How to Choose Guitar Picks Thickness and Material

A pick costs less than a cup of coffee and changes your sound more than most pedals. Trying a few thicknesses is the cheapest experiment in guitar.

Thickness

• Thin, around .60mm and under. Flexible and forgiving. Bright, shimmery strumming on acoustic guitar.
• Medium, around .70 to .90mm. The all round choice. Enough give to strum and enough stiffness for single notes.
• Heavy, 1mm and up. Stiff and precise. More volume and control for lead lines and fast picking.

Material

Nylon picks are flexible with a warm attack and often have a molded grip. Tortex picks have a matte surface that stays put in sweaty fingers and a snappy, defined attack. Celluloid is the classic material with a smooth feel and a balanced, traditional tone.

Shape

The standard teardrop shape, often called the 351 shape, suits most playing. Smaller, sharper picks such as the Jazz III give more accuracy for fast single note lines, which is why many lead players swear by them.

What to start with

Start with a medium pick. If strumming sounds harsh or the pick catches in the strings, go thinner. If single notes feel floppy and imprecise, go heavier. Picks are sold in packs, so it is easy to keep a few kinds on hand.

Picks for other instruments

Mandolin players usually prefer a heavier pick for a strong, clear note. Bluegrass banjo is played with fingerpicks rather than a flat pick. See the mandolin buying guide and the banjo buying guide.

Strings matter too

Pick and strings work together. Light strings with a heavy pick feel very different from heavy strings with a thin pick. Read electric guitar string gauges explained for the other half of the picture.

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