Pistol Picks, a three size variety:
So by now, you are asking: “Hey Pickfetish guy, what’s the holdup?”—
—“Well, we’re holding up the pick bank that has gemlike the Pistol Picks Medium in it. Hold ’em up high buster!”
Well, I must admit, I feel slightly let down, almost humorously so: I recently experimented with the Pistol Picks and came away underwhelmed, as I had quite high expectations…
The picks are made of Polycarbonate, which is terrific.
They are nice and clear looking and if you can get past the easy-use gimmicky aspect, the contained items seem to be Plectra that are just fine and dandy.
However, the Pistol Picks Medium and its 2 sisters are very awkward to use.
To be sure the idea is innovative, but I don’t suppose enough actual players and learners were consulted or observed with picks. Read on…
Pistol Picks are built with a “pistol grip”, if you will — well, not literally, but if you observe the images on this page, you will get the drift. However, here’s the problem: The Grip. It IS the problem. Holding ones’ arm and hand in a normal fashion causes a very oblique angle of attack for the playing tip of the pick.
A playing tip angle of approximately 142 degrees as I measure it, is not the best angle… It feels awkward
I wish that they were angled at the handle to the pick tip at about 100 degrees (to guestimate). But better than that would be to hire intermediate, novice, and teaching players to see if this crutch pick (a potentially good one) could be formed to be more usable. That’s only my opinion.
Now for your novices and hand-disabled friends: Yes! you might still want to try these for yourself. Or home make something better, Bu-ut:
I feel the grip should be angled at a sharper bend, or better yet, they should make it adjustable with a detent-enabled rotating elbow. Everyone holds a pick a little differently. As these are presently designed, I can’t get the tip angled as I want.
On top of that, the Z axis (if you may), is not adjustable, and players need to rotate three-dimensionally with the playing tip of a pick. Humans aren’t robots. I used to build robots at work. We. Aren’t. Robots. (Ok, good luck telling the boss though, huh?)
I have not tried all three sizes yet, just the medium, but I feel frustrated and I honestly am far enough along, myself, with playing so I don’t need the crutches.
I’ve reviewed other “Helper” picks like:
The Dimensio Conical Stay-Put guitar pick. I VALUE the effort made with the design here, as well as this other pick I’ve reviewed here.
Other picks I’ve reviewed with better gripping intended:
And:
It’s not easy innovating.
It takes proper research and study. I did such work, R&D engineering work. For an idea to succeed it has to be more thoroughly thought out!
There are thousands of great ideas, but as Thomas Edison would tell you (were he a pick designer), it’s the research, design, and execution that are lacking.
Also, these are too flat, they come from flatland, I’d prefer a rounded grip to do this idea justice.
There needs to be some 3d “orthogonality” here. I used to do research and design as an engineer, as I’ve mentioned… Designs are 3 dimensional by necessity for quality merchandise. These are a nice try, or a good start to an idea, maybe even the right idea, but there are improvements needed to the design, they are too simple.
But there is another elephant tromping around the room!
What self-respecting artist would be seen with these, even disabled? They are too cheap-looking and awkward as well. I wish some players like me would be consulted (though then again, I cannot collaborate because that would affect the integrity of my reviewer status, I’m not buyable. I buy all the picks I review).
<I WILL do picks from makers who request it, eventually, as budget allows, but I won’t write at the behest of any maker or seller. No way.>
Still, I’ve offered tips here, let them fall where they may with the Pistol Picks products, I don’t claim ownership of my idea, I just want them made. I’m happy just picking and reviewing, it’s what I do!
I will add, that I’m very pleased that Polycarbonate was used…
…it’s a personal favorite among varieties. Nevertheless, I’m not so sure how well these will hold up, they at least SEEM kind of fragile, say, if you were a punk artist, that is.
I’ll keep fiddling with these from time to time and keep my eyes on this brand from Taiwan ROC, so much good happens there…
I suspect they might improve on these. Taiwan is where the most advanced and largest array of Chip Fabs are. The fair folks there are brilliant and innovative and they deserve credit where it is due, this is a great idea, and a fair start, but in my opinion, FWIW, these can be improved without too much added cost.
They say “Take control” and I say, we will do so more easily with a few changes. Thank you folks for inventing these, almost there now…
By the way, here is where you can get them. Give them a try maybe! Support this effort.
Ok, so I guess we should just look at specs and move on from there:
| Material | Attack Tone | Decay Tone |
| Clear Colored Poly= Carbonate | Bright | Clear |
| Durability/ Wear | Comments/ Dimensions | Shape |
Material is durable but design might not be | Hardness is .72H Durometer | Extended Pentagon |
| Grip and Feel | Flexibility | Likely Use |
| Grip is good BUT NOT Make Right | Fair flex for medium | Begginer and disabled mostly any guitar |
| Thickness | Width and Height | Resonance |
| 75mm | 26x33mm | Plasticy |
| Tip Style | Bevel? | Approx. Cost |
Beginner and disabled mostly any guitar | N/A | $10.00 USA |
1. Holds/Grips ****
2. Plays (action) **
3. Sounds/Tones **
4. Looks/Appearance **
5. Collect-ability *****
6. Difficulty *
7. Durability ***
8. Cost *****
9. Availability ****
10. Like-ability **
• Over-All Rating 60%
• Novices: Potentially stupendous but NO
• Performers: Not a Stage Tool
• Intermediates: Potential with some improvements
So there you have it, 3 picks with huge potential, but designed a little too simply to really do what is intended. That is my opinion, everything I have written here is opinion. I have no desire to disparage what is a great idea that needs more work! But by all means, see what YOU think.