A Definitive Guide to Guitar Picks
- Abhinav Gupta
- Jun 25
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 30
It would be fair to say that beautiful tone is an elusive search for most musicians, and guitar players are particularly notorious tone chasers. We invest a lot of time and money on all kinds of expensive gear, while overlooking a crucial piece of the puzzle — the guitar plectrum, or the pick as most people call it.
The discussion regarding guitar tone mostly revolves around topics like different types of guitars, pickups, strings, amplifiers, pedals, and whatnot. Yet it ignores the fact that the tone produced at the source, in some way, will dominate every piece of gear that comes after it. To quote Paul Reed Smith:
No matter what microphone you put on Barbara Streisand, she’s not going to sound like Paul Rodgers.
Through this comprehensive guide, I will share some insights on how to objectively tackle the subject of picking the right pick.
Material and Thickness
Guitar picks are made from a wide range of materials that can be stiff, soft or something in between. They also come in varying thicknesses of the same material. How stiffness and thickness affect the tone is often directly correlated.
Here are some picks made from different materials, but roughly the same shape and thickness.
Stiff | Medium | Soft |
|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |
And some more, made from the same material but in varying thicknesses.
Heavy | Medium | Thin |
|---|
 |  |  | |  |  |
Putting them to the test, there's a few things we can observe:
Heavy / Stiff | Medium | Thin / Soft | |
|---|---|---|---|
Projection | big and full bodied | decent projection with added clarity | thin bodied with a lot of clarity |
Frequency Response | pronounced bass and lower mid frequencies | balanced lows, mids, and highs | less bass and pronounced high mid and high frequencies |
Playing Feel | more precise due to lower flex, offers high resistance while picking | balance between precision and easy of playing | less precise but easier to play with, offers low resistance while picking |
Attack | quick, produces an audible clicking sound | balanced with a good snap | slower, with the least amount of clicking sound |
So, one can see why a funk guitarist might choose a thinner pick for strumming chords at higher tempos, and a solo acoustic player looking for big projection is more likely to use a heavier pick. Despite that, experimenting with different materials and gauges can deliver great results. For instance, if you like the precision and projection of a heavy Ultex but want a mellower sound, a heavy nylon pick might be a good option. If you like the snap of a medium celluloid and want the projection of a heavier pick, the Ultex medium might offer the best of both worlds.
Shape
How the shape of a pick affects the sound is a bit more complex. A guitar string can be plucked in two planes - one that is parallel to the guitar top and one that is perpendicular. Most guitar players approach the string at an angle, and this determines how much of the string vibrates in which plane, producing significant tonal differences.
It’s well known among classical guitarists that in order to get a full-bodied tone, the plucking action must push the string more towards the guitar top. Whereas plucking the string parallel to the top produces a thin tone which is bright and articulate. This also explains why flamenco guitarists pluck at a shallower angle, closer to the bridge. This helps bring out the attack, aids precision, and compliments the percussive nature of flamenco music.
A pointed tip offers quick release, providing a clear attack and better note separation, especially with heavily distorted tones. It's also precise and very consistent, as changing the angle of the pick doesn't change the sound as much. This quality is particularly favored by players such as Paul Gilbert and Guthrie Govan.
A standard 351 tip will produce a variety of tones from thin and bright when plucked at shallower angles, to fat and warm when the pick is more angled. It offers wider palette of articulations, making it one of the most loved shapes of all time. A favorite among players like John Mayer and B.B. King.
A round tip, even when used at a shallow angle, will push the string more into the guitar top, resulting in a warmer tone with better projection. Guitarists who like to play with horn like phrasing tend to use the round side of a standard 351 pick. Some notable examples that come to mind are Pat Metheny, Larry Carlton, and Guthrie Trapp.
Texture and Size
These two are more of a personal preference, although can be of great significance. The texture of a pick affects the feeling of playing more than the tone itself. A smooth pick will glide off the strings easily while a textured pick will give you superior control over your picking motion by introducing a little bit of friction.
Andy Timmons says that he likes the tone of a standard Jazz III yet chooses the Tortex Jazz III due to its texture and the superior control it offers.
There’s also plenty of room to experiment with the pick size. For instance, if you’re someone who likes the standard 351 shape but not its size, the Joe Pass mod might be for you. He used to cut his picks in half, effectively reducing the amount of flex and increasing its precision.
Complimenting Playing Styles and Genres
If we assimilate all the information above, it makes sense why picks like the Dunlop Jazztone and Primetone are favored by gypsy jazz guitarists. They come in super heavy sizes and are stiff like a rock, producing a full-bodied tone with big projection. The loud audible click helps lay down the beat in gypsy ensembles, as the rhythm guitar player takes on the role of a percussionist.
Also, why a pick like the Jazz III is widely used by lead guitarists such as Kirk Hammett and Joe Bonamassa. The heavy size and pointed tip make it extremely consistent while the nylon retains some softness and flex, producing a beautiful tone that has enough clarity to cut through. Nylon also helps reduce the click, despite the heavy size.
The D'Andrea Pro Plec is a hidden gem used by the likes of Tommy Emmanuel and Peter Bernstein. It’s made of a thermoplastic that feels quite soft, yet the heavy size makes it stiff. This combination lends to its unique character, producing a lot of warmth and huge projection along with a fair bit of clarity.
Guitarists like Misha Mansoor and Javier Reyes choose thin and pointed picks that help retain clarity and precision with heavily distorted guitars that are tuned lower than usual.
So, then, finally, what is the right pick for you?
Let's realize that like much else in life, no pick is perfect. Selecting one is a journey to a middle ground, and the quest for perfection will likely lead to a disappointing end. Instead, I urge you to learn more about how each piece complements the other.
The reward at the end is tonal balance.
Useful Links
Jim Dunlop Guitar Picks: https://www.jimdunlop.com/products/guitar-picks/
Strings By Mail: https://www.stringsbymail.com/guitar-accessories-2/guitar-picks-360/
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