Tone, timbre, ring, and sound, are some of the terms that are usually used to refer to the sound waves produced by your guitar and amp.

Music doesn’t understand restrictions. So, one way for you as a guitarist of expanding your repertoire of guitar sounds is by asking yourself simple questions: 

• Why should I change the tone of my guitar?
• How do I change the tone of my guitar?
• And… Do guitar picks really affect the tone of my guitar? And how?

We will cover these aspects and discuss some specific examples of guitar picks and guitar techniques and tones.

WHY CHANGE THE TONE OF YOUR GUITAR?

As a guitarist, you should not only reflect on your practice and skill improvements but also look for ways of increasing the amount of totally different sounds your guitar (in your hands!) is able to produce.

Imagine the wide palette of different sounds and effects that you would need to learn 30 songs from different genres.

The advantages of mastering ways to change the sound of your guitar playing are countless: 

• Your compositions will be musically richer
• You will develop your innate creativity
• It will force you to learn new techniques
• It will allow you to think out of the box

In other words, you will be a better guitar player.

HOW TO CHANGE THE TONE OF YOUR GUITAR:

Think about the “chain” of connected elements that is present when you play guitar. I like to reverse it and start from the sound source:

It starts with your guitar amp and amp settings and continues through the cable (from a specific brand and specs) and your particular effect pedals. After another couple of cables, your guitar pick-ups, circuitry, wood type, and guitar strings will play a role in the tone too. What comes after that? The guitar pick and your picking hand. Note, that also your fretting hand will have an influence on sound (string pressure).

If you replace just one element, the sound will change. 

The good thing here is that this is 100% measurable by recording the guitar. So everyone at home with a mid-class microphone can start noticing the differences. Of course, then, the microphone and audio interface will play a role on tone too! 

Now you know what to “adjust” to allow you to make the same guitar passages sound differently.

WHY USE GUITAR PICKS FOR CHANGING THE TONE?

Go again through the complete sound chain. From all the mentioned elements, guitar picks have three main advantages when your goal is changing the tone:

• The tone changes immediately:  No necessity to plug/unplug new gear or change gear settings.
• Cheap: With a minimal investment you are able to test dozens of products.
• No necessity for knowledge in other areas (recording, effects, settings,...)

Sure, using another guitar or replacing one of your pedals will have a much higher impact on tone! Nevertheless, something as simple as using another guitar pick can create appreciable differences that you will hear and enjoy.

HOW DO GUITAR PICKS CHANGE THE TONE OF YOUR GUITAR?

Guitar picks can be reduced to 4 main qualities: Material, Thickness, Shape, and Size.

These qualities define the “personality” of the guitar picks to at least 80% and they affect how guitar strings vibrate. In consequence, the different guitar string vibration patterns are different.

Some materials like Nylon produce warmer, mellower tones. Others like Tortex, create brighter sounds.

The material can also influence grip and flexibility.

Pointy guitar picks have more attack and produce brighter tones. Rounded guitar picks are especially useful for soft release and warmer tones. In techniques like strumming, rounded picks will produce less pick noise.

Thin picks and some medium picks are very flexible. This quality can produce a very characteristic “snappy attack” that is not possible with very thick picks. 

Of course, everything is interconnected: Flexibility also depends on the material and shape! Thickness affects grip and guitar pick noise too.

The larger the pick, the more “mass” it has. Picks with high mass will produce warmer, darker, and fuller tones. Small picks tend to be much less flexible and have a more aggressive attack.

As you can see, you have to consider all factors together. A Tortex pick is able to produce warm tones, it needs to have the right shape, thickness, and size. On the other hand, the same happens to Nylon picks: A very pointy medium-sized Nylon pick can produce brighter sounds than the average less pointy Tortex guitar pick.

Let’s compile three ideal examples:

IDEAL GUITAR PICK FOR THICK, FULL, AND DEFINED OVERDRIVE TONES:

An ideal guitar pick for thick, full, and dark overdrive or distortion sound could be made of Nylon. It should have a sharp tip for note control and at least 1.5 mm thickness. The larger the pick, the thicker and fuller the tone.

