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For many years we’ve been offering a variety of wood picks. They offer a warmer sound compared to materials such as Celluloid and Delrin. As much as we loved our series 1 & 2 wood picks, they were a bit more fragile than we would have liked and the edge often times required a break in period that was not player ready right out of the bag.
As innovators at our core, we never stop working to improve things and we believe we have nailed the perfect wood pick with our 3.0 Series wood picks! These picks are far more durable, and the edge is just as good as any plastic pick you may have used in the past. The result is a superior, player ready wood guitar pick right out of the bag. You will not find picks like these from anyone else! You have to hold them in your hand to truly understand how amazing these picks are.
The common threads
For our new line of picks, we will be offering them exclusively in rosewood, which is sourced from managed forests where sustainability practices preserve the natural ecosystem, protect endangered wildlife, and promote the rebirth of new timbre growth. Our picks are also made in the USA by our team.
The majority of our wooden picks have been made of rosewood, though we have also offered picks in other woods such as bubinga, tigerwood and purpleheart. On the Janka Hardness Scale, rosewood is the softest of these offerings, coming in at a rating of 1,960 lbf (pounds-force). This rating allows us to make picks that still have a flex and thickness that compare to a Fender Medium on the thinner side, and a Fender Heavy on the thicker side.
The Improvements Made
While wood picks, particularly rosewood picks, offer a much warmer sound and a lovely alternative to the bright sounds of regular picks, durability can be an issue. While the thinner picks had good flex, because of wood’s natural characteristics, they tended to wear out much faster than regular picks.
Our thicker picks tended to last longer; however, they were designed with a flat edge. This means that it took a while for the pick to develop a natural bevel along the edge that made them easier to play. This was different from regular guitar picks which are already beveled. The performance of the wood picks improved as the bevel formed on the edge, however, they weren’t 100% player-ready out of the pack.
We’ve addressed these two main concerns with our newest line of wood picks. The wood veneer in our picks is now assembled cross-grain, which gives them improved strength while maintaining good flex. We’re confident that this new construction process will give you a pick that lasts longer and feels good while you play.
The second improvement is with the edge. After construction, our picks are tumbled for hours and hours in a multi-stage tumbling process, allowing a beautiful, beveled edge comparable to Celluloid and Delrin picks. They are now 100% player-ready with the same feel that players will be used to.
Every shape and size
Our new wood picks will be offered in two different thicknesses. The thin picks will come in at 1.0mm, while the thicker ones will be at 1.5mm. Both sizes are 0.1mm thicker than our previous two offerings, which we believe helps with durability while maintaining a good level of flex.
If you’re a strummer, or rhythm player, you will probably enjoy the 1.0mm pick. If you’re more heavy-handed and need something with more attack, the 1.5mm pick is likely the way to go.
351
We will also be offering four different shapes. There is the classic 351, which is the guitar pick shape you imagine when you close your eyes. Many companies have copied Luigi D’Andrea’s iconic pick shape so much that it’s become the industry standard.
358
Next, we have the 358, which is also commonly known as the “teardrop”. It’s a small pick with a sharp tip that is ideal for players who want to fly across the strings.
346
Third is the 346, which is a large, three-sided pick that also has plenty of surface area to grip onto. A great choice for those who use heavier strings and for bass players.
651
Finally, there is the 651, which is similar to a certain company’s famous “jazz” pick. Though small with a sharper edge, it offers just a bit more grip than the 358, while still being built for speed.
Aesthetically, we find that a wood pick is hard to beat. The unique grain pattern inherent in wood makes each pick visually unique. There is also a beauty in natural wood that you just can’t find with any other material.
We’ve worked hard in creating a pick that is beautiful to look at, sounds nice and warm when played, and builds on the versions that were pioneered before it. We hope that you will agree!
Please take a look, you won’t regret it.
By Kevin Daoust - instagram.com/kevindaoust.gtr
Kevin Daoust is a guitarist, guitar educator and writer based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. When not tracking guitars for artists around the world, or writing music-related articles around the internet, he can be seen on stage with Accordion-Funk legends Hey, Wow, the acoustic duo Chanté et Kev, as well as a hired gun guitarist around Quebec and Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
From being found in the wash to being left on counters and desks to being counted with change out of a guitarist’s pocket, guitar picks are the definitive proof that the holder undoubtedly plays the instrument.
But as omnipresent as they are, how many guitarists have pondered the history of the pick itself? Who are they? What were they doing?
The origins of Heavy Metal can be traced back to a couple of bands. The most average ones that get name-dropped include Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Blue Cheer and many other contemporaries.
Dear reader, in this writer’s opinion, the only band that can be defined as ground zero for Heavy Metal, as far as sound and style are concerned, was Black Sabbath, a band from Birmingham, England.
