Why You Need a Better Guitar Pick
When we are first learning to play guitar, we often choose the cheapest guitar pick available to us, and then we stick to it out of habit. After all, why fix what isn’t broken? When you consider the drawbacks of a cheap plectrum, and the benefits of a higher quality one, you might change your mind.
Thin Guitar Pick drawbacks:
Break Easily
Wear Down
Pick noise
Bend when you play them
Don’t make tones stand out
Known Benefits of Thicker Guitar Picks:
heavier sound
Enhanced tone
More treble tones, the sharp points can ring out the high ends better.
Play easier and faster
Sound better
A Brief History of Picks:
Guitar picks have been used mainstream since the early 1900’s. That was also when the guitar started to be played in many bands, and genres like jazz and blues were beginning to form. As the electric guitar became a staple of rock music and heavy metal, having a guitar pick in your hand was a necessity. And unless you were a classical player, you couldn't imagine going without one. One of the earliest guitarists to have been known to use a guitar pick was Nick Lucas. He recorded many popular songs of the 20’s era including Tiptoe through the Tulips.
While we are used to the classic celluloid picks, many people do not realize that the actual history of the guitar pick goes way farther back. The oldest plectrums used for instruments such as lutes and lyres, were feather quills or were crafted from bone, turtle shell, and other animal materials. (That is why many brands of pick have the pattern of a shell printed on, or have logos and mascots being turtles!) This in our modern day is frowned upon, as we more commonly face animal extinction and tend to value a more cruelty free way of living.
One thing that is interesting about the modern era of music making, is that many modern guitar pick makers are inspired by the classic plectrums. Iron Age Guitar is a good example of those. Their Ivory Jazz picks resemble the old look and feel of the bone plectrum, all without breaking any animal protection laws. That is because the ivory is not real, but comes very very close to the real thing that you wouldn’t know the difference.
“The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) forbids the trade of any turtle products on the international market, including hawksbill tortoise shell…”
These guitar picks are Franklin approved!
Exotic Material Picks are Hard to Find!
Buying and producing guitar picks made from bone or other animal materials has been outlawed in many countries, and to purchase one, certificates of authenticity and year are required to establish the plectrums legality. Not only that, but hunting down a legal seller often requires much effort. Who wants to go through all that work?
Some Popular Materials:
Luckily there are plenty of other options for us players, some popular examples are:
- Tortoiseshell
- Coconut Shell
- Wood
- Buffalo Horn
- Bone
- Stone
- Metal
- Brass
Some other examples are:
- Carbon Fiber
- Thermoplastic
- Nylon
- Celluloid
- Delrin
- Tortex
- Acrylic
- Ultem
- Artificial Ivory
To Wrap it Up:
This makes me question what new materials can be introduced into the pick makers world, because without innovation we stagnate. That being said, if you’re a guitarist that hasn’t ventured off into trying unique guitar picks, specifically those that are made from different materials, you are really missing out on the potential for better sound for yourself and your music.