One specific example of this could be Jazz iii XL or Rombo Diamond. The last one uses variable thickness along its body to increase its total mass and create even fuller tones with high bass in the background.

IDEAL GUITAR PICK FOR WARM STRUMMING WITH REDUCED PICK NOISE

Strumming is especially easy to perform when the tip of the guitar pick is rounded. To achieve even warmer tones the ideal strumming pick should have enough mass. The material Nylon, in combination with a medium thickness and the already mentioned rounded tip, will help reduce the pick noise.

Depending on your preferences you can use medium thickness or heavy thickness. The last one is more difficult to master but will reduce the pick noise substantially.

Good examples of this are Rombo Origami (medium gauge) or Rombo Waves (heavy gauge)

IDEAL GUITAR PICK FOR CLEAR AND DEFINED TONES

Clear and defined guitar tones are produced by pointy pick tips. Ideally, the surface of the tip is polished and has a beveled edge.

Most guitarists prefer small picks for these kinds of tones. Sweep picking, alternate picking, pinch harmonics, and other advanced lead guitar techniques are much easier to perform with such picks.

Depending on your preferences you can then choose different materials: Tortex will increase the attack and create very bright peaks, while Nylon will produce a fuller sound with more bass. Other materials (celluloid, carbon, wood,...) will behave differently.

Rombo Jade is the perfect candidate for speed, control, and attack.

CONCLUSION

Do picks change your guitar tone? Definitely yes!

Not only the tone is affected but other aspects like flexibility, grip, pick noise, attack, or control will be affected by the guitar pick too.

Sound changes will remain as a way of adding some color and dynamic to your music and guitar picks can help you here. With a very low budget and little time, you can experiment and add some fresh input to your daily guitar practice.

The most convenient way of trying many different guitar picks in just one session is by trying a variety pack containing many different guitar picks. Here you can find ours!

In June 2022, we finished the first 3D sketches of our four new guitar pick models. However, the picks weren’t 100% ready.

The thickness, size, and even the names of the picks were still undefined.

We decided to take the approach of involving as many guitarists as possible to help us co-design our new guitar picks.

The aim of this article is to summarize the results of the survey that 2122 guitarists completed. These people directly influenced the final design of our picks.

The guitar community has strongly supported Rombopicks since its beginning in 2019.

We did not want to create new guitar picks without asking the people who have been with us since the beginning. You all are the core of Rombo, and you should decide which products we develop.

The most logical step was to create a big survey, allowing users to tell us how they prefer their guitar picks. We think this is the only way to develop a product based on the wants of our users, allowing us to make essential decisions about our company's direction.

This is only possible by listening to the thoughts of every guitar player.

GUITAR PICKS 2023 - RESULTS OF THE SURVEY

2122 guitar players participated in the survey and, therefore, have taken part in the design process of these new guitar picks for 2023.

509 of them left a private message with detailed information.
We discuss these private messages below.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GUITAR PICK DESIGN?

There is a clear winner. Guitar pick number 2 is the favorite for most people.

Could it be because of its similarity in shape and size with the iconic jazz iii guitar pick?

Surprisingly, number 4 is the guitar pick that surprised me the most during the
prototype test. But of course, you never know until you try it! 

GUITAR PICK NUMBER 1:

Name:

• Mosaic: 33,4%
• Pegasus: 16,6%
• Sense: 13%
• Summit: 6,8%
• Other names: 30,2%

Average Thickness: 0,66 mm
Size: Small Size with 89% of the votes

GUITAR PICK NUMBER 2:

Name:

• Shell: 42%
• Lance: 18%
• Turtle: 8,2%
• Other names: 31,8%

Average Thickness: 0,953 mm
Size: Medium Size with 77% of the votes

GUITAR PICK NUMBER 3:

Name:

• Erebus: 52%
• Quasar: 32,1%
• Jupiter: 10,1%
• Moon: 5,15%
• Other names: 0,65%

Average Thickness: >2 mm
Size: Large Size with 55% of the votes

GUITAR PICK NUMBER 4:

Name:

• Dune: 39,8%
• Lance: 31,2%
• Doppler:19,6 %
• Sense: 4,7%
• Other names: 4,7%

Average Thickness: 0,72 mm
Size: Medium Size with 85% of the votes

GUITAR PICKS: PERSONAL THOUGHTS OF 509 GUITAR PLAYERS

A total of 509 people left us a private message regarding guitar picks.

