Guitar Pick Shootout: $25 vs 25¢! The easiest way to improve your guitar tone and playing. 

I use an actual tortoise as a guitar pick and I get great tone with him 🐢

After 18 years, my wife still doesn’t understand how she keeps finding picks in the dryer.

Here’s what gets me about these ‘comparison’ videos. When you want to do a true comparison on one element of a product (in this case the pick material) then you really need to reduce all other variables i.e. keep all other elements the same. Keep the thickness of the pick the same, play the same tunes/riffs. One of the main things that affect the tone of the pick is the thickness, so it seems pointless to use picks of all different thickness when drawing comparison on material, make and cost.

I've been using Dunlop nylon for years, 1mm for electric and various thinner gauges for acoustic. The logo makes a nice grip... and they never EVER break

I am actually stunned that I liked the $25 pick the most. You said tighter and the word I used while listening is cleaner. This surprise literally made me laugh out loud because I get that certain materials make everything sound a bit different, but I honestly never thought that cost would be something I would have associated with "better" when considering guitar picks.

Hold it. It's perfectly reasonable to not like nylon picks -- I don't particularly like them myself. But everything you said about why you didn't like them had to do with using a *thin* pick. I listened to you and thought "well, use a thicker one, then." That's nothing to do with nylon picks specifically. Then, the picks you used for the demos *weren't* all around 1.0mm. The nylon and tortex picks were thin; hell, the nylon was 0.6mm, which is thin even for the nylon picks. The difference between nylon 0.60mm and 0.88mm is huge. So how much of what we were hearing was the different pick material/design, and how much was the pick thicknesses?

Thanks for this video. It’s inspired me to go and try some different pics. And I’m impressed with your production value. Plus, loved your realization that all triangles have 3 sides.

3 and 4 were my favs. I thought they would be after hearing the results. Very pleased with my ears! Great video dude!

I recommend everyone check out the Dunlop Ultex picks, especially for lead guitar. I used Fender mediums for decades until I was playing with a friend who thought that was crazy and said "the heavier, the better" for him. So I bought the two Dunlop variety packs (light/medium and medium/heavy) and tried them all. I ended up liking the .90 mm Ultex Sharp for its stiffness and its pointed tip, which improved my picking accuracy for leads.

I love the Primetone sculpted plectrum standard. .73.... love them for guitar and mandolin! All I use!

Love your channel Jeremy. Thanks for all you do.

Dunlop Prime Tone are great picks, Best part is that you can file out the string gouges with a basic finger nail board. Super great pick for about 80 cents per pick and they last a long time.

I am 75 and still use a Fender 351 medium. The thickness of the originals was .51 back when there wasn't a choice of any thickness, lol. It was for years the yardstick all new picks were judged against. I play high gain Metal often with fast temp's and use a lot of triplicates. I need definition on the attack yet just enough give for chords. I hold the pick so low that merely a tiny deselection if the angle allow for pinched harmonics even at blistering tempo. Yet within the same tune I can do parts where i am primarily flatpicking.

Nice video and pick shootout. You sound damn good on that acoustic. I have been using (for electric) picks made individually by Zenfire picks. I can't seem to get my tone without them. They have a grip and really glide over the strings, and they're metal! odd but they work like no other.

I've been playing around with picks for the last year in an effort to help my Taylor sound good in my bluegrass band. I settled on the Dunlop orange picks, but accidentally ordered the Tortex III with the sharper point and it is exactly what I've been looking for. I also own a 1915 Gibson mandolin with a tortoise shell pick-guard. Definitely never selling that.

Nice shootout! I do have a real TS pick that was made from an antique mirror that I do really enjoy but I would not seek one out again. I use a textured Dunlop flow which I need to keep it in place in my fingers and it sounds good as well. Stay well in Harrisonburg!

