A Guitarist's Honest Review of Thalia Wood Picks
Playing With Wood Picks
Of all the things guitarists can be particular about, picks have to be at the top of the list. Once you get used to one, using another can be almost crippling for some players, myself included.
For the longest time, I was a slave to the Dunlop Jazz III pick (the pointy ones), though I’ve recently tried moving back to the Dunlop Tortex 351 picks. The purple ones sound best.
However, trying something completely different may be a way out of my usual habits and routines. So, when I was asked to try out Thalia’s line of wood picks, I was happy to oblige!
Wood, you say?
For those who have spent time in front of the pick case at their local music store, picks come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and materials. Celluloid, Tortex, Delrin, and nylon are the most common materials you’ll find, but you can also find picks made of metal, stone, felt, proprietary materials (such as BlueChip Picks), and wood.
We’ve previously covered what makes wood picks stand apart from others, but to quickly summarize, our wood picks are made of Santos rosewood, bonding micro-thin layers of wood in a north-south/east-west pattern. These give our wood picks both strength and flexibility while providing the warm sound they're known for.
How the wood picks feel
In the hand, the picks themselves offered a good grip despite the material's smoothness. I had no problems hanging on to them while strumming or picking.
As for shapes, my go-tos were the standard 351 for acoustic playing and the 651 for electric playing. I could tell no difference between their plastic counterparts from other companies, and they were quite comfortable to play with.
Having the Thalia logo pressed into the wood (rather than silk-screened, as with other companies) added a nice extra grip!
So, how do they sound?
I tried the Thalia wood picks in two different scenarios. The first being with my acoustic guitar, strumming some songs and doing some flatpicking, comparing it to a celluloid pick.
The celluloid one delivers what it always does: a fairly balanced sound with a pronounced attack. Basically, the sound that I’m always used to.
Switching to the wood pick, I did hear a significant difference. The high end and attack were more subdued, though still present. It’s like the attack had a rounder tone than celluloid's sharpness. The mids and low mids were also brought forward, giving me a fuller, warmer-sounding tone. I actually thought the celluloid pick sounded thinner going between that and the wood pick! This is definitely a great choice for moments where you want a full sound that isn’t too peaky on the high end. The pick also held up very well to my strumming, showing some signs of wear (as any pick would) but ultimately keeping its shape!
I also tried the picks on my electric during a rehearsal, really putting the 651 in its paces. The picks did add a subtle warmth to things, though I found it less pronounced than on the acoustic since the electric guitar had way more tone-shaping variables in the chain. I did hear more of that warmth with clean tones than distorted ones. The pick was also very fast right out of the pack, allowing me to play with ease!
Just a quick caveat on this particular pick, I generally pick very hard and played a lot of notes during that two-hour rehearsal. The 651 developed that nice bevel (like any pick would) pretty quickly, making it easy to play. However, after a couple of hours, the sharp tip was all but worn away. If you have a lighter touch or play mostly rhythm, you’ll likely get more life out of the pick.
The Warmth is in the Wood
If you’re the type that likes a bit of warmth in their tone, a wood pick is a wonderful thing to consider, giving you some different tonal characteristics in all the right places! Why not order some picks from Thalia Capos and give them a try? You might just find your new favorite pick!
----
Kevin Daoust is a guitarist, guitar educator and writer based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. When not tracking guitars for artists around the world or writing music-related articles online, he can be seen on stage with Accordion-Funk legends Hey, Wow, the acoustic duo Chanté et Kev, rock n’ rollers Travelling South, and as a hired-gun guitarist across Quebec and Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