We have read all of them carefully and we will use all this information during the
development stage.

Here are the top 10 questions we have repeatedly received and our comments on them:

● Will the guitar picks be available in different colors?
Yes! The launch will include all regular Rombo colors.
Other “special edition” colors are in the pipeline.

● Will they have the same grip structure?
Lots of people have sent us e-mails and letters regarding the grip structure. With the micro-nodules, we have the advantage of medium-grip surfaces which add lots of control.

However, a very small number of people want the picks to have more grip. We had to make a decision here, and it was hard. We will slightly increase the “grain density” on the textured areas, so there are more “micro-nodules” per square millimeter.

This way, we hope to satisfy the needs of all groups.

● The material is cool but it produces warm and mellow tones. I prefer
bright tones. Do you plan a new material range?
We have intentionally created our compound in order to reach those mellow tones. However, about 12% of the users reported preferring bright tones.

We have decided to start the research on a new material that will be launched as an extra range as soon as we find the correct formula. The expected date for the launch of the new material is early 2024.

● Why don’t you create different guitar pick thicknesses for each one
of the models?
We want every guitar pick to be unique. As every person has individual preferences, we believe every guitar pick should have its own design. In the future, we hope to be able to create a wider range of plectrum designs to cover each possible necessity.

● What about picks for bass players?
Most of our picks are compatible with bass, as we have confirmed this with some bassists that are using them regularly, especially Rombo Diamond and Rombo Origami. We explained this HERE.

● You should create some merch, T-Shirts, and other stuff:
Maybe in the future. Now, we want to focus 100% on the development of the guitar picks. Every minute we spend on the design of a T-Shirt will be taken away from the quality of the picks! ;)

● Will you offer the EcoBlack range in other colors?
The EcoBlack material can only be produced in one color at the moment.

The recycling process creates a very dark pigmentation. The industry is working hard to find a way to create new recycling processes. We hope we will manufacture all of our picks out of recycled material in the future.

● Why don’t you create boutique picks?
Counter question: What is a boutique guitar pick?

A boutique pick is a unique piece of art with the shape of a guitar pick that you can use for guitar playing. Usually, these picks are handmade and out of exotic materials. They contain some artistic elements like ornament geometries and usually they are unique special edition pieces with elevated starting prices.

Our approach is different. We create boutique-like guitar pick designs at very affordable prices. Otherwise, there would only be a couple of Rombo designs available for the most influential pick collectionists.

We think, this way, we found a niche in the middle of mass production picks and single special editions. With this approach, we bring the boutique feel to a larger number of people, reinforcing the guitar pick community and the awareness of this small but important accessory.

● Some picks I ordered in 2019 had burrs. This is not a problem for
playing but it doesn’t look cool.
We have good news for you. In 2021, we developed a new method to manually remove the burrs from the picks. This means that all Rombo picks are manually revised and processed to remove all the visual aspects that don’t belong to the original design (like small burrs on the border).

This cost us extra time but as a premium brand, we need to keep improving our quality standards to make sure your guitar picks are as good as your expectations!

● Why Kickstarter again?
See below :)

WHEN WILL THE NEW PICKS BE AVAILABLE?

The new guitar picks will be launched in spring 2023.

If you want to receive an E-Mail as soon as the picks are available, join our
mailing list (see the footer).

This is the timeline we created for this project:

WHY KICKSTARTER?

