Bog Street is an American company that specializes in innovative guitar pick design. It was launched in 2018, and funded its flagship model’s development, Leap, through a very successful Kickstarter campaign in the same year. In the four years that followed, Bog Street launched many different guitar picks in different models, all unique and exclusive to them.
I wanted to review their line of picks for a long time, ever since I featured them in my cool guitar picks article. I always had something that held me from doing it. A few months ago they switched the material used for making their picks. So I knew that If I wanted to try their old stuff before they run out, I need to do it fast. Naturally, I completely forgot about it until one day I saw a post about it on Instagram. I insta-ordered their entire old Axe series, a few of their new models, and some experimental designs. And here we are.
Table of Contents
The Bog Street Guitar Picks I’m Reviewing
- Axe Blade: Old material, NEOS, and Ultem
- Axe Cut: Old material, NEOS, and Ultem
- Battle Axe: Old material, NEOS, and Ultem
- Leap Series: Lead and Rhythm
- Mini Beast
- Scales: Sharp (Jazz)
- Experimental: Mini Beast High Grip (MSH) at 3mm and 4mm, and Low Grip (MSL) at 3mm and 4mm from Bog Street Labs.
Each of the Battle Axe, Axe Cut, and Axe Blade series contains 4 different versions. The Leap series contains 2 models. Additionally, there’s Mini Beast and Scales Sharp, and 4 experimental picks. A total of 44 different picks. Let’s get to work.
Bog Street Guitar Pick Models Rundown
Since there are really a lot of them, I think it would be better to group them by model instead of writing about them one by one. There are a total of 8 different models, which I’ve grouped into 7 groups for this article.
Axe Blade
The Axe Blade comes in three different gauges: Light (0.5mm / 1.5mm), Medium (0.6mm / 2mm), and Heavy (1mm / 3mm). The medium picks come in two versions: regular and textured. The design itself has three playing tips, two for lead and one for strumming. The two lead tips are identical, featuring a sharp and thick tip. The strumming (or rhythm) end of the pick is a lot rounder and thinner. The fact that these picks have two thick tips and one thin makes them very comfortable. And I’m pretty sure that this was one of the reasons they went with it and not with two rhythm tips and one for lead.
Axe Cut
The Axe Cut model is very similar to Axe Blade, just bigger. It, too, features three different gauges. The light and medium are the same thickness as Axe Blade’s, but their thicker tip is a bit rounder. And the Heavy’s strumming tip is 1.5mm thick rather than 1mm. Their size is similar to a standard shape pick, but the shape makes them feel a bit bigger. That being said, they are not clumsy and I felt comfortable controlling them.
Battle Axe
In terms of size, Battle Axe is just between Axe Cut and Axe Blade. It contains 3 identical sharp tips all meant for lead. There are 3 different gauges: Light (1.5mm), Medium (2mm), and Heavy (3mm), while the medium gauge comes in two different versions: Textures and Regular.
Leap
The Kickstarter-backed picks that started it all. The Rhythm model comes with three standard playing tips: 0.45mm, 0.7mm, and 0.8mm. The Lead version comes in two standard playing tips: 0.73mm, 0.96mm, and one a bit sharper at 1.5mm. They are very big, the Rhythm model is almost one and a half inches long (back to tip). But the way they are held makes them feel a bit smaller. That being said, you can’t really control the size of the tip like you can with regular picks, because the grip limits the movement of the thumb.
Another thing to know is that, unlike Rhythm, Lead is not shaped symmetrically. Its thickest tip is shorter than the other two, providing a lot of extra control.
Mini Beast
The essence of this pick is very well represented by its name. It wasn’t made to be soft, it was meant for shredding. The Mini Beast is not flexible, making it sound very consistent, and very sharp, making it super accurate. Each of its tips is 1.5mm thick, making it ideal for Jazz III players (It’s also the smallest pick Bog Street makes in their standard line), and the raised grip makes it very comfortable and takes a lot of pressure from your picking hand because you don’t need to hold it tight to prevent it from moving.
Scales
Scales is a new addition to the Bog Street range. This is a three-sided pick, each of them is 1.5mm thick. The grip, though, is what makes this pick so special and different from the rest of Bog Street’s collection. It’s made of rubber, making it the most aggressive grip surface in their line, and one of the most aggressive ones I’ve ever tried. What I like about it is that I can play soft lines just as well as I can play an aggressive high gain solo, and they all feel natural to it.
The Experimentals: MSH and MSL
Bog Street has a sister site called Bog Street Labs, where they give their clients access to all sorts of cool 3D printed experimental prototypes.
These models are thicker, 3D-printed versions of the Mini Beast. One model with a regular grip (low) and the other one with raised grip (high). Not much to say about them other than that they are as far they can be from being fancy. They are a bit too small for my taste, at least the raised gip ones. The high grip picks (MSH) are smaller than the low grip ones (MSL), as you can see in the picture – it’s the two left picks. This makes them the tiniest pick I have. So small that I found them a bit hard to control.
