Guthrie Govan  "In that never-ending quest for tonal contentment, so many of the things we guitarists try (higher action, heavier string gauges etc etc...) have a tendency to make playing more difficult. One of the great things about the Red Bear picks, however, is that they not only improve your tone - they actually make playing easier. Additionally, it rather appeals to my inner hippie that I can now enjoy the distinctive sound of a turtleshell pick without incurring any detriment to the turtle community." Guthrie Govan Guthrie Govan Signature Model Big Jazzer Extra-Heavy Gauge
Mitch Malloy  "I play Red Bear Picks because there is a difference and thankfully I can hear it. " Mitch Malloy - Singer songwriter multi-instrumentalist producer.
Frankie Sullivan
Frankie Sullivan - Guitarist, songwriter, and founding member of the group Survivor uses various Red Bear picks .
Jimmy Herring  "Many guitarists don't give much thought to their pick... For me, a pick is vital and I've been searching most of my life as a musician for the right size, thickness, feel and sound that results from a pick... When I played a Red Bear pick for the first time, I knew right away that I had found the best sounding, smoothest feeling pick I had ever tried... The material Red Bear uses has a wonderful organic sound that I haven't found in any other pick... The bevel is super smooth, feels very even and helps me play more accurately... I've settled on a C ll heavy with standard bevel... Big thanks to Red Bear! Jimmy Herring uses our C-II with a standard bevel. Photo by Andy Tenille Marco Minnemann  "Lately I got introduced to some new and really great guitar gear. First was Ola Strandberg's amazing and unique 8-string 'boden' guitar. And now Dave Skowron sent me some of his fabulous RedBear picks, seriously some of the best picks I've ever came across. You can also check out Guthrie's signature model there as well ... Redbeartrading.com" Marco Minnemann Drummer for The Aristocrats, Joe Satriani, Steven Wilson and others as well as multi-instrumantalist solo artist and composer. He's a busy guy! Scott Fore  "If you use picks to produce the sounds on your instrument you know that they are one of the most important tools for creating your tone. Red Bear picks produce a huge full sound that is balanced across the full sonic spectrum. The picks also have a great feel and the beveled edges help get that big sound by creating a solid contact with the strings. Red Bear should be in everyone's tonal toolbox." Scott Fore is an internationally recognized guitarist having won the National Flatpicking Championships held in Winfield Kansas each year. He is also the Doc Watson guitar champion and the Wayne Henderson Champion of Champions. Honors and titles include: 2002 & 2015 National Flatpicking Champion, 2nd in 2000 and 2014. Scott has so many accomplisments they are too numerous to list here. Scott Fore uses our Heavy Gauge C-II with a Speed Bevel and Grips. Adam Chowning  As a touring musician, teacher, and flatpick guitar camp director, I’ve tried just about every pick there is on the market. For years, like many flatpickers, I searched for a tonally comparable alternative to genuine tortoise shell. I found plenty of “close enough” or “good enough” options but until I stumbled across Red Bear Picks, nothing was ever exactly right. If it weren’t for Dave, I’d still be searching. A great product from great folks! Adam Chowning uses our style "C" in medium gauge with grips and a right-hand bevel. Ben Powell  "Red bear picks are inspiring. Not only do they make my acoustic guitars louder, but it’s the tone... it is noticeably richer with much more depth. I love the Gypsy Jazz flat-picks for my acoustic jazz guitars and the thumb-picks sound amazing for my National resonator guitars. They have a long lifespan and the playability is second to none!" Ben Powell uses several of our picks including our Original Thumb picks and Gypsy Jazz gauge flatpicks. Norbert Galo  "The quest of the right pick can be a life-long story for a guitarist, but I finally found the pick that meets all my expectations : dynamics, expression and sound are never betrayed by a Red Bear pick." Norbert Galo - Josh Groban Norbert's MySpace Page Ben Rudnick  "I started using Red Bear Trading Co. Picks about five years ago. My favorite is the Classic Medium. Playing mostly acoustic guitar in my band Ben Rudnick and Friends, I initially struggled to pick the strings hard enough to be heard over the bass, drums and mandolin. My Red Bear pick gave me confidence to play harder if I needed to. As our gear and live mixes improved, I’ve come to appreciate my Classic Medium picks even more. Strumming or flatpicking – whether delicately