https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum-boutique-pick-reviews-
- sabverott
- Aug 18, 2021
- 11 min read
EVERY boutique pick maker out there that I know of, so I figured it'd be useful to post some reviews and links to where you can purchase them.
Keep in mind that I'm using these picks to play guitar in a loosely labeled "jazz" setting. I also use these picks to play blues and funk and while some work well for certain genres and not so well for others, I'm mainly rating these on their ability to play with speed and produce a good tone. I love picks that are outfitted with speed bevels, which are slightly angled edges on one side of the pick that help it glide smoothly off the string. I rated each pick out of 10 to help give an overall idea of where each pick lies in terms of my satisfaction. If anybody has any specific questions I'd be happy to answer. Lastly, and most importantly, all of these opinions and ratings are completely relative to my preferences and are totally subjective.
Chicken Picks
Bermuda III (9/10) - I had been annoying ChickenPicks creator Eppo Franken for a while about getting a jazz model made. He had been designing a pick similar to the Jazz III for a very long time and finally released it last year. The main difference that the Bermuda picks have is a pointed tip. It certainly achieves the same sharp attack that the Jazz III is known for. Aside from the tip and a smaller overall size, it's the same as the other ChickenPicks...which is a good thing. If you like the normal models, it's worth checking out the Bermuda III.
(9/10) - I bought a "try-out" set that had both sizes and a few different thicknesses. Chicken picks are very unique because of the thermosetting plastic material that they're made out of. It's unlike any other pick material that I've tried and feel wonderful. My only criticism is that they're a little short on variety. They only offer a normal size and a smaller size and then a few thickness options. Not to fear though...I've spoken with the creator and he said there will be more models soon.
JB Picks
Corozo Models (9.5/10) - JB has released a new line of picks made out of Corozo...which looks and feels like bone but has a warmer/darker sound. The Corozo line also sports a few new pick shapes in addition to the original JB models (351 and Jazz III shapes). There's a medium sized teardrop, which is slightly larger than the typical mini teardrop shapes that a lot of companies make, and my newest favorite JB model, a large jazz shaped design that's just about as big as a 351 and includes grip holes. This model is great for players who like the typical Jazz III shape but want the feel of a larger pick. Not much more to say about these...bottom line: the Corozo produces a warm sound, a bit darker than celluloid, and the new shapes are great. Like all JBs, they're offered with bevel options. Definitely worth checking out, especially at their affordable price.
2mm Jazz Sonic Bevel (9.5/10) - I absolutely love these picks. They're made out of a tortoise shell polycarbonate plastic that is hard to find due to its apparent flammability. The speed bevel, or "sonic" bevel as JB calls it, is absolutely perfect...it's a little more dramatic than most speed bevels and makes for a super speedy piece. Add a very musical tone and awesome playability and you have an amazing pick.
2mm 351 Shell Sonic Bevel (9/10) - All the features and playability of the Jazz model above but in a classic 351 shape.
*Note: I've tried all the Jazz models with all different tips and while I can't say enough to review them, I do highly recommend trying them out.
Strum n' Comfort
Sharktooth/John Pisano Signature (9.5/10) - I had been turned on to these by Gilad Hekselman and at first sight, I was a little discouraged by the flat, non-beveled edge. Pretty much every boutique pick brand I've tried has placed a good amount of value on a beveled edge to help create a smooth and speedy attack. The unique feature with these picks is the shape...one side is slightly scooped out and resembles the shape of a shark tooth. At first I thought it was nothing more than a gimmick but I was verrrrrry pleased to see that the shape really does offer a function. The scooped side produces the same sort of smooth speed that a bevel would offer. Pair this feature up with a nice warm sounding pearloid material and you've got a fantastic pick. It may just be because they're still brand new to me, but this is my current favorite pick, hands down. Highly, highly recommended.
John Pearse Picks
Fast Turtles (8/10) - These are really great picks. I love how they feel in my hand. They're nice and thick (close to 3mm) and the thumb divot makes them super comfortable. The rounded tip makes them very fast and provides a very round, dark tone. Out of all the picks I've tried, these affect my tone much more than normal. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's personal preference.
Studio & Jazz Flatpicks (7/10) - These are nice for rhythm playing since they're thinner but can still handle single note lines. I like the offset shape too.
Django Button (8/10) - Super fast and warm, round tone. The round shape glides over strings but can darken your tone a little too much. I never thought I'd like using a button shaped pick but I ended up liking it a lot. Try it...you might be surprised.
