Even though I was never that into country music, I always appreciated Keith Urban. His technique is simple yet, executed to such a high level that every single note he plays sounds like he’s the only one that can play it. Keith Urban has a unique sound, and his guitar picks naturally fit it. So today, we’ll review his signature picks and see what the hype is about.
Table of Contents
A Quick Overview of Keith Urban’s Guitar Picks
Keith Urban’s Signature pick is an odd-looking standard-shaped pick. It has a one-sided grip that seconds as a textured playing tip (or the other way around, but more on that – later). It’s very stiff, even at thinner gauges, and until it breaks in (after 15 minutes of playing, more or less), it makes the weirdest pick noise I’ve ever heard.
Three Playing Tips
As I mentioned earlier, this pick has three playing tips:
Standard
Keith Urban’s pick’s standard playing tip provides a bright tone. This is thanks to being made of Ultem and its sharp bevel. If you have this pick, this will most likely be the side you use the most. That’s because it sits somewhere in the middle of the other two, sonically.
Round
The round tip provides a warmer tone. It’s not as easy to control because it’s so wide, but it’s great for rhythm parts. Especially when the lead part is played with the main tip. I like the sound of them together and how the warmth from this tip helps emphasize the brightness in the lead part.
It’s important to say that even though it’s warmer than the main tip, it’s not as warm as Duralin or other, warmer materials such as Nylon.
Another thing worth mentioning is that technically, this tip is not unique to this pick. Essentially, you can play every standard shaped pick with its shoulders for warner tone.
Textured
The textured tip the this pick’s curve ball. Being on thone of the shoulders, the raised texture is the perfect counter property to the wideness of this tip. Similarly to the other round tip, this too, is a bit hard to control.
What Is It Made Of?
Keith Urban’s signature pick is made of a unique Ultem blend. Ultem is known for its durability and stiffness. It’s a perfect match for what D’Addaio and Keith Urban tried to achieve. They could’ve saved a lot of money and effort if they made this pick out of Nylon, but they would lose its unique oomph.
Available Gauges
These picks are available in three gauges: 0.7mm, 1mm, and 1.65mm. Each gauge got its own color: the thin is white, the medium is grey, and the thick is black.
What Does Keith Urban Have to Say About These Picks?
9 out of 10 times, I won’t decide if or not to buy a signature pick based on the opinion of the artist that helped design it, for obvious reasons. This time, though, I think Keith Urban explains this pick’s features in a great and honest way. He goes about what inspired his design choices and what each side excels at.
Pricing and Where to Get Them From
A pack of 5 picks will cost you $10.99. They are available from D’Addario’s website if you’re from the US, Canada, or the UK, and from Amazon for the rest of the world.
Finishing Thoughts
These picks definitely felt a bit weird at first. I’m talking specifically about the textured tip. I wasn’t ready for the resistance I felt at first, and it took it about 15 minutes to get mellowed. The main and round tips felt like many other picks I’ve tried (except for the sharp bevel, which is quite rare in ultem picks). After a few minutes of breaking in and after I got used to their unique playing tips, I started to really enjoy them.
If you’re willing to make an effort to get used to them, you’ll enjoy their uniqueness and collect some of the most special tones to your arsenal.
If you enjoyed this post, check out our other guitar picks reviews.
Disclaimer
The picks in this review were sent to me by D’Addario. I’m a long-time fan of D’Addario’s products, so I reached out and asked them to send me a few of their picks that I couldn’t get by myself, as they’re not available where I live. This fact didn’t change the way I reviewed them.
Keith Urban Signature Guitar Picks Review
The base sound of Keith Urban's guitar pick is decent. It's much smoother than other Ultem picks, but that's not where it shines. The textured tip is unique, and this is the only pick I know of that can provide this experience. It feels a bit rough at the start, but once it breaks in, it gets a lot better. The grip is definitely good. Even if you are playing with the textured surface rather than holding it, the material itself sticks to the fingers comfortably. And above all else, it's priced reasonably.
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