Thanks it was nice to hear them side by side.

nice playing, i used to like Jim dunlop nylon medium picks, for rock good for harmonics, then I joined a blue grass bands friend put me onto harder tortoise picks, your absolutely right I had to change the way I used my wrist, but I got more speed and control,i have been playing blues for the last 40 years, and use medium picks synthetic tortoise,and fingers' think you can be trusted, and you're advice to me is exactly what I have found, good honest review, by good musician,

I've used a lot of different picks. Favorite is Dunlop Nylon .60 (grey). Fair winds and following seas to all.

I’ve tried scores of picks but keep coming back to the Dunlop Nylon .73mm …I totally disagree about the lack of low end …I love bass response as well as articulation and this pick does it all for me.

For me personally it always depends upon the application. There's times when I would track acoustic for a song and what I was wanting was that floppy higher-end sizzle (almost to the point where it was more about the strumming sound than the actual notes... if that makes sense?). Other times I'd do more scalar runs and such that would require a thicker pick. A buddy even showed me a trick where there's these types of picks that have these fuzzy nubbs on the thumb end for grip, but if you turn the pick around and use those fuzzy nubbs on the strings, they sound a particular way that's interesting (works really well on a strat trying to get that chimey U2 / The Edge tone). Great video, thanks for making it! :)

I'm with you Jeremy, PrimeTone 0.73mm is my absolute favorite, even over BlueChip TD-40. My second pick is yellow Dunlop Tortex 0.73, just a great all-rounder. Having said that, I'm curious about a Gravity pick. How did it feel and sound compare to PrimeTone? I guess they've used the same material as BlueChip, maybe I'm wrong. Anyways, thanks for a really helpful review!!

The best answer is one of each. I like different picks for different reasons. I like wearing jeans, but not when at the gym. By having different options to choose from you can then choose the feel your going for. I wouldn't use the 0.38mm nylon for playing punk, but they sound so much brighter on acoustics. Most acoustics sound punchier and louder with a medium/thin pick. That being said I have been loving 2mm stubbies lately and just ordered a 16mm pick from midtech. Just waiting on the post. Always try something new or forgotten. That way your always finding surprises.

Thousands of picks over 60 years. I can not part with them. A love / hate relationship. Thanks Jeremy. Great insight and entertaining. Thanks Warren "G".😎🏖🏖

Interesting - I definitely picked #5 as the nylon - never been a fan of them either (first tried them in the 70's & didn't like them either). Liked #1 (but I play a primetone, and it sounded familiar). Overall, my top 2 were 3 & 4 - to me they were very similar! Nice shooutout!

I always have to sand down my guitar pick edges to a nice point, definitely helps with picking sleep and pinch harmonics, ..

I liked 3,1,4 in that order. I use a StoneWorks and a V-Picks Screamer, so a $25 & $6 pick! Medium type thickness and no give, just what I am used to.

I've recently started using the Primetone small triangles (1.3mm). They're great. But in your test, I thought the D'Andrea sounded best.

Dunlop's Big Stubbies ( purple 3mm ) will do the job for me ,and sometimes the nylon version of it to create a softer sound. I use m for both lead and rhythm and gives a great full tone

I recommend Dunlop Delrin picks. I tried one 20 years ago and still use them today. Put them head to head against Blue Chip,and there's no comparison...Dunlop all the way. Great all around tone,especially for bluegrass

Started with Herco 75s when I was 12, I’m 49 now and haven’t changed 😊

V pick user for several years. Love them!

You really need to try the thicker Dunlop nylon pics. I have the 1.0 and the 1.14 nulons and they are excellent!

I’m just starting out and I find the pick interesting because I didn’t think it would matter so much aside from your preference. I personally already prefer a 2mm pick. I can’t stand the flex in thinner ones.

the absolute most useful pick I ever used is the Swedish 'Sharkfin'. It's like 4 picks in one.

Wow...I seriously had no idea about how different pics made guitars sounds. For real, I've used the Dunlop (grey nylon) pics for at least 10 or more years & simply would not use anything different. I use the darker grey (78 I believe is the #) Seriously going to have to try some different ones now. Won't be the $25 one tho cause I ain't rich 😂

"Does this sound better and can you PICK it out?" Nice. Well done. To me, the 4th pick (Stupid expensive one) sounded a lot more quiet requiring deeper picking to get the same volume which is not good at all. They can keep those as far as I am concerned.

