These ship for free

I'm giving these two manufacturers a firm support for their belief in not adding on charges for shipping. If you are the type who buys picks online, do check them out. I simply wish others could accord likewise considerations when it comes to shipping.

Boutique picking

Nothing like spending the holiday with personal engagements (especially when nobody's home); nothing extensive, just evaluating the 'boutique' picks I have lying around here: Chicken Pick, Gravity & V-Pick. All 3 picks aren't for the sentimental, especially the strummers among us. They have a certain degree of retaliation that inevitably singles them out for specialist applications- speed & precision.

As mentioned above, these picks are distasteful when it comes to strumming; there is no flexibility whatsoever so be warned. Due to their rigid pedigree, there is an element of absorption here so they're not too kind to acoustic applications because they make themselves heard. The clicking/clunking contact noises might drive some of us nuts. 

The Gravity & V-Pick are cold-hearted assassins; they are similar in such a way that they make their inorganic presence felt all the time. In use, we can hardly tell them apart in terms of tone. Feel-wise, that's where the difference sinks in, the Gravity has a harsh, very abrasive contact against your strings, while the V-Pick manifests a more gliding performance. The Chicken Pick did well in differentiating itself in this aspect. There is a certain degree of contact pleasure to such an extent that you need to convince yourselves it's not plastic. In fact, it feels & sounds like a bone composite but the manufacturer specified it to be plastic with a dash of personal formula & I must say it's definitely a winning one. It's also the smoothest amongst the trio with a very exclusive presence to boot.

Where I come from, wimpy picks are out of the question. I hit my notes hard (as opposed to fretting them hard) & need my picks to stay put with every attack. Majority of the picks which are less than 1mm thick have a high tendency to die a quick & terrible death as they break & snap under pressure. Investing in the trio you see here is a matter of personal embrace, simply put, I can't play anything else. If you are new to such thick picks, it is definitely an immediate put off because it takes a different handling approach to get one going unlike your preferred thinner picks. Do keep an open mind, we need different tools to get the different jobs done & these picks require you to embrace them objectively. If you don't have the urge to speed up or pulverize every single note you play, you probably won't need them. Despite treading on the hard pick turf, I still have thinner picks within reach just to give some perspective to my playing every now & then. 

Seen above:

• Chicken Pick: Tritone III
• Gravity: Stealth Standard
• V-Pick: Pearly Gates

Gravity chicken

Was at Davis GMC to get these picks.

1. Gravity's Sunrise model is something I've been waiting for. It's not a shred-type pick exclusively but that shape there is simply awesome for fast passages. The overall grip is good despite a marked engraving or the likes.
2. The Chicken Pick is something I embraced recently. In use, it's not as clunky as the gravity but you can virtually hear the difference- it has that lethal zing that makes playing rather addictive. I bought this to be kept permanently in my bag. In addition to acting as a spare, it provides an alternative playing experience based on feel & tones.

Chicken Pickin' it

I've been Chicken Pick-ing for the last few days or so, giving this little ditty a run for its worth. The grip on offer is beyond good. In fact, anything inscribed on the surface on any pick serves to be a friction enhancer. Despite being touted as a 'shredder' model, that rounded tip there is a little hindrance to me (personal take). I'm going to just file it to give a more pointed protrusion for precision application. If you like yours slippery, enabling you to glide between notes with ease, do leave it as it is. Looks like my SGJ requires a re-string.

Chicken pickin'

This here is my current pick (forgive the pun); the Chicken Pick. This is known as The Shredder, a 3.5mm pick with an attitude for fast attacks, not to mention its ability to withstand all my bottom end grinding. The inscription on the pick acts as a grip enhancer. This particular model has a trimmed overall outline (there are other broader models to choose from), a beveled & pointed tip for focused picking. The material in use here is a thermo-plastic variant so it doesn't annoy you with all those clicking sounds like its harder counterparts.

My take- it's robust & would likely appeal to fast-picking players across music genres. The jazz chaps might like it as well because in clean mode, the pick helps manifest a very smooth tone. I hope the manufacturer considers other colours instead of just this off-white finish across the range (red, blue, green maybe). I almost lost it when it was placed on a white seat, had to tilt the entire seat over to let the pick drop to the floor before locating it. Grip-wise, it gets my thumbs up. Never an awkward moment in trying to make it stay put while in use & I am a very aggressive player, mind you. 

Chicken Picks are now available at Davis GMC.