The Collings Forum

It is amazing how much difference a pick makes with the sound of a guitar. I have a different favorite pick for different guitars. Even in the same size guitar, there are different picks.

Just for a demonstration I used three different picks on this recording. They are all 0.98 mm to 1.05 mm in thickness.

It is a great way to warm up a bright sounding guitar or tame an overly warm one or just get funky! These picks are a little extreme but it shows the effect the material the pick is made from can have. All were played at the edge of the sound hole. It is one take so nothing is changing but the pick.

http://www.alchemyacousticlabs.com/GuitarPicks.mp3

That is a great demonstration Frank.

Thanks Paul.

I tried to use a good range but nothing too out of the ordinary. I guess I should say that the first pick was a BlueChip. The second one is my only genuine tortoise (legal). And the last is a Clayton Ultrex. All are reported to be tortoise like. The warmest and smoothest and least bright at least with this guitar was the tortoise. Not sure what they Clayton was doing but it is sure funky. It gives a techno or electric sound out of an acoustic. Just one more variation on a theme. The guitar was a Froggy Bottom M Adi/Mahogany. Similar results were seen in my Collings OM too.

I thought the Clayton was pretty “in your face”. But we all have favorites. Thanks.

Yes it's very odd how picks can make a huge tone difference!

I tried recently with Blue Chips, Wegens, PrimeTones, Fender, Tortex and probably a couple others. All same thickness and relative stiffness but vary wildly in tone! I'd have thought similar stiffness would sound the same.

I have several thickness and shape Blue Chips and they all sound markedly different! The 50s are what do it for me!

I worked in music retail for many years. On one snowy very slow day at the store, the guitar teachers and I decided to play/listen test all of the picks in the store. We had a great selection - probably more than your local GC has. We played and listened to every kind and style of pick you can imagine and we were really surprised at how different one guitar could sound with a selection of different picks. The overall tonal winner was the venerable old Fender Medium celluloid pick. Mind you, that pick wasn't right for every player or style of playing, but tonally, it sounded the best for acoustic and electric guitars. Rhythm playing had a certain treble clarity and single notes popped out nicely. Of course, this was the conclusion of about 6 players - but each player did have a different style. We had hard rock guys, R&B players, country players........a good cross-section of guitar styles. My main take away was that it's a good idea to really experiment with a number of different picks - celluloid, nylon, etc.

Depending partly on the guitar itself, pick selection for me can also vary for different strings and even per song. I have a ton of great picks here — celluloid, tortex, tusq, casein, bone, buffalo horn ... and my favorite al time pick is a fat teardrop celluloid Gibson Heavy from the 1980s. I only have two left and they are not made any more. It's a combination of material, shape and thickness that hits a certain sweet spot. Love the Blue Chip as well. Pick selection is an easy way to warm up or brighten your sound right away.

Frank Sanns wrote: ↑Wed Oct 06, 2021 1:53 am It is amazing how much difference a pick makes with the sound of a guitar. I have a different favorite pick for different guitars. Even in the same size guitar, there are different picks.

Just for a demonstration I used three different picks on this recording. They are all 0.98 mm to 1.05 mm in thickness.

It is a great way to warm up a bright sounding guitar or tame an overly warm one or just get funky! These picks are a little extreme but it shows the effect the material the pick is made from can have. All were played at the edge of the sound hole. It is one take so nothing is changing but the pick.

http://www.alchemyacousticlabs.com/GuitarPicks.mp3

Thanks so much for posting this. What a difference in sound from pick to pick!!

There are probably 50 different picks on my music stand. I like being able to try different picks for different sounds. The pick can really make a difference.

I have a wallet that has slots for 2 picks. I carry my favorites in case I run into a guitar that needs playing.
It is especially important if you are thinking of buying a guitar. You really want to play it with your preferred pick(s).

Hokiebob wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 4:19 am There are probably 50 different picks on my music stand. I like being able to try different picks for different sounds. The pick can really make a difference.

I have a wallet that has slots for 2 picks. I carry my favorites in case I run into a guitar that needs playing.
It is especially important if you are thinking of buying a guitar. You really want to play it with your preferred pick(s).

Great observation and I like that you are always prepared to buy another guitar! Hopefully, it will be a Collings!!!