Hey brother, glad to see you're doing well! Just ordered some Primetone 73mm picks, I like things on the thinner side since I'm so heavy handed, and play primarily electric with 10s (I bend a lot and don't dig 11s on my strats). I'm normally a Tortex red/orange/yellow guy. Thanks for the info on new stuff to try!

Jeremy, I really like Dunlop Ultex Sharp 1.0. To my ears they’re great for acoustic and electric. I really want to try those Primetones and the synthetic tortoise shell.

Interesting. Didn’t do great on identifying them but I primarily play electric. I used to always use 2mm Dunlop gator pick but once I actually listened to the tone I switched to a .60mm tortex after trying a few dozen different picks. Now my pick jar is overflowing! Guess I should purge some too.

Without knowing the answer pick three sounded best to my ears. Now I'm watching the rest of the video to see what was what.

I still use the same picks i did in 1967, Fender Heavy's the regular tortouse shell, they bite into the string, nylon just rolls over it, you do get different sounds.

Primetone is by far the best pick ever! IMO. Been buying different thicknesses to find the ideal one. It also depends on what I'm playing too.

I did a giant pick challenge a few weeks ago.....thanks to Phil McKnight....I had one of every pick possible.....I ended up switching to the Jazz3 then I tried every type of Jazz 3 possible. Ended up settling on the Jazz 3 Carbon Fibre for Acoustic and the Jazz 3 Ultex for electric.....I could not believe how different the sounds were from the various types of Jazz 3 picks

Yep, I've got a jar full of cruddy picks that I've used maybe once. It's been a lifetime search for the right one. Just picked up some Primetone picks yesterday. They feel and sound great. Good for my budget too, as I'll probably never spend $25+ for one pick. Used Ultra Sand for a while, but the grit quickly wears off. Primetone costs a little more, but seems like they'll last a lot longer.

Yellow tortex for me most of the time, fender medium celluloid if I want crispier highs, sometimes a Dunlop Jazz #2 for darker sounds. And for my ears picks change the tone of electric guitars immensely. If I am not happy with my tone, rather than go on a tone hunt for different amps, speakers, pickups. I usually make a pick change along with some finessing the tone and volume pots on my guitar and can get what I want.

One of the clearest sounding picks I have found is the Gibson Thick picks. The new V-Picks made in Nashville, Tn are pretty nice, too.V-Picks are priced at $5.00 apiece.

The flatpick I use (acoustic guitar only) is a black 1mm nylon Dunlop. Been using those for decades.

Technical answer is "it depends" because I like a light nylon for a cedar topped Koa backed 12 fret, not a dreadnought.

Jonny Greenwood's playing and tone is sublime and he nearly always seems to be using Dunlop Nylon 60mm!!!!!!

Great video. /// I have a Gravity "gold" pick. One of the triangle/different bevel style. I didn't pay $25 for it & wouldn't. I was ordering something from Sweetwater (already getting free shipping) & these were promo priced @ $13 (labor day sale or something). I couldn't help myself. I like it for playing bass. Other than that it's a little heavy. /// Again, great show.

I recently switched to the Primetone. I mostly strum, not a lot of single notes. I am a fan of the .88 for my J-45.

I love the xl jazz blue chip 35, 40 for electric. For acoustic those really thin Dunlop have a place, but I usually go herco flex 50 or ultex. 60, 73. The sculpted prime tone 88 are very similar to the BC jazz xl though.

In good news my favorite sounding pick is the one I use, the primetone picks. They are absolutely killer picks for what I like to play.

