Magic Room Picks - Eco-Friendly & Tone Friendly

This week on The Pick I'm checking out a selection of picks from Magic Room Brand Music Supply. Made in Missouri, these picks are made 100% biodegradable by using bamboo. Vijoy, the founder of Magic Room, assured me that when the time comes, you can "bury their gear in the ground guilt free. Poof. They'll go away", but I'm not sure I'll be doing that any time soon with my new MRB picks! The box which my MRB picks came in has a great design, and along with the letter describing which pick was which was a handwritten note from Vijoy saying he hopes I enjoy the picks. In the box with the picks was a small material carrying bag and a sticker both with the Magic Room logo on. This was probably the nicest package a selection of picks has ever come for me in, and I really like the effort they put into this, making the whole experience that extra bit special.

Having enjoyed using wooden picks in the past, I was really looking forward to trying bamboo picks. Both on acoustic and electric guitar these picks sound great - very usable and definitely unique, I'd even happily use one or two of them for picked bass guitar.

First up is a composite pick (the one with the logo). This is made from bamboo cellulose (the inside bit of bamboo) and other natural plant materials, moulded into the shape of a pick. This plectrum has a smoother finish than the other MRB picks I have which are finished with a more open grain, and feels more sturdy in general. On acoustic guitar, this pick nicely pronounces the lower mids of my 000-style guitar, making it great for melodic lines. There is a curve on this pick which gives a tonal and slightly dynamic variance between up and down strokes, however this can be used really well to create some innovative new rhythmic sounds. I would definitely use this pick in the studio if I was recording acoustic guitar.

Secondly is the standard bamboo grass pick. With a taper from 2.5mm to 0.8mm, this pick has the comfort benefits of a thicker pick with the precision of a thinner pick. MRB offer three variations on the standard pick - one could be considered a "normal" pick shape, one has a thumb indent, and one has a thumb indent on one side and a finger indent on the other. All three are tonally very similar, slightly mid-scooped with a clear attack and lots of volume available if you dig in. Unlike a few of the wooden picks I've tried, these picks aren't too scratchy when you strum or pick lightly. I really enjoyed the thumb groove on the standard pick, that extra bit of grip support, however the I didn't notice the finger indent on the other pick until I had read Vijoy's letter which described the picks, as it wasn't where I normally have my finger when using a plectrum, however I'm sure for some people it will be a great extra bit of grip.

Out of all the MRB picks, the one I would choose to use with electric guitar would be the jazz bamboo grass pick. As you might have guessed, this pick has a familiar jazz pick style shape, meaning faster playing is a lot easier. By reducing the size of the pick there is some compromise in volume, but often this doesn't really matter with electric guitar. It is very similar tonally to the standard pick.

Finally is the "fatty", a 3mm pick shaped like a triangle with rounded corners designed for use with guitar and bass. Because of the rounded corners, on acoustic guitar this pick produces a very balanced sound, each string played evenly. Because of this there isn't much dynamic variation, however I can imagine this being really useful when recording rhythm guitar parts which require even strumming. On bass guitar the sound produced has the attack of using a pick without losing much warmth, and retains an even dynamic across each string.

I've really enjoyed checking out Magic Room picks this week. They excellently balance saving the planet by using biodegradable materials with creating great picks with unique tone and feel. If you like the sound or look of them, go check out their website at www.magicroombrand.com. If you enjoy reading The Pick and want to see more variety and more regular posts, please do consider donating or sponsoring. For more info check out the Sponsorship page, but benefits of contributing include the ability to suggest what kind of post or product review your contribution will go towards and your name or company advertisement in the blog, plus it enables me to continue to put time and effort into producing content!

TT-59 & Power90 - Magneto Design Lab Pickups Review

Today on The Pick, a couple of excellent pickups from Magneto Design Lab. Based in North Carolina in the US, Magneto Design Lab (MDL) pickups are extremely handmade, and currently offer three pickup models as standard: the '62-SC's, 60's inspired single coil Stratocaster pickups, the Tru-Tone '59, PAF-esque late 50's style humbuckers, and finally the Power90's, humbucker sized P90 pickups with a duo-voiced asymmetrical design. I have been trying out the Tru-Tone '59 bridge humbucker and Power90 neck P90 in my Epiphone Les Paul, and absolutely loving the tonal results! If you would like to read about my experience installing these MDL pickups, check out my post from a couple of weeks ago here.

The Tru-Tone '59 bridge humbucker is the flagship product from MDL Pickups. With totally hand-wound bobbins and being individually hand-assembled, you can really tell a lot of love has gone into them, and the sound of this humbucker really reflects the time and effort required to make a product of this standard. With a clean amp sound and no pedals, the Tru-Tone '59 has a unique tonality in the upper mids which gives the pickup a great clarity without the "honk" which can often be heard from bridge humbuckers. This tone is expertly practical for live performance, balancing the ability to cut through a full band mix without the uncomfortable timbre often found in products designed with this intent.

With a crunch tone from the amp, the Tru-Tone '59 is highly articulate with hugely wide dynamic range on tap from just picking variation. Finger-picking or hybrid picking can be clean whilst retaining clarity, and using a pick to dig in deep overdrives the amp nicely. Similarly, rolling off the volume on the guitar reduces drive and compression but again keeps the top end. As you can hear from the video demonstration, this pickup reacts really nicely to gain from pedals and other effects too.

In the neck position of my newly tooled up Epiphone Les Paul is the MDL Power90. This humbucker sized P90 has an asymmetrical design, meaning during the installation process you can choose whether to have the pickup "smooth & singing", or rotated 180 degrees "dynamic & aggressive" - as the pickup is in the neck position, I went for smooth and singing, and MAN I am in love with the sounds that come out of this thing! In general, I love neck pickups. Often amongst electric guitarists, especially those who play primarily with distorted tones, the neck pickup can go about underused due to lack of clarity, but this is most certainly not the case with the Power90.

Set with a sparkling clean tone, the Power90 exhibits qualities reminiscent of a smaller single coil pickup but with a depth that is very welcome. Winding down the tone control and adding some gain enables you to channel the smooth, compressed woman tone without losing pick attack. This pickup is definitely one to hear.

The middle pickup combination of the Tru-Tone '59 and the Power90 is a very special and unique tone which retains the attack and warmth from the neck Power90 but blends in the bold upper mids from the Tru-Tone '59 and creates a very full sound. Add a little compression with a light crunch and the end result is a sound I could hear being an excellent tone for the only guitarist in a three-piece band, filling in the frequencies between the bass guitar and the vocals with a rich, dynamic, rhythmic and full sound.

Finally, I just wanted to quickly mention how awesome these pickups looks. They are finished with a subtle ageing which takes the sheen off the metal parts and makes them look appropriately lived-in, and the black behind the Power90 has a horizontally brushed finish. Both of these aesthetic elements further display the amount of care that has gone into producing these pickups. In my matte finished transparent red Les Paul, these pickups bring some class into what was once a fairly dull looking guitar. It is worth saying that you can get the Power90 with a similar covered look, however I am a massive fan of the mismatched one-on-one-off look - I've gone to the effort of upgrading my pickups, I want it to look different and I think it looks very cool.

