When you begin learning to play the guitar, you will soon realize that guitar picks (properly called a plectrum or plectra) are an indispensable accessory for beginners. Of all the things that affect your guitar sound, guitar picks are the easiest and cheapest to try. Many guitarists often use a guitar pick when playing because it helps to play faster and easier. For others, a guitar pick helps them play more accurately and smoothly. When you find your best guitar picks that work for you, you will feel like there’s a breath of fresh air in your style of play.
However, it can be difficult to know how to choose the best guitar picks, as they come in many different styles and designs. You want to get an idea of what you want before you choose the best guitar pick for you so Carroll / Fletcher has created the list of top best guitar pickups and guidelines for you to choose your best guitar picks.
Best Guitar Picks Comparison 2023
| TUSQ Picks Assorted Mixed Pack | Dunlop Flow Standard Grip 1.0mm Guitar Picks | Landstrom From Sweden Sharkfin Guitar Picks | National NP1-8B Thumb & Finger Pick |
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Best Flat Guitar Pick |
Best Jazz Guitar Pick |
Best Shark Fin Guitar Pick |
Best Finger Guitar Pick |
** You will find our detailed reviews of the Best Guitar Picks below, also, click these following links to view the current prices and customer comments on Amazon.
Top Best Guitar Picks Reviews 2023
There are no best guitar picks but the only guitar picks that suit you the best. Choosing the right guitar pick completely depends on personal preference and the price of a guitar pick is also very affordable, so you should experience all kinds of guitar picks to choose for yourself the best guitar picks. You will find that each guitar pick has a different sound quality and a different feeling of play.
Gravity Picks: Acrylic Guitar Picks with Polished Bevels
An acrylic material gives the Gravity Picks a separate sound and feels from many other guitar picks on the market. It can create more grip for your fingers thanks to its large size of the above guitar pick. It looks ‘slide’ across the strings.
The sharper tips create a more powerful attack and give you more precision and ability while playing. If you choose to play fast, alternating or complicated solos then this guitar pick is a good choice because of this sharp point.
It’s excellent for skipping and string scanning. It provides brighter pitches to boot. There are 1,000 variations available. You can also simply request a custom guitar pick. The sizes range from 1.5mm to 3.0mm
Dunlop Flow Standard Grip 1.0mm Guitar Picks
This powerful guitar pick promises to add extra thickness and strength to your tones and chords, while its beveled edges ensure they don’t get stuck between strings, creating faster movement.
Crafted from a highly durable Ultex that emulates a very tough tortoiseshell with a non-slip matte finish, the Flow Picks adds thickness and volume to every note, while still allowing for unobtrusive strings easily.
The strong, polite overtones of the meek Ultex materials make it stand out from the rest of the Dunlop range, and a low-profile handle that is intended to prevent slipping on stage. This guitar pick is available in sizes from 73mm to 3mm, plus Andy James and John Petrucci versions.
PQP-1000-MP: TUSQ Picks Assorted Mixed Pack
You may have heard about TUSQ – it’s an artificial ivory substitute. This material is used to make a lot of nuts and bridges. Graph Tech has crafted the materials with a surprising twist. There are three different tones of TUSQ Pick that are warm, deep, and blight in three different shapes of water droplets, standard angle, and ball angle.
It produces a gratifying sound when you drop them on a hard surface. Every sound affects the sound of your guitar. This pack comes in a variety of sizes and shapes so you can comfortably choose from to suit your guitar playing style.
Ernie Ball Prodigy Guitar Picks
The Ernie Ball ‘high performance’ label makes it easy to understand why it is on our list of best guitar picks. It is made from Delrin to enhance grip. In my opinion, it has a warm timbre when playing.
Prodigy Picks claims beveled edges and shaped tips to aid fast-play techniques by reducing traction and improving control. It offers a great option for thin and metal guitarists. It is available from 1.5mm to 2.0mm gauge with standard and mini formats for you to choose from.
Ibanez ULTEM PULT1 Thumb Tabs Pack of 3
Ibanez is a name known and trusted for decades around the world, not only for its excellent musical instruments but also for the wide variety of high-quality effect pedals with many facets and accessories. This thumb pick of Ibanez has a clear, bright tone and changes frequency response and response.
This thumb pick is made of Ultem horse, which is a brand of SABIC. It fits snugly yet comfortably and makes using keys and playing in a more natural style using the thumb.
