Archive for category: Guitar Essentials

Short Summary

A guitar compressor pedal is a powerful dynamic tool that evens out your tone by softening loud signal peaks and boosting quieter notes, resulting in a cohesive, professional sound.
Ideal for maintaining a tight, rhythmic pocket in funk or adding sustain to country chicken pickin’ styles, compressors balance the naturally heavy transients of clean guitars.
By mastering essential controls like ratio, attack, release, and parallel blend knobs, players can dial in everything from transparent smoothing to an aggressive punch.

Whether choosing a fast FET circuit, a versatile VCA, or a classic OTA guitar pedal, positioning your compressor at the front of your signal chain helps prevent “tone suck” and optimizes your amplifier’s performance.

What is a compressor pedal?

To start with the most important question, what is it and how to use a compressor pedal for guitar actually?
A compressor controls the dynamic range of your instrument. Hard notes become softer and soft notes become louder.

A compressor protects against excessive peaks in your signal and ‘smears your sound a little more’. The FX-pedal glues different notes together and it may sound more ‘produced’ and sometimes also more professional with a compressor pedal. But you also give up something for this, namely the dynamics of your playing.

Finger on the knob

Believe it or not, before guitar compressor pedals existed, every radio station had a technician which held his finger on the volume knob, turning it up and down depending on the volume of the music broadcasted.
For radio broadcasts, it was important to tame the dynamic range of the music when it was too large. Otherwise, soft passages would be lost in noise and loud passages would cause distortion.

Replacing the technician

In the fifties, these technicians were replaced by the first dynamic range compressors.
Music producers soon discovered that compressors were much more than an automatic volume knob. They started using compressors because of their interesting side effects. The music got more punch, more focus and it became louder.

Guitar compressor pedal

A compressor pedal makes the life of a guitarist just a little bit easier. The notes come off your fretboard a little easier. You will have more sustain and your sound is a little fatter than without a compressor pedal. In this article I will explain how a compressor pedal works and what different types there are.

Nature of guitar sound

Clean guitar sounds have a lot of dynamics (i.e. peaks & valleys in recorded sounds).
The transients pop out.
The difference between those peaks and valleys may sound jarring or cause overload, depending on what you’re running your signal into.
On the other hand a piano has fairly even dynamics, while guitars are very transient-heavy instruments with relatively short sustain. This is simply the nature of guitars. This has nothing to do with uneven dynamics in playing.
A guitar compressor pedal’s purpose is to even out the guitar’s signal.

Less dynamics, more volume

Using a compressor will give you less dynamics and more volume without your guitar distorting. If your (bass) guitar gets lost in the mix, a compressor can offer a solution to make it more audible. A compressor works a little more subtly than increasing the volume on your amplifier or guitar.

Guitar compressor pedal: Funky rhythm and chicken pickin’ sounds

Furthermore, a compressor helps guitarists to play nice funk rhythm guitar parts. You create a sticky sound with it that also sounds very even. In country music you often hear a compressor in combination with a Fender Telecaster. Which chicken pickin’ part is actually played without compression? Finally, compression also adds sustain, which is very useful for solos, for example.

Guitar compressor pedal, how does it work?

Almost every compressor works in the same way. You set a certain threshold volume. If your signal exceeds this threshold, the compressor starts working.
Depending on the settings on your pedal, this happens quickly or slowly and with a certain value and for a certain period. The most commonly used buttons / setting options that you will encounter on guitar compressor pedals are listed below.

Ratio

This sets the amount by which you attenuate your signal. Common settings are 2:1, 4:1, 8:1 etc.
For example, 2:1 means that if your signal exceeds the threshold by 8 decibels, it will be reduced to 4 decibels above the threshold.
A ratio of 4:1 in this case means that your signal will exceed the threshold by an additional 2 decibels.

Most compressor pedals for guitar, like the Boss CS3, have fixed ratios. You are not able to choose the ratio in this case.

Threshold

The threshold control sets the volume level that forms the threshold for the compressor. Above this threshold, the compressor will start working, below it won’t.

On many guitar pedals, you will not find a threshold knob. This is often already set by the manufacturer and cannot be adjusted. By boosting the volume that the pedal goes into, you can still ‘control’ it.

Attack

The Attack knob controls how quickly the guitar compressor responds to your signal. If you want to make sure that the beginning of your note, the transient, does not exceed the threshold, set a fast attack (knob all the way to the left).

For guitar, a slow attack often sounds a bit better because it does not lose the dynamics of the attack.

Release

The release knob controls how long the guitar compressor continues to do its work. A long release provides extra sustain in your sound. A short release time provides a more ‘pumping’ effect.

Sustain

Many modern guitar compressor pedals have a sustain knob. In most cases, this controls how hard the compressor works to keep the signal within the threshold. This allows you to let your notes resonate for a long time, but also increases the noise level. Sometimes you also set the ratio with it (Keeley Compressor Plus)

Guitar compressor pedal Blend / Mix knob

With parallel compressors there is a blend knob on the pedal. A parallel compressor splits the incoming signal into 2. One part goes directly to the output and the other part goes through the compressor. With the blend knob you mix the processed signal with the unprocessed signal.

Level / Volume

With the level knob you set the output volume level. The compression makes the guitar signal softer and with the level knob you adjust that again.

Soft knee / Hard knee

With the more luxurious pedals you sometimes come across a switch with which you set the ‘knee’. A soft knee means that there is a smooth transition from the signal to the compressor. With a hard knee, this transition is immediate.

Guitar compressor pedal: types and their differences

Roughly speaking, there are four different main types of analogue compression. Each type has its own sound and characteristics.

Optical

These compressors use a light bulb (or LED) to create changes in gain according to the incoming guitar signal. It then changes the gain by using the varying brightness of the bulb. So, more signal will force more compression. This method will soften the attack and release of the compressor meaning you won’t get any harsh compression artifacts in your signal.

FET

This stands for Field Effect Transistor which uses a special type of transistor to vary gain. They emulate vacuum tubes in the circuit and are quite similar to how an analogue amp can emulate a valve amp (without the valves). They are regarded as very fast compressors and don’t colour the signal as much as other compressors can. A good example is the famous Universal Audio 1176.

VCA

Voltage Controlled Amplifier is one of the most versatile compressors available. It can rapidly alter its gain level in response to different detectors analyzing the same signal. This is the one to go for if you want strict control over the signal and you can make it as fast and harsh or as gentle as possible.

OTA

An Operational Transconductance Amplifier compressor works similarly to a VCA, except that the output is a variable current and not a voltage. This type of compression is by far the most used in guitar pedals. It is not as fast as VCA but faster than optical compression. Well-known guitar pedals in this category are Wampler EGO, Xotic SP, Keeley Compressor Plus and the EHX Tone Corset.

Guitar compressor pedal: its place in the chain

You usually place a compressor pedal at the beginning of your signal chain, just before or after your gain pedals. If you connect the pedal before your gain pedals, you ensure that a limited dynamic signal goes to your overdrives.
If you connect the pedal after gain pedals, you make maximum use of the dynamics of your drives and compress the overdriven signal. There is no right or wrong way to do it, so I advise you to try both.
That said, the guitar effects pedal order on your pedalboard is important for creating the sound you like most.
Read our blog about “the right pedal order”.

Besides this your amp may have an FX-loop (send & return) and in most cases the compressor will be placed before the FX-loop. Check for more info on the FX-loop here.

