Shout out to Eric @ EML Picks

[Social Exodus]

I just received my new casein 2mm large triangle pick from Eric @ EML Picks, and man is this a thing of beauty and IMHO a very reasonable price to boot @ $30 plus shipping. I couldn't be more pleased with it, and between this and my CLP 1mm casein pick (thanks Scott!) I should be set for the foreseeable future. Casein picks truly do make a difference in your tone and the play-ability is second to none.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Social Exodus

I just received my new casein 2mm large triangle pick from Eric @ EML Picks, and man is this a thing of beauty and IMHO a very reasonable price to boot @ $30 plus shipping. I couldn't be more pleased with it, and between this and my CLP 1mm casein pick (thanks Scott!) I should be set for the foreseeable future. Casein picks truly do make a difference in your tone and the play-ability is second to none.

Social: Props to Eric at EML. He's doing some great work over there and his future looks bright. Bravo. For those of you looking for thicker casein picks, especially 2.0 mm and above, he's definitely worth checking out:

https://www.emlpicks.com/collections/casein-picks

And yes, SE, casein is a wonderful material. It was love at first note for me. After forty years of playing genuine TS, I'm thrilled to have found a legal alternative that comes pretty darn close.

Bravo, Eric!

scott memmer

[JAMKC]

Bought my first pick from EML and when it arrived it was just a bit “bowed”. Useable but just didn’t feel quite right. Wrote EML and Eric said “keep that one, a new one will go out today”. Great service, great product. Between EML and CLP the options have never been better.

[Social Exodus]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

Social: Props to Eric at EML. He's doing some great work over there and his future looks bright. Bravo. For those of you looking for thicker casein picks, especially 2.0 mm and above, he's definitely worth checking out:

https://www.emlpicks.com/collections/casein-picks

And yes, SE, casein is a wonderful material. It was love at first note for me. After forty years of playing genuine TS, I'm thrilled to have found a legal alternative that comes pretty darn close.

Bravo, Eric!

scott memmer

Originally Posted by JAMKC

Bought my first pick from EML and when it arrived it was just a bit “bowed”. Useable but just didn’t feel quite right. Wrote EML and Eric said “keep that one, a new one will go out today”. Great service, great product. Between EML and CLP the options have never been better.

That is excellent customer service, no doubt. I've had great experiences at both CLP and EML and will gladly go back to them when I need more picks!

I'm kind of amazed that casein picks haven't been picked up (pun intended lol) by the "big boys" in the pick manufacturing biz. But then again, it's better they don't really and perhaps it takes fanatics like us here (and elsewhere) to truly appreciate what these bring to bear in acoustic guitar playing. I also have a selection of shapes and sizes from Gravity's Gold Series plus a single Blue Chip TAD 60 pick I use for acoustic that are different, but also excellent in their own ways.

For electrics, I use Gravity Acrylics because let's face it, pick noise isn't "a thing" there and the feel, handling and control are excellent in that realm.

All in all, it is a Golden Era in so many aspects of guitar playing compared to when I was a lad in the 1960s and 70s. Regardless of our preferences, we are none of us being cheated in terms of choices and quality in our favorite passion.

[EMLPicks]

Thank you for the post and the kind words! I spend a lot of time on each pick, so it's always nice to know it's useful for the player. There are a ton of materials out there- most of which are very good- but casein is indeed something special, especially when carefully shaped. I shipped three of that model right around the same time, so I'm not sure which customer you are, but thank you again, and feel free to email me any time to talk picks :~)

- Eric Lopez

[gill]

Just pulled the trigger on an EML casein 1.15. Never played a tortoise shell or casein pick in my life. Thanks for enabling OP!

[Social Exodus]

Originally Posted by EMLPicks

Thank you for the post and the kind words! I spend a lot of time on each pick, so it's always nice to know it's useful for the player. There are a ton of materials out there- most of which are very good- but casein is indeed something special, especially when carefully shaped. I shipped three of that model right around the same time, so I'm not sure which customer you are, but thank you again, and feel free to email me any time to talk picks :~)

- Eric Lopez

My name is Steve, and we chatted about shipping times through FB Messenger. Great pick, great communication and many thanks for both.

Originally Posted by gill

Just pulled the trigger on an EML casein 1.15. Never played a tortoise shell or casein pick in my life. Thanks for enabling OP!

You won't regret it. Casein picks are not only great to play with but they are works of art.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Social Exodus

That is excellent customer service, no doubt. I've had great experiences at both CLP and EML and will gladly go back to them when I need more picks!

I'm kind of amazed that casein picks haven't been picked up (pun intended lol) by the "big boys" in the pick manufacturing biz. But then again, it's better they don't really and perhaps it takes fanatics like us here (and elsewhere) to truly appreciate what these bring to bear in acoustic guitar playing. I also have a selection of shapes and sizes from Gravity's Gold Series plus a single Blue Chip TAD 60 pick I use for acoustic that are different, but also excellent in their own ways.

For electrics, I use Gravity Acrylics because let's face it, pick noise isn't "a thing" there and the feel, handling and control are excellent in that realm.

All in all, it is a Golden Era in so many aspects of guitar playing compared to when I was a lad in the 1960s and 70s. Regardless of our preferences, we are none of us being cheated in terms of choices and quality in our favorite passion.

