Timber Tones Guitar Picks

He knew they had to be good, otherwise my response might have been unprintable. He was right too, these Timber Tones are something else. Made from various specialised woods, each of the picks we tested had its own individual character and allowed something of the sound of your fingers to come through. I started with the newly popularised Cocobolo, a highly figured hard wood from the mahogany family that is not on the endangered species list. The sound as might have been expected was bright and clear with a definite nasal edge which we thought would be fine for rock ’n’ roll – but probably not jazz. Next I picked up the Zebrawood, which immediately felt more at home between the fingers and altogether softer to the touch. After a quick lick, the warm, sweet tone was in complete contrast to the Cocobolo – I loved it. Moving on to the African Ebony, we were back to the harder sounds but this was really hard. It almost made me want to become aggressive with the instrument and to attack the strings. The Lignum Vitae was also very harsh, but if you’re looking to achieve absolute clarity, then this has got to be your choice. Our fifth and final pick was the Santos Rosewood. A very positive item that delivers a very predictable sound and doesn’t mess up voicing in chords – clarity again is key. There is slightly more attack than that offered by the Zebrawood and definitely more focus and as an all round jazz pick… yes, you’ve guessed it. I’m holding on to the Santos Rosewood.

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