As I'm sure you can tell, I am very pleased with the tones available from my once dull and underused Epiphone Les Paul. If you like the sound of these Magneto Design Lab pickups, definitely head over to their website - as well as the stock pickups I have demoed, they also offer custom options, wiring harnesses, tone caps and to top it all off some awesome looking cables - Lee is a great guy with an excellent ear for brilliant guitar tone, so I don't doubt each of these products are to a very high standard. And maybe in the future I will check out their 60's Strat pickups in my Squire Stratocaster!

If you enjoy reading The Pick and want to see more variety and more regular posts, please do consider donating or sponsoring. For more info check out the Sponsorship page, but benefits of contributing include the ability to suggest what kind of post or product review your contribution will go towards and your name or company advertisement in the blog, plus it enables me to continue to put time and effort into producing content!

Magneto Design Lab Pickup Demo - TT-59 & Power90

Written review coming next week!

If you enjoy The Pick and want to see more variety and more regular posts, please do consider donating or sponsoring. For more info check out the Sponsorship page, but benefits of contributing include the ability to suggest what kind of post or product review your contribution will go towards and your name or company advertisement in the blog, plus it enables me to continue to put time and effort into producing content!

My Dissertation

This week on The Pick should've been my review of the EPIC Magneto Design Labs pickups I recently received, however due to a variety of reasons I have had to postpone that review for a week or two, the main reason being the bulk of my life at the moment which is my dissertation, so I thought rather than having a week of no posts I'd chat about that!

The general theme of my dissertation is computer generated music - music which is composed with little or no intervention from a human. I'll be writing about different systems which do this, then evaluating the music that is produced. As well as writing about this, I'm also attempting to build a few of my own music generating systems.

The first type of system I've been researching and attempting to build myself is based around the use of genetic algorithms. In general, these work by saving the musical data in a 'genome' which can later be altered. Darwintunes.org uses Darwin's Survival of the Fittest to alter the genomes, and works in a way which emulates population evolution - sounds crazy but the results it gets are really interesting - definitely check it out.

My genetic algorithm system is similar to Biles' GenJam as it will emulate the way a jazz improvisor learns to improvise. It does this with the help of a human 'mentor' who tells the system which of it's performed generated phrases are good and which are bad. These are then mutated in a variety of ways and hopefully improved. The improved phrases are then saved according to the chord they are played over, and can later be called upon when the system is given a chord sequence to improvise over.

Hopefully you've enjoyed this little taster into what I've been doing recently! Throughout the busy-ness I will aim to continue to post regular content on here as much as is humanly possible.

On another note, I might be in the market for some custom moulded in ear monitors, any suggestions? I usually just play electric guitar, but also sing and play acoustic occasionally, so I would prefer them to be pretty versatile. Recommendations would be great!

If you enjoy reading The Pick and want to see more variety and more regular posts, please do consider donating or sponsoring. For more info check out the Sponsorship page, but benefits of contributing include the ability to suggest what kind of post or product review your contribution will go towards and your name or company advertisement in the blog, plus it enables me to continue to put time and effort into producing content!

Magneto Design Lab Pickups Review - The Installation

This week on The Pick I'm checking out a couple of pickups from Magneto Design Labs (MDL). This is a very exciting first for The Pick, and what a great two pickups to start with! The pickups I'm checking out today are the Power90 humbucker sized P90 style pickup and the Tru-Tone '59 late '50s style humbucker. 

Starting at the very beginning, these pickups arrived in a very attractive box and were packaged very well. Having been shipped to the UK from North Carolina in the US I was pleased to see these pickups were in perfect condition when they arrived thanks to the ample packaging material. 

I had decided when talking to Lee from MDL that I would try to install these pickups myself - with very little soldering experience and having never changed pickups before I was slightly daunted by the task ahead, but Lee was very helpful and provided me with pickup-appropriate circuit diagrams which I used throughout the process. Because I was installing the pickups in my Epiphone Les Paul, Lee also suggested that I write the Volume and Tone pots "50s style" by moving the capacitor so it connects the middle lug of the volume pot to the left lug of the tone pot, however for the time being I've kept the volume and tone wiring as it was.

Removing the stock Epiphone pickups was very simple and took very little time after locating the correct cables to unsolder. I then disconnected the mounting rings from the Epiphone pickups and used the supplied screws and springs to attach them to my new MDL pickups. Both pickups fit nicely into the Epiphone mounting rings and now sit nicely in the Les Paul's arched top. The supplied mounting ring screws were a nice touch as they are aged in a similar way to the pickups themselves, adding to the overall aesthetic.

To attach the cables of the MDL pickups you must unwind some of the outer wire mesh and solder that to ground. This part of the installation could've been easier, as when I attempted to unwind enough of the wire mesh to give an amateur solderer (myself!) enough room to work with, the thin wire strands felt very delicate and frail. Once I had unwound enough of the outer mesh, I was left with two layers of cloth - one black, one white - which easily pulled back exposing plenty of the inside wire core to solder to the volume pot. It took a couple of attempts to correctly solder each wire to the appropriate place and get a secure connection, however this is a reflection of my soldering ability rather than the quality of the product!

Once the pickups were installed it was time to put them to the test. To find out about how they sound and see a video demonstration, check back in to The Pick at the same time next week!

If you enjoy reading The Pick and want to see more variety and more regular posts, please do consider donating or sponsoring. For more info check out the Sponsorship page, but benefits of contributing include the ability to suggest what kind of post or product review your contribution will go towards and your name or company advertisement in the blog, plus it enables me to continue to put time and effort into producing content!

Vibrato - Pure Data Part 4

This week on The Pick we're taking a look at building vibrato effects in Pure Data. In the late 1940s Gibson began building vibrato circuits into their electric instrument amplifiers, and hardware vibratos of the 1980s are still highly sought after today, but by building our own audio effects we can tweak and develop them without being limited by parameters suggested by digital effects developers and hopefully create a useable effect!

Vibrato is a slow, often subtle audio effect which uses pitch shifting in a similar way to the subtle string bending many instrumentalists use to give movement to melodies. It’s sound is often used for creating the shimmering, swirling sound heard with a Rhodes piano or Hammond organ and was widely used throughout the psychedelic 60s.

The patch below uses a low frequency oscillator to alter the pitch of the input audio. You can effect the depth of the LFO, the frequency and the amount of wet signal mixed with the through dry signal. I’ve written some suggested boundaries for each number slider, but experiment with other limits to maybe create some original effects!

If you enjoy reading The Pick and want to see more variety and more regular posts, please do consider donating or sponsoring. For more info check out the Sponsorship page, but benefits of contributing include the ability to suggest what kind of post or product review your contribution will go towards and your name or company advertisement in the blog, plus it enables me to continue to put time and effort into producing content!

