easier to choke up and leave less of the pick hanging out that way also.
I switched to the 1.0 Flow about three months ago after a couple of decades using the regular 1.0 Tortex. I'm glad I did. Excellent pick, and I doubt I'll ever change it.
I use sharkfins when playing my acoustic guitar. The ribbed side allows to hit each string multiple times which gives me something lika a distortion to the sound.
My favorite picks are the Graphtech picks. The different compounds they're made of realy effect the tone in different ways. They even sound musical when they are dropped!
I got 2 packs of these for free last year from Graphtech. I can't stand how tiny they are... But, you can get crazy harmonics for days with them and super easy! If they were just a little bit bigger...
@@MainPrism They do have larger ones if you order them. I like the small ones because i used to use a penny so they're comfortable for me, but when i ordered the variety pack i got some larger ones as well. But now everything else just feels like plastic to me.
@@stevenpipes1555 I'll have to check those out. When I got mine they had just came out and they only had the smaller ones. I started using Flow Gloss 2.0's not long after and now nothin else feels right to me either. Even after using Jazz 3s for years prior.
@@MainPrism Funny how that works isn't it?
@@MainPrism If you don't mind me asking, what did you get from Graphtech when they gave you the picks?
I'm really fond of Star Picks, which have a star shape cut out of the center for extra grip. They might be a Sam Ash owned brand, as I've only ever found them at those stores. They come in a variety of thicknesses so you have a few options if you ever decide to give them a try.
Favorite picks ever since I was a kid. That cutout was a lifesaver for long practice sessions.
Yes i use star picks as my go tos now ... i got mine out of GC
For context, finger picks are a big part of the lapsteel guitar technique.
Since the instrument is played horizontally it's harder to hit the strings with your fingernails (especially the thumb), and the instrument begs for playing chords often with strings that are appart from each other, so using a regular pick would be very tedious and limiting.
Im all about my jazz-3... dunlop makes a thinner version called the tortex M3. Its the same size and shape, but it's a little thinner(still stiff with no bend). You can turn it sideways for acoustic playing. They're the only 2 pics ill play with!
The green one? I really like it
Try turning some of those pics in different ways, for different effects. The ridges and splits on a lot of them can yield some very interesting effects.
I recently picked up a pack of Heavy picks from dan's guitar store on amazon. Super heavy picks, same size as Jazz 3s. I believe the guitarist from GloryHammer uses them so amazing for fast metal.
I've used Dava ever since I discovered them like 10+ years ago. When I have 1+ hour long play sessions and my hands are just soaking wet from sweat, most picks slip out of my hands but Dava picks stay put. I love them!
The red is Sharkfin is the thinnest of the series. I use the heavier versions for picking. The scallop side is great for
strumming with a 'scrape' sound which is really cool. Takes getting used to but it's worth it.