Gorilla Snot - Guitar Pick & Drumstick Grip

This week I'm taking a look at a product I hadn't heard of until recently, a pick grip rosin with the disgustingly appealing name of Gorilla Snot, sent to me earlier this week. Designed for use with both guitar picks and drumsticks, this product helps you to hold onto stuff. They also make a grip designed purely for guitarists, as well as a 'Sports Grip' for sporty things.

When I first put some Gorilla Snot on my pick holding finger and thumb, you feel the stickiness straight away - you definitely don't need much. Picking up my pick (the V-Pick Pachelli in this case) made me assess my picking position, because once your in position this thing is going nowhere. It doesn't stick like glue, but rather gives assurance in your hold.

I found that usually the first time you use Gorilla Snot on a pick, it can be too sticky to be that comfortable. I imagine that with wooden drum sticks the rosin seeps into the wood, giving a more pleasant grip, but on a plastic plectrum the stickiness stays on the pick and only wears off with use. The second or third time of playing using Gorilla Snot on the pick, after only applying it once, is when it feel most comfortable to play and still enhances the grip of the pick.

The back of the packet says that Gorilla Snot "reacts with your body's natural chemistry and heat output to retain a steady grip", and it certainly does, and it also takes a while to come off - I imagine they have to have a waterproof-ness to them for sweaty hands, but it does come off with soap and water.

This product certainly does do what it says on the tin, or the little pot, really well. Grip is certainly enhanced successfully and it doesn't feel uncomfortable or unnatural once you've used it a couple of times. For me, this stuff is purely belt and braces levels of security (or paranoia?) about dropping your pick, but maybe in areas of the world where it's more humid than it is in winter in the south of England it would be more necessary. However, it cases where the player has been injured and cannot grip onto a pick well, I would whole-heartedly suggest trying Gorilla Snot. I would also like to check out the grip designed purely for guitarists. On a side-note, this is my first review of a non-plectrum product here on The Pick, and I'm excited to start exploring other guitar related products and writing about them!