Phaser - Pure Data Part 3

Building on what we looked at in the last two weeks, this week's patch is a bit more complex. Whilst they sound somewhat similar, phasers are built quite differently to flangers, as can be seen in the patch below.

Used on songs such as Van Halen's Eruption, phaser effects can be used to give motion and movement to instrument tones, and can be found on keyboards and hammond organs as well as electric guitar, creating an effect reminiscent of a Leslie rotating sound.

In this patch the swooping sound of the phaser is created from two cosine waves 1/2π out of phase. When combined with the dry guitar sound you get that familiar swoosh. On the patch below I've suggested some parameters to work between, but try some variations yourself, experiment and see what you can come up with.

If you enjoy reading The Pick and want to see more variety and more regular posts, please do consider donating or sponsoring. For more info check out the Sponsorship page, but benefits of contributing include the ability to suggest what kind of post or product review your contribution will go towards and your name or company advertisement in the blog, plus it enables me to continue to put time and effort into producing content!

Flanger - Pure Data Part 2

This is part two of this series on creating audio effects using Pure Data. If you haven't yet, check out last weeks tutorial on creating chorus effects, then come back to complete this one. This week we'll be turning our chorus effect into a flanger.

Famous for rock guitar riffs like Barracuda by Heart, flanger is a swooshing guitar effect some people liken to a strong sounding phaser, however they are built differently.

The flanger effect differs from chorus due to it's use of a feedback loop and shorter delay times of up to 10ms, rather than around 10-40ms for chorus. For two very different sounding effects they are built very similarly. 

Below is a pure data patch for flanger. You'll notice that it is very similar to the patch from last week's post, demonstrating the small technical differences between chorus and flanger. Why not give it a go and see what kind of effects you can create!

Hint: By increasing the delay time you decrease the pitch of the effect, and decreasing the delay time increases the pitch.


If you enjoy reading The Pick and want to see more variety and more regular posts, please do consider donating or sponsoring. For more info check out the Sponsorship page, but benefits of contributing include the ability to suggest what kind of post or product review your contribution will go towards and your name or company advertisement in the blog, plus it enables me to continue to put time and effort into producing content!

10,000 Views?!

Wow! Today The Pick surpassed 10,000 views.

I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank everyone who has read The Pick in the last year - thank you for sticking with me as I work on this project and I hope that you've found it useful and entertaining. 

Also a huge thank you to all the companies who make great products for us musicians and especially to those who send out samples for me to test out and write about. If these companies weren't hugely generous I would've run out of things to review and/or spare cash not long into this project, and I hope that by featuring them on The Pick more people have found the right products for them.

Thanks again, and here's to the next 10,000!

James

Chorus - Pure Data Part 1 *Updated*

Whilst it isn't necessary flavour of the month, chorus audio effects have been used across some epic guitar licks since their invention. The way that the original audio signal is processed to create the movement and swirl of a chorus-y tone is quite easy to reproduce using simple audio editing software such as Pure Data.

Pure Data is a real-time graphical dataflow programming environment for audio, video, and graphical processing. For users like myself, it enables you to create musical effects without too much stress. You can download this free to use software here: puredata.info/downloads

Chorus effects are created using delay. A simple chorus effect uses a delay time of 10-40 milliseconds (ms), which is then modulated using a low frequency oscillator. When this signal is summed with the original unprocessed signal, the effect created is chorus.

Below is an example Pure Data patch for a chorus effect. Try copying this example patch and play with the LFO rate and depth and the delay time and amount to get some different chorus sounds.

If you enjoy reading The Pick and want to see more variety and more regular posts, please do consider donating or sponsoring. For more info check out the Sponsorship page, but benefits of contributing include the ability to suggest what kind of post or product review your contribution will go towards and your name or company advertisement in the blog, plus it enables me to continue to put time and effort into producing content!

Strap in for a Comfy Ride! Original Fuzz Guitar Strap Review

I have recently been in contact with the lovely people at Original fuzz over in Nashville, and last week I received one of their guitar straps to test out. The strap I chose was the Indian Strap in Chino Carpio pattern, and I've loved the look of this unique design with my Gretsch guitar since it arrived.

The Indian Strap range features products which are made from full grain leather with a soft cotton backing, quality materials which have proven to last and I can't see this strap showing any signs of wear any time soon. The strap itself is two inches wide (what I'd call a "normal" strap width) with a thickness of about half a centimetre. The front of the strap is a printed design using techniques which originated in India - the design is hand stamped and is really unique. 

The ends of this strap are in a brown leather of a very high quality. Whilst many straps begin to feel loose over time this one has held up very well. The vintage styling of the ends and the adjustment ring lend this strap a great sense of style - it certainly isn't just a cool pattern on any old guitar strap, it is a very nicely made product which will work great with vintage or vintage style guitars.

This strap is adjustable to 1.65m, which, at it's full extension, is too long for me (and I'm 6ft tall and usually set my guitar quite low) - I tend to have it set with around 25cm of fold over at one end. The cream coloured cotton on the underside of the strap is both comfortable and well styled (nicely matching the off-white binding on my Gretsch), and once slung over your shoulder it doesn't slip around, keeping your guitar sturdily in place.

If you are looking for a uniquely designed quality guitar strap, definitely check out Original Fuzz - they have some really nice looking products and if the Indian Chino Carpio strap is one to go by, they are premium accessories for any guitarist. And they currently offer free shipping to anywhere in the US!

My Pedal Prototype

It has been a while since I last wrote a proper blog post, what with it being summer and all I thought I'd have a rest, but I wasn't just relaxing - I have been prototyping a guitar pedal! Using software development techniques I learnt at university, trial and error and online forums I think I am through the early stages, so I'm sharing what I've done so far.

The main audio effects are written in a piece of software called Pure Data, a real-time graphical dataflow programming environment for audio. In this programme I've created 11 effects (so far), which include a hall reverb, flanger, phaser and vibrato, as well as a few of my own more creative, unique effects. Pure Data is ran on a Raspberry Pi, which will run headless once the project is totally completed.

Connected to the Raspberry Pi by USB is an Arduino Uno, which is used to connect buttons and potentiometers to the Pure Data project and to control an LCD screen. The button controls are to turn on and off audio processing, to cycle through the effects, to load preset settings and finally one button to control which effect parameter the one potentiometer controls. The LCD screen displays the name of the selected effect and the control parameter which is currently selected.

I'm currently using my Lexicon Omega audio interface to test out the effects, but I will soon buy a dedicated Raspberry Pi audio card which has line level inputs and outputs, which, whilst not being perfect levels, are significantly closer to instrument level than headphone levels.

As you can tell there is still a bit of work to do, including designing a PCB to replace the breadboards I'm currently using to prototype. I will then design an enclosure and put everything together!  I will keep you updated with the progress of this project, but apologies if posts are less regular than they used to be!

Coming Soon...

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, what with it being summer I have had some weeks off! I have also been busy working on a new pedal design, which soon I will be posting about.

