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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




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!


Matt Reviere

"The two things you look for most in a pick are sound and the way it feels hitting the strings. The sound is clear and direct. You really hear the guitar itself much more with a Red Bear because notes don't begin with that little bit of pick noise you get with other picks. The feel is glorious too. They don't feel like a normal pick because they glide so smooth. Even if I have other picks all over my studio desk, I'll get up and go search for my Big Jazzer. These picks are addictive!"
Matt Reviere - Nashville sideman/session player, guitarist for Carrie Underwood




Stephen Gibb

"I’ve been searching for the “perfect” guitar pick for many years now, for so long that I became doubtful and ultimately frustrated. I was so confounded that I finally had to accept that it did not exist. So I gave up...until one day I thought, let me give these here Red Bears a shot and alas! My quest was over! The pick of destiny is in my hand! Now I can focus on making music. It’s such a blessing once you find the right tools for the job. Thanks Red bear!"

Stephen Gibb has been an active member of several Internationally acclaimed Heavy Metal bands in the last 20 years. Notably as a bass player in Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society and as a Guitarist for Nikki Sixx’s band 58, Crowbar, Kingdom of Sorrow, JASTA, & South Florida's own Saigon Kick. He is also a solo artist (singer/songwriter/producer) currently writing & recording new artists and new music of his own as well as co-writing, recording and touring the world as a member of Barry Gibb's band. He also co wrote several songs with his father Barry that appeared on Barbra Streisands "Guilty Pleasures" album in '05 (Certified Gold in the U.S.A & Platinum in the U.K.). He is the primary co-writer with Barry on his latest release entitled “in the now’”(Columbia records). He has also written songs for Ricky Skaggs and Bonnie Tyler to name a few. Currently endorsed by Gibson Guitars, Taylor Guitars, D'Addario Strings, Red Bear Picks, Fishman, Jim Dunlop accessories, Klotz Cables, Lewitt Microphones.

Stephen Gibb uses our "Classic II" in medium gauge gauge. He prefers no grips and a standard bevel.


Jason Bieler

"I have to admit…I felt a bit like Jon Travolta in Pulp Fiction when Uma Thurman explains the virtues of the 5 dollar milkshake. It’s a pick…I mean I’ve had a bunch over the years, what could these guys whom I have tremendous respect for be raving about? ….and then I tried it. There really is an audible difference in tone and feel, I can’t put the thing down since it arrived. It has a dynamic and snap…that I don’t have the ability to articulate in words, but if you're a player…you’ll get it right away. The only downside is that I now have to flee venues prior to anyone asking me if they can have one of my picks… :-)”

Jaon Bieler uses our "Big Jazzer" in heavy gauge gauge with grips and a right-hand bevel.


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.


In Memory of Ede Wright
These picks are soooooo good, it's incredible the tone they impart on the string. At first it seems expensive for a pick but it's actually the least expensive major tone improvement I know of. And when you think about where your tone starts, it's the most important.


Ede Wright (1966-2022) - Jazz/Funk Guitarist No. 9 Extra-Heavy pick with Speed-Bevel and grips




Dave Powers

"Admittedly, I am a collector of all kinds of things, and I have a really cool guitar pick collection. Over my 30 years of playing guitar, I've used ALL KINDS of picks, and pretty much stuck with the cheap $0.25 picks that you can find at any music store. But, being the sonic nerd that I am, I started noticing that some of my favorite players weren't using the same picks I was using. This activated curiosity and fanned the flame of my perpetual quest of great tone. I discovered the amazing world of boutique picks and at first, honestly, I was suspicious. Could a boutique plectrum (pick) make that much of a difference? And was it worth the price? So, I ordered a couple of picks from Red Bear (classic style, 1 medium and 1 light gauge). I am blown away! Great volume, killer tone, and brings a smile to my face every time I play them. That being said, does it make that much of a difference??? YES. Is it worth the money?? I believe it is! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND them to everyone!

Comprised of Dave and Tara Powers, MOUNTAINCITY may very well be single handedly revolutionizing the entire love song genre. Lyrics that strive to honor, treasure and untangle the essence of love merge with a sophisticated blend of folk-pop, country, blue-eyed soul, electronic remixes and instrumentals to form a rich sonic palette that sounds just as current as it does classic. MOUNTAINCITY tours the United States and performs 100+ times per year.

Check out Dave and Tara's website Mountain City Music. Dave uses our "Classic" style pick in medium gauge gauge, no grips and a standard 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.


Tony Martinez

" First time I tried Redbear picks, it felt like home. I knew there was no way back !!! The tone, feel and durability of this picks are just amazing. "
Tony plays a Heavy Gauge Big Jazzer with a Speed Bevel and Grips. Tony is currently touring with Gloria Gaynor and Marta Sanchez. Like him on Facebook.


Thomas Wallisch-Schauer

"That’s the real deal! The tone is warm and fat, but doesn’t sacrifice treble. Articulation and dynamics are way easier to control, the guitars really speak - WOW!!! I use the Big Picker extra heavy flat pick and the Large Original thumb pick. They really changed my guitar-life significant! THANK YOU Dave!" www.thomaswallisch.com


Suraj Gulvady

"I fell in love with the Red Bear Jazzer within minutes of playing one! I can safely say that it is impossibly difficult to find a pick that performs as splendid as a Red Bear be it with respect to tone, feel, grip, speed or longevity. I play a bit of everything Rock, Blues, Jazz and Heavy HEAVY metal and these picks adapt flawlessly.This pick was the missing piece of the puzzle I call my rig. There's nothing more I could ask for! I highly recommend these fine picks."
Suraj Gulvady is the guitarist of one of the biggest metal acts in India, Inner Sanctum and also a renowned session musician, composer, music educator and columnist based out of Bangalore, India.



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

Juanjo Gómez

"I have tried many brands and models of guitar pick, I've been finding a guitar pick to help me to express my ideas without sacrificing my sound. Finally I found: the Red Bear are the best guitar picks I've tried.”
Juanjo Gómez - Guitarist and Music Director for Alejandra Guzman “Mexico’s Queen of Rock” Big Jazzer Heavy Gauge






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


 
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