National NP1-8B Thumb & Finger Pick
National guitar picks are very popular and loved for generations due to their style and durability. This national guitar pick includes 4 stainless steel finger picks and 2 thumb picks made of sturdy ABS to satisfy the dual needs of many musicians.
Stainless steel guitar pick produces a much cleaner sound than guitar pick made from other materials. This clear timbre is favored by some guitarists, especially those who are experimenting with different tones and are trying to create a sound that sets them apart from their contemporaries.
Metal guitar picks can feel relatively heavy to hold, but these National guitar picks are the opposite.
This product is especially suitable for those who feel that plastic guitar picks are a bit difficult to hold.
Each guitar pick has different sizes designed to suit each guitar player’s hand and create comfort. The edges are so soft that they won’t damage your guitar strings. With its material, this guitar pick can suit a wide variety of musical instruments.
Magic Stone Amber Agate Heart Shaped Pick With Dove Engraving
The Magic stone pick is a handcraft guitar pick made from natural amber agate material. This heart-shaped guitar pick is quite thick with a thickness of 4mm so it is only suitable for professional guitarists. The round point indicates you don’t need to bother about correctness when strumming the strings.
The high-density onyx material is very hard and has little friction on the wire. It has a thumb indentation on one side of this guitar pick that is 1mm deep for easier handling. The stone guitar pick is ideal for developing the player’s picking skills. The asymmetrical design makes the rock guitar pick the ideal flat-pick guitar. It produces a glass tone on the highs and a warm bass sound with very unique and beautiful tunes.
Herco HE113P Flat Thumbpicks
With the combination of the traditional Flat-Pick with the thumb Pick ring, this guitar pick has the advantages of both designs. It gives the support you need. You can hold it like a flat guitar pick but it gives a more solid grip and won’t move when hit like a flat guitar pick.
Made of Celluloid in a variety of colors, this guitar pick creates a very bright and clear sound. Shaped like a standard guitar pick, they have the same swing angle on the strings. The only difference is that you can still release your other fingers to pick. This guitar pick is not too snug but it fits very well.
Landstrom From Sweden Sharkfin Guitar Picks
Guitar picks from Sharkfin are carefully designed and manufactured to deliver the typical maximum memory and minimum wear. The legendary Shark Fin platter offers guitarists a choice of playing angles for different tones. This shark fin guitar pick is used by top musicians for decades.
The serrated surface gives a more tonal haze to whatever you play. This guitar pick is used for picking or strumming thanks to its design. A side with two points that can use both at the same time creates a very unique sound.
Dunlop Guitar Picks (427PJP)
Jim Dunlop guitar picks have been the first choice of professional musicians. Dunlop’s wide range of string sizes, shapes, and materials allow players to choose the best guitar picks that suit their unique playing style.
This guitar pick has a custom inclination angle based on the old Petrucci’s worn pick. The strings can be smoothly passed through with a loud, sharp sound thanks to the durable Ultex material. Constructed of durable Ultex materials, this guitar pick adds weight and volume to each note, while still allowing for easy string manipulation.
This guitar pick shows strong, warm overtones, and synchronized edges for easy typing. The keypad is large enough to ensure total control without affecting the surrounding areas. This guitar pick head offers precision and clarity.
D’Addario Accessories Beatles Guitar Picks
To commemorate its 50th anniversary, D ‘Addario celebrates the Beatles’ legacy with a unique collection of guitar picks in tribute to the iconic cartoon film of The Beatles Yellow Submarine. This set of 10 limited Celluloid options celebrates the timeless spirit of the movie and “Fab Four”.
They are large enough to provide space for a sturdy grip, allowing you to comfortably do strumming with ease. As you pluck, the pick point of the guitar pick slips and makes subtle noises.
This guitar pick is made from high-quality celluloid in a classic water drop shape to increase attack and give a classic tonal feel and tone. Illustrative textures are extremely detailed on each guitar pick. It comes in Light, Medium, and Heavy sizes
Planet Waves by D’Addario 1UKU6-05 Keith Urban Signature Ultem Guitar Picks
Tested on stage and in the studio, the Keith Urban Signature Guitar Pick was designed in collaboration with D’Addario and Keith Urban to capture classy and versatile sound. Made from Ultem resin for bright, high output sound.
Three operating angles for three different distinctive sounds: standard, the pointy tip, and the smooth round tip produce a warmer sound. The textured round head produces a sharper sound. It comes in Medium, Heavy, and Extra Heavy sizes.