Thank you for your continued support for The Pick, look forward to what is to come!

#TBT Gravity Picks Spotlight

Since the summer, the Gravity Razer pick has become one of my regular picks, which is one of the reasons why receiving a package of different Gravity picks to try was so exciting. Just before Christmas I received a package which included the Tripp Standard 1.5, the Edge standard 3, the Classic Pointed Mini 2, the Sunrise Mini 3 and the Stealth Standard 2. These are a variety of sizes and shapes, and the Classic Pointed Mini has a oval shaped grip hole.

So I'll start with the Sunrise Mini 3. This is a Jazz III sized pick, with slightly pointed sides, and the rough 'Master Finish' edge. Being 3mm thick, it feels very similar to the Razer Standard 3 which I regularly use. Tonally, it exhibits the similar treble boost I've come to enjoy with Gravity Picks, in a shape which is great for fast alternate picking and intricate, detailed parts. The 'Master Finish' can sometimes be a bit scratchy sometimes, but not so much that you could hear it, more feel it in your hand.

The second smallest pick is the Classic Pointed Mini 2. As I'm sure you've already worked out, this pick is a smaller classic pick shape (like a rounded-off Sunrise Mini). Like I previously mentioned, this pick has an oval shaped grip hole. This is an interesting feature, an option available on many (if not all) of the Gravity picks. It works well, but the Gravity picks themselves are made from a grippy material - I guess it's for the 'belt-and-braces' kind of player. Also with the "Master Finish", this tone exhibits a tone which is very similar to the Sunrise Mini.

Up in size again is the Edge Standard 3. This pick is similar to the classic shape, but with wider wings. It also has a polished bevel, and more rounded edges than the other. This pick plays really nicely, and sits very comfortably in the hand. Great for many different playing styles, I think this pick is my favourite of the lot I was sent.

The Stealth Standard 2 is like the pointed version of the Edge Standard, with three equal sides and three identical picking corners. For a 2mm thick pick, this feels quite thin, but has the same great feel as the other Gravity picks. This pick is probably my least favourite, it's just not for me!

The final pick is the most unique pick of the lot. With three different tips, you have one which is more pointed and similar to the sunrise shape, which is better for shredding, one which is rounded like the Axis pick and better for strumming, and a third which is in between the two which is the jack-of-all-trades setting. Being 1.5mm thick, it's smaller than I'm used to when playing electric guitar, but this encouraged my to play acoustic, and worked really well for that. I've often found that with plastic picks like these (the High-Grade Transparent Thermoplastic known as Polymethyl Methacrylate to be precise), they don't sound great with acoustic guitars, but this pick was very pleasing to use.

Since discovering Gravity picks earlier this year, I've been using them as my regular picks almost exclusively. They play louder than most other picks I've used and don't wear out at all from what I've noticed so far - I'd definitely recommend checking these out, no matter what you're used to, there's something for everyone.

Do you use Gravity Picks? What shape and gauge do you use? Let me know in the comments!

#TBT Chicken Picks Spotlight!

As this blog is growing, I've been talking to a lot of guitarists on different social medias about what picks they use, and asking for recommendations of picks to try, and to review. Chicken Picks were recommended to me by a Reddit user, and when I got in contact with the company they were very happy to send me some picks to review. I received a pack of 7, and by using their website and the handy note of the gauge written on the back of the pick (which also helps with the grip), I can tell you that the picks I've tried are the 2 and 2.5mm Badazz, the 3.5mm Shredder, the 2.1 and 2.7mm Bermuda, the 2.6mm Regular and the 2.2mm Light.

The material which is used to make Chicken Picks is what makes these really unique - they are unlike any other pick I have used before, and the only way I can think to describe them is by comparing them to a new, unused Dunlop Tortex pick, before you've rubbed away all the grippy-ness. These things stay in your hand. The Chicken Picks website says that the material used is "a high-quality and highly-durable thermosetting plastic", but it doesn't feel 'plastic-y'.

The selection of picks I was send have a real variety in playability and tone. They range from picks for shredders, picks for country players, picks for bluesy players - I'm sure that players from many areas of the musical world could find their pick in the Chicken Picks selection. Out of these 7, I've found 2 which I love for my playing style, 2 which I enjoy playing with but I'd use less, and 3 which don't suit me that well (that's not to say they aren't good picks, but they just didn't work for me).

So lets start in the middle. Two of the picks I enjoyed playing are the 2.7mm Bermuda and the 2.0mm Badazz. The Bermuda is a triangular picks, with all three corners the same. This pick is a great size for players who change their picking technique spending on what their playing. It has a large surface area, which is by no means cumbersome, but allows for comfortable movement. The bevel is about 3-4mm long, and ends at a point. The edge of this pick is pointed, but the tip is rounded, and gives a warm tone to your playing. As with all these picks, there is a great deal of attack in the sound, which works well for arpeggiated picking.

Moving on, the 2.00mm Badazz was good, but the 2.5mm was great. This thicker pick is of a similar shape to the Turquoise Jazzy Tone pick which I reviewed a few weeks ago, sort of a wider Jazz III. It's shape works well for all the styles which you would associate with smaller scale picks, such as complex alternate picking, and has that same bright attack and warm tone which I've come to expect from Chicken Picks. After a few minutes of testing out this pick, I forgot what I was doing and went on a bit of a musical tangent, which I think is a good thing to happen when testing out new picks.

The Regular picks are, as you can imagine, in the shape of what everyone expects a pick to look like, however these are slightly taller and have slightly larger wings, and for me, this made my playing feel a bit clumsy. I would usually use larger picks for acoustic guitar playing, however these felt a bit too scratchy for me. I also was a bit disappointed with the 2.1mm Bermuda - it seems that 0.6mm is all it takes to change my opinion of a plectrum! Even though these few picks weren't for me, that's not to say they wont be the perfect fit for someone.

My favourite of the Chicken Picks was the 3.5mm Shredder. As you probably know by now, I'm a bit of a sucker for a thicker pick, and this one was no different. It has the shape of a scaled down Regular pick, and worked great for all kinds of playing (unlike the name suggests!). The bevel on this pick is great, smoothly tapering to a point in around 0.3mm, and just works really well for the kinds of stuff I was playing.

On the whole, these Chicken Picks have been great fun to try out - the feel is so unique but so usable and comfortable that gives them an advantage over others. The look is nice and classy - all the picks are finished in a matt white colour, and I've had a great time playing them.

Do you use Chicken Picks? Why do you like them? Let me know in the comments!

JB Guitar Picks Spotlight

This week I'm taking a look at a couple of  JB Guitar Picks. This picks are handmade by JB in Brooklyn and come in a variety of shapes and gauges and are available in two different materials.

The first of the two JB picks I tried out was the interestingly named Corozo pick. After some research, I found out that corozo is also known as tagua, a nut, which is also used to make the Howling Monkey picks I enjoyed reviewing a few weeks ago. This pick is naturally matte, meaning the grip is very comfortable, and JB's hand bevelling makes playing using this pick really easy. Unlike a lot of the harder picks I've tested, this pick works great for rhythm playing as well as lead without being scratchy - this pick is clear, articulate and tonally balanced.

