Rombo Picks is run by Carlos Diez Macia and Judith Heindorf in Stuttgart, Germany. They started designing their picks in 2019, and released their first line of four picks (Origami, Waves, Classic, and Diamond) in that same year after a successful Kickstarter campaign. Later, they successfully funded the production of another four picks through another Kickstarter campaign. And as of writing this, they have an active Kickstarter campaign for funding the production of another four picks.
This article was updated to include the four newest picks by Rombo, so if you’re interested in their newest picks, you can skip directly to that part.
The Picks I’m Reviewing
For this review, Rombo Picks sent me 2 variety packs: The standard one, and the EcoBlack, and a pack of the 2023 prototypes. So today, I’ll review every pick they make, except for Paper Origami.
The First Batch (2019)
- Classic – .4mm thick standard shaped pick
- Diamond – 2mm thick Jazz III shaped pick
- Origami – .75mm thick standard shaped pick
- Waves – 1.25mm thick teardrop-shaped pick with a round tip
The Second Batch (2021)
- Crisp – 1mm thick standard shaped pick
- Horizon – 1.4mm thick wide Jazz III shaped pick
- Jade – 2.3mm thick teardrop (kind of) shaped pick
- Prisma – .8mm thick triangle shaped pick
The Third Batch (2023)
- Dune – .7mm thick pentagon shaped pick
- Erebus – 2.15 mm thick wide pentagon shaped pick
- Mosaic – .65mm Jazz shaped pick
- Shell – .95mm thick heptagon shaped pick
I’m having a problem with describing them because there’s so much more to them than just their “dry” specs. Let’s take Jade, for example: It’s 2.3mm thick but has a small “bump” reaching 3.6mm. This little “bump” may sound insignificant, but in fact, it plays a huge role in its grip, and it’s making it a lot more comfortable.
What are Rombo Picks Made Of?
Usually, when I ask a pick maker what are their picks made of, I get a relatively simple answer. It’s either a material or a mix of a few materials I’m usually familiar with. Not this time, though. See, Judith’s experience includes being a product manager for a company that produces different types of plastics and metals products. This fact made her reply to my question a lot more complicated and exciting. So if you want to geek around with me, keep reading. But if not (which is totally fine), the short answer is that the standard range is made out of some cousin to Nylon, and the EcoBlack range is made out of the same material (99.99%), but due to it being recycled, it requires another step in the production that takes place in a factory in Italy.
The Standard And Paper Origami Picks
Rombo Picks’ standard line is made out of a Polymide (which is the family of materials Nylon belongs to). Part of what makes these pick so durable compared to other Polyamide (Nylon, for example) based picks is the process of injection and material optimization. Rombo Picks’ material was designed and optimized for abrasion (for more durability) and density (for warmer tone). The process includes heating the material to 270-300°C (518-572°F) and then injecting it into the mold through a tiny nozzle, where it’s being cooled down and hardened in its shape. From there, the picks are inspected for minor imperfections, grinded, sanded, and polished by hand.
The EcoBlack Picks
As stated earlier, the EcoBlack range is made out of the same material (99.99%) as the standard range. It starts with processing the waste from the standard range, to allow the molecules to be restructured in the same molecule chains. So, in fact, this is the same material, just a lot more environmentally friendly.
The Design
If you ever read any of my other pick reviews, you know that I appreciate a simplistic design that’s both unique and recognizable. Rombo Picks hit all the points here. These picks are so elegant, they look like they came out of an interior designer’s brochure. I’m a big fan of this style, and you just got to love these colors.
Rombo Picks’ Unique Take On Texture And Gripping Surface
I find the gripping surface a bit slippery, so I appreciate the 3D shape it has. Small details like Jade’s “bump”, Diamond’s hole or Horizon’s arch is what make these picks stand out.
Rombo Picks’ Bevel
The bevel of every pick is polished to achieve a glossy finish. It helps avoid picking noise as well as helps the picks to glide effortlessly across the strings. I appreciate that they made the transition to the glossy tip as part of the design and did not just put it at the end of every pick (Diamond is a good example of that).
Rombo Picks Rundown
Rombo Picks’ First Batch (2019)
Here are the four picks Rombo Picks released in the first Kickstarter campaign in 2019
Classic
A great strumming pick. It’s as flexible as a super-thin Celluloid but far more durable. Being made out of a material that resembles Nylon, it also doesn’t feel like it’s going to break in half, giving me a lot of confidence during aggressive parts.
Diamond
My personal favorite. Bright sounding and very accurate pick. Resembles the Jazz III, but is a lot more comfortable.
Origami
As mentioned previously, this is, in my opinion, the most useful pick in Rombo Picks’ range. This is really an ace in your sleeve if you need to play many different parts in the same song without changing picks.
Waves
The perfect balance between warmth and brightness. Its super round tip makes it ideal for palm muting power chords or rhythm parts.
Rombo Picks’ Second Batch (2021)
These are the picks Rombo Picks released with their second Kickstarter campaign.
Crisp
A very useful pick. I find it almost as accurate as Diamond and Horizon, but warmer sounding. An interesting thing about it is that its design is stackable. If you have 2 of these, they fit perfectly into each other, and if you’re willing to make the extra effort of offsetting their tips slightly, you can experiment with a whole new dimension of tonal possibilities.
Horizon
In a way, Horizon can be considered a wider version of Diamond, even though each has its own uniqueness. They sound very similar and I tend to use them in similar situations. I don’t really care for that width, but it’s a matter of personal taste.