Dunlop 471R3N Max-Grip Jazz III Nylon
The hint lies in the name of this long-standing model: Max Grip. The texture on 2/3 of the surface gives it a better grip. This guitar pick has a small profile, fast molded edges, and a pointed tip that provides the flexibility to view the Jazz III through the fastest running speeds with the highest accuracy.
As its name implies, it is suitable for jazz players. It is available in two versions which are the warm-sounding Red Nylon or the Black Stiffo’s brighter, sharper response.
fender 551 Shape Classic Celluloid Picks
Fender makes a remarkable range of options in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and thicknesses. But the most part is the guitar pick made of Celluloid. This material offers a warmer tone compared to many other selections. The 551 comes in the Fender’s traditional 451 shape and has a wider body and a more pointed tip, making it great for quick single-note licks.
This Celluloid guitar pick with a smooth striking surface creates a warm, rounded musical tone. The medium guitar pick is great for the user looking for the warmer tone of the heavy pick, but the versatility of the thin guitar pick
Planet Waves 7DBU5-10 DuraGrip Guitar Picks
The DuraGrip design from the D’Addario is made from Duralin. It promises to highlight the ‘click’ of the keystrokes whether it’s playing chords on the sound. It sets fast dynamic single notes or emphasizes bass.
It attaches in a branded grip design that creates more grip, even if your hand is sweaty. Quality material enhances durability. You can choose from seven different gauges. The DuraGrip is deserving of choosing. It has Wide, Jazz, Sharp, and Standard shapes for you to choose from.
Dunlop Z9002M10 Zookies Thumbpicks 10⁰
Dunlop Zookies Z9002M10 is a guitar pick of Dunlop from the USA. It is made from solid plastic with a smooth surface. It is specialized for the thumb to pluck, solo convenient for players when strumming in guitar accompaniment to speed up the play. This guitar pick is easy to practice and use. It produces a natural, resonant sound.
Dunlop Zookies Z9002M10 is carefully crafted to bring satisfaction to every player from amateurs to professionals. It is chosen by many top musicians for its durability and the sound it makes. It is often used for playing Classical Guitar but it is difficult to use for a long time.
Dunlop Tortex Standard ar Pick
This guitar pick is made of Tortex which is the replacement for the tortoiseshell. However, their durability, versatility, and light attack ensured they were still the standard. This material creates a bright tone.
The turtle logo both helps show the brand and enhances grip. With a variety of colors and sizes ranging from 0.5mm (red) to 1.14mm (purple) by Dunlop, it’s easy to find your favorite guitar pick. Since it is made from Tortex, the price is quite high.
Buying Guide: Tips To Choose The Best Guitar Picks
How do you choose the right guitar picks and are the guitar picks the same? We will give you suggestions for choosing your best guitar picks.
Shape
Guitar picks come in many different shapes and sizes to choose from depending on your preferred style. Most guitar picks are in the form of a curved triangle.
Here are some of the most popular shapes:
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Standard: They are large enough to provide space for a sturdy grip, allowing you to comfortably do strumming with ease. As you pluck, the pick point will slide and make subtle sounds.
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Jazz or Teardrop: They are a bit stiffer than standard guitar picks, but the same thickness as usual. When you pluck, they respond quickly, giving you a higher tone.
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Symmetry: They are easier to handle and are great for learners
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Sharkfin: This guitar pick can be used in two ways. One, as a standard pluck, and on the other, it can be rotated to use it as a multi-point edge to create as many contact points as possible as you strumming.
If you don’t want a strong, sharp sound, a round guitar pick is a good choice because it produces soft notes that move subtly into the tune.
Sizes
A larger guitar pick with a larger grip area will give you more leverage helping you play every note more clearly. Conversely, a smaller guitar pick can help you play faster. Depending on whether the movement is coming from your finger, wrist, or elbow, you will need a large or small guitar pick.
If the movement is primarily coming from your finger, a small guitar pick can be most beneficial, because the area you have to hold is also smaller, and the back that is too large will only slow you down.
If most of your movement is coming from your wrist, you can choose arbitrarily large guitar picks. Basically, the bigger the movement you have, the bigger the guitar picks. Hence, you have more leverage and grip.
If most of your movement is from the elbows, you’ll want a pretty big guitar pick, as you’ll most likely hit the strings hard, and accuracy may not be your number one goal, and not Dropping picks takes a pretty high position in your targets.
