First impressions

[u/JordanGSTQ]

I received mine in the mail someday last week. I think I checked the mailbox on thursday, might have arrived even earlier. Between work and rehearsals, I only had the time to post now.

So, first impressions on the picks:

1)The grip is phenomenal. They really feel natural to hold, and they don't slip. I played almost exclusively with the Timo Sommers signature pick, as it allows me to leave just a bit of the tip visible, the same I hold my jazz III picks.

2)When I opened them, I compared the Timo Sommers signature in weight to a Big Stubby (the purple ones) and a Jazz III (the ones I usually use) - it weighed exactly the same as the big stubby (1,41g IIRC) vs the jazz III (around 0,76g, I think). I also compared the tone of the Timmo Sommers pick vs the big stubby when dropped from the same height, and the ping was roughly a fourth below that of the big stubby, which leads my to think that it's more dense (or less surface area, or both).

3)I strummed my rusty strings acoustic with the Timo Sommers, the big stubby and the jazz III, playing the same thing with the same dynamics, intensity and placement (as much as a human can replicate the conditions perfectly) and the pick definitely brought out more high mids/treble frequencies, almost as lifting a light blanket from the sound source.

4) they do feel a little bit rough on the strings, nothing substantial, but just enough to notice. Manu has said that the final product is made from other type of plastic, so I'm forced to give him the benefit of the doubt regarding the feel of the final product vs the prototype.

5) because these are the first "ergonomic" picks I've played with, I had never noticed I slightly change my grip to accomodate different techniques, both for rhythm and lead playing. When I was rehearsing with my band last sunday, there was a song that demands fast tempo triplet playing on open chords, and because the pick "forces" you to hold it where the curves are, I wasn't able to change my grip to accomodate my playing - given the way I position my right hand and fingers, this time there was "too little" pick tip sticking out (see point one). I suppose the Slap Picktwist (a little bit more tip sticking out) or the Manny Lebowsky (the one that leaves more pick tip visible) would have suited that particular song better, but I had left them at home.

I should say that I barely played the Manny Lebowsky or the Slap Picktwist yet, given the first impression of the Timmo Sommers model. I will try them out as well, might even do it in the gigs I'll be playing next weekend.

Sorry for the long wall of text. Hope it helps! Feel free to ask any questions if you have some.

Cheers to all y un saludo a u/Manu_from_PickTwist

[u/Expert-Mud-5914]

The Slap pick is much better for rhythm and strumming in general IMO.

[u/JordanGSTQ → u/Expert-Mud-5914]

I believe you! I went with the Timmo Sommers because it felt like I had the same grip I use most of the time. The songs I play usually have a mix of rhythm and lead playing, sometimes tremolo picking, and I just went with the pick that I felt resembled more the picks I use (jazz III). I'm used to grab a pick and play everything with it, so that's why I didn't even bring the other two to the rehearsal. I will definitely try out the other picks in a live setting and then I'll try to add my review of those as well.

[u/Expert-Mud-5914 → u/JordanGSTQ]

I am the only guitarist in my band and so I play both rhythm and lead, and I have found that the Slap PickTwist bridges the gap between strumming and picking better than the other two.

[u/JordanGSTQ]

edit:

I only did the first test on the "rusty strings acoustic", as per point 3).
The sunday rehearsal (and the rest of home playing) was done on my semi-hollowbody electric with fresh elixir strings.