PICKS - a new discovery

[HHP]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

AHill, I didn't take it that way and was just being smarmy and sarcastic. Your experience is your experience. That's far more valuable to the members here than anything a Sponsor (with a vested interest) might say. I got into the pick biz from what I learned about these new materials from members on the forum here, although I've always been a pick nerd, from way back when.

To my knowledge, AHill, the regular Ultex line, which I also like a lot, does not offer beveled products, unless they've changed it the last year or so. You might be confusing it with the Primetone line, which DOES offer bevels on some (most?) models. It's the same material, except they've added a dye to tint it a kind of rust brown color. Please, other members help clarify this if I'm wrong.

Thanks Again,
Scott

I think that's correct. At the risk of adding confusion, I don't think the Primetones with the raised logo "grip" use the same material as the "non-grip" models. The "grip" versions seem to be a harder plastic, maybe to get the raised logo to mold properly. As usual, I may be wrong on this.

To borrow a line from "Raising Arizona"...

"Do these balloons blow up into funny shapes?"

"Well, yeah, if round is funny"

I think several Dunlops have edge bevels, they are just symmetrical or rounded over rather than a true speed bevel.

[muscmp]

i believe it is easier to buy the correct(for you) cheap picks to begin with.

play music!

[JonHBone]

In older pick threads I've mentioned the purple tortex triangles as my go to cheap pick. I like the tone and feel. The matte-feeling coating does eventually wear off...But I've always had a good grip on triangles. I THINK the purple 1.14 triangle is the thickest pick you can get in tortex triangle. In the teardrop shape you can get 2.0 and maybe thicker in the Dunlop gator picks (which feel and sound similar to tortex to me). I'd love to have a thicker purple tortex triangle pick if anyone knows of anything.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by AHill

The Tortex Purple is 1.14mm
The Blue Chip TAD 40-1R is 1.00 mm
The CLP is the CLT 1.0 mm

All are triangular in shape. No speed bevels on any of them.

Not completely true - Blue Chips have speed bevels - but you must specify (no extra cost) when ordering.

Tortex purples are unfinished (in any way) and the material is softer than BC, and so wears.

Add to the price of 1/2 to one hour's labour (and tools), and tortex picks would be more expensive than BCs.

I've found an old Dunlop 1.1m m/m Ultex - gonna try the same treatment tomorrow.

Anybody know which is supposed to be hardest ? - translucent yellow Ultex or purple Tortex ?

[HHP]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Not completely true - Blue Chips have speed bevels - but you must specify (no extra cost) when ordering.

Tortex purples are unfinished (in any way) and the material is softer than BC, and so wears.

Add to the price of 1/2 to one hour's labour (and tools), and tortex picks would be more expensive than BCs.

I've found an old Dunlop 1.1m m/m Ultex - gonna try the same treatment tomorrow.

Anybody know which is supposed to be hardest ? - translucent yellow Ultex or purple Tortex ?

I believe Tortex is a Delrin derivative so it will be pretty soft. Ultex is slightly harder.

[RussL30]

My recent discovery is about the difference a tip makes. This 1.14 Ultex sharp sounds much brighter, louder and clearer than the regular 1.14 Ultex

https://imgur.com/gallery/jipzB

Also to answer Silly's question, my .73 Ultex seems harder than my .73 Tortex.

[JonHBone]

Ultex feels harder than tortex to me as well.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by JonHBone

Ultex feels harder than tortex to me as well.

Thanks all.

[Mr. Jelly]

Just this morning I was standing in my driveway, before work, whittling on a pick with my pocket knife. What do normal people do?

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

Just this morning I was standing in my driveway, before work, whittling on a pick with my pocket knife. What do normal people do?

Jelly, and I thought I was weird.

lol

sm

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by JonHBone

Ultex feels harder than tortex to me as well.

Jon, I believe you're right. Sometime in the next year we're going to be doing material analysis on most of the major materials on the market. I want to go inside these materials for super closeups of molecular bonds and such. I've always been fascinated by this.

scott memmer

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by JonHBone

Ultex feels harder than tortex to me as well.

Hi, I have ordered more Tortex purples to hack away at, and tried to find some old Ultex to mutilate - couldn't find any so had a go a Clayton Ultems - yes - very hard, and difficult to carve, but I got two bevelled. Not a particularly sound au natural or beveled.

[guitar george]

With all the thousands of different picks in the world, I'm surprised that you would have to pretty much make your own pick to get one that is just right. A new discovery in pick making is quite unusual. You may be on to something big time here! You should pursue this with the boutique pick makers, or on your own, and maybe you could make and sell some of these picks. (Maybe undercut Charmed Life Picks by a buck or two)

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by guitar george

With all the thousands of different picks in the world, I'm surprised that you would have to pretty much make your own pick to get one that is just right. A new discovery in pick making is quite unusual. You may be on to something big time here! You should pursue this with the boutique pick makers, or on your own, and maybe you could make and sell some of these picks. (Maybe undercut Charmed Life Picks by a buck or two)

True - to get a good finished pick - is pretty simple - BC and/or Wegen.
BUT - the alternative that I am playing with currently is that I realsised that cheap picks are cheap because they are sold "unfinished".

Folks have options :

1. Buy cheap picks and play them "unfinished - meaining you can regard them as disposable, but never get the best out of the picks or your playing.

2. Pay the money for good quality picks, for optimum use.

3. Buy cheap picks and invest 30-60 minutes (plus tools) - to properly finish them.
Depending on your view of what 30-60 minutes of labour is worth will determine what you are "really" paying for your picks.

[Charmed Life Picks]

George, them's fightin' words, son. LOL

Silly, no offense, my friend, but Dunlop makes a pretty decent living selling "unfinished" picks. Here's my take.......

AGF has roughly 250,000 members, most of them inactive. How many guitar players are there in the U.S? Ten million? Twenty? Now, on this website, how many people are interested in upscale picks? One percent? Five? My friend, we are the lunatic fringe (I say this as a proud member), less than one percent of one percent of the market, if that. Dunlop is interested in the mass market, not the lunatic fringe.

When a company has 70% of the market (a rough guess), it would be wise to pay attention to what they do. Not only do the dominate markets; they MAKE markets. Their customers buy millions every year. Again, don't take this wrong, but they don't need your business (nor mine, nor anyone's in this thread). That's the long and the short of it.

Scott Memmer