The First Pick - Dunlop Tortex Standard 1.14mm (The Purple One)

As this is the first review on my blog, I thought I should start with the first pick which became my regular pick of choice - the purple tortex standard. 

This pick is a standard amongst many musicians, and you will find it in almost any music shop. The price on Amazon.co.uk for a pack of 12 is £3.45, which is undeniably very cheap, so would appeal to any level of player, whether just starting out or more experienced. 

One of the primary features of this kind of pick, to me, is the matt, tortex finish, which provides a sturdy grip, no matter how sweaty your fingers get whilst playing. Made to emulate picks originally made from the shell of Atlantic Hawksbill Turtles, this material is both flexible (varying with the gauge) and durable.

I chose the 1.14 gauge pick - I prefer to play with a firmer pick so that I can dramatically alter the dynamics of my playing my changing the ferocity with which I pick. This pick is in a dark purple colour, which, although looks fairly smart, does not make it easy to see when dropped on a dark floor! Between the fingers the pick feels slim (which is surprising, as it is the heaviest in the range), and is a standard plectrum shape. 

When practising with the tortex standard, it is easy to see why this pick has become a standard amongst many musicians. Strumming is comfortable, with the pick skipping over the string comfortably. Faster alternate picking styles required me to slightly angle the pick downwards, as the tip ends with what I would call a wide rounded edge, and the width does not seem to taper at all, however this is a kind of adjustment which, after some practising, would become natural to most players (if you increase the angle too much, the pick makes a harsh scraping sound against the string). The large surface area of the face of the pick allows comfortable finger positions for a variety of picking types, such as allowing a large amount of pick below the fingers for large, dynamic strumming, and showing only the tip for fast alternate picking and pinch harmonics.

I would describe the tone of this pick as warm, and perhaps lacking in the biting top-end frequencies which I tend to enjoy, however it is not at all unpleasant, and when performing with this pick it is not something you (and especially the audience) would necessarily notice. The matt finish is certainly very beneficial when playing live, ensuring a strong grip at all times, no matter how hard you're gripping (I vary the amount of grip a lot).

I would very much recommend this pick to players who are perhaps progressing from the attitude of "any pick will do" to wanting to find a more regular pick to use, as the shape will be very familiar to you, it will stick between your fingers and will give you a very usable tone. Plus it's very cheap, so very good quality for the price!