"Pick nerd" ...hahaha, I love that! Kind of like "gear geek" or "tone nerd" ...LOL! Hey, I resemble that remark!
I applaud your geekiness here as I, too, get caught up in details, and that admittedly murky zone between the data-driven objective outcomes and the impossibly unquantifiable "feel goods" of whatever pieces of gear. It's all about that elusive last 2% of tone one chases. Nevermind the fact that this hack should really be practicing more and that, in itself, would make me sound better! But that elusive last itty bit of sonic goodness ...yeah, I want that
This is part of the reason I support Taylor and all Bob and Kurt do, and now presumably Andy. That tireless pursuit of improvement, whatever the road and unconventional to the market it may be, drives the company. So while "tonal improvement" is subjective to say the least, they attack the equation with the tools of objectivity as they pursue that tonal goodness. That "geeky" drive coupled with the arduous road of R&D brought us the venerable NT system, the ES and each iteration (which they thankfully did not abandon), and more recently their seemingly fearless approach to using
non-conventional tonewood to push the market
away from all the usual suspects of species --risky, given the corksniffing nature of so many brand and wood loyalists-- and now we have market acceptance of streaked ebony, maple, sapele, and the like.
So yeah, thanks for your approach to the pick, sir!
I like that you're chasing after the feel and tone of your favorite picks of old, but using materials that make more sense in today's world: more sense both in terms of responsible --aka "sustainable"-- acquisition of materials, as well as manufacturing control which assures you a consistent product.
Since you kind of asked, I've been using the Gator Grip picks for decades, more for their feel and low cost, than anything (1.1 for acoustic, 1.5 for electric). I have been curious of your picks for some time now, but my frugality --and admittedly lackadaisical attitude toward keeping picks safe-- keeps me with the GatorGrips. Still, I applaud you, sir! You may be the next "Taylor" of the pick world, and I wish you the best in your drive toward making the best pick in geardom!
Edward
