Over the past 16 years of playing guitar, I came across only a few things that were impressive enough to make it hard for me to stop talking about. One of them is this 1.5mm Jazz III shaped Titanium Pick made by Ohm Picks.
Yes. Titanium.
Ohm Picks are hand-made by Otto Hannuksela from Finland. The first time I heard about him was when I scrolled endlessly through posts on a Facebook group both Otto and I are members of. He commented on someone’s question and said that he’s making picks out of titanium. I had to try it.
Do you know the feeling when your pick starts to sound weird and dull? Familiar with the annoying wear that kills the attack? This pick will easily outlive you by 1000 years, and will still look young enough to not be able to buy a beer without an ID.
Most metal guitar picks are quite thin, which means that they’re slowly (or not so slowly) sawing through the strings. I’ve been playing with this pick for a year now and didn’t notice any change in the strings’ wear at all. This is because this pick is beveled by hand to a round-ish end that helps it both glide through the strings and not break them.
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How do they sound?
Bright. This is one of the brightest picks I’ve ever heard. Usually, I like my guitar to sound warm, that’s why I play with wooden picks most of the time. But this pick’s sound wasn’t harsh and isn’t hard to get used to. I found myself enjoying it right from the get-go, and I keep getting back to it. The attack is sharp, but not as sharp as you might think.
What shapes and gauges are available?
Ohm Picks are coming in all the regular shapes: Jazz III, Jazz III XL, Triangle, Flow, Mini Flow, and the Classic 351 (Regular), with the Teardrop shape on its way, and the thickness varies between 0.5mm and 3mm
Pricing
Every order from Ohm Picks comes with free Worldwide shipping so you should take that into account. About the picks themselves, It’s very straightforward. Each non-custom pick costs €10 / $13 (Customization usually includes special logos carved or non-traditional shapes). It may sound expensive compared to the regular picks most of us use, but compared to other pick makers and them being made by hand, I think they’re leaning towards the cheap side (which is always a nice thing for a pick-obsessed guitar player such as me).
Where to buy them from?
Otto is a boutique pick maker, and like a lot of them, he sells them through his Instagram and Facebook page. There’s also a website where you can find ties made from different wood species.
My take on journalism
When reviewing a pick made by a boutique maker, I reach out and ask annoying questions. The most interesting one is: “What other pick makers do you follow or take inspiration from?” and these are the ones Otto from Ohm Picks likes:
Chicken Picks and InTuneGP.
Other Materials?
YES! There’s a huge variety of materials (other than titanium), including copper, brass, stainless steel, aluminum, and even construction steel. Additionally, there are wooden picks made from these species: birch, curly birch, oak, rowan, nut, plum, juniper, maple, mahogany, lilac, apple, and coconut.
One last thing and a quick disclaimer
This is NOT a paid review. It was written based on my own experience playing the Jazz III 1.5mm Titanium pick, and based on that only. Otto didn’t give me this pick, I bought it about a year ago. But, I did speak to him before writing this review to get additional information, pictures, and updated pricing.
Ohm Picks - Final Score
Superb quality, great and unique sound at a very low price. What else can you ask for?
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Sound
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Feel
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Durability
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Grip
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Price