Modulation- vs Time-based vs Gain effects pedals

The Compressor is a typically so-called “Gain” pedal; it can crank up the volume apart from the guitar amp.
That said, it should be good to know there are Modulation- and Time-based effects pedals as well. And based on that learn more about Modulation- and Time-based guitar effects pedals in our FX-special.

Avoid “tone suck”!

This may occur when too many True Bypass pedals are used or when you simply run your signal through too long cables. Buffered pedals will help avoiding tone suck. Please check our blog about “tone suck” and learn how to get better sounds with just a few simple tips.

For our blog how to make your guitar sound better, click here.

What else should you pay attention to?

Every compressor will amplify the noise level in one way or another. No matter how quiet the pedal itself is, the signal that goes into the pedal will almost always contain some noise. This noise is further increased by compression.
That doesn’t have to be a problem, but it is something to take note of.

Will a compressor pedal affect the amount of headroom of your guitar amp?

Learn more about what “headroom” really means and if you prefer a closed or open cabinet for your style of playing.
In fact a compressor won’t affect the nice overtones your guitar produces in a bad way, of course depending how much compression your dial into.
A compression pedal could also be used to lessen too much volume when playing loud with a clean sound.
Guitar tones are known for having a large dynamics between peaks and valleys in tones.
When your amp is too loud for a given situation, you might be interested to use an attenuator to mute some of the sounds.

Bass guitar and compression is a happy marriage

Compression is also a particularly useful tool for bassists in the studio and on stage. It helps to give the very lowest notes more articulation and definition. It also tames the hard volume peaks in the signal. Compression makes the short notes punchier and the longer notes get a bit more sustain.

Compression and Tube amps

Do you need a compressor when using a tube amp? This totally depends on your taste.
The nature of tubes, especially when volume cranked up a bit is compressing the sound it delivers.

Due to their natural compression and harmonic distortion, tube amps also tend to sound warmer and more musical.
As said before; a compression pedal is most efficient with cleaner tones. Distorted tones already have more compression in them.

Want to know more about tubes in particular? Check how do tube amps work.
Beware of damaging your guitar amplifier by using the right speaker impedance (4-, 8 Ohms etc). It really is important to know more about this.

Want to know more about tube amps and solid state amps for guitar and their differences?

Click here.

Best guitar compressor pedal

There are now dozens of compressor pedals on the market. Every reputable brand sells one or even more.
Most pedals are based on the OTA circuit.

In this category from Keeley are the Compressor Plus and the Compressor Pro and for bassists the Bassist Limiting Amplifier.

Wampler has the Ego and a smaller version of this pedal, the mini-Ego.

Xotic SP guitar compressor pedal is a popular and much-sold compressor.

Electro Harmonix has a number of them, for both guitarists and bassists.

For guitar, among others, the Tone Corset, Platform and White Finger and for bass guitar the Nano Bass Preacher. JHS has the Pulp N Peel V4, Walrus Audio has the Deep Six Compressor V3 and JAM pedals the Dyna-ssoR.

Another great and reliable guitar compressor pedals should be the Boss CS3 and earlier ones like the CS1 and CS2.

About ChickenPicks guitar picks: more info.

Please check some of our other blogs or pages on our website:
Read about the idea behind our guitar picks and how guitar picks do change your playing and your sound.

The guitar picks sizes chart will let you know which pick matches your preferences most.

Beveled guitar picks make your guitar playing easier and thick guitar picks create a fuller tone with more dynamics.

Are you a fan of small guitar picks, or just larger boutique picks? Or are you looking for the best bass guitar pick?

We will help you out in one of those blogs, but you are always welcome to send us an e-mail to info@chickenpicks.com

Better grip using pick grippers

Regardless the brand or shape of the pick, it remains important that your pick stays stable and does not slip or turn between your fingers. Gripperzz are specially designed for the best grip on your guitar pick. Gripperzz are small soft rubber grip stickers in the shape of a guitar pick.

What others say about ChickenPicks guitar picks

Musikhaus Thomann
Chicago Music Exchange
Guitarpickreviews.com
Anatomy of guitar tone

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F.A.Q.

Short summary

Learning how to hold a guitar pick correctly is an important first step toward comfortable, accurate and efficient guitar playing.
The basic technique is to place the pick between your thumb and the side of your curled index finger, with only a small part of the pick extending beyond your fingertip.
Your grip should be firm enough to keep the pick stable, but relaxed enough to avoid hand tension and fatigue. This guide also explains pick thickness, grip, pick angling and slanting, beveled edges, alternate picking and hybrid picking. Discover how the right guitar pick and proper technique can improve your control, tone and picking speed.

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How to hold a guitar pick

People new to guitar, often ask us how to hold a guitar pick correctly. This is kind of basic for effective and comfortable playing.
Although there is no “exact” rule for how to hold a plectrum, it might be helpful to learn the basics.
We will teach you the step-by-step basics plus some extra useful information about guitar picks.

How to choose the right pick:

Beginners often find medium picks easiest to use, because due to the lack of knowledge in most music stores, extremely thin picks are recommended frequently.

In fact, we’re not a fan of flimsy cheap picks to start with on your carefully selected guitar. This is because thin picks can have a negative impact on your guitar playing.
Thick guitar picks, let’s say starting at ca. 2 mm have several benefits compared to thin picks.

To mention some benefits of thick guitar picks:

• Increased control
• Better tone
• Reduced hand fatigue
• Adaptability & grip
  

You might be interested in the 9 reasons to consider thick guitar picks.

The pick thickness (measured in millimeters) definitely has impact on the sound of the guitar.
Plectrums react differently with the strings based on the amount they bend and the hardness of the material.

Thin picks

Thinner picks create lower volume output and have a brighter sound with more treble.
The initial attack of a thinner pick is quite strong but fades quickly. In fact, you miss the full sound you expect.
Beginners may find it easier to start with thinner picks in the .73 to 1.00 mm range. But in any case, we advise you to test drive some different picks varying in different materials and thicknesses.

Another problem with thinner picks is the fact that they may bend easily. A pick that bends because of its flexibility, creates an unwanted delay in your playing.

Thick picks

Thicker picks are more rigid, which translates to a warmer, louder sound with more mid- and bottom-end tones.
Thick picks (from around 1.5 mm and above) are popular with more advanced players and you’ll often see them in country, bluegrass, jazz, fusion and rock. 

Summary thickness

Ultimately, the thicker the pick, the more tonal control the player has.
Determining your preferred pick thickness comes down to experimenting with various picks.

Better grip using pick grippers

Regardless the brand or shape of the pick, it remains important that your pick stays stable and does not slip or turn between your fingers. Gripperzz are specially designed for the best grip on your guitar pick. Gripperzz are small soft rubber grip stickers in the shape of a guitar pick.

How to hold the guitar pick:

Place the guitar pick on top of your index finger with a little less than let’s say 6mm sticking out past the fingertip. The pick is sandwiched between the thumb and the side of the (curled) index finger.
The index finger should be behind the pick, supporting it.
The point of the pick should face the same direction as your finger, perpendicular to your hand.

Hold the pick firmly enough that it doesn’t slip while playing, but not so tight that your hand becomes tense. Please be advised, the thinner the pick, the more firmly you have to grip the pick.
And this may cause fatigue, which is a common problem with guitar players.

Also, when using thin flexible picks, they will bend when gripping too firmly.

Over time you will find the best way that suits you in holding the pick the way that suits you most whether it’s for guitar and bass guitar as well as for mandolin picks.

Pick angling and -slanting

For speeding up your pick technique, the pick could be angled slightly toward the strings, which can help it glide through the strings smoothly.

