Dunlop Jazz III (Ultex)
I’ve always liked pointed picks as they seem to be more precise than traditional pick. Even before knowing about Jazz series I’d get a regular tortex or gator pick and sand down sides to get a pointed tip. I’ve been using the old nylon Jazz III for few years now and really loved it. I saw these recently and ordered a 6-pack to try them out. They are the same Jazz III shape, but made out of Ultex.
Pros
- Jazz III ultex keeps all the good sides of Jazz III picks – comfortable (once you get used to them), very nimble with crisp tone.
- Pointed tip is really the best feature of this pick. It’s much more precise than the rounded tip and allows faster picking with less hand motion. Also, due to the pointed tip, attack is sharper which makes better, more focused tone IMO.
- The old Jazz III would sometimes slip out of my hand, but ultex seems to have more grip.
- It doesn’t feel like plastic but more like a brick, so it wears out slower and more gracefully than nylon. Nylon picks tend to develop small shavings from picking over time that keep sticking while you pick. That is not the case with ultex. It wears out as if you were to sand it down with a really fine sandpaper – very smooth.
Cons:
- These are made for picking. Pointed tip and stiffness make them less ideal for strumming.
- Due to smaller size they are easy to lose. Semi-transparent ultex makes them even harder to find, especially if you drop it on the wooden floor. It’s exactly the same color as my floor
- These are very different shape and size than regular guitar picks. Once you got used to them it’s not easy to go back. If you go somewhere without the pick and need to play with something else it could be tricky.
Conclusion
In my opinion, this is the best pick I have tried to date. Maybe it’s not the most versatile, but hey, I’m not the most versatile player in the world It’s great for alternate picking, string skipping, fast rhythm parts, soloing in general, but not so much for strumming and acoustic stuff. I strongly recommend checking these picks. They are 50c each and I honestly can’t remember a product (or service) that provides as much fun for that money.
It’s great for alternate picking, string skipping, fast rhythm parts, soloing in general, but not so much for strumming and acoustic stuff. I strongly recommend checking these picks. They are 50c each and I honestly can’t remember a product (or service) that provides as much fun for that money.
Great review, I agree with both the pros and cons. The pros outweigh the cons, though, and by a lot.
these are by far the best picks I have ever used, though I have to buy them 50 at a time because of the “easy to lose” issue.