Kickstarter campaigns turn dreams and ideas into reality. Rombo is still a small start-up run by two people, and with limited access to resources. Through Kickstarter, we involve the community of guitar players, showing our guitar picks before launching.

This process brings us in contact with the real guitar players. It forces us to remain flexible, accept changes, and it challenges us to create new designs to fulfill the expectations of our audience.

We love open and critical criticism, and this is the best place to get it, where all comments and thoughts are visible. By sharing your experiences, we can listen to your needs and wishes, and create guitar picks that make a difference.

Medium guitar picks are the most popular choice amongst guitarists and they offer the best of both worlds, right? Well, it is not that easy.

In our last article, “thin vs thick guitar picks”, we discussed both guitar pick thickness ranges in depth. Medium guitar picks deserve a separate analysis.

1- Why does guitar pick thickness matter? 

Guitar pick thickness is usually measured in millimeters and this is an attribute that can change various aspects of a pick like flexibility, tone, volume, pick noise, durability, control over single notes, and more.

The thickness of a guitar pick is for this reason considered one of the 4 fundamental attributes of a guitar pick, along with guitar pick material, shape, and size.

2- Medium guitar pick thickness:

 Medium guitar picks range in thicknesses from 0.55 and 1 mm.

 The following is what a survey performed in March 2021 has shown. Thousands of guitarists were asked to define the following pick thicknesses:

• The maximum thickness of a thin guitar pick
• The minimum thickness of a thick guitar pick

With both limits established, we obtain the thickness definition of medium guitar picks.

The maximum thickness of a thin guitar pick was defined as about 0.55 mm by 2.292 guitarists.

The minimum thickness of a thick guitar pick was defined as 1 mm by 1.308 guitarists.

3- What is a medium guitar pick?

Medium guitar picks are guitar picks with a thickness between 0.55 and 1 mm. These guitar picks are very popular because of their versatility; in some areas, they offer the advantages of both thin and thick guitar picks.

Medium gauge picks have the broadest flexibility range. In this pick thickness interval, the material will play the most important role when it comes to defining the flexibility of a pick.

In other words, thick guitar picks are always stiff and rigid. With thicknesses over 1 mm, even the most flexible pick materials are stiff, and therefore the material has less influence on the flexibility of the pick. This relation creates a broad flexibility range amongst medium guitar picks, which can be very flexible or very stiff, depending on the material used.

The same effect can be applied to tone, durability, and pick noise.

Typically, medium guitar picks are used by lead guitarists who also implement rhythm guitar techniques and look not only for an all-round compromise between single-note melodic phrases and strumming, but also potentially developing a more versatile guitar career that integrates different techniques and mixes both worlds together.

4- Thin, medium and thick guitar picks:

This makes medium gauge guitar picks the most difficult picks to estimate without having tested them, and it is one of the reasons why we created the “guitar pick parameters” included in every product page, like in Rombo Origami.

5- Medium guitar picks are the best picks for beginners:

For most beginner guitar players, medium gauge guitar picks are the best option. You are in a process in which experimenting with sounds and learning new techniques will shape your profile as a guitarist in the future.

You might change your music taste during this process or even change your guitar type. You must stay flexible and versatile to allow your skills to develop in all directions and be a more rounded guitarist.

For this, a medium guitar pick is perfect, since you will be able to try different techniques with a pick that works very well in many different areas. After you have decided the direction of your development as a guitarist, increasing or decreasing the gauge won’t be that difficult.

Therefore, this is statistically the best option to start with if you want to try different guitar learning paths.

However, there are some exceptions: Some beginner guitarists know exactly what kind of player they want to be. They know from the very beginning if their dream is to become a very technical metal player, if they prefer being an expert acoustic guitar rhythm player, or if they will focus on songwriting and not on their guitar skills.

These examples are very rare, but they exist. In this case, you might want to consider starting with a guitar pick that has been designed for the type of skills you want to improve.

