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.

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.

Plektrumgeräusche lassen sich nicht ganz vermeiden. Insbesondere bei der Aufnahme von Akustikgitarren neigen Plektren dazu, viele Klick- und Klackgeräusche und Geräusche zu erzeugen, die dein Spielerlebnis sowie das deiner Zuhörer ruinieren kann.

Beim Gitarre lernen, wirst du einen Punkt erreichen, an dem du dich auf die Übertragung von Emotionen, das wirkungsvolle Spielen und eine bessere dynamische Kontrolle konzentrieren möchtest.

Um Gitarrentechniken zu meistern, musst du jeden Ton, der von der Gitarre erzeugt wird, vollständig kontrollieren: beabsichtigte und unbeabsichtigte.

Ich persönlich denke, dass Plektrumgeräusche ein Teil des Gitarrenspiels sind, und ich genieße sogar einige Vintage-Aufnahmen, bei denen das Plektrumgeräusch fast absichtlich vorhanden zu sein scheint. In den meisten Fällen möchtest du es jedoch beseitigen.

Wir haben alle Tipps und Tricks zusammengefasst, von denen wir glauben, dass sie dir helfen können, die Geräusche beim Spielen mit einem Plektrum zu reduzieren. 

1- Halte das Plektrum mit weniger Spannung

Gitarrenpicks erzeugen beim Zupfen/Anschlagen der Saiten Geräusche. Wenn du dein Plektrum lockerer hältst, hilft das sehr, da deine Finger einen Teil der Energie absorbieren, wenn das Plektrum auf die Saiten trifft.

Wir haben einen Artikel mit dem Titel „Wie man ein Gitarrenplektrum hält“ veröffentlicht, der alles enthält, was du wissen musst, um diesen Trick zu meistern.

Beim Aufnehmen kann es hilfreich sein, dein Instrument im Verhältnis zu den anderen etwas lauter zu machen. Dies ist eine in Studios übliche Methode, die den Gitarristen hilft, sich zu entspannen.

Egal, ob du eine Studio-Session, einen Jam mit deinen Freunden oder einige Solo-Relax-Sessions zu Hause planen, ein bewusstes Aufwärmen vor dem Gitarre spielen ist Pflichtprogramm.

2- Probieren verschiedene Winkel beim Anschlagen aus

Der Winkel des Plektrums im Verhältnis zu den Saiten ist das am meisten diskutierte Element, wenn es um Plektrumgeräusche geht.

Grundsätzlich gilt: Je weniger Plektrum mit den Gitarrensaiten in Kontakt kommt, desto weniger Lärm erzeugt es. Deshalb winkle das Plektrum leicht zu den Saiten an.

Probiere verschiedene Winkel beim Anschlagen und Zupfen aus. Dies erfordert eine bewusste Anpassung deinerseits, aber sobald du es gemeistert hast, kannst du den Anschlag des Picks leichter variieren.

Abhängig vom verwendeten Plektrum, dem Musikstil und den Gitarrentechniken, die du verwendest, und deinem Können, benötigst du einen anderen Anschlagwinkel. Konzentriere dich also 30 Minuten darauf, den besten für dich zu finden, und gewöhne dich daran, diesen zu spielen.

3- Ist deine Schlagkraft passend?

Manchmal spielt man und der Flow setzt ein, man verlässt gedanklich den Raum und betritt „die Zone“, diesen schönen Ort, an dem man besser klingt als sonst.

Wir gehen so sehr in die Musik hinein, dass wir natürlich härter zuschlagen.

Übermäßige Anschlagkraft ist eine der häufigsten Ursachen für Plektrumgeräusche. Darüber hinaus kann es das Sustain abwürgen und dazu führen, dass die von dir gespielten Noten auf viel weniger natürliche Weise ausklingen.

4- Nylon-Gitarrenpicks sind weniger laut

Das Material der Gitarren-Plektren beeinflusst nicht nur den Ton, sondern auch das Geräusch, das das Plektrum erzeugt.

Nylon gilt als eine der am wenigsten lauten Formeln, wenn es um industrielle Materialien geht, die für Gitarrenpicks verwendet werden.

Dies liegt an der Zähigkeit dieser Mischung, die dank ihrer mechanischen Eigenschaften starke Stöße effizient absorbieren kann.

Bei Rombo verwenden wir eine modifizierte Version von Nylon, die für zusätzliche Haltbarkeit sorgt und die Lebensdauer der Plektren verlängert. Dies war notwendig, da Gitarrenpicks aus Nylon sehr schnell verschleißen. Hier erfährst du mehr über die Materialien.

Wenn du dir nicht sicher bist, ob du das richtige Plektrum verwenden, ist ein Variety-Paket eine gute Option, das Gitarrenpicks mit unterschiedlichen Attributen enthält. Dies ist eine gute Möglichkeit, mehrere Picks zu testen und deine Entwicklung zu verfolgen, während du beginnst, deine Fähigkeiten für jedes einzelne Plektrum zu verbessern.

5- Die richtige Dicke des Plektrums

Als Faustregel kann man sagen, dass schwerere Plektren weniger laut sind, was irgendwie widersprüchlich klingt. Aber warum ist das so?

