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Clayton USA Three-Sided Rounded Triangle Acetal and Ultem Guitar Pick Review

Clayton Three-Sided Rounded Triangle acetal and Ultem Guitar Picks Review

It has been a while since I reached into my pick bowl and brought one out for a review to share with everyone. I think one of my often-chosen favorites is one of my Clayton rounded triangle picks. I have several thicknesses and materials. The two big-time favorites of the bunch are the acetal .80mm triangles and the .56mm Ultem individuals.

I play many, many different types of picks in the process of a week's worth of guitar and bass adventures (yes, I play with my fingers mostly on the bass, but a pick is all that will do, sometimes). I try to spice up my sound and my technique with different plectrums - many materials, shapes, sizes, thicknesses, and textures. With that said, the Clayton USA three-siders are a very popular choice.


Quick Opinion: They don't break or wear out very often, so I can't say "I buy them all the time."... but... if I'm away from home, these are usually the ones I pick up in the first batch (along with some Fenders). They're durable, well-made, have a great shape, and have an interesting surface (the acetal ones are not flat).

Put some in your pocket, guitar case, porch table, kitchen table, couch-side table, *and* pick bowl. You might find yourself wandering through some great new sounds!



Look for more information, product choices, and pricing at GuitarCenter.com

Features: Pick feature lists are pretty short, but here goes: The Clayton three-sided rounded triangle picks come in several different materials, several thicknesses from about 1/2 mm to almost 2 mm. Each of the acetal-based Clayton three-siders I've purchased have a convoluted surface - they fit to your fingers in a surprisingly comfortable way.

Quality: These picks are really sturdy. Whether you buy Delrin, Ultem, acetal, or plastic, these picks are hard to shred, break, or chip. They do wear over time, particularly on round-wound bass strings/baritone strings, but they last much longer than most other materials.

The manufacture quality of my Claytons has been extremely consistent, never a blem in a bag, and the material has always been extremely consistent and free of bizarre funky spots in material thickness or density.


Playability: Picks are a very personal choice. No one pick is right for everyone. No one pick is right for every sound. No one pick is right for every playing sound... (well, maybe the Pick of Destiny :-)...

For three-sided picks, they're the most comfortable and easy-to-grip I've used. The surface wears smoother over time, but no more than any other pick with the same material makeup.

Sound: Here's where things are interesting... Once you consider the feel and playability of a pick, there is the sound. As I've opined before, different picks cause the same instrument to take on a different timbre, attack, and pick-release. Pinch harmonics/squeals/Billies differ... string length of vibration differs (some picks make a string buzz, while others might not).

Just as importantly, the instrument player feels different when playing different picks. The experience, if you will, can subtly alter the sound by affecting the player in different ways.

In general, thicker picks give more of a thump, thinner picks give a brighter attack and "click", and medium picks can bridge both. Materials make a difference, too. Of the two in this review, the thicker acetal pick offers a slightly brighter sound than even a thinner Ultem pick. The Ultem material seems to be better for a jazzy sound on electrics. The acetal material, particularly in thinner thicknesses, can cause that wonderful clicky strumming sound when playing acoustics.

So, there is a compounded set of characters involving the player, the material, the thickness, and the shape/edge of the picks. With the Clayton rounded-edge triangle picks, there is a nice and warm nature of the attack, as compared to sharp or pointy picks. In general, I play the Claytons about 1/4 of the time (this is quite a bit, considering that I have at least two dozen pick shapes and materials in my pick tray).

Just as a side note, there are other materials, too, like Delrin... I like lots of different sounds, so I purchased a dozen of several different materials and thicknesses - a great purchase that I'm still enjoying two or three years later.


Value: I believe that the prices charged (in most outlets) for a little back of Clayton USA picks is on par with other brands, if only a few cents more than the cheap brands. I don't think there is a better value in three-sided round durable picks. If you're a picking bass player, these are pretty good stuff for durability.


Wishes: None, really. You can even go to the Clayton web site and order custom-printed picks for a reasonable number of beans. How cool is that?

