Pick Thickness

BraylonJennings

BraylonJennings

It's all blues
I go from .43mm to 1mm, depending on what I'm playing or my mood. Predominately used fingers only for years, only in the last few years have I used picks most of the time. Still like to snap and pop strings with my digits now and then. And only bare skin on a bass.
 
artyman

artyman

Fareham UK
I used to use a thicker pick, but since a lot of my playing in the duo is a mix of rhythm and lead, I've settle on Fender Mediums as a good compromise. I do drill a series of small holes in them to give me some grip.
 
Ted_Zeppelin

Ted_Zeppelin

I’ll agree with you so that both of us are wrong.
I’ve been using the 1.5mm Bullseye Ghost rim from V-Pick for a few years now. I used to use a much thinner pick but feel that the 1.5mm gives me better control and attack.
 
JPsuff

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
Right now I'm using your basic Fender 351 Celluloid medium (sometimes heavy when the mood strikes).

I tried to bond with the Jazz III's but there was no joy.

To be honest, I don't really give much thought to picks (except if they're thins, which to me are like using a piece of paper) and the standard-issue 351's are what I have always considered to be what a guitar pick looks like so...
 
Silicon Valley Tom

Silicon Valley Tom

It makes me happpy to play The Blues!
Personally, I think it is a good idea to experiment with different picks. There are many recommendations, and some are based upon playing rhythm, or lead guitar. To me, picks have two important qualities: "Feel", and "the sound produced". You might like a thin or thick pick, of whatever overall size, which is pointed (to get a sharp attack and resultant sound) or rounded (to produce a more mellow sound). :)

As I have said before, I like the concept of "having your own sound". If you settle on a specific pick, that is a plus in my book. Otherwise, you might have difficulty trying to remember which pick to use with which guitar, to play a piece of music on your guitar, too be "authentic". :cool:

I did recommend a line of picks about a year ago, which resulted in a member BLOCKING me. If anyone wishes to block me for whatever reason, please feel free to do so. But it would be greatly appreciated if you are civil about it. :love:

Tom
 
PapaBear

PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
A variety from .75 up to 2.0 and like Stinger22 said some picks I'll vary the grip and sometimes use the tip and other things the heel, when I was playing rhythm in the bands I used a Tortex .80 and strummed with the heel
 
Mr.Scary

Mr.Scary

A Blues Legend in My Own Mind
artyman said:
I used to use a thicker pick, but since a lot of my playing in the duo is a mix of rhythm and lead, I've settle on Fender Mediums as a good compromise. I do drill a series of small holes in them to give me some grip.
Click to expand...

I also do that
 
MarkDyson

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
The above post was in jest; I don't actually use one of those honkin' things.

One thing I do use, however, is a "Mojo Grip" on my picks, even the V-Picks. I just really like how the grip feels, and they can be removed and placed on just about any pick of reasonably standard size and shape. Here are a Dunlop 0.7 and a V-Pick Trad Lite so attired. From the wear on the Dunlop grip you can tell I spend most of my time strumming acoustic. :Beer:

current_favorite_pics_09apr2020.jpg
 
aleclee

aleclee

Tribe of One
Silicon Valley Tom said:
Personally, I think it is a good idea to experiment with different picks. There are many recommendations, and some are based upon playing rhythm, or lead guitar. To me, picks have two important qualities: "Feel", and "the sound produced". You might like a thin or thick pick, of whatever overall size, which is pointed (to get a sharp attack and resultant sound) or rounded (to produce a more mellow sound). :)
Click to expand...
So much this!

Pick preference is as much a personal thing as guitar preference. As Tom notes, it largely boils down to feel and tone. I tend to go with picks that make the job easier and deal with whatever it sounds like. I've found that certain shapes and thicknesses are much easier for me than other and the tonal differences are anything but trivial.

The key isn't which pick is best, it's which pick is best for you. Unfortunately, there's no good way to figure that out other than trying a bunch and deciding for yourself.
 
J

Jalapeno

Student Of The Blues
Since I mostly play fingerstyle with thumb and fingers I guess pick thickness would depend on whether or not I'm on a diet :LOL:

As for plectrums, I use whatever I find under my guitar playing neighbors couch cushions :whistle: luckily he uses a variety of picks so I've learned to adjust as required.
 
JPsuff

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
When I got my first guitar I didn't own a single pick so my very first pick was something I cut in the general shape of a pick from an old credit card.

I used that for about a week until I had a chance to go to GC and get some real picks.
Maybe that's why I don't really think about picks all that much other than that they're just something that I need to make the string vibrate.
 
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