Die Verwendung sehr dünner Plektren in Kombination mit schnellem Spiel, wie Strumming, führt dazu, dass sich die Plektren verbiegen, wenn sie die Gitarrensaiten verlassen, wodurch eine Art Klickgeräusch entsteht. Dies geschieht besonders beim Spielen von Akustikgitarren, da der Korpus der Gitarre als Verstärker für diesen Klang fungiert.

Schwerere Plektren lassen jede Saite ihren eigenen Ton ohne viele Begleitgeräusche erzeugen.

Die variable Dicke, die in allen unseren Gitarrenplektren enthalten ist, verbessert nicht nur die Kontrolle, sondern reduziert auch das Rauschen. Der Körper des Plektrums ist dicker und steifer, während die Spitze dünner und flexibler ist. Mit diesem Merkmal wird die Gesamtflexibilität der Spitze verringert, während ihre ursprüngliche Dicke und ihr ursprüngliches Material beibehalten werden. Das bedeutet mehr Kontrolle und weniger Lärm.

Dicke vs. dünne Plektren. In diesem Artikel besprechen wir alle Aspekte, die einen Unterschied machen.

6- Eine abgeschrägte Kante kann helfen, das Pickgeräusch zu reduzieren

Plektren mit einer abgeschrägten Kante gleiten besser und verursachen weniger Geräusche. In Kombination mit dem bereits erwähnten Anschlagwinkel können sie dir dabei helfen, das Plektrumgeräusch stark zu reduzieren.

Auch die Form und Größe des Plektrums sind wichtig, aber das ist eher eine Frage der Präferenz.

7- Reduziere Plektrumgeräusche mit einem Plektrum mit polierter Spitze

Wir haben häufig darüber gesprochen, welchen Einfluss eine polierte Spitze auf den Ton und die Haltbarkeit eines Gitarrenpickels hat.

Eine polierte Spitze gleitet auch ganz leicht über den Rand der Gitarrensaite. Auf der anderen Seite erzeugen Gitarrenplektren mit einer raueren Textur an der Spitze eine stärkere Höhenwiedergabe, selbst wenn sie am Rand gespielt werden. Dies passiert auch, wenn die Picks beginnen, sich abzunutzen.

Einige puristische Gitarristen bevorzugen jedoch, wie am Anfang des Artikels erwähnt, das Plektrum sogar, um Geräusche zu erzeugen, und haben es extra in ihre Aufnahmen eingebaut.

Bonus: Nimm dich sich selbst auf

Sehr erfahrene Live-Spieler, die nicht viel Studioerfahrung haben, reflektieren manchmal nicht genug über all die kleinen Nuancen ihres Spiels.

Eine gute Übung, um dies zu vermeiden, ist sich selbst aufzunehmen. Es ist erstaunlich, wie viel wir verpassen, wenn wir in die Zone kommen. Du wirst beim Anhören deiner Tracks Plektrengeräusche bemerken und es ist viel einfacher, kritische Bereiche zu identifizieren, als während des Spielens.

Wenn du Akustikgitarre spielst, versuche, das/die Mikrofon(e) an verschiedenen Orten zu platzieren, du wirst feststellen, wie viel Unterschied es in Bezug auf das Plektrumgeräusch machen kann.

Abschluss

Wir können Plektrengeräusche nicht vollständig eliminieren, aber es gibt genug zu tun, um unser Spiel zu verbessern und es erheblich zu reduzieren.

Der beste Weg, Plektrumgeräusche zu reduzieren, besteht darin, sich dessen bewusst zu sein und über dein Spiel nachzudenken, um deine Fähigkeiten zu verbessern und verschiedene Plektren für verschiedene Stile und Gitarrentypen auszuprobieren.

Wenn du eine neue Möglichkeit entdeckst, den Plektrum-Lärm zu reduzieren, lass es uns bitte wissen, damit wir es in den Artikel aufnehmen können!

Guitar Picks Made Out of 100% Pre-consumer Fibre Waste

Rombo Picks has unveiled a new series of plectrums made out of 100% recycled waste. The material is not only environmentally friendly, but also has high mechanical strength and stiffness, excellent impact resistance and superior aesthetic properties.

Rombo uses this material for its Eco-Black range. In this range, all four guitar pick models are available only in Graphite Black, which is one of the properties of the recycled material. Each pick has been carefully developed for a concrete purpose.

For this reason, the Rombo team has redefined the four attributes of a guitar pick: shape, thickness, material and size.

The Highlights of These Guitar Picks Are:

• Micro-nodule grip structure
• High mirror polished tip
• 3D ergonomic design surface
• Variable thickness
• High-Quality materials
• Unique designs

Since 2019 Rombo has been researching surface finish and design in order to find the perfect balance between grip, ergonomics and function in guitar picks. Rombo was born thanks to an amazing guitar player community whose aim is to continue this adventure and quest for the perfect guitar pick.

We have a full article about the materials used for the manufacturing of the Rombo guitar picks here:
https://rombopicks.com/blogs/insight-rombo/guitar-pick-materials-at-rombo

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