Wegen Picks
Picks
Available:
Standard Pick: 3.5mm thick: In Black or White
Fatone Pick: 5mm thick: In Black or White
As above but for left handed players.
Michel
Wegen emailed me a couple of years ago claiming he had discovered by chance
that he could make guitar picks that play like the old tortoise shell
picks but not have the short life span due to wear, I was curious but
dubious. Having tried for many years to find and build the perfect pick
I awaited it's delivery.
Many of the picks I had tried in the past have gone the way of the dust bin -trash can to you- Coconut- useful but wears away nicely, Ivory- too scratchy, Horn - same, Bone - same. Dunlop or Gibson Stubbys - nasty. Tortoise - illegal to import fresh stock so you have to find old broken antiques but a fantastic material.
Upon delivery I tried the Wegen and promptly put it away, after all I still had my favorite tortoise shell which was giving me great service. Shortly after however my old torty was beyond redemption and now resides in the old worn pick box where all good worn picks go. It's at this point where a desperate look comes into my eye. How will I ever play again having lost the perfect pick?
I turned to Michels pick and was amazed at how much like a tortoise shell it was, it almost has an oily quality because the working face has no grip on the string yet the built in grooves hold it rock steady in place between thumb and forefinger. The tone was different, much brighter. This was down to the fact that I had been playing a rounded torty that had no attack left. The point was fine- not too sharp - and the bevels perfect. I was back on track again.
Two
years later I was still using that same pick, along with another that
I used in conjunction so I will not be totally bereft if I lost one.
Though
these picks were working well for me, it was not the same thickness as
my old dead torty. Recently Michel let me know of a new line he was producing
the "Fatone" or Fat-Tone as it's pronounced, a pick with more
body for extra brutishness. On first playing I was lost again, not the
same as the standard Gypsy jazz pick, but I knew I was on the right track,
and needless to say now I'm a "Fatone" man through and through.
This is often the way when searching for the pick that you will be happy with, sticking with a worn out pick just because your used to it when a new one is at hand is a common mistake, as brightness and attack disappear gradually as the pick wears and you just don't hear it yourself as it wears over a period of time.
If you have an existing pick that you want replicating Michel has the tools and know how to recreate your pick exactly in the the new material. Email him for details.
However if you want one of the standard Gypsy Jazz Picks or a Fatone then you can get them from Michel or the Hotclub Trading online shop.
The Fatone Wegen Picks
Michel
Wegen
P.O.Box 119
7240 AC Lochem
The Netherlands
Email michelwegen@wxs.nl