For strumming, a slight angle helps the pick glide through the strings more easily.
You may try to angle your pick both clock- and counter clockwise, whatever suits you best.

For picking individual notes, turning the pick slightly clock- or counter clockwise may help not snagging onto the strings too much. Learn more about pick slanting.

With certain (boutique) picks you don’t have to angle the pick too much, when these have beveled edges.

Boutique picks / Beveled edges

Most boutique picks are (a little) thicker than cheap- and flimsy standard picks, like Dunlop 0.73 – 1.00 mm picks; or any other brand.
In most cases these have edges that are tapered or so-called beveled.

These beveled edges help to glide on- and off of the strings more easily and you don’t need to angle the pick too much. This is one of the benefits of thick guitar picks in relation to thin picks.

Improve your Picking technique

Once you’ve perfected how to hold the plectrum, you can work towards improving your picking speed and accuracy with some of the tips mentioned below.

Best guitar picks for beginners

When you’re new to guitar, you might want to know what is the best guitar pick for beginners;
In another blog we wrote, you may find all things that are interesting for starters and especially which ones are the best guitar picks for beginners.

Tips for Effective Picking

• Relax Your Hand: Avoid gripping the pick too tightly; a relaxed hand reduces tension and improves playability. Thicker picks will help gripping less firmly, because these picks have more flesh to the bone to hold on.
• Use Your Wrist: Most of the motion should come from your wrist rather than your arm or fingers.
• Practice Different Techniques: Practice strumming, alternate picking, and other techniques to find out what feels most comfortable on how to hold a guitar pick.

Try hybrid picking

With hybrid picking, hold the pick between thumb and index finger and use your middle- and ring finger for plucking the strings at the same volume as you pick the strings with the pick.
You might even “pluck” the strings with both your fingers to get that snappy sound country guitar players produce.

In fact, you are in chicken picking style territory of guitar playing when doing this.
Use a clean-, compressed & flashy tone with single coil pick-ups and you’re done.

Of course, people use hybrid picking in many styles of music; Richard Hallebeek did a great lesson on hybrid picking in pentatonic sequences as used in fusion guitar playing.

Picking styles

When you play a riff or the individual notes of a chord, your first instinct may be to pluck each string with a downward stroke.
While this might seem like the most straightforward approach, it’s not the best habit to fall into. This downstroke-only technique is fine at slower speeds. It can be hard to keep up once you increase the tempo.

That said, there are picking styles that are famous for downstrokes-only picking; Django Reinhardt invented a style of jazz guitar in the 1940’s, which is called Gypsy guitar.
Most of the notes and chords in this style are played with downstrokes.

Alternate picking

Now we’re at the point where alternate picking comes in. This technique encourages an economy of motion. Instead of playing each string with a downward motion, alternate between picking “down” and picking “up” each time you change notes. You will notice you can play faster with alternate picking. Another benefit of alternate picking technique is the fact you prevent yourself from fatigue.

Choose the right pick

Now that you know how to hold a guitar pick and how to pick your guitar, it is time to find the perfect pick for your needs.
In the world of guitar picks there are many different sizes, shapes and materials to choose from.

The shape of guitar picks:

• Model 351
  For the most people, the first shape that comes to mind is the model 351. Also called the “medium” standard pick. It is available in a variety of thicknesses from 0.45 up to 3.0mm or even more. We would not recommend the extremely light versions. Everything thinner than 0.73mm feels weird and sounds bad.
• Model 651
  If you like smaller picks, you should ask for jazz-size shaped picks. These come with pointy- and rounded tips as well. These models also called the model 651 shape of picks. The pointy tips allow you to pick notes more accurate, which in most cases is needed when you would like to perfect your picking technique.
• Model 346
  Another popular model of guitar picks is the triangle model 346. This is a plectrum that has (mostly) 3 equal usable tips. These feel (and mostly are) bigger than all other models. Model 346 picks are easy to hold on, but it might be more challenging to pick notes more precisely.Just try some of the mentioned picks and decide which one suits you most.

Thickness of the pick

When you start searching picks on the internet, you will find them in different thicknesses.
Every thickness has its pros & cons as we mentioned earlier.

At ChickenPicks guitar picks we provide all kinds of models. All of them with the unique characteristics of ChickenPicks guitar picks.

Material

ChickenPicks guitar picks are made of Thermoset, which is a thermosetting plastic. Due to the material and beveled edges our picks are definitely different than anything else on the planet.
Thermoset is the hardest plastic you can imagine and it is almost as hard as steel.
For this reason, these picks don’t wear too much on steel (electric) guitar strings; they last longer than any other pick brand.

The mass of the pick, caused by the material and thickness, create a bright top-end, with clear mid- and beefy bottom-end tones. Besides the wider spread in the tonal spectrum, ChickenPicks guitar picks cause less picking noise. Softer picks wear faster and may cause scratchy noise by the jagged edges.

Thickness

The thinnest ChickenPicks guitar picks model is our Badazz-III 2.0. This pick is 2.0 mm thick and is extremely popular with former Jazz-III users.
The thickest at the moment is the Shredder 3.5, which is 3.5 mm thick.

Because of the thickness of our picks, they all come with the same beveled edges.
Beveled edges with boutique picks have interesting benefits as you will read here.

Available models

• Light – 351 model in 2.2 mm
• Regular – 351 model in 2.6 mm
• Shredder – 351 model, but 13% smaller and available in 2.4 and 3.5 mm
• Badazz III – 651 model (Jazz III shaped) in 2.0 , 2.5 and 3.2 mm
• Bermuda III – 346 model triangular pick in 2.1 and 2.7 mm
• Bermuda III-P – 346 model triangular pick with extremely pointy tips in 2.1 and 2.7 mm
• The Bermuda III-XL – 346 model Extra Large triangular pick in 2.1 mm

Variety sets

When you’re not sure what to choose, you might buy one of our variety sets. These provide different picks to try at a discount price.
Check ‘em out here.

Nothing fancy, just high quality guitar picks

The idea behind ChickenPicks guitar picks is just their pure quality. No fancy colors nor creative design, just the highest quality in guitar picks.

How to hold a bass guitar pick

Place the pick between thumb and index finger. You may include your middle-finger as well for the 3-finger pick grip. In many cases bass guitar picks are a little bigger than standard guitar picks.

Actually, holding a guitar pick for bass isn’t that different in relation to guitar. The only thing is that you need to grip a bit more firmly. As bass guitar strings (up to 0.130-inch) are way thicker than guitar strings (on average 0.046-inch), you need to pluck them much harder than guitar strings. Read more about bass guitar picks here.

As said, you may also grip a guitar pick with 3 fingers. Actually, there is no right or wrong on how to hold a guitar pick correctly.

How to hold a guitar pick for metal

Bend your index finger towards the guitar strings and place the pick between your index and thumb. Hold the pick loose between your fingers, because gripping too tightly, causes too much tension. Too much tension may cause fatigue and you won’t be able to speed up your playing for a longer period. You need a heavier pick that will generate more volume by itself instead of gripping too firmly.
Besides holding a guitar pick for metal, you may need a good distortion pedal (a.k.a. fuzz pedal).
According to many people, one of the best distortion pedals could be the EHX Big Muff from Electro Harmonix.
That said, the guitar effects pedal order on your pedalboard is important for creating the sound you like most.
Read our blog about “the right pedal order”.

How to hold a guitar correctly pick for speed

Bend your index finger towards the guitar strings and place the pick between your index and thumb. Hold the pick loose between your fingers, because gripping too tightly, causes too much tension. Too much tension may cause fatigue and you won’t be able to speed up your playing for a longer period.

