Be picky about guitar picks?



It’s kind of ironic, but it may be that the smallest and most affordable piece of gear we guitarists own—ounce for ounce, and dollar for dollar—has the biggest impact on both our tone and our technique. We use the pick (or “plectrum”) to strike the strings, and that sets our entire audio signal in motion—whether it’s through airborne acoustic sound waves or a signal path full of stompboxes feeding blaring amps. The material, thickness, texture, and shape of that pick have an outsized impact not only on the sound we create, but also on our phrasing and articulation.

Indeed, a pick can strongly influence our musical decision-making: Do we play linear, single-note lines in a more legato fashion because we want to minimize the crisp attack our heavy pick imparts, or do we crank out melodic double-stops because that same pick attack pushes them over the top in such an addictive way? Do we add upstroke ghost notes to that rhythm part because our thin pick gives them an ethereal subtlety, or just keep a battery of eighth-notes going because the understated feel helps build tension? Regardless of the genre of music you play, and the musical applications you’re attempting to serve, your choice of pick will provide a tonal foundation for your sound and your technique.

Fortunately, it’s a good time to explore picks, because there’s a smorgasbord of varieties available today. In addition to the big pick kahunas that’ve been around for decades—companies like Fender, Dunlop, D’Andrea, and Ernie Ball—a slew of smaller manufacturers are making top-notch picks in a variety of styles and materials. These new companies include Red Bear Trading Company, Steve Clayton, V-Picks, Wegen, JB, BlueChip, Golden Gate, PickBoy, Wedgie, and more. If, like most players, you’ve been using the same pick for years, perhaps now’s the time to experiment with shapes and materials you’d never considered before. You may be amazed at what a sharper tip, a heavier gauge, or a more unusual material might bring out of you. And it’s a helluva lot cheaper than shelling out for another guitar, amp, or even a pedal.

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