Howling goodness

Had been a terrible last few days or so, namely dealing with management crap. Reminder to self- the higher you climb, the farther you are from reality. Just received this pair in the mail today- jazz size versions of what I custom ordered before from Howling Monkey, the 2.7mm thickness was retained.

Howling Custom

This was in the mail last Friday. They had a 20% promo so I tried a custom spec version, something a little narrower & shorter than their standard version which I find rather overwhelming in terms of size. The thing with bigger picks is that their size (not their thickness) resist the picking a little too much so it's an awful resort for fast picking. I also opted for a 2.7mm thickness as opposed to my preferred 3mm for hard picks. It's a very comfortable shred-type pick, I've yet to give it a grind/black metal treatment. I would have ordered more but the shipping charges were rather significant. For about the same price, I could have purchased 5 DAW Man picks.

Boutique picking

There are many players out there who adopt an anything-goes attitude when it comes to guitar picks. this indifference is the direct result of not hearing the immediate difference a pick makes to their tone. I started out as such. Being contented with a popular brand pick was more than enough to get me going. Peavey & Ernie Ball were my preferred picks (pun intended). Everything changed when I came across Dunlop's Stubby picks. The harder material, the extra grip & that pointed tip affected my playing in many positive ways that it became an exclusive favourite. Today, after the internet revolution, we have the luxury of acquiring our preferred picks online should they not be available off the shelves at the stores. I'm here to share the so called boutique picks by virtue of material consideration, construction & of course, price.

1. Drangons Heart

The company owned by C. Whitney is churning out that peculiar outline as a take-it-or-leave-it prospect for potential buyers. But let's understand the fact that it's offering a 3-tip option for players & this is the most un-plastic material in this group. So you have been warned :-)

2. V-Pick

Vinnie Smith had been gathering picking momentum (no pun intended) with his selection & it's easy to see why this is so; V-Picks are the most no-frills in terms of application. Add to that, the most grip friendly in this selection as well, without any extra indentations or scores.

3. Howling Monkey

If you want your picks to be thick without weight issues, this is the brand for you. It also has that grainy feel for grip considerations so fair warning to those who like theirs smooth instead.

4. DAW 

Russian & the friendliest manufacturer in this gathering. I personally feel the DAW stuff are best used for precision picking. The plastic concoction involved is also the least clanky. I tend to get carried away with the pointed standard version. 

The obvious hurdle when it comes to boutique picks is definitely the price. One could easily acquire a packet of non-designer picks for the price of one tragic piece of boutique pick. However, once you clicked with a boutique piece, it'll probably last you for a long time by virtue of the higher quality material concoction involved; a typical boutique piece just lasts longer. The personal touch of a boutique selection is also the turning point of not wanting anything else as replacements. Yes, it's that particular & worth every cent once you become a convert. I might have a give-away soon :-)