In this video Italian Mandolinist, Massimo Gatti, compares an Apollo Casein Pick with a Genuine Tortoiseshell pick. Massimo used high-quality microphones when recording, so you might want to grab your headphones for this one!

In this video Bluegrass Guitarist, Adam Schlenker, compares an Apollo Casein Pick with an Apollo PEEK pick on his Martin D-18 Authentic 1939.

In this video, Cary Griffin shows what an Apollo PEEK pick sounds like on both his guitar and mandolin..

“I just had to send you a message really quick to let you know that your picks are out of this world incredible!!!! I love the feel, how the material clings to my fingers, the percussive sound of the pick hitting my strings...it’s so pleasant and not jarring at all like other picks that I’ve tried. Thank you so much for what you do!”

Eric Shumaker

“I received my order yesterday, which was a1.25 casein and peek pick. Each is absolutely fantastic and worth the wait. I went down the rabbit hole and ordered picks from a few places and yours are by far the best. The tone from the casein is lights out. They were well worth the wait and I'll be back for more. I'll be sure to spread the word.”

kris ohrenick

“Got it, love the pick, been playing my Strat unplugged and the tone is so strong and full. “

Gene Tani

“Finally-- a pick for both mandolin AND guitar!

Other picks I've used always seem to work better for one particular instrument or the other. This pick not only "works" for either instrument, but after about a week of A/Bing these against all the other high end picks in my tray, I've come to the conclusion that it's the best damn sounding pick I own for either instrument. I can't wait to order more!”

Sam Hoffman

“Holy heck, Nik! I used to qualify picks as “bright” or “dark”, perhaps to my discredit. Just received my tortoise casein tri today, thank you, and now I believe I can measure picks in terms of warmth. This a beautiful, precise, and warm pick that’s bringing something magical out of my ‘38 0-18. The speed bevel is just damn sexy, point-blank. I’ll be back and hope others explore a new pick choice with you soon!”

Troy Kavanaugh

“Lovin’ the pick, man! First time going without the right-hand bezel and soooo much faster! Nice and mellow. Good size to hang onto. Good variety of corners! It’s all there. Thanks for your attention to detail.”

Matthew Hall

“Wow! Really exceptional picks! I especially notice the warmth and sustain on my walnut and cedar octave mandolin and my Tiger myrtle and red spruce Lyon & Healy C style mandolin. Noticeably nicer even than my well loved *** **** picks.”

Barton Evans

“PEEK is an excellent pick material, and Apollo sells them for a fraction of what they cost elsewhere. I prefer the traditional triangular shape, about 1.5mm thick. I compared Apollo's 1.5mm "a" shape directly to a Vespel pick with similar dimensions. In my opinion, these are very similar materials and any tone/volume difference is likely a function of the leading edge geometry (so that small changes in the bevel will have a more pronounced effect than the material). The advantage I find with PEEK over Vespel is that the plastic feels a bit "rougher" or "stickier", which makes it less susceptible to getting slippery due to sweat/hand oils (a problem I often have with Vespel picks). Like Vespel, the tone is assertive and loud and "sharp", and from my understanding of the material, it should last a long time. Definitely will be using this as a go-to gigging pick!”

J.A.

“Just received two new picks from Apollo! Love them! I have been a die-hard user of **** **** picks and never found any picks to compare to them until I tried these Apollo! I like the thinner picks better so I ordered Apollo shape D 1mm and shape b 1.25 mm. Great sound with a very clear sound and no noticeable pick clicking to my ears. Casein Apollo picks are next! You should give these Apollo picks a try!”

Scott Mahan

“Apollo picks are not only some of the most beautiful picks I’ve seen in my life, but also some of the best sounding. They also happen to be the most similar picks to real tortoise that I ever played. Since Nik makes the picks by hand he can make any custom form and thickness that you like. I really invite everyone to try out an Apollo pick”

Massimo Gatti

“Just wanted to let you know I received the spiral casein pick yesterday and had a chance to pick with it for a bit. I really like it, a bit brighter than both my **** ***** picks as well as my **** **** picks, but in a good way. It also is about the prettiest pick I think I've ever held.”

Greg Coccoluto

“I'm only a few strums in and had to stop to tell you how much I love this pick. That warmth you were talking about with this casein is just so delicious sounding on my guitar. Type A is definitely the perfect size and shape for me and you did such a wonderful job on the mild speed bevels! I am so happy I came across your picks and that I was on the ball about seeing your IG post about this pick and for me not talking myself out of getting it. The **** **** will be in my case as a trusty backup but I'll be reaching for this one first every time.My hat's off to you for creating this beauty of a pick.”

David Short

“Thanks for the prompt delivery of the two custom e-shape Apollo picks I purchased. The picks are nicely crafted. The tone of the dark tortoise casein pick is killer. I look forward to doing business with you again soon.”

Wade Rawlins

“I got the pick late this morning, and I'm really liking it. Got an "old school" look to it, and I like having my favorite shape and material in one pick... its my hand well, plays like I've had it for years and love the tone... Thanks for making a great pick!”

Denny Burgess

““I am LOVING my casein pick I got from you. Best sounding pick I’ve tried. You are doing a great job with these picks and your customer service is awesome!”