I've always sworn by Tortex, usually in the .73 to 1mm range for both bass and lead. For bass I use the large triangle picks that give you three edges, as bass strings wear picks out quickly. For lead I prefer a standard shape, and have been liking the Dunlop Edge series to help with my rather poor accuracy. I find that anything less than .73 is too thin. While better for strumming they sound weak when single note picking. However I struggle sometimes catching thicker picks on strings when trying to do fast runs. Overall I tend towards .88mm for a good mix. The texture of Tortex helps me maintain grip when either playing fast, or when my hands get sweaty. The only place I like the .60 and thinner picks is on a 3 string cigar box guitar where the strings are spaced far apart but require a fast strum for slide work.

I love nylon picks. I've been praying dunlop .88 nylons for 35yrs. Easy to grip, even with sweaty hands, and sound great to me.

I change picks more then underwear, I love the change in sound and feel. I got a Gravity pick with a JHS pedal. I’ve been mostly using that pick since I got it, really hard and sounds great, I can easily cup it in my fingers when not using it. Can’t do the super expensive picks. Crazy to spent that when you cans get close with a copy cat pick.

I just figured out how important the pick is. I've settled so far on the Fender Premium Cellulose pick as my favorite. I do have some new picks coming from Honey Pick. I'm excited to check them out. I prefer the .75mm medium picks. The thinnest honey pick makes is 1.5mm, so I guess we'll see.

What else has a big impact to the tone is the choice of your guitar 😁 Seriously, i like the primetone sculpted or flow picks.

I’d say the cheap really thin floppy ones are my favorite, they sound a lot smoother to me when playing but are only good for strumming

As an electric guitar player, I have really started trying out a plethora of different picks. Even going as far as making my own custom picks out various different materials like resin, acrylic, and carbon fiber. What I've learned in the last year is that I like to warm up and practice lead with my custom, thicker picks based on the Dunlop Flow shape. But, when it's time to play, I always fall back to the black Tortex 1.14mm Jazz III. Thin enough to be super articulate, hard enough for fast downpicking or tremolo picking, and the tortex doesn't get too "chirpy" with high output pickups.

I personally lean toward "thin" picks with sharp points and a very specific type of grip surface (knurled, all the way out to the edge) Not a strummer, not a shredder. I would say my dominant style is surf rock. The thin, sharp picks help me with that surf divebomb technique. The closest "round tip" pick I have ever found to what I like is a Dunlop nylon. It's not my first or second choice, but it could be third.

My issue is always grip. My fingers are dry, and I have next to zero traction on a pick. I was actually taking Tortex (usually a 1.0mm) and gluing 120grit sandpaper to the top for traction. Finally found Dava delrin picks. The rubber top is lovely! I have not dropped, had to re-adjust, or otherwise even think about the pick at all since I started using them.

Those cools are legit. I was given one like 15 years ago n was told good luck actually finding one. Good this I will got it. It’s moved across the country with me lol.

What works for me... I've used Fender 351 thins for 30+ years, and I use the side instead of the tip, and I also use two sided tape for better balance, control, and hold. Jeremy, have you ever tried a thin stone?

Tusq picks are truly amazing.

I liked #2 and #4 and definitely could pick out that floppy mess! Ha ha! I love the tortex picks and they are my primary pick choice. A buddy recently turned me on to Tusq picks...you ought to try those out...I’m a convert and they are about $1.25 a piece. Thanks for the video!

Love my Dunlop .88's and Moshay 1.0's.

I bought an emery board I customize my own pics now if I need something different but the medium fender that's my standby

definitely recognized 2 and 3 right away. two best sounding in my opinion. got 4 right but completely mixed up 1 and 5 lmao

Dunlop nylon .88 max-grips for life! And I always have one with broken edge (take a sharp knife and chop up the edges) taped to the top of my amp when I need a pick with some serious attack

You might as well go all the way now and get the Bluechip. Its fantastic. Always my favorite. I have to admit the triangle primetone is like 90% there but the Bluechip always wins.

