If you’re a guitar player, you’re no doubt familiar with the cornucopia of guitar picks (or plectrums, whatever you want to call them) at your disposal. Their fascinating range of colors, shapes, thicknesses, and designs is truly something to behold. However, how much thought do you actually put into the picks you use when playing guitar?
Many guitarists obsess over achieving that perfect “killer tone” with their amp, cab, strings, jack leads, pedals, and guitar itself, yet give such little thought to that piece of plastic they’re holding in their hand. Although it’s easy to overlook, your pick is instrumental (see what we did there?) in determining your tone and technique. You probably know to use a flimsy pick if you’re a fast strummer and a thick pick if you’re a heavy metal palm muter, but what about the material and design of your pick overall?
Introducing ROMBO Picks
ROMBO Picks is a new startup formed by 3 guitar enthusiasts who are looking to develop and produce perfect picks which are adapted to a range of guitars, genres, and playing styles. Founders Carlos, Judith, and Santi have dedicated hundreds and hundreds of working hours into guitar pick research and development, and now they’re looking to launch their guitar pick company on 22nd January 2019 on Kickstarter. If you’re a guitarist who wants to support a company which is developing picks which are beautiful, functional, and eco-friendly, then you know what you have to do!
The team at ROMBO has spent many months researching the relationship between the geometrical characteristics, materials, and sounds of picks. Utilizing state-of-the-art 3D Modeling Software and modern engineering simulations, they successfully identified the essential properties of guitar picks and how they relate to the sound and playing parameters of guitarists from all different styles.
The 4 parameters and 4 attributes of guitar picks
After much research at ROMBO, the team has come up with 4 parameters which affect how a guitarist plays, these are:
- Attack
- Flexibility
- Tone
- Technique
Adjusting these parameters is what sets the individual styles of guitarists apart, in addition to the distinctive styles of different musical genres. For example, Blues guitarists will tend to favor a mid-range tone, while hard rock guitarists tend to favor a trebly tone. Although equipment such as strings, guitars, and amp tubes can undoubtedly affect these kinds of parameters, the guitar pick can have a significant effect too.
So, what 4 attributes have ROMBO identified in a guitar pick which can vary playing style and parameters?
- Wall thickness (the overall thickness of the pick)
- Edge bevel (the slope of the pick)
- Material (how tough/flexible its construction is)
- Tip sharpness (how sharp or dull the tip of the pick is)
However, that’s not the only thing which Rombo has been innovating with their guitar picks!
ROMBO’s unique pick designs
The aesthetically pleasing, practical and eco-friendly picks that Rombo produce are all made from a high-engineered polymer which is manufactured out of fiber waste, so you can rest assured that you’re playing your tunes with environmentally sustainable picks at hand!
Rombo picks can come with tunnels in the middle where your thumb and index finger meet, allowing for optimal grip when playing. Other designs come with concave folds which are inspired by origami, similarly allowing the player to have a firm grip on the pick when playing, mitigating that dreaded risk of the pick flying out of your hand mid-solo!
The high mirror polished tips are designed for low friction and improving durability, while also giving your guitar picks a unique aesthetic and style. Similar designs for flimsy pick lovers combine a thin pick wall with a unique grip pattern which adheres to your hand despite the vulnerability of a thin pick.
The ROMBO Team
The background of the ROMBO Picks team has made this company a passion project which has rapidly developed into a professional startup business. However, ROMBO Picks cannot do it alone, and need the help of willing guitarists and music aficionados if they are to get their eco-friendly and practical picks off the ground!
The ROMBO Picks Kickstarter launches on 22nd January 2019. For more information, visit their website RomboPicks.com or their Instagram feed @rombopicks to find out more and see some cool pictures of their pick designs and prototypes.
