Swiss Picks
This
day in age accessories are almost as important as guitars and basses
themselves. With advancements in straps, stands, picks, strings etc it
gives the modern musician the chance to turn up the knob on there craft.
It can be hard to know what is best for you and your style cause of the
massive amount of materials and components for either upgrades or just
trying that new product on the block. Pete Punckowski from Swiss Picks
has one of the most original designs on the market today aimed right at
the heart of what the standard guitar player needs making some of the
most amazing and fully functional guitar picks on the market today. Pete
has worked with some of the most innovative musicians out there with
adding guitar legend Rusty Cooley and his line of picks to the Swiss
Picks family. Here at RBJ we did up a talk on the picks last month and
we loved them so wanted to bring Pete back to talk a bit more about what
makes him tick and what makes Swiss Picks one of the best on the
block!!
RBJ
This is a music/gear blog so lets talk about that for a second. What music really rocks your world and what was the band that really got you into music.
SP
This could be a long reply.. Haha! Currently, I'm a schizophrenic listener! Any given day it's been the new Mastodon, Cynic, Baroness, Puscifer, Neurosis, Symphony X, OSI (Jim Matheos & Kevin Moore) & Fate's Warning 'Darkness In A Different Light' which is just.... Amazing! In the Rock realm, Dave Meniketti, Michael Schenker, John Norum, John Sykes & I've re-discovered solo Glenn Hughes. (Always a Deep Purple fan) In Jazz, it's John Zorn, 70's Funk/Fusion Miles Davis & CTI era Freddie Hubbard. I'm also into everything metal from early Exciter & Venom to Meshuggah & Dimmu Borgir. But let's talk guitarists!! An endless list, but my 'bow to' guys are Shawn Lane, Rusty Cooley, Buckethead, Ron Thal, Scott Mishoe, & the great Jason Becker!! As far as what got me into music, it was Deep Purple's 'Burn' LP which was my official 'first' record. My Dad had great records which are still some of my favorites such as Billy Cobham's 'Spectrum' (Tommy Bolin), Jeff Beck's 'Wired' Robin Trower's 'Bridge Of Sighs' and all Gilmour era Pink Floyd. Then on my own, I discovered Kiss, AC/DC, Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, etc. As far as guitar, while Van Halen, Gary Moore & Randy Rhoads were on the pedestal in '83, when Yngwie's Rising Force came out in '84, the whole game changed! I think that Yngwie was the 3rd most influential electric guitarist after Hendrix & EVH, as he changed the way almost everyone played guitar at the time... but it was EVH & Yngwie that made me say, "I have to do this!"
RBJ
What is some of your favorite gear as a musician guitars, amps, effects?
SP
Another long one.. I'm a gear JUNKIE! At this point I've owned just about everything. Through my years I've worked in stores and owned my own shop, so I've seen it all. As for guitars I use a variety of 80's era made gems, including a '79 Boogie Bodies EVH Black/Yellow (#3), an '83 Checkerboard Bullseye graphic San Dimas Charvel, a 1980 USA Dean ML, an '83 Valley Arts Tele, a '91 Tom Anderson Pro Am (Purple Bowling Ball finish) & most recently, a 1991 PRS Limited Edition w/a Redwood Top. I collect anything uncommon from the elite builders era, and always looking for older Anderson, B.C. Rich, Schecter, Valley Arts, Boogie Bodies, Mighty Mite & San Dimas Charvel/Jacksons!
As for amps, I have sworn my allegiance to Friedman Amplification!! There's nothing better for organic high gain than Dave Friedman's HBE (Hairy Brown Eye). Dave has unlocked Pandora's Box and ruined my ears for anything else. Seriously, the hype... is REAL!! Other than the Friedman's, I have a '73 Marshall Super Lead that I run through a 70's Marshall Cab w/25watt Blackbacks for cleans. Say Whhhaaaattt? Really, the best clean I've ever heard. Add the brilliant Nunaber 'Stereo WET' reverb pedal (youtube this one) and it's old school SRV Cleans! Spanky with a Strat!! Another honorable mention is a '96 Top Hat King Royale 35watt combo w/el84's and Greenbacks.. with the Nunaber Reverb as well. All the vintage VOX tones with none of the hassle.
