As you’ve probably figured out by now I have a little smidgen of a guitar pick fetish going on.  They’re just an inexpensive way to add a little fresh excitement to the daily guitar practice session, and every now and again you stumble across one that becomes a firm favorite in your arsenal…

Last month I picked up a couple of interesting sounding boutique picks from a new company based in Holland called ChickenPicks. Read on to find out what I thought…

ChickenPicks Plectrum Review

First of all let’s start of by pointing out that ChickenPicks are thick, chunky plectrums – so if you like wussy little bendy picks then these are not for you.  At the moment they come in two sizes: light (between 2.1 and 2.4mm) and original (between 2.5 and 2.8mm).  The benefits of a thicker pick include more efficient playing, less grip required to hold on to them and a fuller, warmer guitar tone.

Both picks are white in color and have some indiscriminate graphics on the back to help differentiate the two.  The front of the pick is emblazoned with the ChickenPicks logo, which features some type of weird sock puppet looking character having a smoke.  As the picks come from Holland it isn’t too hard to guess what he’s smoking…

I’m assuming that they are finished by hand judging by the bevels on them.  These look very similar to the picks I made myself with the PickPunch, as it isn’t easy to get a perfectly smooth line by hand.  In saying that, these tiny little imperfections have no impact at all whilst playing.

Today’s post is a guest review of the Gaskell Classic I guitar by Alan Williams, who has recently taken the reins at Gaskell’s new European division.  This very guitar is available to try out or purchase, or alternatively those in Europe can contact Alan directly for other available options and pricing.

Higher quality images of this guitar (and others) can be found on the Gaskell Europe Facebook page or on the main Gaskell website – links at the end of the article.

Gaskell Classic Review by Alan Williams

Gaskell Guitars build only left handed guitars.  That’s got to be good news for us lefties who have every reason to feel unloved by the mainstream manufacturers.   I don’t know about you, but this hits me every time I read a review – go down to the “left hand available” and find a stark “No” staring back.  Most makers do a token number of “easy call” models as lefties and a few are now offering a wider selection, but there are almost no other companies who offer only guitars for us southpaws.

I seem to be on a never-ending quest to find my ideal guitar pick lately, and this month has been no different.  Recently I picked up some interesting plectrums from a new UK based company called Slick Grip…

These six picks utilise a unique design which is supposed to help wick away moisture and keep the surface nice and grippy.  As grip is something I have trouble with I was only too eager to give these innovative Slick Grip picks a good test run.

What’s In the Box?

As soon as I received the package in the mail I could tell that this was a company who put a lot of thought into how they present their product.  The picks arrived in a black branded envelope, and the bright pink Slick Grip logo instantly alerted me to what the package contained.

Inside the envelope the attention to small details continued as each pick was safely nestled inside its very own individual packaging!  A thick piece of foam houses each pick, which is then cradled by a piece of card and then finally wrapped in a sheet of plastic.  It’s a very neat little design and instantly gives the impression that these are more than your average-joe picks.

The range comes in a variety of sizes from 0.45mm all the way up to 2.0mm.  The different thicknesses are color coded which makes them very easy to distinguish from each other.  Take a look at the close-up image at the end of this article to see exactly what pick sizes are available.

The Design

If you take a look at the image below you will see a detailed graphic of the pick design, which is displayed on the back of the packaging.