plectrum noise

1- What is a Guitar Pick Variety Pack

 A Guitar Pick Variety Pack is a set of at least three different guitar picks aimed to contain different shapes, sizes, materials, or thicknesses of plectrums. 

There are other common names for this type of guitar pick set, like “Try out Mix,” “Guitar Pick Mix Set,” or “Guitar Pick Box.” Some variety packs are focused on specific guitar areas like a “Heavy Gauge Variety Pack,” thought to be used by advanced players or “Beginner’s Variety Pack” containing medium and thin guitar picks.

On guitar picks, qualities like thickness, shape, size, and material play a pivotal role in the guitar tone, sustain, grip, or pick noise.

Therefore, it is not only about the personal preferences of the player but also about the techniques you want to develop. Your hands do an arduous job, give them the proper tools they need.

2- Reasons why a Variety Pack is a good idea

REASON ONE - It is the fastest and cheapest way of changing your guitar tone

Think about it: The guitar, strings, amp, cable, and effects pedals are all pieces of the guitar gear that play a role in tone. Surprise: guitar picks too!

Use a rounded thick nylon pick and you’ll get mellower, darker, and thicker tones. Use a pointy medium Tortex guitar pick and your tone will be as bright as you can imagine.

It only takes two seconds and the cost of a coffee to change your pick and increase your tone spectrum. Larger tone repertoire means larger versatility.

Music is about staying dynamic, and monotony kills dynamics. Therefore, your most logical step as a guitarist is to find ways of expanding your repertoire of tones and techniques. This happens with practice and the right guitar gear.

REASON TWO - The joy of exploration

Music theory, speed exercises, precision exercises, and warm-ups all have one thing in common: They focus on improvement, repetition, and perfection.

However, performance is not everything and sometimes we should focus on the joy of exploration.

The greatest ideas happen when we achieve a “flow” state, also known as the “zone.” This applies to guitar too! So, why not relax for a day, test some new pieces of gear, spark some creativity by playing around some guitar phrases, and then see what happens without planning too much and having the pressure of achieving one specific performance milestone?

Chose 4-5 different picks, turn on the amp, and give yourself a two hours break by enjoying the music you are playing now.

PS: Don’t forget to turn off your phone!

REASON THREE - Develop specific skills

Try to perform your speed exercise with a large, worn-out, thin guitar pick. Let’s say 0.35 mm.

You will face one of these three scenarios:

• You are slower than usual.
• You are as fast as usual but your technique is bad.
• You are slower and your technique is bad.

As in every discipline, using the right tools is the key to success.

“Modern Guitars” are attributed to Spanish musician, Antonio de Torres Jurado. He was a luthier, and in the mid-1800s, he began creating the style of guitar that would rise to all modern guitars.

Imagine then how immense the number of available guitar techniques that had more than a dozen decades to be developed is. From strumming to hybrid picking, palm mute, sweep picking, or down picking, all these techniques have different requirements, and different requirements can be fulfilled with different tools.

In our article, “7 essential guitar pick techniques,” we have summarized some of the most common techniques.

REASON FOUR - Different instruments

Sure, the average guitar player owns a red Stratocaster with 09 strings and plays classic rock.

But what about the rest of us? The 7 strings shredders, the acoustic unplugged fans, the indie effect experts, the experimental music lovers, the metal-heads, the bassists using picks, and the jazz/bossa relaxed musicians out there?

We all deserve to have a choice according to our requirements.

Personally, I like to play bass with a medium pick (Rombo Prisma), and I love the warm tones of Rombo Horizon for guitar reverb phrases on my telecaster. However, when I feel like using the thickest metal distortion ever, I choose Rombo Diamond.

Different guitar pick shapes, sizes, materials, and thicknesses create a widely broad tonality and usability ranges that I need to keep my motivation up!

REASON FIVE - A fresh input kills routine!

Did you use the same guitar pick for the last 20 years? Well, it’s never too late to get a little bit of fresh air and try something new.

Even the riff you have played 1000 times will sound different and you might notice that there are some nuances on “pick feedback” that can make your sound more fun and interesting.

What is the worst that can happen? In the worst case, you will discover a guitar pick that you prefer more than your usual! Go take that risk :-)

REASON SIX - A Guitar Pick Variety Pack is a great gift

Guitar players have a lot of things going on in their heads: the next gig, one unfinished song composition they started some weeks ago, the speed rates of their last practice, and more.

A Guitar Pick Variety Pack is a great gift for beginners, intermediate, or advanced players. Guitarists love trying new gear because it is a way to spark some creativity and explore tonalities.

A variety pack is a super affordable option for a small, but elegant gift to make a guitarist smile and feel excited for the next practice day.

There are many different gift options from Rombo:

• Guitar Pick Variety Pack
• Guitar Pick Gift Box
• Guitar Pick Variety Bundle

If only one of the guitar picks is chosen as the new favorite one, your friend will be thankful for life!

