WezV Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 http://www.redbeartrading.com/picks.html i just recieved one of these and think i love it. They are a 'cultured turtle-shell' pick. I have never useda real shell pick but i just compared this to most of the standard ones i have around here and there was a noticeable improvement in clarity and everything feels easier, more fluid- largely because its a hydroscopic material so will almost grip onto my sweaty mitts. + side - they apparently last a hell of a long time with very little wear and they clearly have tonal/playing benefits - side - $20 a pick!! and they will break if you flex them or keep them in a wallet. Picks are so easy to loose!! i just ordered 2 more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 (edited) "Note: For those of you not familiar with American money, the coin above is what we call a "Quarter". It is what our dollar is worth." That is possibly ounce for ounce the mst expensive thing you own wez! Edited September 25, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 You lost me at '$20 a pick' I'd have to try it to believe it. I've tried lots of picks, but the one that I seem to keep coming back to is some dirt cheap 1.2mm plastic one that came from ebay for something like £3 for a bag of 50. go figure. Guess I'll have to wait for the dollar to weaken a little more before I try one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 I guess I'm weird, but I like much thinner picks than that. I play Dunlop Tortex .50 on acoustic and .70 on electric. Plus I play very hard so I'm sure I'd break them since it warns they are fragile. I'd try one if they had some amazing life span but since they almost promise that they will break I'll pass. I go through picks regularly, and I can't afford to go through $20 picks all the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 I don't really think about picks creditcards coins folded paper fingernails finger tips palm of my hand etc have all been used by me! I do really like the tiny jim dunlops that are clear and the easiest pick to lose in the whole wide world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 I don't really think about picks creditcards coins folded paper fingernails finger tips palm of my hand etc have all been used by me! I do really like the tiny jim dunlops that are clear and the easiest pick to lose in the whole wide world! Don't make me slap you. One of the guys we sold an acoustic to let one of his friends borrow the guitar, and he used a quarter as a pick and destroyed the cedar top... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 i am with you Ben, i would have to try it to believe it too. Luckily one of my customers sent me one as a gift, he has got red bear making him replicas of some real vintage turtle plectrums he has. 10 minutes after opening the envelope i had ordered two more!! that was after 5 minutes of direct comparisons with every plectrum in the house (about 500 - 20 or so different types). just to clarify on the strength thing. these are very hardwearing pics that will last a lifetime if looked after properly. who ever though i would be talking about plectrum maintenance they will get damaged if flexed too much or left in a wallet with a loads of coins. to me $20 for something that works is worth it, hell... i spend about about $400 on a decent set of pickups because i know they make my guitars sound better - $20 is insiginifcant in the search for better tone... as long as i dont loose the buggers i am going to quote a guy called Ben from a brooklyn based band called Twilight Odyssey since it was his initial scepticism about the pics that got me curious.. this is his view a few months later Not only is is the Red Bear nigh indestructible, but it never slips from your hand. Due to it's organic nature, it absorbs moisture, so the more you sweat, the better it sticks. After months of constant use, playing both guitar and bass, the edge hasn't even begun to wear. I estimate that I've saved ... about 60-70 picks thus far. http://www.myspace.com/twilightodyssey and on the coin thing, blame Brian May, i have an old sixpence like he used here.. not easy to master!! and Dan, according to the guy that sent me mine you hear the tonal improvement from a tortoise pic a lot clearer on an acousticic - might be worth trying with that damn nice acoustic you just finished!! She deserves it. They are a little thick but you can hold them lightly without dropping them so a gentle touch is still possible I am not getting payed for this, i was just genuinely impressed.. pretty much instantly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Dang it. I think you've convinced me to try out one of their light ones. I just hope it's light enough that I can get used to it. One question though. do they flex at all like plastic picks or are they extremely rigid like metal picks? I better order a couple though, because I always have a pick in my pocket (try saying that 5 times fast) and it would probably break after a while. :EIDT: That sucks. It looks like the coral color only comes in medium or higher. Ivory is the only color that comes in light. Oh well I guess ivory it is. Oh and do yours have the grip in the center or not? It's hard for me to imagine if that would be a good thing or a bad thing seeing as I've never used something like that before. I thought the bit on his website about not using the pick as a screwdriver was pretty funny, probably because I've done that exact thing before with my picks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 i got the ones without the holes. They grip plenty fine on their own. i think we have all done the plec as screwdriver thing... i even seem to remember some pedal instructions recommending it my next two are another fake turtle and a jade effect one i should say the one i was sent is a second, it has a slight printing error that makes the logo a little hard to read.. they only charge $15 for the 2nd's there is a little flex but not much. its the grip that changes the feel though - its nothing like holding onto a rigid metal pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 (edited) Dan just to put your mind at rest I don't use a pick on acoustics very often and even then it would be a faithfull 88. you know I shudder to think how many picks I've lost but I still have like three original ones that I always find under/in the sofa or wedged in the dyson! Edited September 25, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaycee Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 I was going to start a "what pick do you use" thread but as this one is going along that vien I will chip in. I tried the "Tanner" theres a word that only the Brit lads will know, well as long as there old enough, and compared to my usual pick which is a freebie Black dog music that came with the strings, the sound was clearer and a little brighter. Electric.......1.0mm blackdog music Acoustic......Dunlop .71mm A nice pink one which will have to be replaced soon as I like to chew on it. .46 mm Nylon which I like to use for strumming Classical....... Fingers I go through phases where I keep my nails on the right hand nice and manicured and then i'll get fed up with them or even worse one will break then I cut them and play with the pads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 Dudes...dunlop 1.0mm