With thinner non-beveled guitar picks, you could try to do some pick slanting. This means that you turn the pick slightly clock- or counter clockwise.
Many guitarists use small guitar picks like Jazz-III or teardrop style picks.
More info about small picks can be found here.

How to hold a guitar pick properly and strum

Place the pick between thumb and index finger. You may include your middle-finger as well for the 3-finger pick grip. Do not hold the pick too tightly. The pick may feel like it is kind of flexible. Extremely light picks could fly out of your hands when gripping very loosely.
Use a pick that is at least 1.5 – 2.0 mm thick for the best sound.

How to hold a guitar pick for acoustic

Bend your index towards the sound hole, place a pick on top and grip with your thumb.
For single note runs, you may grip a little more tightly because most acoustic guitar strings are at a thicker gauge compared to electric guitar. Read more about the best guitar picks for acoustic here.
For strumming, please check below.

How to hold a guitar pick for strumming correctly

Place the pick between thumb and index finger. You may include your middle-finger as well for the 3-finger pick grip. Do not hold the pick too tightly. The pick may feel like it is kind of flexible. Extremely light picks could fly out of your hands when gripping very loosely. Use a pick that is at least 1.5 – 2.0 mm for the best sound.

What others say about ChickenPicks guitar picks

Musikhaus Thomann
Chicago Music Exchange
Guitarpickreviews.com
Anatomy of guitar tone

Guitar essentials:

In guitar essentials we write about interesting things every guitarist should know a bit of, especially when you’re new to (electric) guitar.
We definitely don’t dig deep into theories or technical aspects.
You will find many scientific documents about anything somewhere on the internet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Best high quality guitar picks for acoustic

Choosing the best guitar picks for acoustic guitar and the thickness of it, depends on personal preference, the material of the strings and the type of music you play.
However, there are some general guidelines that can help you make a decision in choosing the right pick for your acoustic guitar.

Better grip using pick grippers

Regardless the brand or shape of the pick, it remains important that your pick stays stable and does not slip or turn between your fingers. Gripperzz are specially designed for the best grip on your guitar pick. Gripperzz are small soft rubber grip stickers in the shape of a guitar pick.

Which type of acoustic guitar

First of all, let’s check what kind of acoustic guitar do you have, or do you want to buy.
That might be anything between (nylon stringed) classical, or Spanish guitar, a Western acoustic (Dreadnought, OM, Parlor etc.).
You might also think of a Flamenco guitar, a modern (hybrid) crossover, an Archtop, Django Reinhardt style jazz guitar and even a Resonator acoustic, etc. etc.

Steel strings vs nylon strings

We won’t explain all the differences between these guitars here, but it would be best if we, for now, split the guitars in steel string vs nylon stringed instruments.
Please check this website with all the types of acoustic guitars.

In general acoustic guitars should be categorized in steel string vs. nylon stringed, as said before.

Nylon

Nylon strings tend to sound warmer and rounded. The sound of nylon strings lends itself well to classical and fingerstyle playing. Classical guitarists mostly play without a guitar pick. 

Steel strings

Steel strings sound, in relation to nylon strings, bright and more articulate and the have much more sustain and volume. Sustain is the time a note rings out after plucked. Steel strings also stay in tune longer than nylon strings.

Most used steel strings

For acoustic guitars we see mostly the next 3 kinds of strings made out of steel.

Bronze

These strings mostly consist of 80% copper and 20% zinc.
These strings provide a bright sound in the first few weeks and it will mellow over time.
This makes them great for meshing with other musicians in a band, but they lack more complex overtones when playing solo. They are popular for most acoustic guitar music styles.

Phosphor bronze 

Phosphor bronze strings, or 92/8 phosphor bronze guitar strings, are like 80/20 bronze strings but with an added phosphor element that increases the string’s life. The higher amount of copper provides a warmer tone.
Great for band musicians who want a balanced and consistent tone. Even after playing several shows with the same strings.

Steel & silk 

These strings have a steel center, surrounded with silk or nylon and wind metal around it.
Silk and steel acoustic strings offer a full and balanced sound with lower tension for lighter braced instruments. Guitar players also find these to be easier to fret and they are smoother overall. 

Most used for non-steel stringed guitars

Nylon strings

Nylon is a soft, smooth material that is easy on the fingers. It delivers a mellow tone with a signature “plucking” sound. They’re an excellent choice for classical, flamenco, and folk styles of music.
Some nylon strings are wrapped in a metal composite. They offer a pronounced brightness, but they may be a bit harsher on the fingertips than plain nylon strings. 

High quality guitar picks

Guitar picks definitely have impact on guitar tone, whether you play electric or acoustic guitar.
And maybe more important; they have to fit your needs in playability and comfort.

You can choose between cheap standard picks like Fender mediums or Dunlop or any other flimsy guitar picks.
Or you could focus on high quality guitar picks such as boutique plectrums.
These, in most cases, are thicker than the average standard pick.

Best guitar picks for beginners

When you’re new to guitar, you might want to know what is the best guitar pick for beginners;
In another blog we wrote, you may find all things that are interesting for starters and especially which ones are the best guitar picks for beginners.

Great guitar, but no high quality guitar pick

People buy expensive guitars from let’s say $1,000 – $5,000 and much more.
But they might not buy the best guitar pick for acoustic and it may not cost more than just $1.00.
In my opinion it’s like cheap tires on a $100 – $200k sportscar.

It’s worth checking out different high quality guitar picks and thicknesses on your beautiful guitar, as they can really get you a better sound and instant playing pleasure.

Of course, use what you think feels and sounds best to you. Here’s a short list of materials used for the main guitar picks on the market.

Factors to consider

1. Material: Picks are made from various materials; each offering a different tone and feel.
   • Celluloid: Warm tone, traditional feel.
   • Nylon: Flexible, good for strumming.
   • Tortex: Durable, balanced tone.
   • Ultem: Bright tone, more durable.
   • Thermoset: Bright and balanced tone with more bottom-end, extremely durable
     
     
2. Thickness: The thickness of the pick affects both the sound and playability.
   • Thin (0.45mm – 0.70mm): Bright tone, good for strumming. Minimal sustain. Bad for hand fatigue.
   • Medium (0.70mm – 0.85mm): Versatile, good for both strumming and picking. But bad for hand fatigue
   • Heavy (0.85mm – 1.8mm): Warm tone, good for precise picking. Mostly feels unbalanced and requires more effort to play with when using standard heavy picks.
   • Extra Heavy (2.0mm and above): Very warm tone, great for lead playing. Better grip because of the thickness and less hand fatigue.
     

• Shape: Different shapes provide different comfort levels and playing techniques
  • Jazz: Smaller, pointed tip for precision. Perfect for more advanced guitar players
  • Standard 351: Most common, versatile and ergonomic grip
  • Teardrop: Smaller than standard, good for more complex playing styles
  • Triangular: Larger, easy to grip, offers multiple playing tips

Recommendations

• For beginners: Although you could start with a standard medium thickness pick, why not start with something that will improve your playing from the start. My advice may be a standard shaped (351 model) pick with a 2.0 – 2.5mm thickness.
• For strumming: You may go for a thinner pick (0.45mm – 0.70mm), when you just like to strum and sing with friends. It will provide a bright tone and be more forgiving when strumming chords. But if you’d like to be more precise and get some more volume out of your guitar, you could check for a thick guitar pick.
• For solo and precision: Use a heavier pick (2.0mm and above). It provides more control and produces a warmer tone. The better- and looser grip helps avoiding hand fatigue.

