The Eric Johnson “Classic” Jazz III in the matte red nylon have been discontinued.
I know Dunlop released a new “Custom” version in white nylon, but why couldn’t we still have the “Classic” version? Why can’t EJ have two signature picks? John Petrucci has about a half dozen different signature picks!
I still have a maybe one left in my pick collection and it pains me. I always thought the EJ variant felt and sounder better, and no slipperiness like the standard jazz iii’s.
I still have a lot of them and I don’t wear picks quickly, so I should have enough to last me a few years.
I’ll have to be more careful with them, though. I really hope Dunlop are planning to release the "Classic"Jazz III without Eric’s name on it.
I assume the “Classic Jazz III” is basically the red pick that I think of when I think of the Jazz III? I remember, like 20 years ago, finding one on the floor of a guitar store during a George Lynch clinic, and it kicked off YEARS of my using smaller and pointier picks than a Fender medium. Still do, really, though the Flows are a lot closer.
From what I’ve read, the classic red Jazz III was introduced in 1976. They later changed the dimensions slightly. Some players who used the original shape preferred it to the updated form, including Eric Johnson and Shawn Lane. The original moulds were supposedly unfit for continued production and were supposedly lost.
When I started using Jazz IIIs, the red and black versions were made of a matte nylon that wore smooth, and the black version was reinforced with fibreglass. This would have been about 2004. The materials may have changed sometime between introduction and when I started using them. A few years after I started using them, they changed the material to a glossy nylon that wears scratchy. I hated the newer material when it was released.
This definitely happened, I still have a few examples of the red and black Jazz IIIs and Jazz III XLs from before the switch.
The Eric Johnson Classic Jazz III was a reintroduction of the original shape with the red matte nylon. Supposedly it was designed using laser scans of some originals that Eric had kept in pristine condition (and I’ve no doubt that he did). The same shape was used for the Ultex Jazz IIIs, which were introduced around the same time. It’s a little larger than the current standard, and I prefer it. The material is similar to what I had used as a teenager, but I actually prefer it.
To my knowledge, neither the original shape or materials were reintroduced for the black Jazz III, which is a shame.
Earlier this year, Dunlop released a new EJ “Custom” Jazz III in a soft, white nylon. It’s a nice pick, but I prefer the matte red nylon, which isn’t available anymore.
You don’t say. 
That’s fascinating. Cool! 2004 would be right about when I first tried one, too. I’ll have to check my stash to see what if any I have left from back then - I do this thing where I always decide I like a pick enough to buy them in bulk, two weeks before I find something I like more. 2004 or so, I wasn’t really in a place in life where I could afford buying 72 or 144 picks at a time, but it’s possible I have a dozen or two unused ones somewhere.
I’m pretty sure for a while they were referred to as the jazz III “stiffo”, but I don’t think I’ve seen that in a minute.
I definitely prefer the EJ version to the red “normal” versions I have. I wouldn’t be surprised if you reached out to them, they would hook you up with a bulk pack of the EJ version. They did something similar with me when I told them their current run of black jazz IIIs were bad lol.
I did a count. I have 46 red EJs that are totally unused, and 5 more that are played in a bit.
It’s not exactly a lifetime supply, but think I can make them last. I don’t get much pick wear. I don’t pick across the string windings, so the wound strings don’t file down the edges of my picks as I play.
I sometimes make divots in them before while demonstrating picking power in lessons, that can ruin them. I’ll use the Ultex for that in future, and I’ll rotate keep some of the new white ones in rotation, too.
So long as I don’t lose too many of them, I should be ok. Still, I’d be happier if I could find 5-10 more packs.
“This newly designed Jazz III Pick is the result of extensive experimentation with different types of nylon,” he says. “I find it to have a really great tone—it’s my favorite pick today.”
I just looked, btw. No bags, and two loose red Jazz IIIs (which would have been from pre-2010 or so), neither of which are unused and one shows moderate wear. Sorry Tom!
Thanks Drew.
When I joined here back in 2017, I was really fussy about picks and I really wasn’t comfortable with anything except the EJ and Ultex Jazz IIIs I was using. My technique was solid, but had gotten too pick sensitive; I couldn’t really adapt to anything else.
Seeing videos of Troy using different picks without any issues, and reading that he didn’t have strong preferences made me remember that my technique had been a lot more adaptable when I was a teenager, and had to make do with whatever picks I could get locally. I tried out a lot of different picks after that, and I can work with pretty much anything now.
I never was a big fan of the standard 351 shape for picking, I used to feel like I was a kid walking around in my Dad’s shoes when using them. I have no trouble with them now, but I still don’t like them much. The wide 346 shape actually became my favourite pick for acoustic playing, and I’d never have even considered them before. I hate acrylic picks, I think they sound and feel terrible.
The red EJs are still my personal favourite, after everything, but I don’t feel like I need them.
It seems there’s no leftover stock at any online dealers, either. I think I just need to let it go, enjoy the ones I have left for as long as I can, and get on with things.
I DO have a bag of 12 Ultx Jazz IIIs but it looks like those are still in production. 
Funny about the 346s, I’d never used them before the day I ended up buying my Collings, but the guy at the shop gave me one of theirs to try and I actually kind of liked it, and for kicks ended up buying one of the Martin Luxe picks in that shape (curious about the high end pick world, but $20 Martin pick curious, not $50 Blue Chip curious). It’s comfortable, darker and smoother than my usual Ultex Flow picks, and wears phenominally well.
I still have about two dozen Ultex, too. I should probably by a few more and future proof my supply.
I totally agree on the 346. I’d never much liked picking on acoustic guitars at all before using them, I would just put the pick down and practice some finger picking instead.
So I’ve been thinking about this as I’ve played with both the Ultex j3 and j3xl. I find the xl sometimes to be too pointy, so I was curious if you knew if they were the same shape, but bigger? It seems that the shape is just a little off, but I could be overthinking things now.
Also, is this new to anyone else?
Guitar Pick Reviews describes as a “worn jazz III.”
I don’t have an XL in Ultex, the the Ultex Jazz IIIs are little less pointy than the red and black XLs I have.
I don’t like bevelled picks. The bevel is on the leading edge sides for a right handed player. Some leading edge players might prefer it.
I use both leading and trailing edge grips. I don’t think it makes much of a difference for leading edge, and it makes trailing edge feel and sound worse.
Yeah I realized after I linked it that it’s beveled, sorry!
For all the same reasons I don’t dig bevels. I definitely like on leading edge when it gets worn in naturally, but I don’t think I’ve ever gotten trailing edge to feel better due to a bevel.