Picking a Pick: Plectrums & you

With so much choice of plectrums out in the market it can be very confusing for first time buyers.

What most experienced pick-buyers look for are:

• grip
• shape
• thickness
• graphic

Grip is fairly important. Especially for beginners as there are many times when your plectrum will ping out of your grip and across the room, into the body of an acoustic guitar, or (my personal favorite experience) down the top of an embarrassed female band member.

Many plectrums with graphics on are often smooth and without grip, though that’s not always the case, so it is definitely something to keep an eye out for.

Grip on plectrums can come in different forms. Some have grooves and ridges, some have a fine texture, others have just the brand name embossed on it to create grip. It’s definitely worth playing around with different kinds to feel how well they keep in your grip while in a musical instrument store.

Shape and thickness are generally down to personal preference that gets built up over time with playing. As a general rule of thumb thinner picks are more beneficial for those that favour soft strumming, whereas thicker plectrums give more control to a more advanced plucker.

The Jim Dunlop USA Nylon plectrums range their colours according to the thickness. The lighter the colour, the thinner the pick, inversely the darker the plectrum the thicker the pick. Black being 1mm thickness.

Graphics on plectrums, as you are probably aware, make no real difference to how plucking or strumming strings sound. Graphics on plectrums can range from skulls to fairies to lightning to rainbows.

Don’t be afraid to play around in-store with whatever plectrums are available!

Image Source: Wikimedia

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