Wood/Bone/Shell Picks (6/10) - I ordered a mix of ebony, coconut shell, buffalo horn, rosewood, etc. Aside from being comfortable to hold, I found absolutely nothing special about these picks. Not bad, not good, and not worth buying.
Gravity Picks
Classic (7/10) - I bought a bunch of variations of the Classic shape that differ in size and thickness. My favorite is the 2mm Big Mini. They feel nice and have good tone but just fell a little short for me. I expect a boutique pick to be a pleasure to play. Gravity picks aren't much different from some picks you can find at a local music store aside from being way more expensive.
Sunrise (9/10) - Gravity Picks were the very first boutique picks that I tried. Their model options have been a little limited, and I've previously tried, and reviewed, the Classic model (reviewed above in group #1). I emailed Chris, owner of Gravity Picks, and begged him to make a few new models, specifically something based off of the typical Jazz III shape. There must've been a bunch of people who shared the same request because he finally created the new Sunrise model (and also now offer their picks in fatter gauges). While GP doesn't offer a ton of models, they do offer a lot of options. Just about every pick can be made in one of four sizes, pointed or rounded tip, different colors, up to 4mm thick, with or without a grip hole, and has the option for a master finish (an unbuffed, slightly rougher edge).
I was very skeptical of the Sunrise but I couldn't be more pleased. It's super fast and offers a surprisingly warm tone...even the pointed tip doesn't get too bright. I've tried 3 and 4mm and I'm very happy with the 4mm thickness. The slanted oval grip hole is a nice feature too. There isn't a whole lot to say about this pick other than it's really, really awesome. It's my current default pick. If you tried a Gravity pick before and wanted something geared a little more towards the typical jazz pick, you need to try a Sunrise. Highly, highly recommended.
Red Bear Trading Company
(9/10) - Although I own 5 different models, I decided to write one review because they all fall under the same description. These picks are awesome. Besides looking fantastic, they're very comfortable and have wonderful tone. They offer a bunch of different models. I own a Classic, type A, type F, Lil' Jazzer and a Big Jazzer (probably my favorite). They also offer different thicknesses from light all the way up to gypsy jazz which is super heavy. I have right handed speed bevels on all of my models and I highly recommend getting them put on yours. On top of this, their customer service is fantastic. I've gotten personal emails from both Rick and Monica (the owners) that catered to any specific request that I had. Highly recommended.
Wegen Picks
Twins (8/10) - I love the way these picks are designed. One side has a thumb divot and the other has deep rivets to help with grip. They also have beautiful large speed bevels. They have a great fat tone but aren't quite as speedy as I'd like. I highly recommend trying these out.
BigCity (8.5/10) - Nice and tall with great speed bevels and holes for grip. These felt similar to the Twins model but had a little more speed for me. Very, very comfortable and nice tone.
Blue Chip Picks
Jazz 80 (8.5/10) - I saw the BlueChip picks site a long time ago when I first discovered boutique picks. I saw their prices and moved on. After months and months of collecting different high end models, I decided it was time to see what could possibly make a pick cost $50. I initially ordered the Jazz 60 LG (1.5mm) to save money but it was just too thin. If I was gonna spend, I might as well get something I could use. I exchanged the Jazz 60 LG for a Jazz 80, which is 2mm and a normal Jazz III size. This pick is really nice...speedy with good tone...but for $50?? I was expecting something that stood out from all the picks I already had, and this doesn't. I found out that the reason for Blue Chip's high prices is because the plastic material that they use is $1,000 per sheet. It's super durable and lasts forever. I even read a customer who said they were melting metals at super high temperatures and decided to test their Blue Chip...it didn't even start to melt. So bottom line: these picks play just as good as some other high-end beveled picks, but their super durable material warrants the added cost.
*Note: Blue Chip customer service was pretty helpful in my exchange and didn't charge me for the additional shipping. Also, the site's explanation on bevels is a little misleading...they WILL put a speed bevel on a jazz pick.
