First up is the control group pick - the Dunlop USA Jazz III. This pick is very widely used in the guitar community, liked for its controlled high end, clear attack and suitability to playing fast parts. To me, the Jazz III lacks the brightness which I now come to look for in a pick that I would regularly use, and whilst it is good to have cheaper picks, it would be nice if these were a bit higher quality and a bit more consistent. The Jazz III I am reviewing today, for example, has a small dot of plastic at the top of the pick, perhaps from where it was attached to the plastic frame in it's manufacturing. The other picks in this example appeal to me as being higher quality 'Jazz III' style picks (not Jazz III in tone or quality, but in that they are all roughly the same shape).
The Winspear Purity Shiv IV is a very classy looking pick, finished in matt white with the black and gold Winspear logo. The pointed end makes this a great tool for lead playing, especially when speedy licks are required, and the tone of this pick is very even. I really enjoy how this pick tapers down to the point, giving the reassurance in grip of a thicker pick, but with a very precise tip.
The V-Picks Venom is the thinnest pick in this selection, coming in at 1.5mm thick. This lighter gauge paired with the extremely pointed tip make it great for lead playing. The heat tempered and buffered acrylic material of this pick gives it little friction as it skips over the strings, and as the picks temperature becomes body temperature, the grip massively increases. This pick also works great for acoustic guitar, reacting really well to dynamic variance in playing style.
From the thinnest pick of the selection to the thickest, the Chicken Picks Shredder comes in at 3.5mm, and being that bit thicker it feels a lot more comfortable to my fingers (getting ever closer to the 5mm gauge of my custom pick!). The thermosetting plastic material used in Chicken Picks gives them a really unique feel, an almost chalky quality. This means that they grip really nicely. The tone of this chicken pick has a really pleasant mid scoop, the treble is cutting and bright enough to push through a band mix, and the warmth gives a very full body to the sound, especially with lead playing. Another thing I love about this pick is the bevelling - this pick tapers in a very similar way to my custom pick, coming to a very nice tip, great for detailed playing.
The Purus Snakewood Tip 2 pick is the only wooden pick in this selection, and has a very unique tone when played in comparison with the other picks - it has a really great low end, nice and tight but also really warm. Snakewood is a very dense wood, and as well as a nice controlled low end, this pick has a great treble snap to it, making it great for expressive playing, both rhythm and lead parts. It is worth saying that, being wooden, you can see the wear on this pick as you use it, however having used it a fair amount I haven't noticed any tonal alterations in the pick - it just starts to look 'relic'd', something which is very much in fashion amongst guitarists nowadays.
Up next is the Gravity Classic Pointed Mini 2mm. This is the only pick of the bunch which has a grip hole in it - this slightly offset oval shape makes holding onto this pick very easy, but to begin with it took a bit of getting used to, it just felt a bit difference. Tonally, this pick must have been designed with electric guitarists in mind - I really like the tone of this pick. It is very bright, not too harsh, but when compared with my Dunlop Tortex pick the tonal differences are akin to changing from the neck pickup to the bridge pickup of my guitar. Whilst both tones are usable, as an electric guitarist often playing in bands where I need to cut through, the gravity is a lot more usable. This bite probably comes from the 'master finish' bevels, which are slightly rough to the touch. These edges can be a bit scratchy to begin with, however with a bit of playing in, they wear to the point where the tone becomes very usable. Also, I love the colour of this pick!
The Jazzy Tones Turquoise Bone pick is made out of Buffalo Bone, a really interesting feeling material which is naturally very grippy. The way I'd describe the tone of this pick is that it is very clear - you can really hear the attack of the note with this pick, something I really enjoy, and I do use this pick very regularly alongside a selection of picks which are a lot more expensive. These picks have been pressure dyed, giving them a really nice mottled blue finish, which wears really nicely when played in, much like the Purus pick.
I hope this selection box type of review has been useful and enjoyable for you, if you did like it please let me know in the comments and I will do some more.
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