Dunlop Plectrums Ultex 427 Jazz III

Dunlop Ultex series became my primary pick choice. I've started using them 2 years ago. The series provides flexibility across most of the musical genres, proper articulation and grip stability.

My main genres are blues, jazz and fusion. The soft edge of this ultres series makes the pick 'dissapear' in the mix, producing raw string action. The pick does not produce any extraneous noises, characteristic for the picks with sharp edges. This is my preference, given the softer properties of recorded notes and riffs, independent of the amount of attack that one uses.

The downside of this specific pick contour is the fact that for speed picking it may jeopartize accuracy and rapidity of the repeated attack on the strings. Therefore it's more suitable for slower, expressive styles. If you need the attack noise, you may look at the non-Ultex Jazz III series or the Ultex Sharp series, which I also occasionally use.

I have tested the picks across most of the string gauges (from 09 to 13). For all of them the spectrum of attack dynamics is more than sufficient.

The pick is not perfect for quick funk, where picks of 1mm and less would be more suitable. However, it works well for heavier funky slant riffs. Pick grip is sufficient for most genres, however it has some tendency to rotate while playing faster funky chords. Players with larger fingers who dislike small size picks may look at larger Ultex (and Ultex Sharp) series.

If you are further into emulating softness of the thumb, you can go further with the 207 or 208 series:


Those provide harder attach but smoother contact with the string and can do well as bass picks as well.

In summary, it is worth having a set of those picks for recording purposes. In general, it is always worth increasing awarness of various pick materials, shapes, contours, grips and sizes and their impact on your playing.

From what I understand, Ultex, just like Ultem, is simply a brand name for polyetherimide (a.k.a. PEI (not to be confused with polyethylenimine, which is also often referred to as “PEI”)), a high-performance thermoplastic, used in medical and aviation industries. Knowing this fact, the durability of the picks comes as no surprise: these are by far the longest-lasting picks that I have ever tried. If you manage not to lose them (which is not that easy to achieve due to their transparency), they will easily last you for months — if not years! — depending on the individual circumstances. I usually use them for about a year before the tip becomes too blunt for my liking; which is incredible considering that I practice for at least two hours every day and use 12-gauge strings. Thanks to the rigidity of these picks, the transient is always perfectly clear, and I always feel in control of the situation, which is especially great for soloing. The only drawback for me (besides them being close to impossible to find on the carpet) is the annoying clicky sound they produce upon hitting the string. I am used to holding the pick as close to parallel to the strings as I possibly can, so the clickiness is even more perceptible. It cannot, of course, be heard through the amplifier, but when practising unplugged in a quiet environment, it can sometimes become overwhelming. Red nylon Jazz IIIs do not do this, but they wear significantly faster and, unlike their Ultex counterparts, always have molding marks around the perimeter.