ChickenPicks guitar picks for acoustic

In fact, there is no specific guitar pick for electric- or acoustic guitar.
ChickenPicks guitar picks provides several picks that are perfect for electric- and acoustic guitar as well.

They’re made out of a thermosetting plastic called “Thermoset” which, in combination with the thickness of at least 2.0mm, provides more mass to the pick.
More mass means more tone (mid & bottom-end) on the one hand and easy to grip on the other hand.

Less fatigue

As said, thicker and heavier picks allow you to grip less firmly. As a result, there is less tension in the forearm of your picking hand, which also allows you to play faster with less effort.

Thick guitar picks have a larger gripping surface, so checking out some heavy picks, may help in finding the right pick for your needs.
To know more about the benefits of thicker guitar picks, please check the 9 reasons to consider thick guitar picks blog.
You may also be interested in how to make your guitar sound better in general.

Beveled edges

The thicker the pick, the more you will see beveled edges. These help you gliding off of the strings very easily. The sharp edges provide articulate- and accurate picking.
We have a blog about these beveled edges, which will make it easy to understand the importance and benefits of beveled edges in general.

The best pick thickness for acoustic

You may think that guitar picks have to be flexible. But for a number of reasons we say: the best pick thickness for acoustic is quite thick. The reason; the pick has to be more rigid for better tone and control.
Depending on the material, thicker picks usually are more rigid than thin picks in general.

Reasons why not to use flexible guitar picks

• Flexible guitar picks cause delay to your playing. That should be ok with just strumming, but with playing single note lines, you don’t want that.
  
• When your pick bends, you will not be able to control the movements of the pick itself.
  You cannot pick the notes accurately enough, especially when you play single note lines or solos.

A rigid pick allows you to better control the picking hand, because you control the pick and you have to grip not too tightly.
Gripping less firmly may have the same effect as a flexible pick, but now you are able to control it with the pressure of your fingers.
Read more about why most high quality guitar picks are thick and rigid.

ChickenPicks guitar picks for acoustic

• For standard 351 model picks we’d recommend the Light 2.2 or Regular 2.6mm.
• When you prefer triangular picks, please take a look at the Bermuda III picks.
• And when you like these Bermuda III picks even larger, you might also like the Bermuda III-XL.
• Of course, we offer more different picks, but talking about high quality guitar picks for acoustic, these 4 are the best in my opinion.
• We also have variety packs, which allow you to test-drive different pick at a discounted price

Pick sizes chart

For all pick sizes and technical information, please check the pick sizes chart on our website.
Of course, most of our products are perfect as bass guitar picks as well as Mandolin picks.

How to hold a guitar pick

Place the guitar pick on top of your index finger with a little less than let’s say 6mm sticking out past the fingertip. The pick is sandwiched between the thumb and the side of the index finger.
The index finger should be behind read more…

Summary: best high quality guitar picks for acoustic

You may see the above guidelines for helping you on your way to find a good pick for acoustic guitar.best
But ultimately, the best pick is the one that feels most comfortable and sounds best to you.

It might be helpful to buy a variety pack with different materials, thicknesses, and shapes to experiment and find your perfect match.

You may always send me an email if you have any further questions about it.

What others say about ChickenPicks guitar picks

Musikhaus Thomann
Chicago Music Exchange
Guitarpickreviews.com

Guitar essentials:

In guitar essentials we write about interesting things every guitarist should know a bit of, especially when you’re new to (electric) guitar.
We definitely don’t dig deep into theories or technical aspects.
You will find many scientific documents about anything somewhere on the internet.

Short summary

Beveled guitar picks are thicker picks with tapered or slanted edges designed to glide more smoothly across the strings.
The built-in bevel can reduce resistance and make fast picking, single-note runs and strumming feel easier, without requiring the player to manually angle a flat pick.
Beveled picks are typically at least 2.0mm thick and can provide improved speed, control, comfort and a more defined attack.
The material and thickness also influence tone, durability and feel. ChickenPicks takes the concept further by combining beveled edges with Thermoset, a highly rigid thermosetting material, creating thick picks designed for precise picking, clear tone and reduced hand fatigue.

Choosing Beveled guitar picks

Beveled guitar picks are (mostly) thicker guitar picks (plectrums) designed with a shape that narrows at one end, as opposed to a traditional flat edge.
In some cases, only the tip is beveled, but many picks have beveled edge all over.
Another word for beveled may be tapered.

Slanted angle picking

Slanted means that the pick is turned slightly clockwise or even counter-clockwise.
This helps the pick moving flawless on- and off the strings. This prevents the pick from kind of snagging to the strings and slow down the picking.

You might have noticed that many guitar players, while using standard flat picks, play with a slanted angle, when playing fast single note lines.
With standard flat picks I mean Dunlop or Fender medium guitar picks or any other brand of course.

Built in slanted edge

With beveled edge picks, you don’t have to turn the pick for slanting. The bevel is some kind of built in slanted edge. This is one of the reasons these picks play easier than thin rigid picks.

At least 2.0mm thick

Already said, beveled edges will be featured with thicker than usual picks. Let’s say with at least 2.0mm thick boutique picks. This beveling can be applied to one or more sides of the pick.
The main purpose of the bevel is to make it easier to glide on and off the strings making it easier for you to play guitar.

Boutique picks

As we are talking about thicker- and special created picks, most picks classify for boutique picks.
Most of them are hand made or hand finished and made out of a special material, other than standard plastic.
We wrote a blog about boutique guitar picks, with the pros & cons. Of course all the products classify for bass guitar picks as well as mandolin picks as well.

More comfortable than you might think

A beveled guitar pick feels very comfortable, even when we’re talking about small picks or even significant larger picks.
At a first glance, especially when you are familiar with thin and cheap plastic picks it might feel weird. But within 5 minutes you don’t want to get back to the cheap flappy guitar picks.

Best guitar picks for acoustic guitar

Although acoustic guitars are different to electric guitar at some point, there is no specific guitar pick for acoustic guitars.
Finding out what the best guitar picks for acoustic are for you, means that you have to check out different models, thicknesses and materials.
In another Guitar Essentials we wrote some useful guidelines for choosing the best picks for acoustic.

The pros

• Improved Speed and Control: The beveled edge allows the pick to glide more smoothly across the strings, reducing resistance and making it easier to play fast single note lines and even strum funky and rocking rhythms.
• Better Tone: Boutique beveled guitar picks produce a cleaner, more defined attack on the strings with less pick noise. They produce a pronounced loud and bright tone with lot of bottom-end, of course depending on the materials
• Comfort: The bevel can make the pick feel more ergonomic, fitting the natural curve of the player’s fingers better and reducing hand fatigue during long playing sessions. Most boutique picks are extremely rigid, because flexible picks will affect you playing and in a negative way.
  For more information you should check the 9 reasons to consider thick guitar picks.
• Variety of Bevels: Guitar pick bevels can be customized to suit different playing styles. For instance, a right-handed player might prefer a different bevel angle than a left-handed player, and some picks may feature bevels designed for specific techniques like sweep picking or strumming.
  
  Standard for both left- and right-handed guitarists
  At ChickenPicks guitar picks we only have identical beveled edges, usable for both right- and left-handed guitar players and whatever playing style/techniques.

Made from different materials

Boutique picks can be made from various materials, including plastic, nylon, acrylic, and even metals and wood. Each contributing to the overall feel and sound.
Usually most of the boutique picks are made of acrylic or some other synthetic material.

