Beveled Picks

**pushinforty** · Aug-14-2005, 7:24am

I assume this has been covered before but I couldn't find the answer with a search. I have a tri-tip tortis and two of the tips (the more pointed ones) are beveled. When holding the pick, should the beveled side face the strings or face up towards my head? In other words, does the beveled side contact the strings on the up or the down stroke?

**GeoMandoAlex** · Aug-14-2005, 10:04am

Both sides of the pick should be beveled in my experience. How do you like the Tortis pick? I just got a Tortis Mondo and am still in the process of evaluating it.

**Zed** · Aug-14-2005, 10:23am

Holding the pick at it's playing position, on a right hand beveled pick, the bevel is "underneath" on the leading edge (towards the headstock), and "on top" on the trailing edge (towards the tailpiece). This is reversed for a left hand pick.

I never knew about such a thing until i started using Wegens.

**pushinforty** · Aug-14-2005, 10:36am

The Tortis has a great sound and is very playable. The more pointed ends are too thin sounding for my taste so I use the rounded corner.

Zed, I'm not sure what you mean by pointing toward the headstock versus the tailpiece. When I hold the pick, the tip is perpendicular to the strings so the beveled side is either on top (staring up at me as I look at my right hand) or on the bottom (facing the lower bout of the instrument). Michael

**Zed** · Aug-14-2005, 11:23am

I'll try a pic to explain....

**pushinforty** · Aug-14-2005, 11:44am

OK! I see the confusion. My Tortis is not beveled in that fashion (around the corners, so to speak). It's beveled only slightly and right at the point, and only on one side of the pick. If you hold it up in front of you with the edge facing you head on, one side of the pick is at a 45 degree angle and the other is at 90 degrees.

Thanks for your help - and taking the time to post a picture. Michael