Bog Street Picks Size Chart
Having this many models requires having a decent size chart, especially when they look so similar. Bog Street has one of the simplest ones, and it helped me a lot before ordering and when writing this review.
Hand Posture, Grip, and Ergonomics
I get the feeling that these picks (except for the Leaps) are meant to be held in a very specific way. Where the tip of the index finger and the thumb are supposed to meet through the hole in the center of the picks. That’s not how I hold a pick, but I’ve decided to give it a shot. It was more comfortable with some models, like the Mini Beast and Scales, but wasn’t with any of the Axe series. After a few hours, I got the hang of it, but I felt like I lost too much of the control I had, and ended up still preferring to use the way I’m used to (where the tip of the thumb meets the joint before the tip of the index finger).
When holding the picks regularly, they grip as if their life depends on it. But, they’re not as easy to control as other picks. In other words, since they grip so well, It’s hard to change the pick’s rotation while playing. I got used to it pretty fast by using the tip of my index finger to angle and rotate the picks.
Leap Duo
The Leap picks are a whole different story, though. They are two of the most comfortable picks I have ever tried. The grip creates a cushion for the thumb, while the index finger is not restricted to any position and is free to stay where ever it feels natural to you. I expected it to be comfortable, but not this comfortable. The Rhythm model is perfect for what it was designed to do. The Lead model would’ve been perfect if the playable tip was a bit smaller. I feel like it lacks some dexterity at times.
What Are Bog Street Guitar Picks Made Of?
There are many different designs in Bog Street’s range, each made from a different material (or different variations of the same material).
NEOS (Axe Blade, Axe Cut, Battle Axe, Scales)
NEOS is a Nylon blend used by Bog Street in their Axe Blade, Axe Cut, Battle Axe, and Scales models. I don’t know what’s inside except for the fact that it’s based on Nylon. I assume that this blend was optimized for durability because they are more durable than Nylon. In terms of sound, It’s more present than Nylon in the mids, making the picks sound a bit louder than they really are. The material is somewhat flexible while still being easy to control.
Nylon (Leap Rythm and Leap Lead)
Nylon needs no introduction, its familiar sound plays great with the familiar tip of the Leap series. But, Paul from Bog Street gave me a hint that they are about to change the material of the Leap series, but didn’t tell me what’s the new material. Could be NEOS, which is something I’ll be excited to try.
Ultem (Axe Blade, Axe Cut, and Battle Axe)
Ultem is the commercial name for Polyetherimide. This is a type of aircraft-grade heat-resistant plastic used by a lot of pick makers for its high durability and bright sound. Ultex usually comes in semi-transparent yellow, but I have to admit that having it pained in black is a nice change. These picks won’t last forever, but you’ll enjoy the hell out of them for a long long time.
Glass-Filled Nylon (Mini Beast)
Glass-filled Nylon, which is the material used for making Mini Beast, is made by adding glass powder to Nylon resin. There are a few different sub-types of Glass-Filled Nylon, but It’s essentially a way to make Nylon up to 80% stiffer, 70% more resistant to tearing from pulling, and 50% harder. The result of all these is a picks that is stiff and bright, and will keep its sharp tip for a long time.
Tough 2000 (Experimental Picks: MSH, and MSL)
Tough 2000 is a material used for 3D printing and is used on all of Bog Street’s experimental picks. It feels rough and extremely rigid (like a hardened version of Nylon), and that’s exactly why I like it so much. I can’t really speak about its sound characteristics because these picks are shaped so differently than any other pick I have, that I can’t really know if what I hear is because of how they were shaped or what they are made off.
Old Material (Discontinued Axe Blade, Axe Cut, and Battle Axe)
Bog Street’s old Axe lines were made of a material called Lupital. Lupital in an Acetal based material developed by Mitsubishi. Its main characteristics are low friction, high resistance to wear and heat, and high liquidity when reaching its critical temperature, making it ideal for molding. It sounds really nice, but I think Bos Street made a smart move switching to NEOS. This is mainly because Lupital shares a lot of the sound characteristics of Ultem, which is offered anyway.
How Durable Are They?
I only used these for a month before posting this review, and so far I didn’t find any signs of early wear. That being said, Leap is made out of Nylon, and based on how it feels, it wasn’t heated and molded slow enough to improve Nylon’s base durability. NEOS feels like it will last longer than Nylon, and ULTEM will most likely last for more than a year, even if this will be the only pick you’ll use. When it comes to the Mini Beast – I don’t think I’ll live long enough to see it wear down.
As you probably know, there are a few different things that control how fast a guitar pick wears, and the material is only one of them. The picks with a sharp tip will generally wear faster than those with a round one, and the thicker your pick is, the longer it will last.
Color-Coded Gauges
Just like Dunlop Tortex, Bog Street went for an easy-to-remember color scheme for their three Axe series, each series got its own scheme. Here they are (light, medium, medium textured, heavy):
- Axe Blade: Cyan, Red, Light Green, and Grey.
