Wooden Guitar Picks
Review By: Gary Allen



As “Gear Heads” I believe we sometimes get so caught up in gear being expensive amps, effects, and guitars. We tend to forget that something as simple as a pick is still gear. But not all picks are simple. Take for instance the hand-crafted wooden picks that are manufactured by “Wooden Picks” www.woodenpicks.com in Atlanta GA. Ike Gilbert at “wooden Picks” was good enough to send me a selection of picks to try out and write a review about. The picks we are going to look at in this review are the Macassar Ebony, the African Olivewood, and the Pink Ivory.


When you first play with one of these picks it will feel kind of strange because they are so thick compared to a standard plastic pick. It does not take long to get used to them though and before you know it, you will feel completely at ease using them. I found that because they were so rigid I held on to them a little looser than I usually hold on to a regular pick. There is going to be a certain degree of finesse you will acquire as you play with them because of this unique property.

I started with just some simple single string arpeggios on my acoustic guitar. I played the same progressions with each of the three picks I had. In my limited thinking I must admit that I thought these picks would all sound pretty much the same. I was completely shocked to find that each pick sounded unique in it’s own way. It was like having the sound qualities of three completely different guitars. These picks actually changed the tonal characteristics of the guitars sound.

I also tried these picks individualy with my electric guitar. Again the different tonal qualities where there although not quit a prominent as they were on the acoustic. This was probably in part to the effects I use on the electric guitar. They may have had a tendency to cover the dynamic qualities of the picks. Here is a rundown of my impression of each individual pick.

Macassar Ebony - I found this style of wood to have a soft, mellow characteristic. It seemed to emphasize the lower notes while softening the higher notes. This pick was great for strumming chord patterns and had a good sustain. I have to admit that it was my favorite and probably the one I will use the most.

African Olive - The African Olive pick was a more balanced pick as far as tone. This would be the pick I would use for playing songs that utilized a combination of strumming and single string picking. The transitions between each were very smooth and effortless. The individual notes were a little more distinct with this pick making it a great candidate for single string picking. This pick was a combination of sound qualities of the Ebony and the Pink Ivory.

Pink Ivory - This pick was by far the most interesting to me because I had never heard of pink ivory before. From what I understand from doing a little research. Pink Ivory is a rare wood from Southern Africa that can be anywhere from light pink to watermelon red. This wood is very heavy and dense. From the prices I saw on a few sites, it is also very expensive.

Getting back to the pick, I found this to be the exact opposite of the Macassar Ebony. It seemed to put more definition in the higher notes while mellowing out the low end. It seemed to project a much brighter tone and the sustain seemed to roll off faster. It occurred to me that the notes seemed to project themselves more and this made it a great option for single string picking as well as lead guitar.

My Overall Opinion

I would guess that one of the things that makes these picks sound so different is the fact that they were made from a living substance. It is my opinion that man made materials have a tone that sounds more lifeless, whereas natural substances such as wood sound more alive and vibrant. I hold this opinion even about guitars that are being made from things like carbon fiber, plastics, and resins. There is no comparison to a guitar made of quality wood.

One other thing that I really had to get used to besides the rigidness and the thickness of these picks, was the texture. Because I hold them looser I had to get used to the fact that they are smoother thus easier to drop. A little sand paper to rough the gripping surface would probably help.

I believe that everyone should invest in at least one of these picks. They have some really great qualities that I have never heard before from a guitar pick. I really enjoyed the sound they let you produce from the guitar. I am sure that if you try one you will want to try the others. These picks have definately earned the “GearHeads Approved Seal” for 2004.









Gary Allen
gary@guitargearheads.com

Copyright © 2004 Allen & Halberg Publishing