nylon....As good as any pick out there...will not slip,and costs less than 50 cents a piece... It's all I use,and the only time I drop a pick is if it flies out of my hand across the room...about twice a year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 Dudes...dunlop 1.0mm nylon....As good as any pick out there...will not slip,and costs less than 50 cents a piece... The gray ones? eww... I hate those picks! I like the Dunlop Stubby Jazz in 1mm. Small picks FTW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 When I used plastic picks, I'd punch a hole in the middle to make it more slip resistant. Mostly use home-made metal picks now. Haven't even payed for a pick since the 80's. Got this one free too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 The gray ones? eww... I hate those picks! I like the Dunlop Stubby Jazz in 1mm. Small picks FTW! No...the black ones... Those jazz picks blow...everybody thinks they make them play faster...well,maybe they are a bit more fluid,but they take away the pick's attack,and that cripples the rythm... And we all know the rythm IS the song...not all the little hundred mile an hour notes in the lead..... Even on lead,what is speed without meaning?Those stubbies take away the dynamics of the playing...and who wants to hear just one note after the other without dynamics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 The gray ones? eww... I hate those picks! I like the Dunlop Stubby Jazz in 1mm. Small picks FTW! No...the black ones... Those jazz picks blow...everybody thinks they make them play faster...well,maybe they are a bit more fluid,but they take away the pick's attack,and that cripples the rythm... And we all know the rythm IS the song...not all the little hundred mile an hour notes in the lead..... Even on lead,what is speed without meaning?Those stubbies take away the dynamics of the playing...and who wants to hear just one note after the other without dynamics? dude, the small picks don't hurt your dynamics, you just gotta have SKILLZ! Actually, I like these picks for my style of rhythm. I tend to choke up on the pick and chop at the strings, kind of like if you were going to strum pinch harmonics, but not actually pull the harmonics. Gets a cool sound with my thumb slightly muting the strings right after the pick goes by. They also work good for palm-muted sixteenth notes, pinch harmonics (I use a lot of pinch harmonics), tremolo picking, and other guitar gymnastics crap. I still use the big stubbies a lot too, though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 The gray ones? eww... I hate those picks! I like the Dunlop Stubby Jazz in 1mm. Small picks FTW! No...the black ones... Those jazz picks blow...everybody thinks they make them play faster...well,maybe they are a bit more fluid,but they take away the pick's attack,and that cripples the rythm... And we all know the rythm IS the song...not all the little hundred mile an hour notes in the lead..... Even on lead,what is speed without meaning?Those stubbies take away the dynamics of the playing...and who wants to hear just one note after the other without dynamics? I prefer the gray 0.73s. I tried the dark gray 0.88s but they were too stiff. I know I wouldn't like the, even thicker, black 1.0mm. But, the are the best I have tried for grip. I am thinking of trying their Ultex Jazz III - supposed to be very good for dynamics. I don't know what gauges it comes in though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 http://www.redbeartrading.com/picks.html i just recieved one of these and think i love it. They are a 'cultured turtle-shell' pick. I have never useda real shell pick but i just compared this to most of the standard ones i have around here and there was a noticeable improvement in clarity and everything feels easier, more fluid- largely because its a hydroscopic material so will almost grip onto my sweaty mitts. + side - they apparently last a hell of a long time with very little wear and they clearly have tonal/playing benefits - side - $20 a pick!! and they will break if you flex them or keep them in a wallet. Picks are so easy to loose!! i just ordered 2 more! Are the Dunlop "Tortex" picks comparable to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 I prefer the gray 0.73s. I tried the dark gray 0.88s but they were too stiff. I know I wouldn't like the, even thicker, black 1.0mm. I pick with the edge of the pick,rather than the flat side..so stiffness is not that important to me...I like the 1mm cause I can really dig in if I need to,or lighten up and let the slick nylon just glide over the strings,without the click sounds a plastic pick has... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 SKILLZ! By the way,were you drinking a mountain dew while you wrote this...it's so EXTREME!!!! hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted September 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 http://www.redbeartrading.com/picks.html i just recieved one of these and think i love it. They are a 'cultured turtle-shell' pick. I have never useda real shell pick but i just compared this to most of the standard ones i have around here and there was a noticeable improvement in clarity and everything feels easier, more fluid- largely because its a hydroscopic material so will almost grip onto my sweaty mitts. + side - they apparently last a hell of a long time with very little wear and they clearly have tonal/playing benefits - side - $20 a pick!! and they will break if you flex them or keep them in a wallet. Picks are so easy to loose!! i just ordered 2 more! Are the Dunlop "Tortex" picks comparable to this? not at all.. although the green tortex ones were my plec of choice for a long time. I think they are just plain old pick material with a bit of a textured surface. they are the first pick i used for direct comparison with the red bear - followed by about 20 other standard types i have around here. The red bear sounded clearer each time.. thats what got me so excited and made me post it here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Brian Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 I've been using these over the .73 green dunlop D3's (very similar to Jazz3) for about a year. SUPER stiff with a good point, but the entire edge is bevelled heavily. It's easy to get different types of attacks and it's very helpful in keeping really fast alternate picking runs fluid. I love it for rhythm too. Has anyone noticed a significant difference in their playing or sound with the turtle picks? I think the last "gimmick" pick i tried was the Stylus pick...and it sucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 I bought a Jazz III to try it and was quite surprised at the softer jazzy sound it produces. I think the heavy bevel is more like just using bare finger tips. Great for jazz picking and appegios, but I prefer the larger more flexible picks for faster "strumming" especially complicated rhythms like some latin jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 (edited) Dunlop Tortex .73mm or standard medium-guage. Thinner ones break WAY too easy, thicker screws with the strings. And this is my 1000th post. Edited September 30, 2008 by avengers63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 And this is my 1000th post I have had almost 18 of those...lightweight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.