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Guitar Pick Styles

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The most common types of picks include standard pick, thumb pick, and fingerpick attachments. These all vary by material but the most common are plastic, Nylon, and Celluloid. However, you can get them in carbon fiber, metal, wood snd ceramics. Whereby, they vary in Thickness, Texture, and design! 

MATERIALS

Plastic

Nylon

Celluloid

Carbon fiber

Metal(copper,steel)

Wood

Ceramics

Glass

Stone

Horn

Bone

Leather

Abalone Shell

Jim Dunlop Flow
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Dunlop Big Stubby Picks
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John Petrucci Jazz III
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PLASTICS

Plastic guitar picks are the most popular guitar picks on the market, and can be obtained from almost any guitar or musical instruments store. They are made from high quality plastic, making them  strong and durable. The surface of pick is well polished, with pretty patterns and nice. Plastic picks work well for beginners, and are made from a variety of  plastic materials.

These picks  produce a sound that is a rich and vibrant.  1.5mm plastic picks are inexpensive, perfect for playing fast, and sound really good.

NYLON

Throughout the development of guitar picks, nylon, as a material, has been praised for its unmatched flexibility. Nylon guitar picks are generally known for their warm, sweet tone. Its flexibility also allows for tighter, more aggressive sounds when struck hard. Nylon picks are highly recommended for guitarists who play in multiple genres. Nylon picks have a low rigidness, and can be more slippery than other materials. The surface is usually designed with a raised pattern for an enhanced grip. Flexibility also warrants wearing and breaking after long use.

Jim Dunlop Delrin 500
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D’Addario DuraGrip
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Dunlop 41P.46 Delrin
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CELLULOID

Celluloid is one of the first synthetic materials used to produce guitar picks. Celluloid is a more humanitarian alternative to  illegal tortoiseshell. Celluloid is a hard materials, and more rigid than plastic. When it comes to sound, celluloid picks can be heightened by using harder and more aggressive picking techniques.

For lighter gauges, the pick can become flexible and will create the “plastic sound”. At higher gauges, the picks can be stiff but it removes the plastic sound. Thicker gauges can be difficult for  beginner guitarists. Thinner gauges are prone to wearing, becoming frayed over time.

CARBON FIBRE

Carbon fibre is quite an exotic material, especially for guitar picks. It is incredibly stiff and light; harder than steel, yet lighter than aluminium. They are more expensive than plastic picks. Because of its stiffness, it is able to produce a distinct bright and tight tone. They are usually produced at lighter gauge, making it much less intimidating for beginners. Carbon fibre picks offer outstanding grip, too. The multifilament texture provides a rougher surface compared to other plastic picks, making slipperiness a non-issue. In play, these picks will take time to get used to. The picks can feel rough on the strings due to the material patterns. Once you get used to it, it becomes much more fun. The tones are bright and powerful, the grip is great and the weight is seemingly nothing.

METAL

Metal and alloy are very versatile materials. Metals are naturally harder and more durable than most plastic materials, except for carbon fibre and other advanced synthetics. For this reason, they are capable of bringing out intensive brightness and clarity. Surface texture is also one of its strong points. Smooth and sharp, metal picks allow players to glide effortlessly across the strings, aiding significantly in executing aggressive string attacks. Thanks to these properties, metal picks are often chosen by guitarists from rock and metal backgrounds. The most popular metal guitar picks are copper, steel and their alloys.

Quarter Guitar Pick
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Clayton Picks
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Dunlop Stainless Steel
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COPPER

Copper, as well as its alloys, is on the soft side amongst metals. In fact, with some effort, you can bend a copper or bronze guitar pick permanently altering its tone and playability. Metals are not as flexible and soft as plastics. Therefore, if you want to hold on to that pick, be sure to take good care of it. Copper guitar picks can produce warmer and sweeter sounds compared to other metals. They are not as flimsy as plastic guitar picks. They are softer guitar picks and cause less damage to the guitar’s strings and body. Bronze, a harder alloy of copper, is guaranteed to deliver a more aggressive sound. They are still able to retain a fraction of the coppers warmth, added a hint of power, perfectly fit for a faster and more ferocious playstyle.

STEEL

Steel is harder and more durable than copper. Steel guitar picks will provide you with the iconic tone of metal guitar picks. You will have a bright tone, with quick attacks and frictionless string contact.

A metal guitar pick may damage the body of your guitar, strings, and even your fretboard. Steel is a strong, resilient material and will not take kindly to rough contacts. Take caution when you use a steel pick or you will find yourself restringing often. Steel also does not provide a sufficient grip. Their smooth surface performs well for picking and strumming, but may slip from your fingers,  during long playing. Plectrum manufacturers try to add carving and texture to the picks for better grip.

Steel picks will give you a sweet guitar experience. Their playability and tone are top-notch.

