If you can ever imagine a Leonardo Di Vinci of guitar picks then Black Mountain would be it. Who’d of thought you could get three pick sizes in one. Gone are the days of having a million picks in that little coin pocket in your jeans (at least, that’s where I keep mine). This little beauty is definitely a game changer.
Honestly, I’ve battled with picks all of my life going from strumming a nice ballad on my acoustic to the speedy lead playing, constantly having to change over picks to suit the varying styles. On this particular pick, the aptly named ‘Asteroid’, you can do all of this without the panic of searching for different sizes.
Black Mountain says:
“The Black Mountain Asteroid pick gives instant access to three different sounds while playing guitar, with no need to switch pick. With an Asteroid pick, you can quickly switch in the middle of a song and match the vibe of the music you’re playing. Strum some chords with the flexible blue-tip, then play a soulful melody with the round red-tip, and then switch to the pointy black-tip for a velocity-driven guitar solo. The Asteroid gives you the freedom to play with the right pick at the right moment.”
So I tried one out. Yes the three little studs do help with grip but it does feel a little weird to start with. I must confess, I tended to favour the blue and red tips. I found the Black tip a little heavy and cumbersome for me, not to say it wouldn’t suit other guitarists, but it wasn’t for me. Saying that, it is true that it was nice to be able to switch between blue and red.
So in summary on the ‘Asteroid’, is it a bit gimmicky? Some may think so but personally, I think it’s a great idea although I would recommend giving it a good bit of time to get used to before casting judgement.
So for the first item, I will give this a good thumbs up. Yes, I do like it, the jury is still out whether I will make it a permanent fixture of my guitar rig but I am warming to it.
Black Mountain Thumb Pick
So Black Mountain sent me four different sizes of the Thumb Picks. From light (pictured above) to heavy. Unlike the Asteroid, these are normal shaped picks but with an added spring clamp attached which fits neatly around your thumb enabling the use of the other four fingers to pick the strings or to be held like a regular pick. Yes, these things are genius.
Black Mountain says:
“The Black Mountain Thumb Pick is nothing less than a game-changer for guitarists who thought they had to choose between flatpicking and fingerstyle.
The product of hundreds of prototypes, countless hours of 3d modelling, and tons of advice and feedback from players, the Black Mountain Thumb Pick seamlessly combines the best aspects of a thumb pick and a flat pick, allowing guitarists to switch styles as naturally as they’d always wished.
The Black Mountain Thumbpick is one of those products that, once you’ve tried it, you can’t believe didn’t exist before.
What’s more, this is the first in the world to utilise a spring. Joining the thumb ring and pick, the spring allows the pick to be flexible so it feels like a regular flat pick. Simultaneously, it clamps the thumb ring around the player’s thumb, creating a perfect balance between comfort and stability.
The result is completely intuitive performance. Whether you’re just starting out on guitar, or yearning to take your stage performances to the next level, the Black Mountain Thumbpick will immediately make you to play and sound better.”
So how did it fair on a road test? I suppose, as with any thumb pick that I’ve used, these take some getting used to. Black Mountain actually recommend about 50hrs play before they feel natural. I’m up to about 10 hours and it is slowly getting there. I will push on!
If you hold it as a normal pick between thumb and forefinger, they’re OK to use from the start with the added security that you can’t drop it. Big plus!
I’m using this to play slide stuff giving me the ability to pick out those southern blues notes with my other fingers. As far as this style is concerned, these bad boys are the way forward , although as I said previously, I’m still getting used to it.
So again, thumbs up for a great invention.
Black Mountain Full Finger Slide:
Being a slide player, I really needed to try out the two slides on offer. Looking at the full slide first.
It has a cracking weight and fits perfectly thanks to the spring clip inside so it doesn’t matter whether you have shovel hands or tiny, bony hands, one size fits all.
Black Mountain says:
The Black Mountain Slide features an in-built spring, allowing it to perfectly fit a wide variety of finger sizes. Made in Canada to the highest of standards, this slide is nickel-plated for a super-smooth finish. It has been perfectly weighted to offer the best combination of tone and agility.
So in road test, I was thrilled with the performance of the slide, it felt good to the fit and I found it a good slide in use with a great tome. I do also like the cutaway which helps the slide to fit perfectly on the finger and gives a better angle to get a true flat position on the neck. However, there is a little problem with this and that is the price. These retail at around £38-£45. They are good but I have to wonder if many people would invest in one when they can purchase a ceramic slide for around £20. Glass and metal ones, even cheaper. But as I said, it is a quality accessory.
Black Mountain Slide Ring
Now, from the off I have to say I couldn’t get on with this. It is, however a high quality tool and for those who are well experienced, this would be a great slide to use. Maybe if a beginner was to start off with this, it would also be a good slide. But sadly, not for me. But in this case, don’t take my word for it, let’s see what Black Mountain says:
Black Mountain Says:
“Traditional slides are tubes that cover your pinky or ring finger. This forces you to adapt to playing with 3 fingers which can take a long time to master. The Black Mountain Slide Ring lets you play slide guitar whenever you want to without sacrificing the use of your pinky or ring finger!
Thanks to this innovative slide ring, you can play four-finger chords, four-finger scales, bar with your pinky and ring finger, but still have the option to slide whenever you want to!
The spring-fit design assures comfort and stability. Tungsten Steel is very dense which results in a fantastic tone for slide guitar. Almost as hard as diamond, Tungsten steel is highly resistant to abrasion. It also has an ultra smooth surface finish.
If you’re a beginner, the Black Mountain Slide Ring is the perfect first slide. If you’re a pro, the Black Mountain Slide Ring is an essential addition to your tool chest and will unlock a myriad of creative possibilities.”
Despite my own experiences of the Ring Slide, I can see where this is a really good piece of kit, however, yet again, I feel the price is a bit steep as the same prices as the full slide. Saying that, being made of Tungsten, you can see where the price comes from. Why not go onto Black Mountain’s website and check out their full range for yourself.
https://blackmountainpicks.com/