The second JB pick I have is made from celluloid. It is slightly smaller than the Corozo pick I have, but the same gauge: 2.0mm. The finish of this material is more shine, but in testing I did not have a problem holding onto it. Compared to the Corozo model, the tone of this pick is more mid-scooped, with a more enhanced low end and top end. This tonal detail means that it would work well for rhythm guitar, especially with heavily distorted guitar sounds. There is very little friction between this plectrum and the guitar string, so you can play as fast as you like without being hindered by your pick.

As well as two plectrums, JB also sent me his Ultra Shine Pick buffer, a small rectangular bar which can be used to refresh the bevel on a heavily used plectrum, meaning the fast attack is retained in the pick. This is a useful product to have, especially when selling more expensive plectrums, and gives more of an incentive to buy a better pick.

The two picks I've tried from JB Guitar Picks have shown me the amount of work that goes into producing these very high quality products. If you haven't yet, head over to their website and check them out. Each model is available with a couple of different bevelling options, a very good feature in my opinion, and one of the reasons I really enjoyed playing guitar with JB's picks. Thank you for reading this weeks review, if you don't already make sure to follow The Pick on the social medias, and come back next Wednesday for another pick review!

Find A Penny, Pick It Up - Coins as Picks

Playing guitar with a coin as a pick is either a decision based on tone and feel or a necessity after dropping your pick on a dark stage. A few guitarists choose to regularly use currency as plectrums, probably most notably Brian May who buys sixpences (which are no longer currency) to use. I thought today I'd try out a couple of coins I had in my wallet.

First up is a two pence piece. Made out of 1.85mm thick copper plated steel, this coin is totally round and has a smooth edge. Without bevels, this coin can be a bit scratchy, but the lack of edges mean that there is little friction between the pick and the string making your playing balanced and even. The tone of the 2p in almost mid scooped, with brightness and attack at the top end and warmth and support in the lows. The 2p would work well for a rhythm guitarist who didn't do too much intricate picking but rather spend most of the time strumming.

The 10p coin is slightly smaller than the 2p, made out of nickel plated steel, and has ridges on the circumference. The ridges add some texture to the pick sound which his recollective of the Queen guitar tone. The tone of this pick is thinner and I found it harder to play lead - using this coin would take some getting used to as I would have to relearn a picking technique which didn't produce scuffed notes.

The 50p coin is the largest of the four coins I'm trying today. It has seven corners and is made of cupro-nickel (an alloy of copper). The corners in this coin definitely make the playing experience easier and more similar to using a standard plectrum, and it does exhibit the same qualities as using a larger plectrum in the increased volume.

Finally I have a 20p coin, the smallest of this selection. Again this coin has seven corners - they are admittedly quite blunt but I still would rather have these than a rounded edge. As with the other picks, the sound is a bit scratchy but still has plenty of clarity and would work just fine in a band mix. the smaller footprint of this coin tempts you to play faster, but I kept tripping over myself using this pick for articulated lead playing, and I found myself wanting a more acute corner rather than the smooth corners of this small coin.

Overall I think using a coin as a plectrum is a choice you must make on feel and tone - they definitely do work as picks as plainly shown by Brian May, but I found the experience challenging and I did not enjoy the tone enough to want to change my playing habits and relearn picking muscle memory for it. Definitely experiment using a variety of coins though, find one which suits your playing style in feel and sound before settling, and remember many companies offer metal picks or round picks as alternatives which might suit you better.

Remember to follow The Pick on all the social medias, and come back next Wednesday at 11am BST for another post. Thanks for reading!

Howling Monkey Picks - Something To Howl About #GetNuts

This week I'm checking out some Howling Monkey picks. These picks are made from tagua, a nut which grows on palm trees in the rain forests of South America, and which makes a really interesting pick material. These plectrums are very environmentally friendly, unlike wooden picks which require tree harvesting, bone from animals or plastic which utilises environmentally harmful materials, tagua nuts are just picked from trees.

First up I have the Jazz III size pick with classic grip in an awesome turquoise/blue colour. The classic Howling Monkeys grip features the logo engraved on one side and two diagonal lines on the other. This pick isn't overly thick, coming in at around 1.8mm, so works great as a Jazz III upgrade. When compared side by side with the aforementioned Dunlop plectrum, the Howling Monkey pick is louder and brighter with less pick noise - why wouldn't you want those upgrades! I also have the Jazz III pick which has the 'pistol grip', a rounded diamond with a grid etched inside which genuinely really helps with grip (although the tagua material is naturally matte finished and has a nice feel without the pistol grip) and is finished in a nice rusty red colour. The third Jazz III mutation which is available is the Fat Jazz - a pick which features the pistol grip, and slightly wider shoulders than the other Jazz III models. The model I have is finished in a sickly green which I'm not as keen on as I am the others, but the extra size suits me a lot better than the smaller models, and I find this one easier to use when playing rhythm parts.

The standard size Howling Monkey pick exhibits the same tonal qualities as many larger picks which don't flex, being tonally quite balanced but with more attack noise than the smaller Jazz III. The pistol grip feels more necessary on the larger picks and works great to stop the pick slipping around, meaning your playing is a lot more consistent. Also available is the Fatty pick, which is a slightly larger standard, which is tonally similar to the standard.

The Primate Howling Monkey pick is the most basic tagua pick which Howling Monkey makes. With no fancy colouring and the only extra grip coming from the Howling Monkey logo engraving, it may seem a surprise that I really enjoyed using this plectrum, even compared to it's big brother the standard Howling Monkey pick. The bevels on this particular plectrum are great, and it has very little pick noise. The tone of this pick does that great thing where it changes based on your playing - digging in allows you to access just enough brightness and backing off a bit gives you warmth whilst retaining precision. The Primate is definitely one to try!

The Triforce pick is a three cornered plectrum, each corner being the same. It is the thickest of the selection I have - on the Howling Monkeys website it says the pick thickness varies between 1.8mm and 2mm and this particular pick is definitely at the thicker end. This pick has the same clarity and precision as the other Howling Monkey picks but is more warm, probably due to the extra thickness. Whilst this particular model isn't for me, I can see many players really loving this pick.

The Saucer pick is a pick with three very rounded edges, meaning there is very little friction or drag between the pick and the string. This pick is slightly quieter than the others, but works great for strumming open chords. Lead playing is a bit more scratchy but I don't think that's the kind of playing this pick was designed for. This pick also works great on acoustic guitar or mandolin, and has a very balanced, even sound across all the strings.

After trying out this selection, I would highly recommend the Jazz III models, particularly the Fat Jazz. I love the tone of these picks, generally well balanced with a lightly boosted brightness, the material feels great between your fingers as well as being environmentally sustainable, and the picks all look great. They also offer custom pick designs on their website, which I would love to try - you definitely need to check out Howling Monkey picks! #GetNuts

V-Picks Spotlight - Part 2

This week I am checking out some more V-Picks! Having been my pick of choice consistently for the last six months, I thought I'd share some more of my favourites from Vinni and the other folks at V-Picks. The five picks I've chosen to write about today are all of a similar shape and style but which all exhibit different tones and feels, appropriate for different styles and performances.