ChickenPicks guitar picks

ChickenPicks guitar picks are unique in the world of picks, because they are made of a thermosetting plastic called “Thermoset”.
This is the hardest kind of plastic you can imagine, which makes it longer lasting.

My story on beveled guitar picks

When I was 17 or 18 years old in the mid ‘80’s I wanted to play a heavier pick for better sound.
I played a nylon 0.6mm Scotty’s pick until then. But the heavy picks back then were no good boutique picks. Only a 2.0mm Dunlop (the purple one) and it did not fit my needs in terms of comfort. And it sounded dull as well.
Read my full story here.
Actually at this moment it is the Regular 2.6 in the ChickenPicks guitar picks range.

Best guitar picks for beginners

When you’re new to guitar, you might want to know what is the best guitar pick for beginners;
In another blog we wrote, you may find all things that are interesting for starters and especially which ones are the best guitar picks for beginners.

Better grip using pick grippers

Regardless the brand or shape of the pick, it remains important that your pick stays stable and does not slip or turn between your fingers. Gripperzz are specially designed for the best grip on your guitar pick. Gripperzz are small soft rubber grip stickers in the shape of a guitar pick.

How to hold a guitar pick correctly

Place the guitar pick on top of your index finger with a little less than let’s say 6mm sticking out past the fingertip. The pick is sandwiched between the thumb and the side of the index finger.
The index finger should be behind read more…

Better tone

These picks deliver a pronounced loud and bright tone with lots of clear bottom-end, because of the higher mass of the material in combination with the thickness.
The sound of ChickenPicks guitar picks is clear and bright and it works well on how to make your guitar sound better.

Besides the a guitar pick, you may need a good distortion pedal (a.k.a. fuzz pedal) for getting the right edge on your sound. Some guitar amps may sound too clean for several kinds of music.
According to many people, one of the best distortion pedals could be the EHX Big Muff from Electro Harmonix.
When you amp is too loud for certain venues or at home, you may need to use an attenuator to mute some volume.

Perfect bass guitar picks

ChickenPicks guitar picks are all perfect bass guitar picks. Check the guitar picks size chart for your best fit.
The thickness and material will let the strings sound great on bass guitars.
Bermuda III-XL (alias The Bass Pick) officially was developed as a bass guitar pick, but many electric- and acoustic guitar player use it as their favorite guitar pick.

Less hand fatigue / less effort for fast single note runs

Because you don’t have to grip too firmly, there’s less forearm tension. When playing with thin picks for many hours, it may cause hand fatigue. With thicker and heavier picks this won’t happen.
And because of less forearm tension, it is easier to play fast riffs with less effort.
You will be amazed how easy it is to shred and how good it sounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Guitar essentials

In guitar essentials we write about interesting things every guitarist should know a bit of, especially when you’re new to (electric) guitar.
We definitely don’t dig deep into theories or technical aspects.
You will find many scientific documents about anything somewhere on the internet.

Short summary

Boutique guitar picks are premium plectrums designed to offer guitarists something beyond the standard mass-produced pick.
They often focus on high-quality materials, distinctive shapes, greater thickness, precision manufacturing and carefully designed edges to improve tone, attack, control and playing comfort.
This guide explains what makes a guitar pick “boutique” and why serious guitarists may choose one over a conventional pick.
ChickenPicks takes a different approach by combining thick, beveled designs with Thermoset, an extremely hard and rigid material.
The result is a premium guitar pick designed for durability, precise picking, clear tone and a consistent playing experience.

Boutique guitar picks are high-quality, often handcrafted or hand finished guitar picks, designed to provide better tone with nice overtones and playability. Of course, compared to cheaper mass-produced plastic picks.

The craftsmanship and materials used often result in unique tonal characteristics, enhanced playability and ergonomic grip.

Materials

Boutique guitar picks are usually made from a variety of materials. Think of wood, metal, gemstones, acrylic, and synthetic materials.

Every kind of material has its influence on the pick’s tone and durability.

It requires more to become boutique picks

Besides the materials, there are more features that make them more special in relation to cheap plastic picks:

• Craftsmanship: These picks are often hand-made or produced in small batches, ensuring a high level of attention to detail and quality control.
• Designs: Many boutique plectrums feature unique shapes, thicknesses, and designs that cater to specific playing styles and preferences. Thicker picks in general have several benefits in relation to thin plectrums. Thinner picks will bend and you don’t want that, because that works against precision.
• Enhanced Playability: The design and materials of boutique picks often offer better grip, improved precision, and a more comfortable playing experience. Compare it to a cheap car and a luxurious German limo.
• Looks: These picks often have good looks, making them attractive to collectors and musicians who appreciate artistry.
• Price: Due to their nature and the premium materials used, boutique plectrums are generally more expensive than standard picks.
• Better quality: Advanced and professional guitar players and any enthusiasts who search for the best in both better performance and playability, may find their go to pick in boutique guitar picks.

Boutique guitar picks are often crafted by hand and materials are carefully selected. Materials are known for their beauty, durability and tone. In many cases boutique guitar picks may eliminate pick noise. Read more about the 11 ways to get rid of pick noise.

How to hold a guitar pick correctly

Place the guitar pick on top of your index finger with a little less than let’s say 6mm sticking out past the fingertip.
The pick is sandwiched between the thumb and the side of the index finger.
Your index finger should be behind read more…

ChickenPicks guitar picks

Of all boutique plectrums, ChickenPicks guitar picks holds a special place. This is because the use of Thermoset, which is unique in the world of guitar picks.

Thermoset has a very dense composition of the material, which gives it more mass and an extremely hard product.

Because the material is so extremely hard, it lasts longer and it has a huge impact on the tone of the plectrum.
Besides the material, the thickness and beveled edges make ChickenPicks guitar picks very popular amongst a wide variety of guitar players worldwide in over 100 different countries.

Read here why I created these picks in 1985.

Hand finished at a social workplace

Our products are machine made and finished by hand.

Finishing and packaging finds place in a social workplace. They’re checked- and sanded by hand.

At ChickenPicks guitar picks we find it important that everyone, with or without all kinds of disabilities must have a chance to live a good life.

Boutique guitar picks we offer:

We have a guitar pick for everybody, whether you play acoustic- or electric guitar or even bass guitar.
Below you will find the different models in short.
If you need exact sizes and thicknesses, please check our guitar pick size chart.

Better grip using pick grippers

Regardless the brand or shape of the pick, it remains important that your pick stays stable and does not slip or turn between your fingers. Gripperzz are specially designed for the best grip on your guitar pick. Gripperzz are small soft rubber grip stickers in the shape of a guitar pick.

Light 2.2 and Regular 2.6

Standard 351 shaped model plectrums. Thickness 2.2mm and 2.6mm.

The perfect match for those playing Fender medium guitar picks or any Dunlop standard.

• Go to the Regular 2.6 product page or check the full product description

• Go to the Light 2.2 product page or check the full product description.

Best guitar picks for beginners

When you’re new to guitar, you might want to know what is the best guitar pick for beginners;
In another blog we wrote, you may find all things that are interesting for starters and especially which ones are the best guitar picks for beginners.

Shredder 2.4 and 3.5 boutique guitar picks

Go to the Shredder product page, or check the full product description

Badazz III 2.0, 2.5 and 3.2

Jazz III shaped guitar pick, available in 2.0mm, 2.5mm and 3.2mm thickness.

Extremely popular amongst Dunlop Jazz III players looking for better tone and playability.