Effects, too many vintage ones to list, but I dig the VOX V846 Wah(Italy) EH Big Muff V5, Boss OD-1, CE-2, DM-2 & MXR's scipt (70's) Dyna Comp & Phase 90.
Current effects are Analogman's DS1 mod, Fulltone's original '69, the RMC Wah Wah, and... I have a Boss SD-1 modded by Diecast Electronics! Firebreather!!
RBJ
When was the company made and where are you located at?
SP
I officially started this in 2011 in Los Angeles, CA. (I'm originally from N.Y. so please don't hold that L.A. thing against me) j/k.
RBJ
There has to be a story about Swiss Picks from the cheese design and mouse it is the most unique idea I have seen in the accessory field?
SP
Thanks, Jon, I appreciate that! Yeah, it was a process. Like any other guitar player, I'm always looking for something better and through the process of punching holes in my picks for grips, I came across with the Swiss Cheese design. Bigger holes, smaller holes, etc. While it looked cool, it only functioned so-so. Break out the crazy glue and a bunch of plastic shards and I soon had make shift ridges and my fingers stuck together.. Haha. After about 70 to 80 prototypes which took a year or so, I experimented with different hole placement and design, and the final product was finally born. There's a reason that the holes are off-center. Using my guitar playing friends as Guinea pigs, I found the exact spot where our thumbs and index finger sit comfortably on the pick and then detailed the design around those certain points. As we took turns putting it into play, it was pretty mind blowing and I knew that I was on to something and had to pursue it. Of course, having a Cheese image pick led to anything to do with a Mouse, Mousetraps, etc. My guitar student Matt is a graphic artist by trade and actually nailed the mouse image on his second attempt! As soon as I saw it and knew it was right! It's like when you look at a company or band logo and it just looks PERFECT! Something clicks in our heads that says, "That's just awesome!" Though Matt scored with the mouse, I actually had to crate the lettered logo, using the hole pattern and side cuts. As a former desk artist, (when in school, I could cover an entire desk in metal band logos in 20 min... haha) I had it finished within' a few days. Wait 'till you guys see the new Sharp Cheddar shirt. I'll have it at NAMM this year. The mouse will be to Swiss Picks what Eddie is to Iron Maiden.
RBJ
Tell us about working with Rusty Cooley and how his signature picks come about?
SP
Let’s talk about Rusty Cooley first. I believe it was in the late 90’s when Rusty's debut CD came out, and I have to say that my friends and I were just FLOORED by this guy. Y’know, there’s a player that comes around every once in a blue moon that is a leap above everyone else, and Rusty is THAT guy. We’ve joked that he must be bionic. But what separates Rusty is his creativity in the speed realm. He does it his way, with techniques that though I can comprehend, I cannot recreate. Then he released the Outworld CD which further solidified his legend. I consider him to be a benchmark player in the idea that he’ll always be technically untouchable and 5 to 10 steps ahead of all of us. His new band/project, Day Of Reckoning is a brutal guitar assault that sets the bar even higher than before! Check out his music at www.RustyCooley.com
So,when I made the Sharp Cheddar’s, I sent some to Rusty and he loved ‘em and they quickly became his only pick. Y’know, hearing that from one of your favorite players was just mind blowing!! But, there was an issue. Rusty felt the Delrin was too warm for his signature 7 & 8 string Dean RC models… So, to the drawing board I went and came up with a Polycarbonate base, which is a harder, glass like material that really brightened up & clarified Rusty’s low end. He was stoked & the Rusty Cooley Edition was born! Now, working with Rusty has been a blast! He's as intense as his playing. Super sharp, energetic & always has ideas and possibilities to contribute. It's scary sometimes to meet or talk to people that you admire musically, because in the event that they're complete tools, it can ruin your image of then or turn you off to what they do... But Rusty ended up being one of the coolest cats on the planet when we started speaking which was a great relief to me & it's always a great time when we brain storm ideas.
RBJ
What separates Swiss Picks from the pack, There are so many styles of picks from metal, brass, wood, plastics etc. Tell us why Swiss Picks could possibly be the last pick they ever play?