First is the Snake pick. This is a triangular plectrum with very sharp points on all three of the corners. This is a great example of the V-Picks bevel - this thing is as smooth as anything, coming to very even points which reduce friction with the string and provides a very even and clear attack. The gauge of this pick is 4.1mm and is very comfortable to use. Much like smaller picks, the snake works really well for clear pinch harmonics and fast articulated licks, but still feels comfortable to use for rhythm playing.

The Dimension pick is the same size and shape as the snake, however has curved edges on two of it's three playing tips. The ghost rim I have on my dimension pick gives a really unique timbre to the attack. When you play lightly there is an almost violin-like timbre, and when you play aggressively you get a bit more bark, recollective of playing with a coin. The choice of a more pointed side or a rounded side to pick with gives more versatility to the already very unique and versatile pick. The Dimension Jr is 2-3mm smaller than the regular on all sides, and mine has the usual V-Picks smooth bevel. If you prefer a smaller plectrum but want a more comfortable gauge, more grip and more tonal variety, why not check out the Dimension Jr.

Next is the Tradition pick. This pick has the smaller gauge of 2.75mm and a more regular plectrum shape, and exhibits a more balanced tonal quality. Whilst retaining the clarity in attack which is somewhat signature to V-Picks, there is a warmth which balances out the brightness which sounds great on acoustic guitar.

Finally for this weeks post is the Farley pick. This signature pick for jazz guitarist Dean Farley has rounded edges which allow for fast and even lead playing without much string attack noise. This pick has an interesting mid-hump in it's tonal quality which is really interesting and unique - I can certainly see why this kind of pick would work well for guitarists who play mostly clean, clear melodic phrases and complex chord sequences.

One aspect of the plectrums which I haven't mentioned in this spotlight on V-Picks is the grip, but that's because there isn't much to say in this area - they just grip really well. You might not think it due to the well polished, smooth finish but the material used to make the picks just make holding onto these things particularly easy no matter how dry or sweaty your fingers get when performing.

If you've not got yourself a V-Pick yet, definitely go and check them out - since I have been writing this blog I have tried out a lot of picks but I have used one pick through them all, my signature V-Pick. Go here to check out their website, and definitely read their awesome 'About Us' story.

Does Size Matter? - Big Picks vs Small Picks

I had a tough time today trying to think of a sensible title for this blog post, so decided not to. That's right, today I am comparing a selection of three small picks to three of the larger picks in my collection. These come from ToneFirst Customs, Gravity, Dunlop, V-Picks, Winspear and Wegen Picks.

Before starting I thought I'd outline my expectations about the kind of results I expected to see when comparing smaller picks to larger picks. In general I assumed the smaller picks would be quieter with less dynamic range on tap, brighter sounding and easier to play speedy licks with. The increase in size gave me the impression that the larger picks would be both more dynamically and tonally variable, with more volume available and more depth to the tone, but possibly more sluggish to play with.

The first plectrum I picked up was the Jazz 3-esque ToneFirst Custom Master Series, a 1.5mm thick piece of modified acrylic. I instantly noticed that I held the pick with only the tiniest of corners showing to strike the string with, which enabled me to play pinch harmonics very clearly, but somewhat capped the amount I could dig in without brushing my thumb against the string when the accompanying harmonic was not desired. These points are also noticeable when using the Gravity Sunrise Mini 2, which is slightly shorter length-wise, making chordal work challenging to play without serious consideration of my strumming technique. Tonally the ToneFirst Custom is surprisingly rounded, with clarity in the top and a nice warmth to it, and the Gravity has it's recognisable brightness which is sure to cut through a band mix. The third small pick I tried was the Dunlop Tortex Small Tear Drop 1.14mm, which is a longer pick and lends itself more readily to strumming and has that Tortex sound which many will enjoy.

The V-Picks Saga plectrum could hold all three of the small plectrums in it's surface area, and because of this the issues with strumming and accidental muting which were noticeable when using the smaller picks were no longer an issue. The rounded edges of this pick give the sound a duller attack, but this is somewhat counter-balanced by V-Picks signature tone which is still noticeably bright. The Wegenpicks Trimus 350 is very similar in shape to the V-Picks Saga but at least twice as thick. The bevels on this pick are really nice and rounded, skipping over the strings with ease, but still doesn't encourage fast lead melodies like the smaller picks do. The Winspear Bloodline Longsword V is a different shape all together - just as tall as the other two picks, but the shape of an isosceles triangle. The thickness tapers down from 5mm at the thick end, and the material is very light weight, which is interesting for a thicker feeling pick. For such a soft feeling material, the Longsword has a very precise attack and felt nicer to play lead with than the others did.

In general I think this informal experiment shows why most players favour a pick which is somewhere in the middle, offering traits observed in both larger and smaller picks, however for players with more specific guitar tones the more extreme ends of the plectrum spectrum might be more appropriate. And as I usually find myself saying, the recording studio will always be a place where a wide variety of tones are required to create varied tonal layers, and being able to easily switch between plectrums is very useful.

Do you find yourself regularly using particularly small or large plectrums? Let me know why you like them in the comments! Also remember to follow The Pick on social media for updates on blog posts, interesting guitar or music things and possibly free stuff coming in the future...

Bone & Horn Jazz 3s and Spearheads - Iron Age Guitar Accessories

In previous reviews I have really enjoyed playing with picks made from bone and horn materials, so when I saw two sets of these picks in my Iron Age pick selection I was really looking forward to trying them out. In both the jazz 3 and spearhead shapes, these offer a cool alternative to a standard pick as well as a more innovative, stylistic pick.

Tonally, there isn't much in it between the two materials. Both the bone and horn are full and rounded, far from thin sounding, and a great pick for someone who isn't in the market for a pick with a specialist tone. The jazz 3 shaped picks have a 2.5mm gauge which I find very comfortable, and have two holes in them which help with grip. These picks also come with small lanyard clips so you can attach them to your keys, a very cool little feature. They feel very reminiscent of the original jazz 3s but sound much fuller and louder, so if you're a regular j3 user, check these out!

The tonal difference between the difference is more obvious in the spearhead picks (check out my review of other spearhead picks from Iron Age guitar accessories here). Finished in a more matte feel than the jazz 3s, the bone pick has a more audible attack which I enjoy. The tapered point of the spearhead picks makes playing fast lead work very precise and the engraved designs both look very cool and unique and aid massively with grip.

There isn't much else to say about these picks - they play very well and sound great as I've come to expect from Iron Age guitar accessories. If you haven't yet, definitely check out their website, they have some very unique guitar picks which are all very musically voiced performance and composition tools, as well as some useful accessories and a very cool blog! Next week is the last of the Iron Age pick reviews, so be sure to come back next Wednesday and check it out.