Dugain Picks
Mini Wood (4/10) - A few months ago I was referred to Dugain picks. I read a description saying that these picks were unlike anything else, used by top musicians, and guaranteed to be the best pick you've ever played. Naturally, I had to investigate. These picks are handmade by Jean-Charles Dugain out of materials like bone, wood, metal, stone, etc. I ordered a "mini" model. What was peculiar was that I was unable to select the material it was going to be made out of. I requested ebony, but received an email a few days later from someone who told me "Monsieur Dugain" was very busy and would select a material when he was available to make my pick...weird, but ok. Then I noticed on the site that it said a bunch of top guitarists were ordering Dugain picks, including John Mayer. Now of course, I could totally be wrong, but I've never seen or heard anything about John using Dugain picks, and I follow his gear like an obsessed gear nerd. I've spoken with John's tech Rene Martinez about a dozen times before so I decided to ask him...he told me he never knew anything about John using the pick and had never heard of Dugain picks himself. This is really beside the point, but I'm including it in my review because my overall experience with Dugain picks can be described in one word: weird. I ended up paying about $20 for the pick including overseas shipping. More than a month later I finally received my pick. It was not made of ebony, but instead it was made of a wood called bubinga. So it came time for my big playing test. This is one of the worst boutique picks I've ever spent money on. The finger divots were oddly placed and made it uncomfortable to play. I'm sure they're comfortable for some players but I tend to choke up on my picks, and the divots made it very hard to hold the pick the way I wanted to. It didn't enhance my tone, it deadened it. It did nothing for me. Maybe I'm missing something, and I'd love to hear if any others who have tried these found them to be good picks, but these just really missed the mark. Save your money.
Zenfire Picks
Phat Jazz (8.5/10) - Let me start by saying that I hate metal picks. I think they're a gimmick used to fool beginner players to spend money. Metal creates a super bright, shrill, harsh tone that nobody could like. Even people that make metal picks must know it fails in the tone department but making a pick out of metal sounds like a cool idea so they keep doing it.
That being said, and I'm sure you know where I'm going with this since I already posted my rating, this pick totally surprised me. Just holding the pick left me kind of dumbfounded. It feels extremely light, almost like it's hollow but it isn't. The tone it produces is brighter than plastic, but not by much. I like using it on my Telecaster through a Fender amp to get a glassy tone. It also sounds nice through a jazz setup to get a little more clarity when the amp/guitar tone is set pretty dark. Naturally, it retains the best part of a metal pick: speed. It slips between the strings in a good way. At $11 it's relatively inexpensive compared to other high end models. I definitely advise checking out a Zenfire pick.
Guzz Picks
Guzz S3 (8/10) - The makers of Guzz picks write that their picks are the "first in the world" where you can use all 3 sides...we all know this isn't true and has been done for a while. Even though that kinda pissed me off, I do like the pick. Each side is very usable and it produces a nice sound. Nothing amazing here, but it's a solid pick that has nice speed and nice tone.
Ninja Picks
(7.5/10) - Ninja picks seem pretty basic and straight to the point as they aren't beveled, specially shaped, or anything like that but for some reason I do like them. They have a nice release and good tone. I would say they're worth trying out.
Moustache Picks
Gypsy Jazz 2mm (7/10) - I was a little frustrated with my order when I got these picks. The pick shown on the site looked great and had a nice deep bevel, but what I got barely had any slope at all. The rep at DjangoBooks said that Moustache Picks had discontinued certain models or something like that. Anyway, nothing too special about these picks, but I still reach for them over a regular plastic 351 or something like that.
V-Picks
Instead of reviewing every single model that I've purchased, I've decided to give a general description of V-Picks and then give a number rating to each specific model.
I was was originally a little hesitant to try V-Picks because they seemed to cater towards metal players who wanted a brighter tone. I still don't like that their slogan is "Never Drop Your Pick Again"...I've never had a problem with holding on to picks and I didn't want to spend money on something that focused on grip instead of playability and tone. I finally gave in and ordered some Chicken Pickers. I was pleasantly surprised. They were the perfect compliment to my Telecaster on a New Orleans funky big band gig. More recently I purchased a Farley, Dimension Jr. Smokey Mountain Buffed, Infinity, and Small Pointed. They threw in a free Medium Rounded Ruby Red as a thank you, which I think they do for most orders. The "acrylic blend" that they use produces a nice bright tone but can also enhance middle and bass frequencies as well. It's also super speedy. V-Pick creator Vinni Smith is very personable and will answer any question you could possibly have including which pick is right for your playing style. He said speed bevels don't make sense to him and he couldn't apply one for me when I asked, but hey nobody's perfect. Bottom line: I definitely recommend finding a V-Pick you think suits your style and trying it out. Finding one shouldn't be a problem as they have a HUGE variety of picks covering everything from thin acoustic strummers to their ridiculously huge 11mm Insanity model.
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