The Great Pick Thickness Debate ! Options

[Ben Higgins]

Pick thickness - what's your choice ?

Hello fellow abusers of the guitar. I asked a load of people on Facebook (some of you even answered!) what size pick they used and I got a whole cross section of answers, as was to be expected.

The thinnest pick was 0:46mm and the thickest sizes I saw was 3.0mm. Our very own Germanic master Guido is a man who likes a big one in his hands....... as does Fayeed..... wait, where was I ?

Perhaps the highest count of a particular pick size / style was the Dunlop Jazz III. Although it's woth bearing in mind that the Jazz III does come in a few variants of different materials which do flex differently so 2 different people who use Jazz III's can still be using a pick that feels and responds differently.

So, what are the obvious properties of thinner picks ?

Well, they bend easier when you hit the string which reduces the resistance that the pick feels when moving through the string. This means that they require less muscular effort to grip and guide through the strings. For strumming it's an absolute breeze. Really comfortable. When I first started using picks I happened to have thin, floppy picks. I didn't know there was any other kind.

The increased flexibilty of these picks mean that, in theory, they're not as accurate for fast, intricate playing. Also, they don't hit the strings with as much force so the tone isn't as strong. But then again, we can all think of somebody who blows that theory out of the water. Our very own Darius Wave ! Darius has a killer picking technique and also a killer picking attack. (You're welcome Darius.. 500 Euros we agreed, yeah ?) So it just goes to show that you can make anything work to your advantage. So thin picks.... less effort and if you work at it you can even do the same stuff you can do with a thick pick ?? So why do we play thick picks at all ?

Let's look at the properties of thick picks.

Reduced flex from anything over 1mm to zero flex with the picks around 2-3mm. This gives people a fatter tone and we could argue that, because the picks are more rigid, we don't have to hit the strings with as much force to get a louder, clearer response from the string. So, the advantages of the thin picks could be lost if you have to use more force to get more volume and attack from a flexible pick.

The rigidity of thick picks mean that we can be confident that where we point the tip is where the tip actually is. This is ideal for those who want to delve further into the world of speedy techniques, not just in metal but in jazz and other genres that require great dexterity.

But the abilities of people like Darius brings this theory into question ? So what is the truth here ?

I want to hear your own experiences with pick choice. How has the size and flexibility level of picks affected your guitar playing ? Or maybe the question should be, how has your guitar playing influenced your pick choice ?

Where there any particular revelations you had ? Moments of change and discovery ? Do you alternate between different picks for different purposes now ?

It would also be great to hear from some of my fellow instructors like Guido, Fayeed and Darius about why they chose picks at the extreme range of pick sizes. Our resident pick artisan Von Hotch may also have some valuable insight to add to this. So let's begin this great pick discussion !

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