Material
The material of your guitar pick affects the sound and feel. For example, if you choose the Celluloid guitar pick, it will give you a clearer tone. Plus, this model is also a bit thicker than the nylon guitar pick, which is preferred by most musicians for their versatility and grip. If you play pop, country, or blue, you should choose Thumb Pick, plastic material, turtle shell is suitable If you play rock, especially metal, using a guitar pick made of metal would be more suitable.
There are many different materials available for guitar picks. Here is a list of the best guitar picks material you can choose from:
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Wood: This material is quite rare and cannot be thinned like a plastic guitar pick. A wooden guitar pick will shine the most when combined with an acoustic guitar because of the warm and rustic sound it delivers.
However, this material has no flexibility, making it difficult to use and it takes a lot of practice for players to get used to. The sound from the wood guitar pick will be heard a lot when playing each note.
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Celluloid: Celluloid was the first material to be used as a substitute for sea turtle shells in the early 90s and was built to give the same feel and sound like a turtle guitar pick. Celluloid is softer than a turtle’s shell but much stiffer than nylon.
This guitar pick has a higher sound and is more powerful than a nylon pick. Celluloid guitar pick usually has a pearly surface or simulates a turtle’s shell guitar pick. Minus point of this material is not durable and flammable.
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Nylon: Nylon is a very flexible plastic material and has been a popular choice among guitarists for many decades. Some people commented that soft guitar picks sound warmer and darker than hard picks, while others say that soft guitar picks sound brighter.
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Metal: Stainless steel guitar pick produces a much cleaner sound than guitar picks made from other materials. This material is favored by some guitarists, especially those who are experimenting with different tones and are trying to create a sound that sets them apart from their contemporaries.
Metal guitar picks will feel relatively heavy to hold, and many guitarists see this as an advantage. Overall, these metal guitar planks are well worth a try. Be aware that stripping will put more force on your keyboard and strings, so you need to be extra careful when using them.
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Stone: You will be extremely surprised when you first hold a stone guitar pick because of the great feel in the hands of these guitar picks. Each manufacturer uses different stones, the most common being agate, jade, and jasper.
The rock guitar pick is extremely hard and produces a very bright sound. This guitar pick is extremely durable and has a very nice rock color. However, rock guitar picks are better suited to each note than chord fans and more with electric guitars than other instruments.
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Plastic: Guitar Pick is most commonly made of plastic. The plastic guitar pick is pretty thin, making it easy to substitute for the finger sounds. The plastic guitar pick gives the listener a pretty warm sound. This is also the type of guitar pick that makes beginners easy to learn.
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Tortex: simulates a tortoiseshell, much stiffer than nylon.
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Ultex: harder and thicker than Tortex.
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Acrylic: hard and bright. Smooth but easy to stick to your fingers.
Thickness
The thickness of the guitar picks varies from extremely thin to notably thick. Like the shape, the thickness of your guitar pick affects how you feel while playing. Here are three levels of play thickness:
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Thin (0.38 – 0.66 MM): These guitar picks are often bent and are suitable for tension strings. The melodies produced by it are very clear and clear. If you are a beginner, we recommend this guitar pick because they are easier to play than heavier ones.
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Medium (0.65 – 0.88 MM): They are a bit stiffer and make a thicker sound. If you are looking for ways to play better single notes or to play solo then choose a medium-sized guitar pick.
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Thick (0.96 – 3 MM): they’re a bit inflexible and suitable for rock music, or solo style and bass guitar playing. These guitar picks are not suitable for strumming.
Basically, if you play rhythm, a thin guitar pick will be a better choice. If you’re a lead guitar player, a thin guitar pick is not for you. However, a thick guitar pick is also good for some guitar rhythm as well as guitar lead.
Thin guitar picks allow players to get brighter, higher sounds without breaking the sound or making the sound too loud. The thin picks are easy to bend and are designed to create soft, smooth strummed sounds. However, if the pick is too thin, it will not achieve the sound effect, even causing annoying noise and cannot be used for long.
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Thin guitar picks will be suitable for:
The sound is brighter because when hitting with a thin pick the contact area will be smaller to help highlight high frequencies.
The sound and dynamic range feel “tighter” because the flexibility of the guitar pick is limited to the sound of the keyboard – especially suitable for the recording needs of the studio.
