Aren’t guitar picks the same? If you have that question, you came to the right place, the answer is big no no, guitar picks are not the same, they are quite different from brand to brand, though they are small, they can have huge impact on your playing, it effect every element of your tone; from your attack to your overall dynamic range. Choose your pick carefully as choose your string, they worth your attention.
1. Shape of Guitar Pick
Though with similar look, guitar pick actually comes in four major shapes.
Standard: The most popular guitar pick on the market, they are wide enough to provide you with a firm grip, allowing you with comfortable strumming with its gentle point.
Teardrop: They are slightly more rigid than the standard guitar picks, but the thickness is the same as a standard pick. They are most often used for Jazz guitar playing, also called Jazz pickup.
Equilateral: They are easier to hold and are great for those who look for experimenting with filing down the point, as you are provided with three tips to experiment with.
Sharkfin: These picks are used two ways: as a standard pick, or rotated to use the multi-point edge to create multiple contacts per strum. Some like the multi-contact tone produced by the multi-point edge.
2. Material of Guitar Pick
Picks come in a wide variety of materials. By far the most popular types are plastic. Other materials used include nylon, metal, wood, felt, stone, and rubber. Each has unique characteristics of sound, cost, and longevity.
3. Thickness of Guitar Pick
The thickness or gauge of your pick will play the biggest part in how bright or how warm your guitar sounds. As with everything, the different options for guitar pick thickness each have their own pros and cons.
Thin: Thin picks are usually going to range anywhere from .40 to .60 mm. These will have a lighter sound, naturally, and work best for delicate playing. If you are a beginner, go for this one as they offer less resistance than a heavier pick.
Medium: Medium Picks are going to range in thickness from .60 to .80 mm. Medium thickness picks are the most popular choice among guitarists. If you are looking to use for single notes, medium pick is the right one for you.
Heavy: Picks that are more than .80 mm are considered heavy. These are going to provide you with the most control when it comes to your playing. If you’re normally playing lead guitar, this is the thickness of pick you’ll want to play.
First intended as a replacement for tortoiseshell – hence the tortoise design – Tortex picks were launched way back in 1981. However, their durability, flexibility and bright attack have ensured they remain the industry standard today. Dunlop’s colour-coding system makes it easy to find replacements for your preferred gauge, which range from .50mm (red) up to 1.14mm (purple).
You can choose from a variety of pack-sizes and thickness gauges, so you’ll need to know what thickness you prefer. The texture, feel, and performance of these picks will never disappoint and they have been used by professionals and amateurs alike for generations.
The Fender Premium Picks Sampler contains 24 guitar picks divided into 8 light, 8 medium and 8 heavy gauge picks. The picks are made out of Fender’s premium celluloid material and offer a warm and well-rounded tone. And while this pack isn’t something you are likely to see a seasoned guitarist pick up at his local guitar store, at just $9.99 it’s a great deal for beginner guitarists experimenting with various pick gauges and the tones that they help create.
If you’re looking to get the most practical testing pack money can buy, this is the pack for you. Multiple sizes without any special additions will help you find the right size for your style.
Dunlop Jazz III Pick Pack, Red Nylon
From Nylon to the famed Tortex and the innovative Ultex, Dunlop is the world-renowned producer of over 50 different models of picks. Due to its tiny size and sharper tip, the Dunlop Jazz III is a popular guitar pick amount guitar players. The smaller size implies more contact with the string can be made by the thumb. Thus, improving control over note picking by guitar players.
These are among the most popular Jazz picks on the planet, guitar virtuosos such as Eric Johnson, John Petrucci, Alexi Laiho, and Joe Bonamassa rely on the Jazz III because of its quick release molded edge and sharp tip. Available in warm sounding Red Nylon and Black “Stiffo” that features a bright attack.
ChromaCast CC-SAMPLE Sampler Guitar Picks
If you are planning on buying a guitar or already bought one and somehow forgot about one small but glaring detail – picks, maybe you want to get something affordable, good quality and as soon as you can. ChromaCast CC-SAMPLE 12 pack is a great option for that purpose. Picks in this package are also made of a nice quality celluloid, so you probably won’t go wrong with this.
You can try out different size/thickness and shapes and once you are more acquainted with how to use picks and which ones are most comfortable in your hand you can either buy something high-end, or even continue with this pack, since you will definitely find one that fits your requirements from this 12 options.
D’Addario Assorted Pearl Celluloid Guitar Picks
D’Addario, being one of the biggest and most popular companies that produce picks, logically is one of the best ones at it. This celluloid pick is medium gauge (70mm) and works really well not just for strumming but for articulate picking as well. The same model also comes in ranges from light to extra heavy so you can have your pick. Standard shape provides good grip and comfort so that you can enjoy playing and practicing instead of constantly having to re-adjust your grip on the pick.
For all the eco-conscious people out there, the company packages their picks for minimal waste and environmental impact. This is one of those models that you can buy for experimenting and not be too sad when you want to dispose of them or choose something else because you can get a pack of 10 for only around four to five dollars.
With Sharpe sticky corners and made with less slappy material, this guitar picks comes in 3.0 mm size. It’s its best for super-fast licks and gives you a clearer sound. The making of picks and Lexan gives your tools excellent power or durability. Gripped convenient pick and assist without any tired condition to perform fast or long run.
With this Pick pack you can maintain or perform all brass made guitar and remain get vital output. This company provides a pick of the same quality in various sizes including 1.00 mm, 2.00 mm and 3.0 mm so you can choose based on your own needs. In this package you get 6 piece of picks that comes in hygienic or protected packing. It offers great Smooth release with a positive attack.
Fender 351 Shape Classic Picks
The Fender Extra wide 355 shape provides additional surface area to grip and multiple picking sides. Celluloid picks give the traditional feel, with a smooth striking surface and a warm, round musical tone. Medium gauge picks are ideal for the player looking for a warmer tone of a heavy pick, but the flexibility of a thin pick. Fender picks provide comfort and high-performance flexibility for every performer.
Celluloid is a premier pick material and the cornerstone of the Fender pick collection for decades. Celulloid picks give the traditional feel and a warm, round musical tone. Fender’s large triangle pick, the 355, provides three sides for picking and the largest body of any Fender pick. If you want a large pick to hold on to, this is the one for you.
Original Dragon’s Heart Guitar Pick
These super cool Dragon’s Heart picks take a completely different approach than your regular pick. Rather than offering different thicknesses — 2.5 millimeters is your only option here — they offer different materials that loosely map to hours of playing. The shortest-playing option of 1,000 hours combines the core material of Polyamide-Imide with 12 percent graphite.
The 1,200-hour version utilizes 100% pure Polyamide-Imide while the 1,400-hour version uses 30% carbon fiber and the longest 1,500-hour pick has 30% glass fiber. There’s a rounded edge for strumming, a standard tip, and a narrower tip for super-fast runs. These are great picks for speed shredding and Jazz guitarists