Steve, I don't know that you'd ever see the "Big Boys" get into casein picks. The reason? The material itself is a nightmare to work with. Most of those folks are selling picks made through injection-molding; you flip a switch, walk away, and come back to 1000 picks made at one time. The profit margins are through the roof, and the marketing and packaging cost more than the pick itself.

Casein, on the other hand, has to be cut from solid stock -- and that's just the beginning of the nightmare. It's also almost impossible to polish, as it shows even the tiniest micro-scratches. It's agonizing.

The coolest thing is to finish one and have it come out close to perfect. You feel like you've climbed Mount Olympus.

A casein pick is a true artisan product. One MUST get their hands involved. That being said, if one had enough money -- and people like Dunlop and Fender do -- these processes could all be automated, and they could probably offer a gorgeous casein pick for about $20. But a heckuva lot of trouble, and the profit margin wouldn't even touch injection-molding.

Would love to hear Eric's thoughts on this as well.

my two cents,

scott

[Social Exodus]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

Steve, I don't know that you'd ever see the "Big Boys" get into casein picks. The reason? The material itself is a nightmare to work with. Most of those folks are selling picks made through injection-molding; you flip a switch, walk away, and come back to 1000 picks made at one time. The profit margins are through the roof, and the marketing and packaging cost more than the pick itself.

Casein, on the other hand, has to be cut from solid stock -- and that's just the beginning of the nightmare. It's also almost impossible to polish, as it shows even the tiniest micro-scratches. It's agonizing.

The coolest thing is to finish one and have it come out close to perfect. You feel like you've climbed Mount Olympus.

A casein pick is a true artisan product. One MUST get their hands involved. That being said, if one had enough money -- and people like Dunlop and Fender do -- these processes could all be automated, and they could probably offer a gorgeous casein pick for about $20. But a heckuva lot of trouble, and the profit margin wouldn't even touch injection-molding.

Would love to hear Eric's thoughts on this as well.

my two cents,

scott

Both of mine are true works of art in my humble opinion and I actually like to just look at (and through) them before I play. I'm grateful these are made onesies and twosies like they are because there are no two just alike! My wife thinks I'm nuts to make a good over picks like that, but for the money spent the feel, playability and joy I get from using them makes them a bargain to me.

[Charmed Life Picks]

I wish I had more time at the moment.

The short version. Casein is very much like genuine TS. Think about it: they both derive from an animal protein, one mammalian, one reptilian. I've been playing (and still own) genuine TS, and it also bows and warps.

Solution: It gets softer with heat. One trick to try. Place it on a windowsill or somewhere with light through a window. I use an older junker car and do this on the dashboard. Take a two small, bathroom tiles with completely smooth surfaces. Put the pick between those two surfaces, then place in the sun for a couple days (or weeks). I've never tried it, but this might also be sped up in the oven, although I wouldn't go over 200 F.

Write me PM if you have further questions. I've worked on more than 1000 casein picks, so I know this stuff a bit.

scott memmer

[Social Exodus]

Thanks for the tip Scott!

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

I wish I had more time at the moment.

The short version. Casein is very much like genuine TS. Think about it: they both derive from an animal protein, one mammalian, one reptilian. I've been playing (and still own) genuine TS, and it also bows and warps.

Solution: It gets softer with heat. One trick to try. Place it on a windowsill or somewhere with light through a window. I use an older junker car and do this on the dashboard. Take a two small, bathroom tiles with completely smooth surfaces. Put the pick between those two surfaces, then place in the sun for a couple days (or weeks). I've never tried it, but this might also be sped up in the oven, although I wouldn't go over 200 F.

Write me PM if you have further questions. I've worked on more than 1000 casein picks, so I know this stuff a bit.

scott memmer

[BrunoBlack]

I just received a 1.5 Large Triangle Casein and a 1.5 Small Triangle Resin. They are both excellent picks. They are beautifully made with a terrific bevel. But for my taste, the Resin Pick is the Bees Knees! I love the tone. Thanks Eric.

[EMLPicks]

Originally Posted by Haasome

I just received a 1.5 Large Triangle Casein and a 1.5 Small Triangle Resin. They are both excellent picks. They are beautifully made with a terrific bevel. But for my taste, the Resin Pick is the Bees Knees! I love the tone. Thanks Eric.

Thank you for letting people know Haasome! I also love the Resin and think it's a little underrated, as the vast majority of people go for casein only

-Eric Lopez

[BrunoBlack]

Originally Posted by EMLPicks

Thank you for letting people know Haasome! I also love the Resin and think it's a little underrated, as the vast majority of people go for casein only

-Eric Lopez

Eric, how does the resin wear compared to casein? Any thoughts on longevity? I think I would place the tone of Resin somewhere between Vespel and Casein. It feels and plays nicely. Quiet on the strings too.

[HHP]

If anyone is wondering what we are talking about....

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=499684

I've had these picks for a while now, played with them heavily on guitar and mandolin, and the edges don't even show scratches, much less wear.

After years of trying almost everything, I settled on casein picks from EML and Charmed Life and haven't looked back. Best evidence is I stopped boring everyone with pick threads.

If you guys get adventurous, try the 3.5mm and 4mm versions of these picks. You'd think they would be awkward but they play like you can't believe. A $30-$40 pick gives you what you would spend thousands to get in a guitar.