Winspear Amber Picks

Some of you may remember that in March last year I reviewed a selection of boutique plectrums made in England called Winspear picks. In that review I had a pre-production prototype model using a new material named Amber which was my favourite of the bunch, favoured for it's unique tonal qualities and the way it grips when your hand starts to warm up. Today I'm checking out 4 more Winspear picks from the Amber range, now their most popular type of pick.

First up is the Amber Shiv. This pick has a wide grip coming to a sharp taper both in width and in thickness, a balance which enables you to have a relaxed grip on the wider, thicker end but retaining precision and accuracy of the sharp tip. The classy looking Winspear emblem on one side of the pick combined with the vertical brushing of the finish really gives this pick a great feel with an obvious grip security, and in my opinion the translucent amber finish looks great - elegant but understated. The tone of the Amber Shiv is nicely balanced, with a clear attack that is not too overpowering.

Secondly I have an Amber Broadsword. Much like the Shiv, this pick has an ergonomic taper which, on my model, begins at 5mm thickness at the grip, a gauge which I am very comfortable with. The broadsword shape is slightly longer than the Shiv, giving it the appearance of the typical plectrum shape, however it does taper to a sharp point much like the other Winspear picks I enjoyed. This pick allows for very dynamic playing, with clarity retained throughout.

Next up is the Amber Standard Shuriken Mini. This pick is the smallest of the selection I have today at 1.5mm thick with no taper, but has three equal corners which can be used for playing, extending the life of this pick by three times! Being thinner and with no taper means this pick has a much more noticeable attack which is great for lead work, and anyone who has become accustomed to using smaller picks would enjoy this pick for it's increased precision, grip and it's bright tone.

Finally I have the Amber Standard Broadsword, tapered from 2mm to 1mm. Much like the Standard Shuriken, this pick doesn't have the same Winspear "W" emblem on it, but rather an engraved logo filled with black, which not only looks great but does definitely give a more textured grip. I enjoyed the tone of this pick especially on acoustic guitar, where it's brightness could have become too overpowering but in fact it didn't. This pick works great for rhythm as it is very balanced across each string and gives a little natural compression to the  sound. On lead playing the tone and precision I have come to enjoy from the Winspear picks is consistently strong - overall this is a great pick!

If you haven't already, make sure to head over to the Winspear website, they have an epic range of plectrums available so definitely check them out, as well as my review of some different models here.  Also, 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!