Beveled Picks and Tone

[erhino41]

If you take a beveled pick and angle it the other way so the flat side of the other bevel is striking the string, you can certainly hear a difference. You also get variance in tone by how much you angle the bevel itself. Wether you find the difference a positive or a negative is completely subjective.

Depending on what tone I'm going for I'll adjust my attack angle from using the speed bevel to using the other side of the pick. It all just adds to the pallet of sounds i have to work with.

[RoyBoy]

I've found a much better way to vary tone is by changing tip shape. A rounder tip will have a much rounder tone. I only play large triangles, so I've ordered TAD-1R picks from Blue Chip. It gives you two standard pointy tips and one rounder for mellow stuff. Almost all of my picks are 1.4 or thicker so of course they are speed beveled.

[ApolloPicks]

I agree with RoyBoy here . I have noticed that the shape (or outline) of the tip can have a dramatic impact on the resulting tone. (As much or more than the bevel, thickness, and material type.)

[Silly Moustache]

Try this :

[raysachs]

On acoustic I mainly use a pick for strumming. A very small amount of lead playing, but mostly I'm either strumming (and picking out some arpeggios) or I'm fingerpicking. For strumming, I don't like a speed bevel - makes the picks I've tried with them notably brighter and "clickier" than a neutral roundish bevel. Even having the corner of the pick too sharp does some of the same. I like the corners slightly rounded with a neutral bevel. When I play electric, I like a really sharp point/corner on the pick. Because I'm doing a ton of lead playing with electric and I don't seem to mind the sharp corners for playing electric rhythm either.

-Ray

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by raysachs

On acoustic I mainly use a pick for strumming. A very small amount of lead playing, but mostly I'm either strumming (and picking out some arpeggios) or I'm fingerpicking. For strumming, I don't like a speed bevel - makes the picks I've tried with them notably brighter and "clickier" than a neutral roundish bevel. Even having the corner of the pick too sharp does some of the same. I like the corners slightly rounded with a neutral bevel. When I play electric, I like a really sharp point/corner on the pick. Because I'm doing a ton of lead playing with electric and I don't seem to mind the sharp corners for playing electric rhythm either.

-Ray

I've honestly never been able to tell the difference, but many people swear by bevels. To each his own. Some likes strawberry, some vanilla.

scott memmer

[UncleJesse]

Count me as one that swears by the bevels. Once I tried them there was no going back. I stopped playing or sold all my nonbeveled picks. There's a certain crispness to the sound of a note picked with a beveled edge compared to one played without. It seems like a night and day difference to me. Not to mention how it feels easier coming off the string especially when doing something like crosspicking. I like a sharpness to my strumming and picking. I also don't care for a guitar being too bright, like my BC TD35 made it sound. I find a happy medium between 1-1.5mm with a beveled edge to be perfect for me. I think that people who don't like bevels probably also like the sound of Martin retro strings, which I do not. They're just not sharp enough sounding for me.

[ApolloPicks]

Good points UncleJesse. I kinda think of all of these variables as "EQ adjustments." The great thing is that we can all dial in just what we want to hear

[bluesman62]

I am left handed.Should I specify that when ordering picks.Does it matter

[cyclistbrian]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

I doubt there is a single person who could reliably distinguish between them in a properly -run test.

I use relatively thick picks. I agree. I hear no difference in tone per say other than a bit less click. The difference in feel is notable. On really thick picks, say 1.5 or 2.0 mm, I want that bevel to help glide the pick. My "go to" picks are extra heavy celluliod. I'm content to let the bevel form on its own with these. Once it forms I keep that pick going for as long as I can.

[Jilusaco]

I've been lurking here on the forum for a few months and it's been interesting. There is a lot of info here, but like all forums you have to be able to filter some. When I first started reading about $35 picks made from space age material I thought wow! I've played Clayton 1mm picks for 20 years. About 4 months ago I started having an issue with my pick migrating around between my thumb and finger. I would not drop it but sometimes it would turn. I had to constantly think about gripping the pick which effected my playing. I had recently switch to a Brain pick which I called the cat tongue pick because of the rough texture. They are softer material and did not sound good. Anyhow I started reading here about BC picks being easy to hang on to. I ordered a TAD-1R40. When it came I did say wow! I don't know about speed bevels, but I love this pick. It stays put in your hand and sounds great. Maybe I'll play it enough to understand speed beveling and tone differences. All I know is until Santa brings me some more the one I have is either in my hand or in my billfold. Thanks for the find guys!

[J Patrick]

....I have a bunch of speed beveled picks and some of them that have a consistent bevel around the entire perimeter and some that have no bevel and some that have a combination of bevel and non bevel....

...I don’t notice much difference in tone...not enough to matter to me...I do find that I can articulate my flatpicking style better with a speed bevel...enough so that I like them....but they don’t make much difference for general strumming...

...I suspect the advantages of speed bevels relate to the manner in which a player holds their pick...if your natural method is to angle the pick noticeably a speed bevel is gonna help the pick push through the string with slightly less effort...the closer your pick angle is to being parallel to the string the less the bevel will matter....I also believe that the bevel becomes more important as the pick gets thicker...a 2.5 mm pick without a pronounced bevel would be difficult to manage...

...in any case...shape and material are more important factors for me...

[menhir]

Originally Posted by JC.

To the extent it does affect tone, I find that the bevel makes the contact click with the strings less bright (warmer).

This.

I'm mostly a bare finger player, but sometimes a pick is called for. I always disliked the "click" I got with most guitar picks. I tried a leather pick, but it wore out too quickly. Recently switching to a beveled pick, I found a balance I liked...Less click and more sound.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by bluesman62

I am left handed.Should I specify that when ordering picks.Does it matter

Blues, yes. Most "speed bevels" are for right-handed players. You'd want a bevel for left-handed playing, where the beveled edge would be on the right, not the left. Many vendors offer both varieties, as well as the standard rounded edge, which I find the majority of players still prefer, including me. But that probably just means I suck as a player.

best of luck,
scott

[dnf777]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

Many vendors offer both varieties, as well as the standard rounded edge, which I find the majority of players still prefer, including me.

best of luck,
scott

I wouldnt have guessed that. Im with UncleJesse, and prefer the way a bevel slides off the strings. Seems like you also have easier control over the amount of bite you can get. But I am highly accomplished at making any type pick sound horrible! Its a gift.