• Go to the Badazz III product page or check the full product description

Bermuda III 2.1 and 2.7

Standard triangle picks with a rounded tip and 2 semi pointy tips.

Available in 2.1mm and 2.7mm and popular with triangular plectrum users in general and many bass guitar players use it as bass guitar pick.

• Go to the Bermuda III product page or check the full product description

Bermuda III-P 2.1 and 2.7 [Pointy]

Identical to the Bermuda III, but this model has 3 extremely sharp “Pointy” tips.

These sharp tips allow you to pick accurately and the sound is crisp & loud.

Because you don’t have to grip too firmly, it’s easy to play fast riffs with a minimum on effort.

Go to the Bermuda III-P product page or check the full product description

Bermuda III-XL 2.1 (boutique guitar picks)

Identical to the standard Bermuda III picks, but this is an XL (Extra Large) version.

We had many requests from customers who asked for a specific Bass pick, because typical bass guitar picks weren’t available.

Although the name is Bermuda III-XL, its alias is “The bass pick”. Boutique plectrum for bass guitar.

After being introduced in 2022, many people also use on guitar and still many guitar players like it for guitar as well

Go to the Bermuda III-XL product page or check the full product description.

Best (boutique) guitar picks for acoustic guitar

Although acoustic guitars are different to electric guitar at some point, there is no specific guitar pick for acoustic guitars.
Finding out what the best guitar picks for acoustic are for you, means that you have to check out different models, thicknesses and materials.
In another Guitar Essentials we wrote some useful guidelines for choosing the best picks for acoustic.

What others say about ChickenPicks guitar picks

Musikhaus Thomann
Chicago Music Exchange
Guitarpickreviews.com
Anatomy of guitar tone

Frequently Asked Questions

Short summary

Pick noise is the scratchy sound that happens when a guitar pick contacts the strings, and while some players like it, most want to reduce it.
Fortunately, improving your picking technique, changing where you pick, adjusting your guitar settings, and choosing a more durable pick can make a noticeable difference. Harder picks with smooth beveled edges also tend to glide across the strings with less friction and wear.
If you’re also working on better control, read our guide on how to hold a guitar pick  and discover the best guitar picks for beginners.

Avoiding Pick noise

We have all experienced some kind of noise when picking the strings of your guitar. These scratchy sounds, called pick noise or string picking noise, is what some love, some hate.

But what causes this high frequency scratching noise and how to get rid of it?
In this blog we’ll tell you the ins and outs of this so-called pick noise.

11 ways to get rid of pick noise

1: Pick farther from the bridge

2: Change to new on a regularly base when using cheap and soft picks

3: Switch to mid- or neck pickup instead of using the bridge pickup

4: Improve your picking techniques: (pick slanting, economy picking)

5: Try different picks, including some boutique guitar picks made of different materials

6: Try different strings

7: Adjust tone setting on your guitar first, followed by amp settings

8: Use a compressor

9: Practice synchronization between picking- and fretting hand.

10: Don’t grip too firmly

11: Try picks with sharp tips vs. round tips; try to find out what works best for you.

2 different reasons, 2 different sounds of scratchy noises

First of all, it is important to know what exactly you are hearing when you experience picking noise.

Regarding this, know that there may be:

• Sound of the string bouncing against the pick, before actually picking the string.
• The string gliding off of the plectrum, while the plectrum surface is damaged or a bit jagged. This increases so-called “pick chirp”.

String bouncing against the pick

The reason for a string to sound is the fact that it vibrates in a variety of frequencies or Hertz (Hz) per second.
The frequency rate determines the pitch of a sound wave.

In fact, the A (5^th pos. on the high E-string) usually has a rate of 440 Hz.
One octave higher (high E-string 17^th fret) the frequency increases up to ca. 880 Hz and so on and on.

So, in this case you will never be fast enough hitting the string without the string slapping back against the pick a few times. The only thing you can do is lessen the sound it creates.

Best guitar picks for beginners

When you’re new to guitar, you might want to know what is the best guitar pick for beginners;
In another blog we wrote, you may find all things that are interesting for starters and especially which ones are the best guitar picks for beginners.

Bouncing against the string and pick material

While the string may vibrate up to 1 – 2 kHz (and even more), the string may bounce a few times against the guitar pick, before finally “picking” the string. As a result of this, the guitar pickup will also amplify the sound of the string slapping back against the plectrum. Especially when picking fast while keeping the plectrum very close to the strings.
No matter if the plectrum is made out of a softer or harder material.

(un-) wanted under- & over tones

Besides the vibrations of a certain tone, the string has also different vibrations which gives the tone “color”. As a result of this, there are under- and overtones as well. For now, it is unimportant if these are pleasant or not. Read about this at: Change the picking position up and down the neck.

Jagged pick surface causing pick noise

Here we’ll talk about the other scratching noise you may experience.

Buy new picks more often when using cheap picks

Using already used picks will produce more noises, since they get a jagged edge. Referring to this, using cheaper guitar picks may become more expensive than using a higher quality guitar pick, which might be made out of a harder or dense material.

Many players find that high quality guitar picks often are made of a harder material. Harder materials result in less wear and a glossier surface. The hardness of plastics and other materials are classified in Shore D measurements.

Shore hardness is an indentation measurement rather than a direct measurement of a material’s overall mechanical performance. ASTM D2240 includes Type D durometers among the standardized hardness scales covered by the method.

Thermoset, the material of ChickenPicks guitar picks is one of those harder materials and it classifies in the hardest Shore D variant of up to more than 90.

Better grip using pick grippers

Regardless the brand or shape of the pick, it remains important that your pick stays stable and does not slip or turn between your fingers. Gripperzz are specially designed for the best grip on your guitar pick. Gripperzz are small soft rubber grip stickers in the shape of a guitar pick.

The closer to the bridge, the louder the picking noise

We already spoke about the high frequencies, which amplify the plectrum noise the most.

Closer to the bridge and using the bridge pickup, the picking noise has a strong presence in the overall guitar tone. And the more distortion or (natural) overdrive has been used, the pick noise will be heard more clearly. The reason for this is that high gain tones have more high frequencies. These have more presence than mid- and bass tones in the overall sound.

How to hold a guitar pick

Place the guitar pick on top of your index finger with a little less than let’s say 6mm sticking out past the fingertip.
The pick is sandwiched between the thumb and the side of the index finger.
Your index finger should be behind read more…

Is pick noise always unwanted?

No, but that is totally up to anybody’s preference.
In many cases it gives kind of personality to your tone, when not sounds like overkill.

Just a small amount of picking noise may sound very nice. That said, when there is absolutely no picking sound, the guitar sounds too flat in most situations. 
In my opinion a nice percussive pick attack sounds very nice when strumming and playing solos. For instance, Yngwie Malmsteen plays with a lot of pick attack and in my opinion that does not sound bad at all.

Pick noise can add texture and character to a guitar’s sound, contributing to the overall tone and feel of a performance. Some guitarists embrace pick noise as part of their playing style, others may want to minimize it.
Some boutique picks create a very pleasant kinda pick noise.

Boutique guitar picks in general

All of our picks classify for boutique guitar picks, which is a term for picks with a certain shape and/or made out of special materials.
The sound of these picks is clear and bright and it works well on how to make your guitar sound better.

We wrote an interesting article about boutique guitar picks in general.

How to get rid of pick noise in general

Upon checking guitar forums on the internet, many people explain what the reason is for that scratchy noise.
And they all know how to solve the problem.
The problem is, that actually there’s not one reason that causes the noise and so there is not one way to solve the “problem”.
To reduce the scratchy noise made by a guitar pick, you can try several techniques.