If you are a beginner, this might be interesting for you: Guitar pick for beginners

6- Medium guitar picks at Rombo

Rombo Origami guitar pick - 0.75 mm

Flexible but still rigid enough for note control. Right amount of flexibility for a snappy fluid attack that's bright and crisp. The concave surface on the hold area ensures ergonomic and comfortable hold.

Rombo Prisma guitar pick - 0.8 mm (available in September 2021)

A classic shape enhanced by modern surface technology. The geometry on the main body has different height levels for the most comfortable hold and grip.

Rombo Crisp guitar pick - 1 mm (available in September 2021)

Medium thickness combined with geometric concave design surfaces. The result? Unexpected flexibility with great bass tones. Its medium-sharp tip provides extra warm tones.

7- Conclusion on medium guitar picks

Each pick has a specific purpose, and you choose the pick based on the sound you want to achieve as well as other personal preferences like comfort and grip.

Medium picks are not just the picks in the middle of thick and thin guitar picks. They are a perfect approach for those guitarists looking to develop versatility and flexibility in their learning path. 

Due to the high influence the material has on these picks, they are the most difficult picks to estimate before testing them, and every medium guitar pick is unique. Despite this, they are the best choice for most beginner guitarists.

However, if you have a very clear idea of the skills you want to develop in the future, you might be looking for either thin or thick guitar picks, which we discussed here.

The grip of a guitar pick is one of the most controversial topics when it comes to guitars.

Different materials or shapes of guitar picks make this topic as interesting as confusing to many guitar players.

Everyone is different and everyone plays differently. However, we (guitarists) have the same goal in this area: have a decent guitar pick grip and play as comfortably as possible.

1. What is Guitar Pick Grip?

Grip is defined as “a firm strong hold”.

Reinventing the Guitar Pick: Rombo 2.0

In our first campaign, we focused on outstanding technology at affordable prices. We are now determined to take this to the next level and have designed our guitar picks as an extension to your hands, using the latest technology, materials, and smart models, with your comfort in mind.

We are now focusing on YOU, and your experience, using a fresh design. 

Rethinking the Idea of a Guitar Pick 

Guitar picks are the bridge between you and your instrument. A hidden hero in the hands of guitarists. A guitar pick is a very personal item and choosing the right one depends on several factors.

Rombo Jade Guitar Pick Set in color Honey Yellow

Back in 2018, ROMBO was born with a mission: Question every aspect of a guitar pick, to redefine what the user really needs. We started our personal search for the perfect balance between tone and ergonomics.

We have learned a lot during the last 3 years, and finally, we are ready to offer new experiences to guitar and bass players around the globe.

Rombo Crisp Guitar Pick Set in color Graphite Black

Try Out Mix Guitar Pick Set

Fresh Approaches

During the creation of these new 4 plectrums, we used the following rules as a guideline:

●  Work very closely with many professional guitarists.

●  Question our own first designs

●  Redefine what a user needs to get the best performance.

● Perform in-depth research, to find the best material improvements.

In addition, we conducted a big survey, (1552 guitarists from 31 countries participated), to define the thicknesses, shape, size, and even the names of the new guitar picks.

After a long product development process, we have reached the point where we are extremely happy with the results!

Rombo Horizon Guitar Pick in color Graphite Black

The constant Search for the perfect Material

We are using a thermoplastic polymer, which belongs to the family of the polyamides. This material is used in aerospace and automobile industries, and has high mechanical strength, excellent impact resistance (guitar strings), and superior aesthetic properties.

We believe we have achieved an excellent balance between sound, comfort, grip, aesthetic properties, and durability.

In addition, we offer all our picks in EcoBlack: A 100% recycled material from pre-consumer fibre waste.

Rombo Guitar Pick Set EcoBlack material

Special Attributes we always wanted for our Guitar Picks

When it comes to guitar picks there are four main attributes: thickness, shape, material, and size. These attributes define 80% percent of a guitar pick.

However, the last 20%, contains improvements, and attention to detail, making the playing experience much more comfortable, giving you better results, and a more enjoyable playing experience.