WOOD

Wood is not as economical as other alternative materials. Wood can be more expensive than metals or plastics. Manufacturing costs are hiigh since wooden products can't be made by automation and requires manpower instead. Wood is not resistant to strong contacts, and can wear out quickly. In play, they can overshadow other picks. Wooden picks have their own natural timbre. Their tone is warm, rich and vivid, while focusing on mid-range sounds. They sound balanced and clear, and are great for control playing. Wood does not give much flex compared to plastic. They do not give out that annoying plastic sound and are gentler to the guitar. A wooden pick provides a decent grip and easy string contact. However, handling a wooden pick is not easy as it is much stiffer and thicker than other picks.

Clayton Picks Exotic
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US Blues T3-JazzTR
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US Blues T3-GripEL
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CERAMICS

Ceramic is hailed as one of the hardest materials and still is accessible. It is widely used for production of fine arts around the world. Ceramic guitar picks are easily obtained from vendors and guitar shops.  

Ceramic guitar picks are very different from picks made from other materials. They are heavier, and come in thicker gauges, up to 3 to 4mm. They  are challenging and you have to get used to them. Ceramic is  a very smooth material, and can be  slippery. They are given soft patterns or texture for a firmer and more comfortable grip.

In play, ceramic picks  focus on the low end of the sound spectrum, giving the guitar a more powerful tone. Ceramic picks can deliver  resonance. They ring louder and last longer. They deliver a clean sounding performance.

GLASS

Similar to ceramic, glass guitar picks will give you that heavy feel as well. However, glass is not as hard as ceramics. Glass picks usually come in thick gauges, much thicker than ceramic. Glass picks can come in many colors and designs. Having a cool-looking glass pick in your collection is certainly a must.

String interactions are definitely a strong point. Glass picks feel smooth in contact with the strings. Their weight may be difficult for some guitarists, but it can help to control your picking. Sound wise, glass picks are all about power. They focus on all sound ranges from low to high, and you can produce  a sweet sound with a thick volume.

STONE

Stones for guitar picks can come in a wide variety, offering many aesthetic options. Stone picks are similar to ceramic or glass. They are smooth to the skin and noticeably dense. Stone picks are grinded until smooth. and offer a good grip. Many types of stone have unique natural patterns, for one of a kind designs. The edges are always grinded smooth and should not damage your strings. They come in relatively thick gauges, usually from 1 to 2mm. Stone picks produce a unique tone. They can create very powerful sounds, incredible resonance and overall balance intonation. You can expect a thick, creamy tone accompanied by very well-defined aural characteristics. Stones are very strong and durable, and can last you a lifetime. But stone guitar picks can damage your guitar.

Wambooka Rare Stone
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Clayton S-Stone
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Gemstone Guitar Picks
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BONE

Bone has been used to manufacture art pieces since the beginning of time.  Bone has been used to build guitars, guitar nuts and saddles. with excellent quality. Bone offers an unmatched density, which creates pure sound conduction and clarity.

Bone guitar picks deliver a tone, that is balanced across the sound spectrum. They create a sweet and gentle warmth suitable for jazz players. The surface is usually ground until smooth, which reduces string friction. Bone picks are not too hard, and will not damage your guitar, or wear out the strings. Their high density also means high durability. Bone picks can be expensive, and treated as an art piece.

HORN

Horn is an alternative material for tortoiseshell. They are both organic material, and have a “natural” feel. Horn is easily obtainable. Horn guitar picks feel smooth, hard and light. They are similar to glass, but not as fragile or heavy. Horn offers a sufficient grip thanks to a textured keratin surface. Most horn guitar picks are given beveled edges for an almost frictionless contact with the strings. In terms of sound and intonation, horn picks give clear and tight sounds with superb resonation. The hardness also offers the power behind each stroke while leaving behind no noises. Horn picks are recommended for blues and country guitarists. They are fast, light, and have a sweet balance of power and warmth. They can be pricey though.

LEATHER

Leather is one of the most versatile and  obtainable organic plectrum material. The leather is usually tanned, which adds firmness and flexibility. Leather picks usually come in thick gauges, (2mm to even 4mm).  They are very thick, but create a unique, sweet and thick tone.

Leather picks feel almost weightless, depending on the type of leather used. They can be textured or  smooth, but always offers a  great grip. Long playing sessions and sweat will not affect the grip. 

 Leather picks are vivid in tone and sound warmer than most plastic picks. They are recommended for classical guitars with nylon strings. 

Leather Picks by Lohanu
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SkinTone Leather
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Anwenk Leather Picks
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ABALONE SHELL

Abalone has a shiny appearance, decorated with colorful layers and smooth, reflective patterns. Abalone has a luxurious feel. like a pearl, crystal or marble. They can get slippery and heavy. They are usually thin; around 1mm.
Abalone picks have a tone. and are recommended for lead guitarists, who need improved saturation. These days, abalone is becoming harder to obtain. Exploitation of this species is strictly prohibited, making them very expensive.

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