Work on your picking technique:

To avoid the scratching noise using a flat pick, there are some different techniques that may help. Pick slanting in different ways may help playing faster, but it might not always be the way to solve the problem of picking noise. I.e., using pick slanting wit softer material picks, cause more jagged edges to these picks. ChickenPicks guitar picks are made of the hardest plastic material available. This makes them very adaptive to pick slanting.

You might also want to try different pick shapes and sizes to see if different picks makes your picking technique easier. There definitely is a difference in this, between large- and small guitar picks and the way to hold on to them.

Use your mid- and/or neck pickup instead of the bridge pickup:

This instantly will lessen the chirp or pick noise, because the bridge pickup will amplify the higher frequencies more than the other pickups.

When playing solos in the higher regions of the fretboard many of the professional guitar players switch to the neck pickup to avoid high frequency scratchy tones.

Switching to the neck pickup, the high notes will sound rounder instead of very aggressive and unpleasantly loud.

Not only the tones in the high positions will sound more pleasant. Also the scratchy picking noise may be tamed a bit.

You might also think of reducing the volume on your guitar. But again, these techniques will affect your tone immensely. You may wonder if this is desirable for the tone you’re looking for.

Pick slanting: Trailing edge picking vs Leading edge picking

Angling the downward or upward and the force applied, gives a smaller point of contact with the strings. With this technique only the edge contacts the strings, instead of the large flat surface.

This might be a well working way to pick strings faster with less effort. This means that you are picking with an angled pick position.

• Trailing edge picking means that the side of the pick closer to the bridge hits the strings first.
• Leading edge (also reverse slant) picking is the opposite; you hit the strings first with the side of the pick that is closer to the neck of the guitar.

Using both Leading- or Trailing edge picking might create more picking noise on wound strings. So, use less “edge” picking on lower strings. 

Change the picking position up and down the neck

To stop the scratching noise, try to pick your strings farther from the bridge. Playing this way may get you little fewer high frequencies in picking attack.

In other words, when you pick your strings closer to the “neck pickup”, there might be no picking noise anyway.

Harmonics: nodes and Antinodes

You will notice different sounding picking noises every few millimeters you pick up and down the strings near the bridge. This is caused as strings vibrate as a sinusoidal wave. They’re moving in almost infinite patterns, called harmonics.

Each successive partial harmonic is a progressive mathematical set of the fundamental note.
The second harmonic, for example, is nothing more than the fundamental divided into two parts that correspond to the first octave. This has a node in the center of the string (the harmonic that we normally use to tune the octaves).
That said, the string has many nodes (and antinodes) near the bridge and much of the noise created may be just harmonics.

It is important to understand that the sound of that string is not only made by the fundamental. Also all the subsequent partial harmonics that vibrate at the same time determine part of the tone.
^{(image courtesy: www.frudua.com/how-guitar-string-vibrate.htm)}

Economy picking vs alternate picking

Some people think that the key to prevent from picking noises could be reached by changing the picking style. In other words, economy picking might cause less noise in relation to just using alternate picking. Economy picking could be subscribed as less alternated picking over different strings.

Imagine a certain riff played as follows: DOWN-UP, DOWN-DOWN-UP, DOWN-DOWN-UP, DOWN-UP etc. etc…

But these kinds of techniques may be very difficult to become the standard of your playing, especially when you already play in your own style for many years not using this technique.

Try different picks:

Different shapes, a variety of thicknesses and different materials may differ the way you play. And as a result, your sound may be changing as well. This may attribute to less picking noise as the materials and shapes of guitar picks all affect your tone. You might think that a guitar may not be important to the overall tone of your guitar, but the opposite is true.

Thickness and material of the pick determine which tones of your strings will ring the most. In this case high- midrange- or lower bottom-end tones.

Usually, the best guitar tones have a nice combination of all these tones together. In other words, a nice distribution of the total tonal spectrum will ring out when hitting the strings.

You will find the right pick for you at ChickenPicks guitar picks. These picks won’t disappoint you in terms of pick noise.

.             

Pick abrasion to avoid pick noise or chirp

Some higher quality picks provide an A-symmetrical wear pattern added during production. This gives you already flattened pick edges in one way.

ChickenPicks guitar picks always have abrased sides all over. So, slanting the pick in any way won’t be a problem and you won’t have these annoying pick noises. At ChickenPicks guitar picks, we these symmetrical kind of wear patters “beveled edges”.

Explore pick alternatives to lessen picking noises

Most guitar players use flat picks, but you might consider other ways of playing guitar.
Think about finger style playing or thumb picks to avoid picking noise.

Best guitar picks for acoustic guitar

Although acoustic guitars are different to electric guitar at some point, there is no specific guitar pick for acoustic guitars.
Finding out what the best guitar picks for acoustic, bass guitar or mandolin are for you, means that you have to check out different models, thicknesses and materials.
In another Guitar Essentials we wrote some useful guidelines for choosing the best picks for acoustic.

Consider using different strings:

Using other strings, or thicker strings may help a bit, but in most cases it’s not the strings that cause the problem. So go and check some other variables as well.

Adjust tone setting on your guitar:

Especially when using the bridge pick a lot of brightness may cause increased unwanted overtones. Drop some midrange in the EQ and you will lessen the pick attack. After dropping down the tone knob on your guitar, you might consider turning up the highs on your amp. Most of the pick scratching and snapping sounds are high frequency, so it lessens them quite a bit by not letting them into signal chain in the first place. This works better than compensate for them afterwards.

As a result, your tone alters with it. So, if this won’t solve the problem, please check other suggestions that may help avoiding scratching pick sounds.

Use a compressor:

Electric guitars in particular create a very dynamic sound, especially when playing loud with clean tones. A compressor will flatten the peaks and valleys in the tone spectrum. So, it might help using a compressor to push extreme picking noises to the back as well.

But as for many of the answers, this might not solve your problem. This is because a compressor may change the tone of your guitar into something you do not want.

Scratching noise due to the plectrum surface:

Make sure your pick is in good condition, because picks will always wear.
As a result, wear creates a rough texture. Rougher surfaces increase pick noise or so-called chirp.
Some playing styles cause picks to wear very fast, others not as much, of course.
And referring to this, when using extended techniques like pick slides or scrapes, your picks can become very damaged almost immediately.

Practice synchronization between both hands:

A lot of inconsistency and extraneous noise often attributed to “picking hand technique” actually is an issue of synchronization between both the left- and right hand.

If your fretting-hand finger is not making it to the note early enough, you will get a “clack” from the right hand if it leaves the note too soon. In this situation you’ll might get extraneous noise as well.

Practicing you legato slowly and make it feel effortless, may solve this problem.

More ways to avoid guitar pick noise:

You might try to hold your guitar picks with less tension. To make this happen easily, you need a thicker plectrum with more mass. Otherwise, with a thin pick holding it loose, the pick may slip out of your hands. And you’re missing midrange and bottom-end tone this way as well.

To avoid the chirping sound or pick noise, it may help to use thicker picks as mentioned. Thinking of that, it’s important to have a more beveled edge for letting the plectrum easily glide through the strings.

Also, try if you reach a good result with sharper tip picks like the BADAZZ III, or rounder tip pick like the SHREDDER or the REGULAR And LIGHT.

For bass guitar read our blog about bass guitar picks.

 

What others say about ChickenPicks guitar picks

Musikhaus Thomann
Chicago Music Exchange
Guitarpickreviews.com

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