#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!