Helios Artis Perlmutt

Authentic Mother of Pearl

Breathy, but loud! Clear, bright, and transparent

Wedge-like shape, just like picks ought to be made!

Made from mother of pearl, the material which forms pearls. We don't go nuts over jewelry, but you can become crazy about these picks just from looking at them. What's best is that they're 100 percent organic.

Chief sources of mother of pearl are pearl oysters, abalone shells and freshwater pearl mussels. Helios uses the pure white, iridescent sort of mother of pearl for his plectrums.

Tone:

First: Ideal for the bass!!!!

Needless to say, the sound these picks make is very special and most probably not everyones favourite cup of tea. What makes the sound unique is the loud, breathy "hiss" at the beginning of each note. It's got something going for it, nonetheless. By scratching horizontally on a string before you actually strike it you can get that kind of blowing sound Chet Baker and Ben Webster introduced their notes with. Also sounds interesting when playing through a distorted amp, as any good, quality amplifier will colour and change the tone.

What's most important though is the tone directly following striking a note ? a very warm, strong tone which is absolutely unique. Harmonic and full, with lots of power and articulation.

Suitability:

As mentioned: Bass!

As with a lot of the picks we offer, you have to get used to these plectrums. If you play an acoustic with these picks and don't hold the pick horizontally, you'll get a somewhat annoying scratching sound. The breathy sound can go bad if not used correctly.

Shape and craftsmanship:

Polished symmetrically, can be used with both hands. The shape can be altered (if you want an unsymmetric tip, for instance), all you have to do is take out a file and start rasping away.

Each logo is engraved by hand.

Helios Artis crafts his picks in three shapes, which nearly can be applied universally and complement one another.

Delphi: Strongly rounded tip. This fat, round and somewhat stubby pick is ideal for acoustic instruments and electric/ acoustic jazz guitars. Full and strong-bodied tone when played with determination. The Delphi features a slightly concave grip on the ends of both sides and measures 3mm in thickness. Dimensions are 30.5mm long X 21.2mm wide at the top.

Pergamon: The Pergamon is thinner than the Delphi, and offers a pointier tip. Delivers the kind of strike some people have been searching for their entire lives. The shape allows it to be used universally, with nearly any instrument and any style of music. With the pick being 2mm thicks, the indentations aren't ground in as deeply, in comparison to the Delphi. The pergamon is slightly larger than the Delphi and measures 31.5mm in length by 21.2mm width.

Meteora: The ?standard? Helios Artis pick, and also the thinnest. Mainly for use with western and electric guitars. Clear, bright sound with no sort of lag ? pure, direct tone. Can be used without problems for rhythm playing and chord strumming. Beginners can handle it well with practice No indentations, about 1mm thick. Measures 32mm by 21.2mm.

Helios Artis Milchstein only 6,90 € including 19% VAT., plus shipping

Helios Artis Elfenbein only 19,90 € including 19% VAT., plus shipping