Manouche Pick Model G "Jokko" 3mm

Pros: Amazing sound and playability

Cons: No holes as shown, a little slippery

I am a good-sound fanatic, so I always try new picks to see if I can obtain that extra melodiousness out of my strings. I use 12's and 13's on my archtops, and so far I have used mostly Wegen Gypsy picks, between 2.5mm and 3.5mm. These Djangojazz picks look well-made, so I decided to give them a whirl. The Model G "Jokko" 3mm delivered just what I was looking for. It gives near-zero attack noise while offering an easily controllable, ppp to fff dynamic range. The tone is pure, without the scratchy effect that an unpolished beveled edge gives (which is actually sought after by some players--see for instance the popular "ghost edge" V-picks). There are fewers higher harmonics than my 2.5mm Wegens, and the color is like that of a P-90 neck pickup with the tone knob open all the way--that is, focused but not too rounded and dark. Its 3mm thickness delivers enough punch to stand up to a whole roomful of fiddle players while also being subtle enough to yield a quasi-classical sound for solo playing. It is equally satisfactory for Gypsy Jazz or for a Bach partita, with everything in between. The only caveat is that it does NOT (at least mine didn't) come with holes as depicted, nor does it have any indents--so I can see how it may be a little slippery for some players. Anyway, it has jumped in front of the line as my go-to pick.

Submitted by: L-5 Tom on 03/22/2018 09:35:34 AM