Pictured to the left is a pick made of Dinosaur Bone from Stoneworks Picks. At $75, I probably won’t be getting one immediately, but that is totally cool! Admittedly, I want one of these for the sheer novelty, but also, I’m a firm believer in using thick, hard picks. I’ve tried glass picks in the past, and loved their feel, so a stone pick should have a similar response.
In any case, Stoneworks Picks have a huge selection of picks made from various types of stone. Some of the most colorful are made from agate, and those picks are gorgeous with multiple colors from the striations in the rock.
For the naysayers out there, ever since I started using thick picks made from different materials, I just won’t go back to standard plastic or nylon picks – ever. I’ve found that thick picks actually force you to relax your right hand, and – at least for me – I’m able to play faster. Also, thick picks slide right over the strings, whereas I always found a limiting resistance with plastic and nylon. Finally, the different materials and shapes produce different tones, which is totally cool!
At any gig, I usually bring five to six different picks, and use one appropriate to what I’m playing. For instance, when I know that I’m going to play mostly lead licks or two- or three-string comping, I use a smaller, “pointy” pick like V-Picks Diamond. For thumpy rhythm, I usually use a V-Picks Snake. For acoustic, I use a Wegen for most songs, but when I want to brighten up the tone a bit – especially for Eagles’ songs – I use a Red Bear Gypsy Jazz pick.
Now with the Stoneworks picks, once I get one, I’ll have to see how and where I could use it, but I’m sure it’ll produce a different kind of tone. Can’t wait to give one a whirl!
Guitar Gear 