Purus Handmade Picks Spotlight!

The other day I was sent a selection of 4 handmade, wooden plectrums from the lovely people at Purus. These are the first wooden picks I've ever used, so have spent the last week trying them out in a variety of different settings, getting used to them and enjoying playing with them! I want to start by saying these picks are excellently made, each one handcrafted to a really high standard, and finished really well. Being wood, the grip is naturally really comfortable, even with sweaty on-stage hands or freezing cold recording studio hands.

The first pick I tried out is the Bocote wood, Tip 1-M pick. This pick is the largest of the bunch in that it's the size and shape of a 'regular' pick. This pick is very comfortable to play, and is tonally very warm, with a nice crisp attack. As I've come to find with these wooden picks, they wear fairly quickly. In the week which I've been using them, each has got a bit of wear in the tip - not as much so that you'd notice when playing, but just to look at. This pick is really pretty to look at, with the natural wood stripe going vertically through the pick, and due to the very nature of the wood, each one will be unique. This pick is great for strumming and picking out open chords.

Next up is the Ebony Tip 1-S. This pick has an amazing warmth to it, due to the tonewood used, and sounds beautiful with a clean setting on the amp and a neck humbucker pickup playing simple chordal riffs. The shape of this pick means that lead parts are easier than on the 1-M pick, and the tone of this pick really inspired me to play some creamy blues licks laden with vibrato - it's really a beautiful pick in it's natural black finish, and sounds great.

Thirdly is the Cocobolo Tip 3. The shape of this pick is reminiscent of the Jazz 3 XL, and feels very comfortable to play with. The wood used in this pick has more of an open grain, and I think this explains why this pick has worn away a bit more than the others. The tone is this pick is rich and well balanced, and of all the shapes I think I like this one best.

Finally is the Snakewood Tip 2, my favourite pick of the bunch. This pick is slightly stubbier than the tip 3, and has a really nice, smooth finish. This pick exhibits tonal qualities which I find really appealing - a really nice, controlled high end with a similar warmth to the other three picks. I think what I like most about this pick is the feeling of density it has - snakewood is naturally very dense, and it feels like it will last the best out of all the picks. Having worn out the least, I think that's probably correct.


I've been really impressed with Purus picks - their products are of a very high standard, and feel and sound great. They have a great website, which you should check out, and let me know what you think of them!

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