SP
Ask Rusty... Ohhhh, SNAP! Haha! Seriously, as much as it's interesting to work with metals, woods & stone, you have to ask yourself, "What material really works best for a pick?" And like alot of you players out there, I've tried different things, but always returned to a plastics based material. Aside from the grip and feel, I make these out of the best Dupont materials here in the USA which are not only longer lasting in terms of wear, but sound much better than the average made commercial picks that most players are used to and accepting of. Another big issue I had was the ‘clicking’ sound of other picks on high gain settings. The Swiss Picks motto, “All of the speed, none of the click.” When it comes to the grip factor, I tried picks with sandpaper style scoring, which while they did grip, readjusting the pick during play was restrictive. So, with the raised edge design and these strategically placed holes, I can have all my needs met of feeling locked in with the plectrum while still having the freedom to not only adjust, but loosen up on my grip. This pick feels like a natural extension for me. It just glides perfect.
RBJ
Lets cut the cheese a second (Sorry about the pun) Lets do a quick break down of your product line and what separates the line so the reader can grasp a bit better what pick might be the one for them?
SP
The long awaited Sharp Cheddar series, which have a sharp tip are thicker than the original yellow ones. They come in 1.10 Thick, 1.50 Ex. Thick, 2.0 Slab and Jazz Mini size (1.30) . The material base is actually the same Delrin base. Where the material changed is with the Rusty Cooley Edition Sharp Cheddar Series, which is a Polycarbonate base. I have a great fan base for the originals, so they will always be a Swiss Picks staple and come in .55 Thin, .80 Regular, and 1.10 Thick. The Delrin is more of a pure warm tone, while the Polycarbonate has a brighter attack, which is what inspired the Rusty Cooley Edition. I have options to order assorted gauges in both Standard and Sharp Cheddar styles.
RBJ
On the website it says that Swiss Picks are made with the finest materials in the USA. So many companies this day in age are selling out to Korea or China why have you not sold out like so many?
SP
Oh, don't think they haven't dangled that carrot in front of my face. I could've had worldwide distribution if I would've moved production to China and played 'The Game", which encompassed cheap materials, cheaper molds, and in the end, an inferior product. Everything in our world today revolves around money... and it's horrible. I'd rather do this by word of mouth and have users of this product for ALL of the right reasons. Corporations have pretty much destroyed every piece of cool guitar gear that they've gotten their hands on by cutting corners, foreign manufacture, poor materials & in the end, just looking to line their pockets with your cash in the end... And then there's the continued loss of American jobs, which I could go on forever about. I'd rather quit before that happens here. My picks are made by one of the best rated plastic manufacturers here in Gardena, CA and that's where it's staying. :)
RBJ
Where do you see Swiss Picks going in the future say five or ten years from now any new products on the horizon you can talk about?
SP
For next year, I'm looking at the properties of Tortoise and where I can take those tones and improve upon them. Other than that, just to keep working with the best guitarists in music and make the best products that I can. This has to be a labor of love and has to be something that I use and am proud to have my name on. Having guys like Rusty Cooley & recently Scott Mishoe using my pick is all the reward I need... and in five or ten years, I'll still be here.. Keeping it real.
RBJ
Where can people buy your products? online? Shops? website?
SP
Swiss Picks is now website direct at www.swisspicks.com
RBJ
Any last words to the people reading this?
SP
A big thanks to you Jon all that have supported not only my picks, but the music scene and the artists that have enriched our lives. Without these people creating what they do, our lives would be empty, and when you can, please support the artists that you enjoy directly so that they can continue to do what they do.
The Original Swiss Pick
Sharp Cheddar
Sharp Cheddar Jazz Mini
Rusty Cooley Sharp Cheddar
Rusty Cooley Jazz Mini
I have been playing the Swiss Picks Pete sent me for over about 6 weeks or so now and I can totally testify that they are really something special. I have always had problems with picks turning in my hand over time and the only way I could come over it was using a drop of glue or a product to help keep them in place. Using the Swiss Picks has made me a better guitar player and actually helped me with control and speed. I am not saying that these picks are going to make everyone happy but they are more then worth checking out and making up your own mind. Swiss Picks not only have a great catch with the cheese but I can honestly say they are the cheese the whole cheese and nothing but the cheese!!!!!!!!
You can find Swiss Picks at www.swisspicks.com
www.facebook.com/SwissPicks
We did a talk about Swiss Picks in October that you can read here Reviews By Jon Swiss Pick Link
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