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New Tortis pick

pdaiglepdaigle Montreal, QCNew
I recently ordered a custom 'new tortis' pick from Dave Skowron at Red Bear Trading (http://www.redbeartrading.com). I wanted a pick that was thicker than the 2.5mm they usually make their "gypsy jazz' picks.

Here is an excerpt from Dave's response to my enquiry about thickness:
"Right now the thickest I can go is about 3mm or so. However, if you can
play with a pick whose surface is not perfectly smooth, I can cut you
one from my raw material which is almost 4mm thick. The playing edges
would be nice and polished, but the gripping surface would not be smooth."

What I ordered was the Tri-Tip model in 4mm 'raw material'.

When I first received it I was really impressed by the looks and the quality of the craftsmanship: the three different edges are precisely cut (love the speed bevel!) and, even though my pick is not as polished as their usual picks, being made of the raw, thicker material, it looks and feels really good nonetheless. Although it is not perfectly smooth (see picture of the back of the pick), it does not feel rough.

The sound I get on my Gypsy Jazz guitar is amazing: crisper with less overtones than the plastic alternatives to turtle shell being offered by other makers. The round tip is perfect for 'la pompe' rhythm playing and the beveled tip is really fast producing a very crisp, not too bright tone. The volume and projection were better than with any other pick/material combination I have tried (and I have tried quite a few).

I find the pick very easy to hold also: it seems the new tortis material 'sticks' to my fingers when they are sweating.

In short, I am *very* satisfied with this purchase: the craftsmanship is outstanding, the communications with Dave were friendly and helpful and the pick was worth every penny I paid for it (35$USD including shipping to Canada).

I have attached comparison pictures of the pick between a Wegen GJ350 and a Moustache 4mm.
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