You can play strumming technique on the guitar thanks to the wide dynamic range it gives and the clarity of every note in a chord.
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Thick guitar picks will be suitable for:
The sound is warm because of its weight and thickness to emphasize the bass and eliminate treble.
You can play lead on electric guitar because it gives fast and accurate play for high-speed solo sentences.
Distortion tones are heavy because of better separation between notes.
Textured
The more textured the surface of the guitar pick, the better grip will drop when playing hard or at high speed, especially when you play for a long time and your hands are sweaty.
However, this can be an advantage or not, also depends on the player, as different texture structures can also affect the sound of the guitar. Slippery guitar picks will sound the clearest and most natural, while more textured picks will sound more “dusty” and add strange color to the instrument.
The round key edge will be warm and pure, while the sharp guitar pick will bring a stronger and brighter sound. If you love the pure sound, you will need to learn to get used to guitar picks that are easier to slip out of your hand.
Style
Your guitar playing style will greatly affect the choice of your best guitar pick:
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Lead Guitar: If you are playing the main guitar, we recommend choosing a thicker one, as the sound will be much clearer. The reason is that the main playing guitar requires more control, and a thicker platter allows for effective control of everything.
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Rhythm guitar: To play the bass guitar, choose a softer plump as it will help you to comfortably strum the guitar with the pick of the pluck. A light plump allows for flexibility in playing different types of rhythms.
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Solo: If you are playing solo, you should choose the guitar pick with a pointed tip, and “sharp” will be good when hit fast, usually the keys are thicker. The thick guitar pick makes it easier to hit each string and control the volume.
In order to achieve efficiency when using a pick, you should also pay attention to how to hold the pick, because this factor also significantly affects the sound quality when strumming.
FAQ
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Guitar Pick?
Whether or not to use the fretboard or not it depends on your preference. Whether or not you use it will not affect your practice much. However, there will be a few cases where you need to use your best guitar picks to be able to play better, especially the Rhythm guitar.
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Cons:
The emotion of playing music is not as complete as using a guitar pick.
Using the guitar pick will make the strings stretch
The sound produces a slightly warm, harsh sound.
You will likely have to depend a lot on it.
The good sound of the guitar depends on what type of guitar pick you choose.
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Pros:
You can reach faster speeds.
You do not need to have long fingernails.
Guitar pick is the best remedy when you have a broken nail.
It is more convenient when you play Rhythm guitar technique and strumming.
It delivers loud, clear sound even during fast play.
Running gamut faster, supporting the easier exercise.
What Is The Simplest Way To Use Your Best Guitar Picks?
Guitar Pick is small, so not all players know how to use it from the beginning. Guitar pick also has many techniques, but we will guide you through the simplest way to use and is currently being applied by many people.
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Step 1: First, you put the index finger of your left hand to curl, curl to a moderate degree, so that the guitar pick is in the middle of the first knuckle of the index finger.
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Step 2: Place the thumb on the guitar pick on the index finger so that the thumb is perpendicular to the index finger.
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Step 3: When using the guitar pick, you should keep the instrument parallel to the strings to make it easy to make a sound when plucking.
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Step 4: In order to be able to use the guitar pick when strumming, you should set an angle of 30 degrees between the pick and the guitar strings, with such deviation will create comfort for your hands as well as help you. has flexibility when playing.
As mentioned there are many ways to use the guitar pick, each person will have their own opinion, so you can try a different pick and choose the one that best suits you.
The Bottom Line: My Pick For The Best Guitar Picks
Best Flat Guitar Pick:
Best Jazz Guitar Pick:
Best Shark Fin Guitar Pick:
Best Finger Guitar Pick:
It is very important that the best guitar pick should be comfortable and suitable for your playing style. Whether you prefer warmer or clearer tones, it will all depend on your best guitar picks.
Now that you have read through this buying guide, we are sure that your choice will be a lot easier. A guitar pick is an accessory that usually goes unnoticed, but it is a connection between you and the guitar. We hope this article is useful for you in choosing the best guitar picks that best suit your guitar playing style.
Hope you will succeed on your way to conquering musical melodies with your guitar.
Thank you for reading this far! We hope that the information provided in this article will be helpful to you.
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Read also:
Top 15 Irresistible Choice Of Best Bass Guitar Picks In 2020
Top 15 Best Guitar Picks For Electric Guitar Review in 2020: For Your Wonderful Experience