Labels: acetal, clayon, clayton usa, pick, picks, plectrum, review, three-sided, triangle, ultem

posted by Jim Pearson @ 11/17/2008 06:55:00 PM 1 comments links to this post

Wedgie's Rubber Guitar Picks Review

Wedgie Rubber Picks Review

It’s definitely time to return to my Uncle Ricky 25th anniversary pick tray for a new pick review.

I do like to have tons of different picks around to try, to use for recording, and to have for experimentation. Lots of particular picks end up being grabbed out of my pick tray on a frequent basis.

My Wedgie rubber picks are a frequent winner in the pick-grab of the day.
There are times when you want some punch out of your bass-guitar attacks, but not the aggressive, bright attack of a regular 351 celluloid or plastic pick. You want expression and a clearly-defined attack point instead of the warm and broad sound from your fingers.

Also, I’ve found times when my finger-style playing on my 6-string guitars is too warm and my pick sound is too bright –
Those situations are ideal for Wedgies. Wedgies combine the best parts of using a pick with the subtlety of finger plucks.




Quick Opinion: Wedgies are well-made, consistently-made, and (for rubber picks) long-lasting. They are an excellent addition to anyone’s pick arsenal.
Remember, picks are sometimes the least expensive way to change your sound… give them a try…

Find more information and pricing for the Wedgies Rubber Picks at GuitarCenter.com


Playability: Wedgies are comfortable and they are easy to grip. The rubber of which they are made is midway between tire rubber and really soft pencil eraser – from a feel perspective. The design has a little cupped place that makes your fingers feel right at home.

Playing with a rubber pick does take some getting used to. It feels a lot like a squishy pick at first, but the attack on the strings isn’t slippery (it grabs the string a little). You have to adjust a tiny bit when you’re going from a hard pick to a rubber pick. On the 6-string, in particular, you start out with a tiny delay of the sound attack until you adjust to the way the pick feels against the strings.
With the bass guitar, the Wedgie pick feels wonderful. If you don’t want to use picks, but want that super-clean attack, try a Wedgie. If you’re new to the bass after playing guitar, you can get right into the groove of playing with a Wedgie. I don’t think there’s any replacement for a well-played finger-style bass technique – but I think the Wedgie makes a great alternative sound.


Features: Wedgies come in three types: Hard; Medium; Soft. They also come in two thicknesses: 3.1mm and 5.0mm. The two dimensions offer you a couple of things… the hardness gives you more or less punch when the string is plucked. The thickness adds more warmth on the thinner one and more volume on the thicker one.
In addition, the thicker and harder picks last longer. Rubber picks have a finite lifetime. I’ve found, after several years of playing them, that Wedgies last longer than many felt picks, and are a reasonably good value. I’ve only worn one or two out. The rougher windings of bass strings produce more pick wear than the finer windings 6-string strings.

I prefer the harder picks for playing on acoustic 6-strings and basses, and softer picks for electric bass and guitar. You may find you like the opposite – but at $.50 each, you can buy several different ones and try to see what you like.


Sound: Next to comfort and grip, sound is the real reason for buying Wedgies.
Plastic, celluloid, and Delrin picks have their distinct sounds. They have similar feel and texture. But rubber picks are a different experience and sound.
Wedgies have an interesting balance between attack and warmth of tone. Their sound is clean – and at the same time mellow.


Value:Although Wedgies rubber picks are more expensive than their plastic-like brethren, their value is quite high. You get a lot of bang for the buck with these, and the manufacturer has done a great job of making them very consistent in material, thickness, and sound. Kudos to the Wedgie folks for giving us a nice blended sound in such a comfortable package.


Wishes: One wish: I’d like to see them come out with an extra-hard. Something that still gives that Wedgie sound, but an earlier and more defined attack. I’d be sure to buy several.

Labels: pick, picks, plectrum, rubber, wedgie

posted by Jim Pearson @ 2/10/2007 11:31:00 AM 2 comments links to this post