Dunlop Ultex Plectrums Jazz III 24

I made the switch from standard Tortex picks to the Eric Johnson Jazz III signature about 10 years ago because I preferred the shape.

Before long I realised that the compact dimensions, thickness and material of Jazz IIIs also produce a warmer tone with a very defined attack. I have not played a traditional-shaped pick since.

While the original Jazz III design was pretty much entirely satisfactory for me to begin with, the Ultex Jazz IIIs boast an even fuller, richer tone, in addition to being more durable and comfortable. While grip was never an issue with the Jazz III models, the ultex material really does wonders in helping you maintain control in even the sweatiest of scenarios :).

All in all Jazz IIIs have given me one less thing to worry about in the tone-chasing game and unlike a lot of the tonal trade-offs each of us has had to deal with, they actually make playing easier and more comfortable in addition to sounding good. I don't think I'll be using anything else in the foreseeable future!

I went from thin-ish nylon or tortex picks to Jazz carbon fibre to these. They are very stiff like the carbon fibre ones but seem to give a slightly brighter sound, I notice the difference more on distorted sounds and it isn't huge but I like it. The picks look like they would easily get damaged or worn but they are really tough and don't get grooves or notches on the edges. I can't recommend these highly enough, the size and stiffness took a bit of getting used to but now I wouldn't use anything else, the stiffness gives much better control over dynamics and changes in pick angle and force are very audible. They don't have a pronounced 'grip' but they aren't too smooth or slippy to the touch so that doesn't seem to be a problem.

These are brilliant picks for anyone who wants a good stiff feeling pick but also wants a brighter sound. I normally use the ordinary red Jazz 111's on my electric guitars and don't want to change as I love the thick warm attack I can get but I was given an Ultex 1 to try by my brother and although it sounded a wee bit bright on electrics (my taste only) I thought I'd try it on acoustic as I wasn't totally happy with the picks I'd been using. Now I have a consistancy (size and thickness) that I didn't have before when changing between guitars. Excellent. The only drawback is that being nearly see through, they are easier to lose than the red ones, but I bought 24 for a great price so I'm fine for a while.

These picks are great for opening up the tonal possibilities from using a different pick.

because of the small size you are forced to hold the pick differently.

Pinched harmonics are a lot easier to obtain. Playing is a lot more dynamic.

The Ultex material is the most hardwearing pick material if have played with over the last 20 years. the tip stays the same shoe after weeks of playing. Only a slight shining of the tip can be seen.

In reality, I didn't need to order this many picks, as one would probably last me a lifetime.

The 'honey' colour is easy to see on my dark carpet.