# What kind of guitar pick do you use? Why to you like it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 11, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036 "2010-05-11T12:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/21 "2010-05-11T17:14:12Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I’ve never broken a Dunlop Tortex either. I have some that I bought last month, and some that I bought in the early 80s. I generally can’t tell which is which. One of my personal guitar quirks is sticking my pick in my mouth (clamped between the teeth) as a pick holder when I play fingerstyle parts. The tortexes don’t seem to hold up well, and end up splitting. I can chew on the nylons like they’re gummi bears, and they never even hardly dent. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/22 "2010-05-11T17:21:32Z")
I like to change picks. It feels good to me to change the feel of the pick once in a while, so I keep a box filled with all sorts of different picks, many of which are decades old. I am particularly fond of the purple Dunlop Stubbies (2.0). I love the [Kradl](http://www.curtsheller.com/images_common/logos/K/logo-KradlPicks.png) picks with the little three-tiered ridges on each side, which are my go-to picks for mandolin. Unfortunately, I have only a few of them and they are no longer made. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/23 "2010-05-11T18:31:38Z")
I’ve been using Cymbolic picks for years now. They’re made from cymbals. I have several different style of pick (jazz, blues and rock) and a few different thicknesses. [pick pic 1](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/snowboarderbo/Bospicks1.jpg) & [pick pic 2](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/snowboarderbo/Bospicks2.jpg) For the most part I use the thickest rock pick. I like the huge chunk I get from brass-on-steel, and once the edges get good and worn, these picks move fast and smooth. They definitely help me with my hugely aggressive massive shredding-of-your-sanity style. I don’t use the blues picks much, but the little jazz pick is amazing. It’s like having the end of my index finger strike strings. Not so good for strumming, but for clean fast picking it rocks. I know that the guy who used to make them still had some in stock a few months ago, but I also bought what will likely be a lifetime supply. I think I have about 40 of the extra heavy rock picks. Most people hate them because they’re so thick and heavy and unforgiving, but I can’t even stand to play with a standard nylon pick anymore. If I need a little more flex, I’ll use the paper-thin brass picks, but even then I really just prefer to figure out how to play what I want with my regular plectrum. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/24 "2010-05-11T18:48:39Z")
Dunlop Tortex - Yellow / .73mm basically medium gauge. I have discussed this in the past, but I “potato chip” them - i.e., I push my thumb into the tortoise logo and bend the pick length-wise so it has a slight V in it. I then hold it with my thumb on the tortoise - whenever I had a Tortex pick that actually lasted, I found they wore into that shape over time, so I just started doing it. Quirky, I know. I like them because they behave like a stiff pick when I choke down on them and yet can behave pretty floppily if I back off my grip. **Ogre** , glad to know I am not the only one who breaks Tortex picks. For me, I either blunt the tip after a few hours of play time or simply break off the tip if I get too Townshend on them… ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/25 "2010-05-11T19:33:40Z")
> [@troub](#): > > Oh yeah, the Fender picks were terrible for me. They were shiny and slippery, and no matter the thickness they would always notch up on the sides. No fun when one of those things grabs a string and either breaks the string or sends the pick flying unexpectedly. My thick Cool picks occasionally get nicks in the side, and then I have to pitch them. Even the smallest nick adds a scratchiness that ruins that butter-smooth jazzy sound. > [@Jet\_Jaguar](#): > > Dunlop Tortex, purple for electric guitar and green for acoustic. No profound reason, I just like the feel of them. I have tried the nylon ones, but I don’t like the way it slides on the string. The Tortex ones feel really nice in the fingers, but I wish they had a bit of non-skid on them. > [@Mariemarie](#): > > I also like the Cool picks and the Dunlops, for their grippiness. Gotta have that sandpaper. I don’t know how folks hold on to those Fender picks. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/26 "2010-05-11T19:39:41Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Gotta have that sandpaper. I don’t know how folks hold on to those Fender picks. Agreed. On occasion the ol’ fingernail starts to get a little bruised … if the rockin’ get just too damned hard. If I do play with a pick, I have to have the little nubbies on there or it’s like a pick fountain … they just go flying off every which way. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/27 "2010-05-12T04:35:52Z")
[Wedgie Delrin EX](http://www.wedgie.com/picks.html), 1.14mm. I like the sculpted finger scoop, and I like the firmness that the Delrin provides. They have a bit of a rough finish for grip, but I learned a trick from a friend of mine, and cover the grip area with masking tape for an even-better grip. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/28 "2010-05-12T10:55:50Z")
Hmmm… I guess I’m the only one who uses old bread ties. You know the little plastic gizmo you use to keep the loaf of bread closed? That’s what I use. Seriously. They work just as well and have about the same feel. Also they’re very cheap and easy to replace. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/29 "2010-05-13T21:57:12Z")
[Dunlop Ultex Sharp 1mm](http://www.jimdunlop.com/index.php?page=products/pip&id=402&pmh=products/picks) ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/31 "2010-06-04T02:26:00Z")
Another vote for Dunlop nylons. I use the lighter gray (thinner) for normal playing on my acoustic and darker gray (slightly thicker but still flexible) for 12-string fun. I can play with them on my electric, but I often use whatever anyone else around has an extra of on it, just to get a thicker pick. I’ve probably only played my electric about once a month though, and I play the others on a semi-daily basis. Brendon Small ---
**Author:** ![ctywkr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@ctywkr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctywkr)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/32 "2010-06-04T02:46:00Z")
I use clayton rounded triangle pics. 1.0mm or .80mm at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/33 "2010-06-04T05:06:11Z")
Both the Cool Picks and the Star Picks have been favorites of mine, since I tend to have trouble holding on to a pick. My new favorite, even easier for me to hold on to, is the [Dava Grip Tip](http://www.davapick.com/). Try some. If you don’t agree that they’re the best pick you’ve ever used, I’ll take them off your hands at no charge to you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/34 "2010-06-04T10:22:45Z")
Just switched to Tortex Thins from Fender Mediums. My god, what a difference. Still working. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/35 "2010-06-04T10:49:17Z")
I use Fender medium, the [351 shape](http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-351-Premium-Celluloid-Guitar-Picks?sku=110556). I’ve been using them for 40 years, and I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/36 "2010-06-04T11:06:59Z")
Dunlop nylon .60mm on the folk, .73 on the dreadnought and .38 (if I use one at all) on the Spanish. I have and use others, but those are the ones that stay on the stand. You know I actually had to get up and check them - I have no problems with the nylons wearing out or nicking. Must’ve had these for years not to even remember what size they were. They just feel right for how I play each instrument. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/37 "2010-06-04T14:51:48Z")
I use the cheap plastic heavy picks, brand really doesn’t matter. I do shape them though, which is something of a pain in the ass. After I am done shaping the picks they are about half as long as normal and have a sharper point. I have way better control with the shaped picks. Slee ---
**Author:** ![HepToTheJive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@HepToTheJive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HepToTheJive)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/38 "2010-06-04T15:09:49Z")
Grey Nylon Dunlops [.60 mm](http://www.gitaar.net/forum/index.php/file/11/12690/DunlopSNylonPicks.jpg) They just feel right. ---
**Author:** ![Nunavut\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e95f7d/32.png) [@Nunavut\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunavut_Boy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036/39 "2010-06-04T23:19:30Z")
Another vote for Tortex picks- either the green ones or the blue ones. I’ve used 'em for 15 years and I have never broken one. Wear them down to nubs, yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-guitar-pick-do-you-use-why-to-you-like-it/539036.md?page=1)