A whole article!? For plectrums!?

Seems excessive to the seasoned player, but think back on when you were learning. A pretty coloured pick or one that was the same colour as your favourite football team would have done for you. Now though, it has to be a nylon .46mm and nothing else, exactly. There are a whole bunch of different plectrums out there, from thick ones to thin ones, big ones to small ones, and plastic ones to stone ones, and choosing the right kind for you will probably take a long time of experimentation. This guitarist still hasn’t settled on a definitive plectrum for himself. 

The first thing to consider is the thickness of the plectrum. A thin plectrum is normally used for strumming (hmm) and a thick plectrum for picking single notes (say what?) but, as the amusing bracketed text implies, not everybody agrees with that sentiment. Thin plectrums can seem a bit flimsy to be used for strumming and personally, I find that thick plectrums are too rigid for lead, and produce to harsh a sound. 


Here begins the long, confusing, rambling guide to choosing plectrum thickness. 


Choose the plectrum that feels right for you first of all, there are certain plectrums that one guitarist won’t touch and the other will use exclusively. Picks are a personal thing, so find out for yourself which you like, and pretty much ignore what everybody else says about it. Pick a few different thicknesses and try them out until you find one that is comfortable for you.
There are also a lot of different materials that are used for plectrums. Just to confuse the matter even more. Picks are made from plastic, nylon, metal, felt, even stones are used for picks (by insane people). But once again this comes down to personal preference which is chosen. You should also experiment with different shapes of plectrums.
The first paragraph was a bit of a build up, choosing the right plectrum isn’t that difficult, just mess around with some different styles. Try different makers and shapes, everything, or just get some of the grey Dunlops. I’m off to get some now, or should I get a jazz III? Or a shark fin? Or…the choice is yours


See our range of plectrums at http://www.musiccorner.co.uk/Guitar-Shop-Plectrums-Picking-and-Nails/c4941_226/index.html