Plastic
The most common material; inexpensive, easily replaced, and wide-ranging in size and shape.
Try This: Clayton Spike Sharp Standard
Equilateral
Easiest for beginners; all three sides are suitable for playing, so proper positioning is less of a concern.
Try This: Fender Medium Classic Celluloid
Teardrop
The most common design, features a pointed side for accurate playing, sometimes with a protrusion or a groove for friction.
Try This: Clayton Cork Grip
Shark’s Fin
Two sides provide options for variation: small protrusions for fuller chords and guitar slides, or a blunt end for normal sound.
Try This: Dunlop Fins
Metal
Produces a much brighter sound than most other materials, but quickly wears away strings.
Try This: Dunlop Stainless Steel
Take Your Pick of Picks
For as long as there have been stringed instruments, there have been picks, or plectrums, to produce a brighter sound. There is evidence that the ancient Egyptians used picks, and the materials those picks were most likely made of, stone and bone, are still used today.
Today, picks can also be made of felt, metal, wood, rubber, glass, and several types of plastic, including nylon, celluloid, and acrylic. Some do-it-yourselfers even make customized picks out of coins.
Although makeshift picks were made of various materials throughout the centuries, it wasn’t until 1922 that D’Andrea Picks started the trend of making them out of plastic. Plastic picks eventually became commonplace, enabling mass production, as well as innovations that created new styles of guitar picks.
Tortoiseshell picks—made from the shells of hawksbill turtles—were popular up until 1973, when tortoiseshell trading was banned worldwide. Tortex is a synthetic material that is now widely used as a replacement for tortoiseshell.
Shape and thickness are ultimately important when selecting a pick, as certain picks sound better with particular types of strings. Today, the accessibility of inexpensive plastic picks makes it possible for musicians to try a variety of shapes and sizes without the time investment of making them by hand.
The thickness of guitar picks ranges from extra light (0.017mm) to extra heavy (1.5mm and above). Lighter designs provide more flexibility and a wider range of sounds. Thicker picks give more control over heavy gauge strings, like those of a bass guitar, and are the preferred choice of many jazz musicians and heavy metal guitarists.
Since dropping a pick is a common concern, some picks also have ridges, grooves, perforations, or a cork pad for improved grip. Thumb picks are most commonly used with banjos, but guitarists who play certain styles of music, including blues and bluegrass, use them, as well.
You’re the only one who can find the pick that’s right for you, so get out there, try out some different styles, and take your pick!