Keith Keim

“I just received my Jupiter casein pick today. My first impressions are very positive. I find it nearly identical feel wise to the **** **** with a warmer tone. It slides very effortlessly on the strings and has minimal pick noise. I'm diggin' it man, thanks so much! I look forward to hearing what I can get out of this bad boy as I get more and more used to it. And for the cherry on top, it's damn gorgeous!”

Dylan Ferris

“I believe you maybe sent me the most perfect picks ever! Thank you for your attention to detail and desire to make exactly what I was wanting!”

Gwen Elliott

“I received my flatpick. Thank you. I Love it! It is very pleasant de touch it and comfortable to play with. The sound is both soft and very Clear. Very good job!”

Ugo Bianchi

“Hey, I wanted to let you know that I’m super thrilled by the pick that you made! It has the perfect weight and thickness for my mandolin playing. I’ve been searching for a custom pick for many years, and am thrilled to have found you and your craftsmanship. I’ll be sure to let others know where to find great picks. Keep up the good work.”

Noah Wolf

“I’ve been picking with my gray high performance thermoplastic pick for a few days and I like it very much. The sound I get is very pleasant. I really like the way it seems to slide off the strings. It is really good for the alternative picking motion. It lets go so you can quickly reverse direction.”

Mark Thompson

“I ordered three casein picks in three separate orders as new picks were added to the Store! I pounced on the multi-color casein pick when it appeared in an email! Nik added a speed bevel to all three picks for me. The picks arrived yesterday and it was like an early Christmas opening them up. From a purely aesthetic perspective, these picks are beautiful. The shapes are refined, the material flawless, the coloration is beautiful, the polishing is excellent and the speed bevels were well executed and polished.

I’m new to flat-picking having just started playing with a stiff pick in March (**** ****). I spent about three hours playing with these new casein picks yesterday and today and they immediately felt comfortable in hand. In fact, they seem to have a little more grip than the **** **** picks – they always seem a little slippery to me.

I play for the pure enjoyment of it, I’ll never be an amazing player but that’s fine. I love the sound of the instrument and the pick against the strings. I found it surprising how much the pick affects the tone but it absolutely does. I love the warmer tone these Apollo casein picks have. The tone and beauty of these picks add to my enjoyment. Well done Nik!”

-Michael Hackney

“I got my picks in the mail yesterday. Thanks for the incredibly quick turnaround from order to having them in my hands. You're better than Prime! What follows is my in depth review after about 20 minutes with the picks.....

So I spent a bit of time with them last night, doing some flat picking over fiddle tunes, and some strumming, etc. I put your casein in rotation with my others-******* ****, the guy from Chino, CA I can't remember the name of, a ****** **** and the ****** I shaped myself. Yours was far and away the overall winner for my preferences.

Something about the way you've done the finish polish on the casein allows me better grip and control. My hands sweat a lot when I play and the other caseins get really slick and want to spin in my fingers if I don't keep a death grip, which causes control and articulation to suffer. I know casein doesn't like moisture and I keep that in mind and wipe the pick and my fingertips often. I'm also aware it will affect the lifetime I get out of a pick and that I will tend to go through more than the average player. That said, if I don't have to grip as tightly to prevent spin, I don't sweat as much and my hand moisture becomes less of an issue. First point scored.

Secondly, whether it's the way you bevel or the way material you've sourced I don't know. But your pick has the warmth I like from casein with the articulation I like from the high-end plastics like **** ****, etc. One of my little irritations is when a pick performs really well in the feel department, but is too "clicky" against the strings and the gain in articulation doesn't outweigh the downfall. Yours is much less than the others while the tone stays very balanced. The higher end blooms very nicely as the notes ring out where some of the others suffer in that department. I just really like the sound from these picks. Second BIG point scored.

Bottom line, you've got a winner here. I really like them and they will be my go-to for all my acoustic guitar work live and in my studio. I'm impressed. You have a loyal customer here and I'm thrilled you're in the business and local. I've enjoyed working with [other pick makers], I just prefer the feel of your pick better and getting them from a local guy in days instead of weeks is a big deal for me.

Like you said on your website, there's no best pick. There's only best pick for each individual player. For me, yours is the one

Thanks again, Nik. I really appreciate you working with me and love the fact I've got a local pick guy now.”

Rob Chandler

"I LOVE the thermoplastic pick. Holy wow. I’ve been switching between my [brown colored pick] and this one and it’s like it adds a boost and compressor at the same time. It really brings out the shine in my E strings. Anyhow, thanks so much! I really love the picks. Good luck! I’ll be singing praise of your picks from now on. I’ve tried so many, upwards of 20, and this is the best one so far."

Jake Behrens

“I received my pick today... It's great! Perfect size and the corners are exactly what I wanted... Sounds great and I really like the feel. I love the color (something different)!”

Jeff Wilson

“I received a custom mandolin pick from Nik, and after working with him on the shape and thickness, I can tell he knows a lot about his craft and cares about the final result, as a musician himself. Like a paint brush, the right pick can make all the difference in expression, feel, tone, dynamics, creativity and freedom, and having custom picks available from vintage and modern materials is really exciting and unique. I'll be frequenting the Apollo website for sure, very nice picks (and I've had every pick you can think of...really!) Thanks again Nik, happy pickin!”

Mike McGinn