REASON SEVEN - Reflecting on your guitar tone and level

Even if you don’t like the picks included in the variety pack, they will have a positive effect on your playing.

You will reflect and confirm why you had chosen your current pick in the past and what the advantages of it are. You will reflect on your guitar tone and the nuances of guitar pick feedback and pick noise.

These experiences accumulate, and after years of exploration, you start having a sixth sense of “feeling” your instrument, your preferences, and music in general.

What do you do with your new picks? Well, if you don’t like them, give them to a friend that could need inspiration!

3- Who can profit from Guitar Pick Variety Packs (Spoiler: Everyone)

From the reasons above, we can take away a clear lesson: It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an advanced player, the advantages of trying a Guitar Pick Variety Pack are always there.

Why beginners profit from Guitar Pick Variety Packs:

• Develop new skills.
• Develop a sense of exploration and identify tone nuances.
• Understand that different techniques need different requirements.
• Understand that the guitar path is a long one and that not everything is performance.

Why intermediate and advanced players profit from guitar pick variety packs:

• Expand the spectrum of techniques.
• Discover an unexpected tonality change.
• Focus on one specific technique.
• Joy of exploration.

4- Examples of a guitar pick variety pack

One example is our own guitar pick variety pack containing:

- 1 Rombo Classic | 0.45 mm

- 1 Rombo Origami | 0.75 mm

- 1 Rombo Prisma | 0.8 mm

- 1 Rombo Crisp | 1 mm

- 1 Rombo Waves | 1.25 mm

- 1 Rombo Horizon | 1.4 mm

- 1 Rombo Diamond | 2 mm

- 1 Rombo Jade | 2.3 mm

It is not only thickness that is everything. In order to make these picks more understandable for you, we have created four metrics: Attack, Flexibility, Tone, and Techniques. Here an example:

With this information, and in combination with the description of the pick and the technical drawing, we give you a very precise picture of the qualities of our guitar picks.

We also have a specific set for beginners with the “Beginners Guitar Pick Gift Box”:

And a specific set for intermediate/advanced players.

5- Conclusion

A Variety Pack is not only an excellent gift for your musician friends, but also for yourself if you are looking to explore tones, develop specific skills, or just need fresh air and try new guitar gear.

Different qualities like shape, thickness, or material, make guitar picks very different tools for different requirements. You will learn a lot in the process of testing them and every fresh input can help keep your motivation at the highest level.

The worst case: You will discover your new favorite pick!

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.

Guitar picks can be found in all shapes, colors, and materials. These small items used for specific guitar techniques can offer different tones, dynamic ranges, and ergonomics, and therefore create a totally different playing experience depending on the pick you use.

The aim of this series of articles is to inform you in detail in a way that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. We want you to understand why we do what we do. So relax, hold your tea, and enjoy our first deep analysis on the guitar pick Rombo Diamond.

1 - Guitar pick Rombo Diamond: Overview

With small-sized plectrums, your fingers are closer to the strings and you get more feedback from your guitar playing.

The downside of these picks is that they can be dropped easily. This is the reason we decided to increase the size of Rombo Diamond a little bit and make it small-medium. The first prototype was only 25 mm high.

Furthermore, we decided to increase the width to match the regular size of a thumb.

Guitar pick shape

The shape of a guitar pick is often overlooked. However, in the case of Rombo Diamond, thanks to its form and the pointy guitar pick tip, the attack and the control are substantially increased.

The pointy guitar pick tip, with only 3 mm in diameter, was designed to provide maximum note control.

The angle of the tip is wide enough to let your guitar strings slide longer.

Rombo Diamond has a slight bevel edge, mainly used to increase the guitar playing speed.

With a rounded bevel like this, the attack of the guitar pick gets smoother, a feature that changes the feedback you receive when you use specific techniques.

This is only possible for guitar picks with enough thickness, and it is very popular because of the feeling of easiness it provides while playing guitar.

Guitar pick thickness and guitar pick flexibility

The guitar pick thickness mainly defines how flexible a guitar pick is. However, other aspects like tone and ergonomics are mostly influenced by the thickness of the pick.

Rombo Diamond has guitar pick variable thickness along its body. This means that this guitar pick has different thicknesses for the hold area and for the tip area.

The thickness of the tip is 1,35 mm, providing enough space for the bevel edge mentioned before. This can be considered as a heavy/thick guitar pick.

The thickness of the hold area varies due to the diamond design. At the highest point, right in the middle where all the vertices create the diamond design, it is 2,65 mm thick.

The variable thickness on Rombo Diamond has been implemented primarily for two reasons:

• It increases the feeling of control because the pick is easier to hold

• It increases the bass tones, creating a much thicker tone

Both dimensions create a very rigid guitar pick.

The thickness of a guitar pick is also an essential factor in terms of durability. The shape and bevel combined with the polished tip and its thickness make this pick very durable.

