Nice one! I’m gonna put in an order for some. Tried ultex jazz III and Jazz III XL recently, but my usual carbon fibre max grip Jazz III wins that one for me!
I’ve tried the max grip Jazz IIIs. I actually find them much more difficult to grip than the standard versions.
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I actually just buy it for the sound, I don’t really need the grip as such but I don’t think they do a carbon fibre one without the grip
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They definitely have a distinctive tone for sure.
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I’ve found the Trinity to really be comfortable for working on crosspicking relative to the smaller/more narrow JP signatures or jazz 3/jazz 3 primetones.
After having tried them out; I also really like the Jazz 3 XLs. I think I most prefer the .8 Mm Flex Jazz 3 XLs, but the matte surface of the 1mm blue XLs has a better grip. Considering trying the XL primetones for the grip as well. The spiral grip pattern on the primetones is one of the few short of the sandpaper grip cool picks that don’t seem to slip at all for me if I happen to sweat.
Overall though, the wider, more equilateral picks feel more balanced and stable, and a slight degree of flexibility/spring in the pick gives a bit more bio-feedback when picking vs the thicker options and makes it that much more noticeable when I slip into economy rather than strict alternate picking.
I picked these up on your suggestion, I need to try them plugged into an amp, but here is what I found so far:
- More of a softer attack than my usual Dava jazz gels
- very comfortable to hold
- glides through the g/b/e strings
- no awkward feel changing from usual pick
- more scratchy on the wound strings
I’m not sure how I feel on the last point - is this going to be a deal breaker??? (I suppose plugging onto an amp will give me the answer)
Did you find the same?
No, but my picking techniques produce very little scratching generally.
The scratch is caused by the relative movement of the edge of the pick along the length of the string. This sawing of the string against the pick is also a mechanism of pick wear.
My movements are very much through the string, with very little movement along the the string. So I get almost no scratch and my picks only get slightly blunted at the tips.
Edit: The Trinity picks have quite a sharp edge. If you have a picking movement where some of the movement is along the length of the pick, it’s reasonable to expect that the sharper edge would dig into the windings more and emphasise the scratch.
Cheers for the post. I have an ongoing battle with the lower strings, have always struggled playing fast on them, so I’m always experimenting with the amount if edge picking required.
I’m definitely gonna give the trinity pick a good go though, because there is a lot to like
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So what do ALL of his picks have in common? It seems to be a few things:
- Stiff
- Pointy
- Broad shouldered
Is that right? 
I am not an expert but it seems that the points look very similar and that the thicker models have smooth edges. I’ll bet (a) he can switch between any of them and be happy, and (b) a few years from now he will have yet another signature pick that will be similar to the others.
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Last time I asked him he said he was going back and forth between the Flow and the Trinity.
I’ve tried all the variations and still haven’t found anything I like more than the Carbon Fiber Max-Grip Jazz III though personally.
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I’ve found the trinity really solid lately to the point that I’ve just bought another pack of them, but I like the shape of the jazz 3 XLs more, with the slightly longer reach. Wondering if the prime tone ones might give me best of both worlds there, as the standard tortex ones have more “blocky” edges and result in me picking somewhat harder.
Like, the Primetone Jazz III XL? I have some of them somewhere. They’re very much a bevelled and slightly sharper regular Ultex Jazz III XL. I prefer the textured grip on them over the “regular” Ultex Jazz III XL, but aside from that there’s not much difference. I wouldn’t compare them to the Trinity, which are much wider. The Primetone play and feel like a Jazz III/XL. They’re also really expensive.
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Picture for size comparison:
Top Row:
Jazz III in Red and Black, EJ Jazz III, Ultex Jazz III, JP Trinity, 3.0mm Stubby
Bottom Row:
Jazz III XL in Red and Black, JP Jazz III, JP Flow.
Dunlop Tortex and Planet Waves Wide for size comparison.
If you like the size of the Jazz III XL but don’t like it in tortex, I’d suggest trying the XL size in the standard red/black or ultex, as these all have bevelled edges. The JP Jazz III could be worth a try too.
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I’ve been using the tortex Jazz III XLs - maybe just getting the ultex would get me what I’m looking for.
I actually also have the JP jazz III, recently got the whole array of JP picks in a sampler pack. I like it quite a bit, somehow it seems to snag easier on the point - maybe some wear and tear, I think the material just isn’t quite as hard. Shape wise it’s great though.
The smooth finish on the black JP Jazz III wears out quickly IME; I also find them very slippery under the thumb. The Ultex Jazz III/XL is perfectly smooth on the bevel; if you have a Flow 1.5mm pick, the material and finish feels pretty much the same but with a different profile obviously.
Big fan of the ultex here. Was using white xl jazz 3s for a long time, but find recently I’m using the ultex constantly for my alternate picking stuff. Highly recommend giving them a try. Try recording something with your current pick then do a take with the ultex and see how it sounds! Not quite sure why they work so well for me but they just seem to work really well for picking
I quite like the translucent amber Ultex Jazz III
But I absolutely hated the black 2.0mm Jazz III
To my ears, it’s easily the worst sounding pick I’ve ever used. I hated it.
I much prefer the standard ultex over the Primtetone versions.
The pre-worn edges are ok for a (right handed) leading edge grip, but they feel weird with my trailing edge grip.
A little off topic, but I tried the Kirk Hammett Jazz IIIs recently.
I didn’t like the notch.
The Eric Johnson Jazz IIIs have been my primary pick now for more than a decade. I’d love if Dunlop would release a Jazz III which was the same as the old matte black Jazz IIIs.
I feel like 1mm is the sweet spot pick thickness for me. I did get ahold of an ultex jazz XL 1mm today and quite like it.
Also, outside of picks - I’ve just set up my 7 string Ibby with 8 gauge strings had to Frankenstein it a bit with a .52 from another set but it’s awesome for playing in standard. I think 9s are ideal for Eb or D. The springiness is a bit too much to drop below standard but I really like the feel of them.
It’s been reducing a lot of the tension in my left hand and picking a lot in combination with some other changes I’ve made, but I found 10s were too much even tuned down to D standard.
yep - that’s the series Tom! Sorry to readers - I should have been more specific - but it is the XL version of the amber Jazz 3 ultex I really like.
Do the JP trinity Picks ‘chirp’? I like the tri shape and use a PRIMETONE® TRIANGLE SMOOTH PICK 1.5MM for acoustic. Though I don’t like using it on electric guitars