Plucking Perfection: Chicken Picks Evolution of Guitar and Bass Picks

May 10

May 10 Plucking Perfection: Chicken Picks Evolution of Guitar and Bass Picks

I recently tested out a variety of guitar picks from a company called Chicken Picks. I had heard the name before but had yet to use any. I do have a variety of picks I keep around in case I need to swap a pick during recording to solve some tone issues. Picks act as an essential tone point when recording guitar or developing a sound.

Changing a pick is not the first place I start when adjusting tone as guitarists get comfortable with their picks. But if there is an overtone I can't get rid of or I have exhausted my other options, I reach for guitar picks. I have picks from different materials, weights, shapes, and sizes. It's surprising the difference a pick can make.

I've been a loyal user of Fender Celluloid Picks in Medium or Heavy for years. However, occasionally, swapping to a thin pick for acoustic and electric 12 strings or trying out different picks during a session can bring a new dimension to my sound. While I frequently swap picks with acoustic guitars, I've also discovered that even an electric guitar sound can benefit significantly from a pick change. This is where Chicken Picks come in, offering a unique and intriguing experience with their Thermosetting Plastic material.

What intrigued me about Chicken Picks was their innovative use of Thermosetting Plastic as the pick material. This results in a notably sturdier pick that requires a 'wearing in' process, which takes about five minutes of use.

One of the standout features of Chicken Picks is their beveled edges. This design facilitates a seamless glide of the strings, enhancing the overall playing experience. It's a small detail that can significantly improve your speed.

I admit to being stuck on old ideas of guitar and bass picks. I had, and if it isn't broke, don't fix it attitude. Over the years, I had seen other attempts for an improved guitar pick, which didn't resonate with me. But, this was a blind spot for me, clouded by ignorance. Of course, the pick can be improved. It is just that the right person still needs to improve it. That person was Eppo Franken, who invented Chicken picks in 1985.

Chicken Picks are heavier guitar picks that suit many, but not all. They might feel too heavy if you're used to picks in the Medium range. I don't use them when playing acoustic rhythm guitar; I prefer a medium pick. However, for surf guitar, tremolo picks, sweep picking, jazz, bass picking, or anything requiring precise, fast picking, the Chicken Pick is a superior tool to standard picks.

Tone

So far, I've focused on the playability of Chicken Picks. However, playability is only one aspect of the pick as a tool for guitar and bass. Many players get stuck in this trap. They focus so much on feel and speed that they forget the impact on tone.

For instance, heavy picks often create a chirping sound when they hit a string. With enough gain on an electric guitar, it becomes masked, but as you use less distorted tones, it becomes more audible.

Chicken Picks have a significantly reduced chirp sound. I even find myself using Chicken Picks with acoustic guitar for specific applications. The chirp drove me up the wall with other picks.

Chicken Picks also have a round and warm bass presence. I have had issues with thick picks where I couldn't bear the tone. The EQ curve from all of the shapes and weights of the Chicken Picks sounded warm and balanced! Not an easy feat.

I would only use a heavy pick when I needed to in the past. I would adopt the tone I didn't favor in exchange for playability for thrash or other genres of music I needed a better tool to execute.

With Chicken Picks, I don't have to compromise. I can balance tone and playability perfectly, which is truly exciting for any guitarist or bass player.

Texture

I'm not fond of textured picks or picks with nonslip prints or materials. My wife uses Nylon picks with a little piece of plastic on the top where the pick was broken off a sheet of picks. That little bump of sharp plastic drives me crazy! I can't use them. I don't even want to touch them, haha.

I've also tried all kinds of other nonslip picks. Somehow, Chicken Picks made a nonslip pick with raised writing that helps make it nonslip, and I dig it. They feel great! And that has yet to happen to me with a nonslip pick.

Chicken Picks make you want to hold them. They don't feel like a cheap piece of plastic that is entirely disposable. Chicken Picks feel like a high-quality, nicely made tool you wish to use, enhancing your playing experience.

Durability

Chicken Picks sharpen themselves over time and don't wear like other guitar picks. This results in a much greater life span of the pick. With other treated nonslip picks, the material would either wear or the tip would wear fairly quickly.

Chicken picks tip or method for a nonslip surface won't wear. You could own one for quite some time before it goes out. And let's be honest, you'll likely misplace it before it even begins to wear. Where do picks go? Why is there no deep research on the disappearance of guitar picks? Maybe Apple will make a pick with their Air Tag in it, and we can track their voyage.

I've been a lot more deliberate about keeping track of my Chicken Picks than other cheap picks. They do cost more money, which you expect from a product that is intended to have a long life. Often, when you pay more for an item, you value it more—like in the old days when people bought records and music meant something. That's a rant for another time.

Shapes and Sizes

Chicken Picks offers several options for size and shape as well as weight. I've experimented with them all and found them all equally as great. I find myself loving the Bermuda shape, which is triangular with pointed edges. A departure from the regular shape and size pick I use. The Bermuda felt great in my hands.

I did find myself changing weights and shapes depending on what type of music I was playing. There are enough options to give you flexibility but not too many to be confusing. I often get wary of too many options. A restaurant that has a menu that is too big often doesn't make many dishes very well. A small curated menu is likely to be better-crafted food.

One note: The lightest Chicken Pick is 2.0, which is heavy by most standards. Chicken Picks are designed for a specific job. If you play in the style of Richie Havens or Pete Townsend, Chicken Picks are likely too heavy a pick for that technique or sound. We must remember to match the tools to the music we make.

It's's valuable, no matter what style of music you play, to have the experience with the feel and sound of such a pick (Chicken Pick) as a reference. Even though you may play with a medium pick most of the time, being aware of how a heavier pick can assist you in certain situations is an advantage.

Let's listen to some pick compositions. For picks, I used Chicken Picks 2.7 Bermuda Pointy. Guitars were recorded using an Ampete 88S amp switcher, Headstrong Lil' King amp, TUL G12 mic, API 312 mic pres, Purple Audio MC77 Compressor, UA Apollo, and Pro Tools. DR Strings used on all guitars and basses.

Please listen to these examples with fabulous headphones or monitors.