or with authority - Red Bear Trading Picks are my number one choice to get it done. The best quote I ever heard about guitar playing was “your left hand is what you know and your right hand is who you are.” I’m at my best with a Red Bear Trading Company Flat Pick in my right hand. Ben Rudnick – 2018" Ben Rudnick uses our Classic in Medium Gauge. He prefers the Right-Hand Speed Bevel on his picks. Lynne Hanson  "Like most guitar players I have a desk drawer full of guitar picks that I’ve tried over the years. Although I love the feel of real tortoiseshell, as an animal lover I just can’t support its use to make guitar picks. The idea that a guitar pick could replicate the feel and tone of real tortoise shell seemed hard to believe, but Red Bear has done it. I use the Classic II heavy gauge with grips and it is by far the most comfortable gripping guitar pick I’ve ever used. And I can’t say enough about the wonderful clean tone. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Red Bear picks to other guitar players, but I never lend one out because I might not get it back!" Lynne Hanson Uwe Kruger  "I used to play the real thing back in the eighties, when I could get them legally from an old man in Milan, Italy. I used to get them by the Gross. When he passed away, I found Celluloid to be a good replacement material. When I switched over to coated strings, about ten years ago, my tone changed. Wear and tear on the guitar was greatly reduced. But the tone suffered, the strings being very slick. With Dave's picks I have found a great synergy with the coated strings, RedBear picks having just the right amount of roughness to them. There are other picks out there, let's call them the "brown ones", that I have tried, but I found them to be too slick on the strings to produce a nice, fat tone for me. The RedBear Classic light that I play is the best of both worlds. Great tone, lasting forever and,very important, legal! Thank you for coming up with such a beautiful product!" Uwe Kruger - guitarist and singer for the Kruger Brothers Matt Schulze  "My favorite guitar picks in the universe. Awesome!" Matt Schulze - Actor (Blade, The Fast and the Furious, The Transporter, Fast Five and more) and Guitarist Classic Plus Extra-Heavy Gauge Joey Rotella "Do not be fooled! Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing! Red Bear picks are THE REAL DEAL, and used by guitarists world wide! The quality and tone are unmatched. The thought, time, love, and effort that Dave and his wife put into every Red Bear pick can never be recreated. I feel it every time I use mine and so will you. At the airport recently I noticed I had forgotten my Red Bear pick and had to have it overnight shipped to the hotel where I was staying, because that is how important to my tone these picks are. No joke! I am so proud to endorse Dave and Monica's Red Bear picks! This is not only a craftsman but a pure hearted, compassionate man. These beauties were in my mailbox today and I only spoke to Dave on Sunday. I cannot use anything else, I am hooked. Try one, you will be glad you did...Thank you Dave and Monica."  Joey Rotella - Guitarist, Tavares Joey's Website No. 9 Heavy Gauge with Standard Bevel and grips Jerry Cortez  "As the guitar player in the soul/funk band Tower of Power I need a strong rhythm and lead sound to cut through the mix of such a large and powerful band. A loud guitar and amp is one thing, but the clear definition I obtain comes from using such a high quality pick not made from conventional materials. Red Bear picks make such a huge difference in the overall tone and feel. The notes just sound bigger, rounder and more beautiful. My current fave Red Bear pick is the Tuff Tone Classic. I am really appreciating the durability and longevity of these picks. I have been playing and rotating several Tuff Tone picks for the last five months and I'm still not experiencing any chipping or breaking. Thanks so much Dave and Monica for making my musical experiences that much more positive." Jerry Cortez - Guitarist for Tower of Power Tuff-Tone Classic II Heavy Gauge pick with Speed-Bevel and Grips Carl Roa  "The Red Bear Lil' Jazzer is my ultimate flat pick! Smooth, articulate and toneful! I love the feel of the pick ... really nice and even tones with very little pick noise. I prefer the right hand speed bevel, and the grip holes are cool too. The Lil' Jazzer plays and sounds great. The notes are very defined and clean. I find that I don't have to work as hard to get the tones from my guitar. After hours of playing and gigging there is no wear in sight. You guys make a great pick! Thank you Red Bear!" Carl Roa - Magic Elf, Carl Roa Band, Guitar World Columnist Carl's Website |
