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Dragon's Heart Picks Review

Can an innovative project based on aerospace materials and an asymmetrical shape really fit different styles of play?

Sunday, 9. November 2014 - by Patrick Gourdain

Dragon's Heart picks are born from the passion of Corey Whitney Bell, a former marine from Texas, who started making guitar picks for personal needs and ended up bringing a very innovative product to market.

Corey has always been a person with a creative engineer’s mind, constantly innovating and troubleshooting. Not being comfortable with the products on the market (have you ever tried to cook them or rub then on sand paper?) he decided to start his own picks production.

He researched hundreds of materials selected by flexibility, friction coefficient, erosion resistance, tensile strength, before settling on the specific polymers he uses today. A lot of prototypes, with different shapes, were made to achieve the right balance between control, consistency and playability.

Features

Unlike many products on the market these picks combine three completely different shapes and a single thickness for all models:

The main edge offers the greatest balance between speed and attack
The sharp edge offers a very aggressive attack while maintaining speed and consistency
The rounded edge is perfect for hybrid picking and harmonics

The picks are made of polyamide-imide - thermoplastic polymers that have exceptional mechanical, thermal and chemical resistant properties. They are often used in aerospace applications as replacement for metallic alloys. The low friction coefficient makes the picks ideal for extremely fast playing.

The three available models:

Original: made from a carefully selected polyamide-imide, the original Dragon's Heart has 12% graphite content, making it extremely fast. One pick can endure over 1000 hours play before the edges become less than ideal. This is the best selection for speed shredding players.

Pure: the Pure has no additives. The pure polyamide-imide has a classic soft and round attack whilst still offering the optimal design and desired durability (up to 1200 hours). Perfect for players who have various styles of play or are still developing their technique.

Hardened: a glass filled variation of the original. This version is the pinnacle of versatile material and their longest lasting pick period (up to 1500 hours of play). Balanced versatility for attack, lubricity, and durability the Hardened Heart is the choice for professionals that demand the most from their picks.

Sounds

The handle of the pick is solid and comfortable (it will not run away, even with sweaty hands). It did take some time to get used to the "asymmetric" shape; these picks feel noticeably different.

The sound produced by the Dragon Heart picks is very satisfying; the stiffness of the pick produces an extremely bright and defined attack. Volume and tone vary greatly based on picking strength and inclination. Personally, I've always preferred heavy picks so immediately felt "at home" with Dragon Hearts, but most players should really enjoy these picks from the start.

Interestingly, the possibility of being able to switch sides "on the fly" with the endless sonic possibilities, needless to say that big pick scratches are really great with these picks.

Gallery

Verdict

It seems fair to conclude by recalling that the choice of a plectrum should always be "a matter of feeling" based on what allows you to play to the best of your abilities and style. However, my personal experience has left me very happy and excited about Dragon Heart picks going forward and I will certainly use them for the upcoming reviews and demos. Why buy one pick when you can have three?