As usual, remember to follow The Pick on social medias, links are down the side, and why not check out some other pick reviews! If you're a Jazz 3 style pick user, why not check out my reviews of these other Jazz 3 style picks: ToneFirst Customs, Winspear, Purus Handmade Picks, Awe-In-One, Gravity Picks and Chicken Picks.

Wedgie Picks Rubber Picks

In the last part of the spotlight on Wedgie picks I'm looking at some rubber plectrums. Available in two thicknesses: 5mm and 3.1mm, these come in as the thickest picks Wedgie offers. Each gauge of pick comes in three available feels, soft, medium and hard, and it's suggested that they are a pick which sounds like playing with your fingers but feels like a normal pick. I will be testing these out on my steel string acoustic guitar and bass guitar.

The concept of a pick which sounds like you are playing with your fingers is an interesting and unique one, and whilst testing them out I struggled to find a style of playing which suited the sound. Strumming the guitar has a very dull sound, almost as if a low pass filter had been used and slightly removed by using the slimmer gauge or the harder picks. Playing lead with these rubber picks is a challenge, the texture is too tacky and grips onto the string. Whilst it is a unique tone for a plectrum, I'm struggling to think of a use for these picks other than as a creative tool (which is no bad thing!).

Moving over to bass guitar, I can see more of a practical use for these plectrums - it definitely does sound like playing with fingers, and for a guitarist with (comparatively) soft fingertips. There isn't much noticeable difference between gauges on bass, tending not to play with enough dynamic variance to notice the tonal differences. These picks are definitely worth considering if you struggle with getting blisters on your fingers after playing bass but don't like the tone of a regular plectrum.

These rubber picks are a nice way of rounding off the spotlight review of Wedgie picks, with a more unique approach to pick design but retaining the Wedgie style with the thumb concave and modern looking logo.

As well as the picks, the folks at Wedgie picks also sent over a couple of cool accessories, including a drum key and some cymbal washers (which have yet to be used but are in the bag of stuff I take to gigs, just in case!), both a guitar and a bass pick holder, which clips onto the headstock of your guitar and can hold two thin plectrums, and a micstand pick holder.

Hopefully you've enjoyed this series of reviews taking a look at Wedgie picks, if you haven't read the others, I'll leave the links at the bottom. As usual remember to follow The Pick on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe so you get email updates when I write a new post - links are in the sidebar.

Wedgie Picks Part 1

Wedgie Picks Part 2

Wedgie Picks Website

Brass & Copper Picks! - Iron Age Guitar Accessories

Today on The Pick I'm checking out a couple of metal picks from Iron Age guitar accessories - one brass and one copper. These picks have a regular shape to them with a slightly widened top, and feature engravings which look like they could have been found on a dusty Roman road in the early AD's. Unfortunately these engravings have been coloured in with what looks like sharpie pens in a very rough fashion which slightly spoils the look for me.

The tone of both of the metal picks is unique but definitely usable. The brass pick is tonally very bright, but this can be tamed by changing your picking dynamics. Playing softer reveals a very sweet tone, retaining the clarity of the brightness but very well balanced.

The copper pick is audibly warmer than the brass but still has the same top end sheen. Again I much preferred the tone of the pick when playing delicately, something which took some conscious effort as the weight of these metal picks definitely seems to encourage heavier playing which can soon become scratchy.

As well as featuring engraving to aid with the grip of the plectrum, both picks are slightly concave, leaving a rounded dip for your thumb to rest. It also states on the Iron Age website that the copper pick has a natural benefit in it's oxidation, which increases it's grip. Oxidation is a process which effects metals which react to contact with oxygen, most notably iron which rusts, so there could be some discolouration of the pick with time. It seems Iron Age are stating this "natural benefit" to cover their tracks, but I quite like the discolouration on mine!

Iron Age also suggest on their website that these picks work well for bass guitar or mandolin. I found that on bass guitar both picks added a lot of top end to the sound, which in some cases is desirable, and also increased the overall volume of the bass. I wasn't so keen using these picks for mandolin, as I found that they were too scratchy - I much prefer softer picks for mandolin as it can become too harsh and brittle sounding.

Overall I have really enjoyed trying out these metal picks. Whilst they aren't the sort of plectrum to would reach for as I walk out the door to go and play a gig, they could come in useful in the studio where a variety of textures and tones are required. It is worth pointing out that some guitarists favour metal picks, such as Brian May who famously uses a sixpence.

Remember to follow The Pick on social media and subscribe to get notified when new posts are made - all the links are in the sidebar.

Also check out the other Iron Age pick reviews here:

Exotic Wood Picks

Coconut Shell & Macassar Ebony Spearheads

Carbon Fibre?!

Stone Picks!

Wedgie Picks Spotlight Part 2

This is part two of the spotlight review of Wedgie Picks. Today I will be checking out the Delrin EX and XT picks. These picks are made to be very durable - the Wedgie Picks website states these can withstand just about anything!

Starting with the Delrin EX picks, these come in a wide assortment of colours according to the gauge of the pick. Naturally I gravitated to the thickest of the bunch, a purple 1.14mm (sound familiar?!). This pick is very balanced tonally, providing an overall guitar sound which would fit nicely in a rock band set up, but which would compliment almost any style of guitar playing. I must say the material of this pick is my most preferred out of all the preceding Wedgie Picks I'd tried. It was less likely to rotate between my fingers as I played and had a much quieter string attack. As with the other Wedgie Picks, as I tried the thinner gauges of pick I lost warmth in the tone and gained pick attack noise. These picks are very reminiscent of the Dunlop Tortex picks (and not just because of the colour scheme!) - the matt finish and the balanced tone reminds me of the purple 1.14 tortex pick I used for a long time.

As with the Clear XLs and XTs, the Delrin XTs come in a smaller selection of gauges but do feature the later etched grip. With this material I'm not sure the extra grip is as necessary as it was on the Clear Wedgie picks, I would suggest trying out both to see which you feel more comfortable with.

I have enjoyed trying out these Delrin picks over the last week. These definitely feel a lot higher quality to me than the previous Wedgie Picks I tried out a couple of weeks ago (here) and I have been using the Delrin XTs regularly when playing acoustic - they feel to me like a higher quality version of the Dunlop Tortex picks, mainly due to the enhanced grip.

Check out the Wedgie Picks website for more information and to purchase some of these plectrums, check out the Wedgie Picks spotlight part 1 and follow The Pick on social media - links are down the side.

Exotic Wood Picks - Iron Age Guitar Accessories

Part three of this feature on Iron Age Guitar Accessories looks at the exotic wood set. This features picks made from tone woods such as padouk and peachwood, as well as Macassar ebony and coconut shell as we saw in the last feature. Each of these picks is a Jazz III XL kind of shape, with the coconut shell pick being slightly smaller and thinner.

