Billy Gibbons has a few signature items, including guitar picks one of which we are reviewing here:
Introducing our Review of the Dunlop company’s Reverend Willy’s Mexican Lottery Guitar Pick!
The Materials:
These are of a gel formulation and similar -to a mild extent- to standard acrylic picks yet are a little softer.
The material is not too easy to describe, it is a clear plastic but a bit stickier than Acrylic, and a touch more, how do I say this, the very very slightest hint of a rubbery grip. It’s softer, yes, and we’ll look at the hardness later.
I will admit that for a “hard plastic-like material”, gel or not, they have a pretty good feel if you are inclined to like a hint of jelly in your pick.
Dunlop’s Page for These Picks.
Where else they can be bought?
No, they are hard, but there is something to the gel feel and I can’t find the words. It’s just as though if you were to cram your fingernail into the material, it might give an almost imperceptible amount.
The Reverend:
Billy has been to Cuba and jammed with minimal gear, despite “25 dollars on my dresser, yessir” These -Dunlop Reverend Willy’s Mexican Lottery Guitar Pick- fit in the scheme of Mr. Gibbons’s classic style in a way. They are just a pick, and fairly straightforward in implementation. They are essentially a 351-type pick that is fluorescent-Clear.
I talk about these and other clear picks here.
As looks would have it…
The picks come in 3 colors, lipstick red, glowing yellow, and neon green.
Another thing that is cool and collectible is the white artwork on them, a caricature of Billy lighting up with his unmistakable beard.
But beware if you are a collector:
Dunlop’s Reverend Willy’s Mexican Lottery Guitar Pick uses a white “ink” of some sort that rubs out a bit with moisture!
If you are a collector, don’t use these to play -like Spinal Tap, in fact, don’t even LOOK AT THEM! OK, I jest, but as you see in the photos, I turned the white ink into a white haze with just moderate use. This puts a serious ding in my opinion on their value to buyers.
(Author’s later note: The ink has nearly all worn off now after more playing.)
Reverend Willy has other signature picks and is known to have used a Mexican Peso coin too.
I have neither, but I hope to get them to review later on.
Before I continue, I’m going to play Dunlop’s Reverend Willy’s Mexican Lottery Guitar Pick some more tonight and continue this writing with some insights into the sound, if it is at all special, but I don’t recall it to be, they are just a somewhat hard pick…
–OK, a couple of days later, I put back my Schecter and got out the Gretsch, and had a ball with the pick doing more delicate melodies and some firm strumming.
The gel really is a nice material and with moisture, grips fantastically!
There is a nice strong tone with some brightness and self-assurance.
You can get a mellow tone with a gentle touch, or a stronger bite with a firm strike.
There is no scratchiness or squealing as there is in some other hard materials. It has this soft touch to it, warm and fuzzy yet tough.
-I bet some women describe their men that way.
Let’s look at the specs of these iridescent yellow (and bright green and neon red) picks:
| Material | Attack Tone | Decay Tone |
Gel | Firm but soft is possible | Medium Lasting |
| Durability/ Wear | Comments/ Dimensions | Shape |
Poor and Good (Ink wears off) | 76.5 H Durameter Hardness | Classic #335 |
| Grip and Feel | Flexibility | Likely Use |
| Great with moistness | Slight | Blues-Rock Country Acid |
| Thickness | Width and Height | Resonance |
| 1.3mm | 25.9 x 30.7mm | Chess Piece sound |
| Tip Style | Bevel? | Approx. Cost |
Round but to the point | Rounded | $14 US |
I knew a fellow that knew the Reverend and I know that Billy was very well-liked in Houston where I lived, and the entire band was. No wonder the pick is likable -but rubs off on you-. Sorry, my silly funny.
Here is my overall take on what I think is a hard plastic pick I really do like!
Ratings:
- Holds/Grips ****
- Plays (action) ****
- Sounds/Tones *****
- Looks/Appearance *****
- Collect-ability ****
- Difficulty ****
- Durability *
- Cost ***
- Availability ***
- Likability *****
- Over-All Rating from above: * 3.9 out of 5
- Novices: Will Like * 3.5
- Performers: Will Like * 3.5
- Intermediates: Will Love * 4.0
Now, about the next plectrum, we are going to review…
Something Pearl before swine, yet curly and bouncy? Is anyone for another Signature Pick?