These aspects are essential, to get the most out of this guitar accessory.

Here are the 6 features we have defined for all of our ROMBO guitar picks:

A mirror polished guitar pick reduces friction between guitar pick and strings. With every impact, the guitar pick will suffer less friction and therefore wear down slower. The pick will glide better, and produces less pick noise.

All of our picks have variable thicknesses: The solid and thick body, gives you a better grip and control. The thinner tip will give you enough flexibility to achieve greater versatility when developing different guitar techniques.

What makes a Guitar Pick durable?

The attributes that define the durability of a guitar pick are as follows:

• Guitar Pick Material
• Guitar Pick Thickness
• Guitar Pick Tip Shape
• Guitar Pick Tip Texture

Harder materials will wear down slower. This is one of the reasons there has been a lot of research in the area of suitable materials for guitar picks.

The goal is to find a wear-resistant material, that keeps the tone characteristics that guitar players want, while still giving a good grip.

Other attributes of the pick that affect the durability, are the Tip Shape, and the Tip Texture. Very pointed guitar tips tend to wear down faster, because there is less material on the tip.

However, this problem can be partially solved with the right guitar pick tip texture. A polished tip on the guitar pick will cause less friction between strings and plectrum.

Surfaces and Textures on Guitar Picks: Finding the Balance

Textures on guitar picks, define not only the important aspects like grip, control, and friction between the strings and guitar pick, but also focus on the equally important details, like comfort, pick noise, and design.

We believe textures on guitar picks are essential for a tool that was designed to be held between your fingers.

The combination of two different surface finishes in the guitar picks, have convinced us, and our testers, of the potential gains a player can achieve:

• A polished tip for clarity, durability and control
   
• A micro-nodules texture in the centre of the guitar pick for the most comfortable holding without compromising grip

Rombo Jade Guitar Pick Set in color Honey Yellow

Rombo Prisma Guitar Pick Set in color Graphite Black

Rombo Horizon Guitar Pick Set in mixed colors

Rombo Crisp Guitar Pick Set in color Honey Yellow

The New Rombo Guitar Picks

ROMBO HORIZON - 1,4 mm

The wide curvature on the body and tip allows you to slide smoothly through the guitar strings. Its curious-shaped raised hill on the body ensures splendid comfortable hold.

ROMBO PRISMA - 0,8 mm

A classic shape enhanced by modern surface technology. The geometry on the main body has different height levels for the most comfortable holding and grip.

ROMBO CRISP - 1 mm

Medium thickness combined with geometric concave design surfaces. The result? unexpected flexibility with great bass tones. Its medium-sharped tip provides extra warm tones.

ROMBO JADE - 2,3 mm

Maximum precision. Perfect for shredding guitar techniques. Its wide bevel edge, combined with a decent body thickness, provides a supreme attack, without compromising bass tones.

Guitar pick noise can’t be avoided completely. Especially while recording acoustic guitar, plectrums tend to create a lot of click and clack sounds and noises that can ruin your playing experience as well as your listeners’.

As you learn how to play the guitar better, you will reach a point where you want to focus on transmitting emotion, playing with impact, and enhanced dynamic control.

In order to master your guitar techniques, you must have total control of every sound produced by your guitar; intended and unintended.

Personally, I think pick noise is a part of the guitar playing, and I even enjoy some vintage recordings where the guitar pick noise seems to be present almost on purpose. However, for most of the occasions, you want to eliminate it.

We have summarized all the tips and tricks we think can help you reduce the noise when playing with a guitar pick. Enjoy it!

1- Hold your guitar pick with less tension

Guitar picks create noise when plucking your strings. Holding your guitar pick more loosely will help a lot, since your fingers absorb some of the energy when the pick hits the strings.

We have published an article called “How to hold a guitar pick”, which contains everything you need to know to master this trick.

If you are recording your tracks, one thing that can help is to add some more volume to your instrument in relation to the others. This is a common method used in studios that helps the guitar players to relax.