Padouk is a naturally coloured red wood, not often used in guitar manufacturing due to it's colour, however it is increasing in popularity often as a rosewood substitute. The tone of this pick is very low-mid prominent with a soft attack - it is very unique sounding and works great for soulful, dynamic playing. To me it feels like playing with compression - there is a threshold where it begins to feel like no matter how hard I dig in with the pick it doesn't get louder. The shape of the pick is very comfortable, with a recessed bowl shape in the thumb grip area of the pick and the signature Iron Age engravings on the reverse which aid in stability, however as I've commented on before with wooden picks, slipping doesn't seem to be an issue, especially when open pored wood like padouk is used. I also really enjoy the look of this pick - the subtle red seems to suit the tonal nature of this pick. It is worth noting that the redness of the wood will turn to a light brown colour when left in sunlight.

Compared to the padouk pick, the peachwood is lighter in both colour and weight. Feel is very similar between these two picks, but this one feels slightly more oily and the wood is less open-pored. The tone of this pick is very balanced, with a really nice top end, and is very responsive to dynamic playing without losing the clean attack of the tone. I really enjoyed the tone and feel of this pick when playing chords - open chord strumming and muted barre chords were both clear with a very balance string volume.

The Macassar ebony pick is the last XL shaped, 2-3mm thick pick of this bunch. The tone of this pick is very interestingly scooped, with a crisp top end and a present warmth which would work well for distorted electric guitar playing, however I feel like the shape of this pick limits it's scope for playing in this area. I'm sure some will be very comfortable using this pick for heavy rock and metal, however I found it a bit cumbersome and clumsy at times - perhaps it could benefit from having the vets starting further in. If you like the sound of this pick, you should check out the spearhead pick made from the same wood (check out my review here).

Finally we have the coconut shell pick. This is about 2mm thick and 10-20% smaller than the previous three. The wood of this pick feels the most dense, and this is reflected in the tone, which is a bit top-heavy with a very clean, short attack. This pick enhances the frequencies of your guitar which really help to cut through a full band mix, and the reduced size means speedy licks feel a lot more comfortable to play.

I've really enjoyed trying out these exotic wood picks - as you may have realised by now I really enjoy playing with wooden picks, the tonal variety which is possible can be really inspiring. My favourite pick of this review and the one I'd suggest you go out and try is definitely the padouk. The feel and tone of this pick was just so unique and inspired me to actually write melodies when testing it out. If you have a large collection of plectrums but never tried a padouk pick, why not give the Iron Age Guitar Accessories exotic wood set a try - check out their website.

As usual remember to follow me on social media, links are down the side, and I've put links to the other reviews in the Iron Age Guitar Accessories series below, if you haven't yet, give them a read!

Coconut Shell & Macassar Ebony Spearheads

Carbon Fibre?!

Stone Picks!

True Bypass, Buffers and Long Cables - Nerd Talk

Pedals are such a useful tool and creative aid for guitarists. With unique and interesting pedals being developed constantly as well as upgrades to existing effects, it's no surprise that guitarist's signal chains are getting longer, which no doubt has an effect on the overall tone. Whether your pedals are "true bypass" or not, the fact that you are not only increasing the length of cable your signal has to travel through, and also making it go through a plethora of extra electrical components and trusting the cable connectors are transferring the signal accurately, there is bound to be degradation in audio quality.

A good place to start is to define what a buffer is. In basic terms, a buffer is an amplifier which does not affect the output volume but changes the output impedance of the signal. All components of your signal chain have elements of capacitance, impedance and resistance, but what does this mean?

Capacitance can be demonstrated by a tone control on an electric guitar. It is basically a high pass filter, letting high frequencies pass through. Depending on how it’s used in the circuit, the capacitor does different things. In the tone circuit the pot, which is a variable resistor, varies the amount of resistance for that capacitor to send the signal to ground. The less resistance it has the more top end frequency goes to ground, making the sound get duller.

Capacitance in cables is the same, except on a much smaller scale. Cables have resistance because of the relationship between the core of the cable, which carries the signal, and the outer shield. The higher the distance between the core and the shield the lower the capacitance, and many high end cable companies quote the capacitance of the cables in their marketing. Every time the cable length is doubled, the capacitance is doubled. Basically there's a natural relationship between the length of the cable and how dull the guitar sounds.

Onto impedance; different pickups have different output impedance. Single coil pickups tend to have lower output impedance than humbuckers. The lower the output impedance of the guitar pickups, the more it drives the capacitance of the signal, meaning the sound you get out of your amplifier is brighter. If you have a high output humbucker it could sound quite dark, but a low output pickup, such as the gold foil pickups which are quite popular at the moment and have a very low output impedance have a very bright top end.

The effects can be easily tested by increasing the length of your cable and putting a few inactive true bypass pedals in the signal chain - if you A/B this tone with direct into the amplifier, you should notice a duller sound through the longer signal chain.

A buffer takes the output impedance of the guitar's pickups and changes that to a much lower impedance which will drive the capacitance of the cable. A good buffer will mean that using an 100m cable through all your true bypass pedals into your amplifier will sound the same as plugging directly into your amplifier with a sensibly short cable.

Some pedals have built in buffers. Obviously these are of varying standards depending on the pedal, but these do a similar thing in reducing the output impedance whether the pedal is active or not. A true bypass pedal, when inactive, completely bypasses all circuitry in the pedal, but turning on a true bypass pedal will reduce the output impedance, bringing some top end back in compared to the inactive sound. Even with the tone of the pedal down low there is a top end to the tone which you almost feel more than you hear (although it is audible).

Buffers are amplifiers which have a signal to noise ratio. If going guitar direct into amplifier is your desired tone, a really good buffer will retain that, even if you wanted an 100m cable. If you have 6 buffered bypass pedals in a row, you will have good capacitance but there will be other problems. You’re effectively stacking amplifiers into each other.

Placing a buffer in different areas of your pedalboard will affect the tone differently. If you have a buffer at the start of your pedalboard, it helps maintain the signal going through all of your pedals, meaning they all receive exactly the same signal. A lot of people like to place the buffer after the overdrives and distortions, using the mindset that the designer of the pedal designed it using guitar plugged straight into the pedal. When you use a germanium transistor overdrive/ or fuzz pedal, having the buffer before the pedal introduces a very harsh treble to the sound - you might want that sound, but it does alter the tone drastically. Germanium fuzz pedals especially can be sent into unusable territory with a buffer preceding it.

It is worth saying to end on, you can choose to use or not use buffers or long cables to alter your tone according to what you like. Brian May's signal chain uses a guitar with very bright single coil pickups through a treble booster into Vox AC30s, a very bright rig, however he uses long coil-y cables which by their nature roll some of the top end off. It retains a naturally bright sound, but tames the harshness. The same applies for if you had a muddy sounding Les Paul, try out a buffer and see if it makes your tone more clear and glassy.

Hopefully you've enjoyed this nerd talk about true bypass, buffers and long cables! Do you use a buffer in your signal path? Let me know in the comments! As usual remember to follow The Pick on social media, links are down the side.