If you saw our 'big pick roundup' on Youtube you will have seen some V-Picks under consideration.
I was in search of a replacement for the Eric Johnson Jazz III plectrum which I like a whole lot but they wear out pretty quickly. Is there a great alternative to the Jazz III? Inquiring minds want to know!
The short answer is: yes. Any number of V-Picks, in my opinion, are adequate alternatives to the Jazz III EJ model.
The J3EJ is an awesome pick when it's fresh out of the pack but it loses its 'edge' and the nice, tactile feel of the pick against the strings is lost.....it feels too slippery to me. I end up running through a pack every day or two. Bummer.
The V-Pick material is acrylic which, to me, oddly enough, feels a lot like soft red brass in terms of its attack on the string. The V-Picks, like red brass, have a great texture and string interaction but, unlike brass, the acrylic picks do not impart a metallic timbre, pings, or whistles (all of which can be cool under some circumstances). This vibe does not become apparent immediately but after using one of these V-Picks for an hour or two they lose some of their edge and that's when the party starts -- exactly the opposite of a Jazz III. The more you use the V-Picks, in my opinion, the better they are.
However, they do exhibit chirpy artifacts that I just found annoying.
Which V-Pick is the 'direct replacement' for the Jazz III EJ?
You might start with the Stiletto -- it is basically the correct shape and size. However, for me, w/o alteration with a file it is too sharp.
The Chicken Picker is also good because it has a bit more 'shoulder' and despite the rounded tip it still has a good, grabbiness about it. This is probably my favorite V-Pick.
The Dimension Junior is a massive 4mm triangular pick that you probably wouldn't suspect of being a go-to replacement for the J3. But it is very nice. I don't care for triangular picks for the most part but the DJr. is, as you can see above, barely larger than a jazz style pick....I would actually classify it as a jazz pick and its 4mm girth means that the corners will stay our of your way a little better than most. But this one doesn't last long enough for me.
And even the Switchblades are pretty good if you can handle the added girth. They are larger versions of the Stiletto. Too large for me.
For a long time I alternated between these four models and the JazzIII depending on my mood. They are a bit pricey but, in the end, you will save money; three or four V-Picks will last you weeks if not months. In one week they 'pay for themselves.'
However, after the big pick roundup and being perfectly happy with the V-Picks for a while I went back to the EJ Jazz III and, after continuing to search for the best jazz-style pick I settled on an amazing replacement for every pick I had been using.
What is the best pick, the One Pick To Rule Them All? Step right this way.
I was in search of a replacement for the Eric Johnson Jazz III plectrum which I like a whole lot but they wear out pretty quickly. Is there a great alternative to the Jazz III? Inquiring minds want to know!
The short answer is: yes. Any number of V-Picks, in my opinion, are adequate alternatives to the Jazz III EJ model.
The J3EJ is an awesome pick when it's fresh out of the pack but it loses its 'edge' and the nice, tactile feel of the pick against the strings is lost.....it feels too slippery to me. I end up running through a pack every day or two. Bummer.
The V-Pick material is acrylic which, to me, oddly enough, feels a lot like soft red brass in terms of its attack on the string. The V-Picks, like red brass, have a great texture and string interaction but, unlike brass, the acrylic picks do not impart a metallic timbre, pings, or whistles (all of which can be cool under some circumstances). This vibe does not become apparent immediately but after using one of these V-Picks for an hour or two they lose some of their edge and that's when the party starts -- exactly the opposite of a Jazz III. The more you use the V-Picks, in my opinion, the better they are.
However, they do exhibit chirpy artifacts that I just found annoying.
Which V-Pick is the 'direct replacement' for the Jazz III EJ?
You might start with the Stiletto -- it is basically the correct shape and size. However, for me, w/o alteration with a file it is too sharp.
The Chicken Picker is also good because it has a bit more 'shoulder' and despite the rounded tip it still has a good, grabbiness about it. This is probably my favorite V-Pick.
The Dimension Junior is a massive 4mm triangular pick that you probably wouldn't suspect of being a go-to replacement for the J3. But it is very nice. I don't care for triangular picks for the most part but the DJr. is, as you can see above, barely larger than a jazz style pick....I would actually classify it as a jazz pick and its 4mm girth means that the corners will stay our of your way a little better than most. But this one doesn't last long enough for me.
And even the Switchblades are pretty good if you can handle the added girth. They are larger versions of the Stiletto. Too large for me.
For a long time I alternated between these four models and the JazzIII depending on my mood. They are a bit pricey but, in the end, you will save money; three or four V-Picks will last you weeks if not months. In one week they 'pay for themselves.'
However, after the big pick roundup and being perfectly happy with the V-Picks for a while I went back to the EJ Jazz III and, after continuing to search for the best jazz-style pick I settled on an amazing replacement for every pick I had been using.
What is the best pick, the One Pick To Rule Them All? Step right this way.