Whether you are planning a studio session, a jam with your friends, or some solo relax sessions at home, a conscious warm-up before playing guitar is mandatory.

2- Try different angles when plucking your string

The angle of the guitar pick in relation to the strings is the most discussed element when it comes to guitar pick noise.

Basically, the less pick is in contact with your guitar strings, the less noise it produces. Angle the pick slightly to the strings.

Try different angles when plucking your string. This will require a conscious adjustment from your side, but once mastered will allow you to vary the attack of the pick more easily.

Depending on the guitar pick you are using, the music style and guitar techniques you use, and your skill level, you will need a different attack angle, so focus 30 minutes on trying to find the best one for you and get used to playing this way.

3- Is your picking force adequate?

Sometimes you are playing and the flow starts, you mentally leave the room and enter “the zone”, that beautiful place where you sound better than usual.

We get so much into the music, that we just naturally pick harder.

Excessive picking force is one of the most common causes of guitar pick noise. In addition, it can choke out the sustain and cause the notes you are playing to decay in a much less natural way.

4- Nylon guitar picks are less noisy

The material of the guitar picks not only affects the tone, but also the noise the plectrum creates.

Nylon is considered to be one of the least noisy formulas when it comes to industrial materials used for guitar picks.

This is due to the toughness of this compound, which thanks to its mechanical properties, is able to absorb heavy impacts efficiently.

At Rombo, we are using a modified version of nylon, which adds some extra durability and prolongs the lifespan of the guitar picks. This was necessary since nylon guitar picks wear down very quickly. You can learn more about the materials here.

If you are not sure if you are using the right guitar pick, a good option is a variety pack, which contains guitar picks with different attributes. This is a good way to test several picks and track your development as you start increasing your skill for each one.

The right guitar pick thickness

As a rule of thumb, you can estimate that heavier picks will be less noisy, which sounds kind of contradictory. But, why is that?

Using very thin picks in combination with fast-playing, like strumming, will cause the picks to bend as they leave the guitar strings, creating a kind of click noise. This happens especially when playing acoustic guitar, since the body of the guitar will act as an amplifier for that sound.

Heavier picks will let each string make its own noise without much unwanted accompaniment.

The variable thickness, included in all our guitar picks, not only improves the control but also reduces the noise. The body of the plectrum is thicker and stiff, while the tip is thinner and more flexible. With this feature, the overall flexibility of the tip is reduced while conserving its original thickness and material. This means more control and less noise. 

Thick vs. thin guitar picks. In this article, we discuss all the aspects that make a difference.

A beveled edge can help you reducing the pick noise

Guitar picks with a beveled edge will slide better and cause less noise. In combination with the angle of attack we already mentioned, they can help you reduce the pick noise a lot.

Also, the shape and size of the pick are important, but this is more a matter of preference.

Reduce pick noise with a polished tip guitar pick

We have frequently discussed the impact a polished tip has on the tone and durability of a guitar pick.

A polished tip also slides quite easily over the edge of the guitar string. On the other hand, guitar picks with a rougher texture on the tip, will produce more treble response even when played on the edge. This also happens when the picks start to wear down.

However, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, some purist guitarists even prefer the pick to create noises and they included it extra in their recordings.

Bonus: Record yourself

Very experienced live players that don’t have much studio experience sometimes do not reflect enough on all the little nuances on their playing.

A good exercise to avoid this is to record yourself. It is amazing how much we miss when we get into the zone. You will notice pick noise when listening to your tracks and it is much easier to identify critical areas than while you are playing.

If you play acoustic guitar, try to locate the microphone(s) in different locations, you will discover how much of a difference it can make in terms of guitar pick noise.

Conclusion

We can’t eliminate pick noise completely, but there is enough to do to improve our playing and reduce it substantially.

The best way to reduce pick noise is to be aware of it and reflect on your playing to improve your skills and try different picks for different styles and guitar types.

If you discover a new way to reduce the pick noise, please let us know so we can include it in the article!