3 - Guitar pick Materials and Surfaces

Guitar pick material

The material of a guitar pick is strictly connected to its flexibility and tone.

Rombo Diamond is offered in the Rombo polymer and the EcoBlack polymer, which offer the same characteristics.

The polymer we use is an improved variation of nylon designed to increase the durability and cause some tone changes. It is manufactured in Italy.

Since we use the same material for all our guitar picks, this part of the analysis will be skipped. We have already created an extended article regarding the materials that can be found here.

Guitar pick design

The Guitar Pick design is obviously inspired by a diamond shaped geometry. Rombo Diamond was meant to be hard, durable and rigid, therefore this design matches its mechanical attributes very well.

The functional surfaces were distributed in a way to enhance the diamond form. The grip area in the middle makes the diamond visible, while the polished areas give the shape and tip more optical clarity.

As we will see in the next chapter, the 3D surfaces were designed as functional surfaces to improve the grip. However, with the first prototypes, we realized that this was a very nice way to explore more design nuances.

Guitar pick grip

For the grip of Rombo Diamond, there are three aspects to consider:

• The material

• The 3D Geometry
• The micro-nodules texture 

The micronodules texture is the texture we developed to create a comfortable grip. Usually, this texture wouldn’t be enough for a good grip and for this reason, we incremented the grip using the right material and 3D surfaces.

The 3D surfaces with the shape of a diamond have different thicknesses and tilted angles that fold the surface in different directions. This increases the grip substantially and avoids the rotation of the pick while playing.

For the people who like to hold the pick on the back side, we created a tunnel to compensate for the thickness reduction this area has.

We consider Rombo Diamond to be a pick with medium grip.

Guitar pick colors

Currently Rombo Diamond is offered in the following colors.

Manufacturing technique

Rombo Diamond is manufactured using an engineering technology called injection molding, in which melted polymers are forced to fill a mold and get a specific shape.

After that, there is a small mark called “the gate” in the back of the pick, which is where the melted material flows through to enter the mould. After the production, this manufacturing mark is treated by hand to make it smaller and less visible.

The borders of the pick have a parting line which is also removed post-production to increase the quality of the borders of the guitar pick.

 

Rombo Diamond is manufactured by automatic processes. However, a post treatment by hand is necessary to achieve the quality Rombo pursues.

4 - Guitar pick sound

Guitar Pick tone

So far, we have defined Rombo Diamond as a very thick, small-medium guitar pick, with a sharp tip. These are the typical characteristics of a pick that produces very bright tones.

However, due to the variable thickness mentioned before, we incremented the dynamic range of the guitar pick, allowing the player to enjoy some bass dark tones as well.

Usually, guitar picks with a very heavy attack can reduce the sustain of your guitar tone. With these small thickness changes we solved this problem.

The polished guitar pick tip, combined with its shape, enhances the bright tones and allows you to play some of the harmonic techniques on an electric guitar more easily. 

The bevel edge can create those beautiful thick and compressed tones that we all like for distortion and overdrive.

Rombo Diamond is a pick that produces bright and clear tones, but with slightly dark shades in the background, which makes the sound richer and more complete.

Guitar Pick Noise

Because of the integrated bevel edge, the material toughness, the shape, the pointy polished tip, and the thickness, we consider Rombo Diamond to be a guitar pick that creates lower pick noise.

5 - Guitar pick techniques

Rombo Diamond was designed for the advanced player who likes speed, volume, attack, and control, but still wants a sophisticated tone and more than just power.

It is mainly intended for electric guitars.

Arpeggios and shred techniques like sweep, alternate, and tremolo picking are good examples of techniques which can be improved using the right guitar picks.

For strumming and palm mute, using Rombo Diamond can give you a much thicker and complete sound creating a bigger atmosphere when playing guitar.

6 - Pricing

Rombo Diamond is currently offered only in guitar pick sets containing four guitar picks in different color combinations and a packaging card with extra information about the pick attributes.

 

This pick is also included in the Variety Pack from Rombo, with other guitar pick models.

7 - Conclusion

Size: Small-Medium

Shape: Pointy tip, sharp attack angle

Thickness: Heavy with variable thickness. Hold area: 2,65 mm - Attack area: 1,35 mm

Materials: Rombo Polymer and EcoBlack

Durability: Very high

Design: Diamond Design with two different surface types.

Grip: Medium, micro-nodules combined with 3D Surfaces

Colors available: Graphite Black, Water Blue, Strawberry Red, Honey Yellow, EcoBlack

Manufacturing technique: Injection moulding and hand processing of the borders.

Tone: Bright, clear tones with a bass nuance on the background caused by the geometry.

Pick noise: Low

Techniques: Mostly electric guitar. Lead guitar techniques and high volume distortion.

Pricing: Guitar Pick Set Rombo Diamond

 

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!