Jade
The thickest of them all, and the one with the simplest design. It’s a lot warmer than I expected it to be, making it my favorite sounding pick. I ended up favoring Diamond over it only because I found it more comfortable.
Prisma
One of the very few triangle-shaped picks that I can play comfortably. The tip is 0.8mm thick, making a nice snappy attack, while the gripping area peaks at 2.4mm, making it very comfortable.
Rombo Picks’ Third Batch (2023)
These are the four picks in their 2023 Kickstarter campaign
Dune
Dune is the pick that surprised me the most in the 2023 range. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. Its long body allows the part of the index finger that’s closest to the palm to help with keeping it in place, while the tip of that finger is holding raised parts very comfortably. Its tip is the widest of all Rombo Picks, and one of the widest I’ve ever played with. Additionally, the radius of the tip is very large. These two facts reduce the resistance from the strings quite a bit, mellowing the attack to an almost “drone” level.
Erebus
This pick looks and feels huge, but when you put it next to a standard-shaped pick, it’s not that much bigger. The raised bit holds the fingers in place and gives this pick an almost ergonomic quality. The tip angle and radius make it play almost like a triangle pick, and the thick gauge makes it even better by allowing the bevel to be rounder.
Mosaic
When I first tried it out, I couldn’t understand why it didn’t feel familiar. After all, this is a Nylon pick in a Jazz III shape. As it turns out, I never played with such a thin one. It took me a few minutes to stop Jazz-IIIing it, but once I got used to its thinness, I started liking it for what it was rather than for what I thought it would be.
The Mosaic is a super flexible, clicky, and warm pick. It’s not the most accurate pick, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s just pure fun.
Shell
Shell quickly became one of my two favorite Rombo picks. I don’t know yet if I prefer this or Diamond, only time will tell which of them I reach out to more.
When you look at it, you can easily say that it is a thinner and smaller version of Erebus. But when you first pick it up, you see how big of a difference there is between them. Shell is a lot smaller, close to the size of a Jazz III, while also having a wider tip. Both of these qualities help it fly across the strings faster than any other Rombo pick.
What I Would’ve Loved To See In Their Line?
I would’ve loved to see a version without the polished bevel. I’m really into as much texture as a guitar pick can have, and a rough tip can add a lot of variety to their range. In terms of variety packs, I think it could’ve been nice to have 2 different variety packs for thinner or thicker gauge picks.
Another thing that I found a bit confusing is the gauge definitions. Origami, for example, is described as 0.75mm think, which is the gauge of its tip. While Diamond, on the other hand, is described as 2mm thick, even though its tip’s gauge is 1.35mm
Pricing
Each pick of their standard line will cost you €2 ($2.2), and each pick from the EcoBlack or Paper will cost €2.5 ($2.75). They come in packs of 4 (€8 / $8.8), if you know which pick you want to buy, and their variety pack contains each of their picks (8 picks total) and costs €16 (~$17.6).
As of writing these lines, the 2023 Kickstarter campaign is not live yet, so I have no information about the pricing.
Where Can You Buy Rombo Picks From?
Rombo Picks are available through their website, any one of their dozens of distributors. If you’re interested in supporting their new line (and you should definitely be interested), you can back their Kickstarter campaign here.
General Opinion On The Entire Rombo Picks Line
I honestly thought that being the thickest, Jade would be my favorite pick. To my surprise, Diamond and Shell feel a lot more natural to me. They both feel a lot tougher than they are, giving that zero-flexibility vibe, where in fact, Diamond is almost as flexible as a Jazz III, and Shell is even more flexible.
That being said, I feel like Origami is the most versatile pick I have ever tried. It won’t be as good as Diamond for your solos, not as good as Classic for strumming, or as good as Waves for power chord palm muting. But it can definitely do all of these things, making it the most useful pick in the range.
I get the impression that this range was designed to cover any style, need, and scenario. And that’s precisely what it does. Another thing is their attention to detail. The tiny logo they add to each pick looks very nice, but more importantly, it shows how accurate their mold injection process is. I feel like each of these picks was inspected to make sure it looks and feels as they planned it to.
Final Thoughts
I tend to take my time with reviews. I spent more than a month abusing the picks from the first two batches, and another month trying their 2023 prototypes before I even started writing anything.
Through the entire process of checking these picks out, I didn’t once find myself playing something that required something Rombo Picks couldn’t deliver. So, that’s an excellent set to take to an island. That being said, I found myself, again and again, reaching out to grab Diamond and Shell, even if it didn’t fit what I was playing. I’ love this pick because it’s comfortable, it’s a perfect size, and it’s got tons of character. I’m torn between them, and I’m very happy that I don’t really have to chose a favorite.
The price may sound a bit steep, but when taking the comfort and superb durability against most other comparable picks into account, Rombo Picks is a clear winner.
Disclosure
The two variety packs and the set of prototypes I got from Rombo Picks were sent to me for free. It, however, didn’t change the way I wrote about them or the final score I gave them.
Rombo Picks Review
What can I say? Rombo Picks just hit all the marks with their variety pack. There's absolutely nothing at least one of these picks can't do. They sound great, consistent, comfortable, and durable. The grip is a bit odd (at least for me) at first, but I got used to it after some playing, and they are priced very reasonably.
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Sound
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Durability
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Grip
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