Recently bought a JHS modded Boss G7 EQ pedal. Inside, as a bonus I guess, was a red see-thru pick labeled Gravity JHS. I had no idea what it was, but immediately bonded with it. Slightly, very slightly, larger than a regular pick and a little sticky (in a good way) Very comfortable. Easy to hang onto and easy to play. Sorry to hear it's $25. Best pick I every used. I think the closest thing in an affordable range would be Celluloid Fender Heavy or maybe Extra Heavy. Been using Herco 75's or the larger size Jazz III's for years. The Gravity is so much better I may to have spring for a few more. But I'll try the heavy celluloids first.

You might try one of the Carbon Fiber picks ... the kind Jerry Garcia used. No flex at all, with a rounded edge.

Bro I love yellow tortex and paisley teles too!but I got a blue flower tele to match my bluw flower strat 30 yrs later. cheers!

I have recently begun using a BlueChip TP40. Quite good tone.

I agree about the Primetone Smooth Plectrums being the best for the price! Buy some of the 1.5mm Primetone Smooth Small Triangle Picks. They’re great! 😎🎸🎶☮️

Only guess I got was #5 still use them still like them every body is different- interesting video thanks

That Gravity is made of PEEK. Expensive thermoplastic. I make mine from a variety of materials. Your issue with losing a pick on stage can be remedied by using an acrylic neon color as they glow in blacklight. Or just a glow in dark pick and you charge it in between songs with a flashlight. Nylon, I find, makes yuh ou work harder and takes away from tone and kore suited to players with a "heavy hand". And you can use real tortoise shell only if you find an empty shell in the woods.

I actually like a type of pick that is missing in your comparison. I prefer stiffer picks (horn or plastic) that have a light deepening for the thumb on one side and a scallop for the index finger on the other. This reminds me to hold the pick correctly which is important for me as I am a beginner and don't use picks very often.

I use (and recommend that folks at least try) the Dunlop Adamas 2mm Graphite Pick(s). They are completely the opposite of what I used for two decades. I tried them and I don't see myself looking elsewhere.

In between comparison 2 through 4 I painted my garage inside as well as the exterior .

I have wore out thousands of picks and then I saw that Billy Strings uses a Blue Chip TP48 pick. I was shocked to find out they cost 35 bucks each but I took a leap and bought one. I've been using the same pick for the last 4 years and it shows no signs of wear. I love the pick. I can't believe I haven't lost it. I did later buy a couple of spares but haven't had to use them.

I have that t-shirt!!! They are SO COMFORTABLE!!

I like the medium nylon pics and they don't scratch your guitar as much

V pick for me, especially on an acoustic guitar, clarity for days, I like a semi light semi triangular pick , large , its clear as a bell tone wise

which songs do u play on the guitar to compare the picks? It sounds rly nice

I've made some picks from acrylic to bone, fossilized mammoth ivory , brass, polycarbonate ,cow horn... i think the ones that sound the best were the one of bone is my favorite, fmi, brass and cow horn. My dog really enjoyed chewing up the cow horn ones cant say that I even have any of them left...I have sold a few mainly gave them away... wasn't very profitable business model haha and very time consuming... but pretty cool the pick I play the most I made my self...

Fender celluloid mediums in red tort is all I need.

Great video, I do custom blue chips, red bears and big stubbys

I use Blue Chip hand made picks , fab sounds

The .60 nylon pick.is my favorite acoustic pick k

Such a mind numbing vid and I still watch to the end

I feel good about getting 3 out of 5 right. Had the Gravity and the Tortex reversed but got the others correct.

I use a jazz 3 1.14mm pick. I'm a 2nd time beginner and keep hearing i should be using a .74mm what are your thoughts? I love it but it's the only one I've used in probably 20 years so I'm not sure..

Jim Dunlop .73 nylon all day for me. Never found anything else close.

I did like the sound of the Gravity and the Primetone. But I still will stick with the Rick Rock picks. It’s just a preference.

I won't use any pick but Dragon's heart picks, made for playing any style. They're bit spendy but oh what a great pick!

2 and 4 where my favorites in the sound test.

Also i reccomend that next time you do a comparison like this do multiple shorter demos with each so there isnt as much time inbetween. Like 10/15 seconds of each then cycle back through again