- Axe Cut: Black, Brown, Orange, and Cyan.
- Battle Axe: Grey, Purple, Purple, and Blue.
They kept the same scheme from the old material they used, and it applied to the picks made from NEOS as well.
Where to Buy Bog Street Picks From?
All of Bog Street’s picks (except for their discontinued and experimental series) are available to purchase from their website and on their Amazon store (which is one of the best-organized Amazon stores I’ve seen).
The experimental picks are available from their Lab shop, and if you’re into trying new designs, check it out every once in a while, because there’s always something new cooking over there. When I made my order, I missed most of them – including the ones I’m most curious to try, so make sure you go over everything because there are real gems there.
The discontinued Axe picks are available in Bog Street’s outlet shop. If you want to buy them, I’d suggest you do it soon because they’ll probably not be available for too long.
My Personal Favorites
Out of everything I’ve tried, my favorites were Leap Lead, all Battle Axes (but especially the medium gauge), and Scales Jazz. They are not the most useful ones, though. The Axe Cut, for example, has all the features of the Battle Axe, but with an added tip for strumming.
- Leap Lead – Leap Lead is one of the most comfortable picks I’ve ever tried, I just wish the tip would’ve been a bit shorter. But even as it is, it’s one of my all time favorite picks.
- Mini Beast – A guitar pick with such attitude and accuracy, it just can’t be ignored. The Mini Beast is both sharp and rigid, while still being super comfortable.
- Battle Axe Series – I tried choosing one out of the 4 available picks in the series, but couldn’t. I just really like them all, and the textured one (medium gauge) is a well thought of addition.
- Scales Jazz – The newest pick in Bog Street’s collection. It sits just in the middle between Leap Lead and Mini Beast while being softer than both of them. Scale‘s grip is very aggressive, ant yet, very comfortable.
Except for Scales, they’re all available in the Original Sampler Pack.
Pricing
These are not cheap, but not as expensive as they could’ve been. Like most things in life, the more you buy, the less you pay per unit. Instead of going over every single product they have (which you can easily do by yourself), I’m going to show you exactly what I bought and how much would it cost.
- Bog Street Original Sampler Pack (15 Picks) – $35: Has both Leap picks, a Mini Beast, and the three Axe series.
- All Axe-cess (old material – 12 picks) – $18: The three Axe series (Axe Blade, Axe Cut, and Battle Axe)
- Ultem-Tak All Axe-cess Pack (12 Picks) – $40: The three Axe series, but from Ultem.
- Scales (Jazz) – 6 for $25, 12 for $35 or 24 for $55
- Experimentals (MSH and MSL): 2 gauges each, 3mm and 4mm at $5 per pick. This goes for every experimental pick.
I think they have a great list of introductory sample packs that allow players to get familiar with their models in a more cost-effective way. If you want to try out many different models, the Original Sampler Pack is great for that, and is a great introductory product for the range.
The Next Picks I Want from Bog Street
Well, since I have the vast majority of what Bog Street currently has in production, all the next picks I want are in their experimental collection.
- BSL1 & 2: A slightly larger version of Mini Beast, 1mm and 2mm thick. I’m curious to see how Tough 2000 behaves when it’s thinner, and I also want to try a slightly bigger Beast.
- BAX4: a 4mm version of the Battle Axe.
- LS1.5 & RT1.3: More versions of Leap with 3 identical tips. A 1.5mm pick with sharp tips and a 1.3mm pick with rounder tips.
Bog Street BAX4 Bog Street BSL1 Bog Street BSL2 Bog Street LS1.5 Bog Street RT1.3
Other than these, honestly, I’m a buyer of any new model they come up with because there wasn’t a single pick I didn’t like.
Finishing Thoughts
I appreciate Bog Street’s mission, I really do. The end result of every single design they make is to make pick holding as comfortable as it can be. And they are doing an awesome job. Their entire product line is so versatile and wide, that there’s at least one pick here that will fit any playing style. And I’ll go even further, saying that I doubt that there’s any type of player that won’t find the better version of their favorite pick here. I wish that they’ll add mode materials in the future, and a maybe few other design options. But that’s just me being nitpicking. They cost more than your regular go-to picks, but when played normally, you can expect most of Bog Street’s picks to last long enough to be very cost-effective.
Disclaimer:
I bought Bog Street’s original sample pack, All Axe-cess (old material), and 4 experimental picks. They offered to send me the Ultem-Tak (valued at $40) and a pre-production version of Scales Jazz at no extra cost for the review. This, though, didn’t affect the way I wrote about them nor the final score they got from me.
Bog Street Guitar Picks Review
They sound very good and you're probably familiar with how they sound through using other pick materials. Each of their models was designed with comfort and grip in mind, so other than some time you'll need to spend getting used to them, this is smooth sailing. Their collection is very diverse, So I feel comfortable standing behind what I said earlier. I really do think that any guitar player can find their next favorite pick here, and for a fair price.
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Sound
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Feel
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Durability
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Grip
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Variety
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Price