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The best picks for electric guitar should compliment your playing style and musical genre. They should sit comfortably in your hand, and be made of a durable material to ensure long use.
So in this article, we’ll show you the best options available on the market.
Quick answer:
We consider the The D’Addario Celluloid Guitar Picks to be a great safe choice if you’re looking for a pack of versatile picks that are medium sized in thickness. You’ll find them useful for different styles of playing.
Table of Contents
- About Our Top Choice
- The Top 7 Best Picks for Electric Guitar
- Picks for Electric Guitar Reviews
- The Buying Guide
About Our Top Choice
D’Addario Celluloid Guitar Picks
See price @ Amazon
The D’Addario Celluloid Guitar Picks are a great choice for someone who is looking for a pack of versatile picks that are both medium in size and thickness and equally good for strumming and precision picking.
Pros
- Celluloid
- Warm-sounding
- High-quality
Cons
- Only one thickness
Top 7 Best Picks for Electric Guitar
- D’Addario Celluloid Guitar Picks
- Dunlop PVP102 Guitar Pick Variety Pack
- Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks
- Dunlop 427PJP John Petrucci Jazz III Guitar Picks
- Dunlop 47PKH3NPS Kirk Hammett Jazz III Guitar Picks
- D’Addario Assorted Guitar Picks
- Dunlop 449P088 Nylon Max-Grip Standard Guitar Picks
Best Picks for Electric Guitar Reviews
D’Addario Celluloid Guitar Picks
Pros
- Celluloid
- Warm-sounding
- High-quality
Cons
- Only one thickness
See price @ Amazon
No wonder why the D’Addario Celluloid Guitar Picks are a popular choice, as you get a pack of 10 celluloid picks that are 70mm thick and come in 5 different colors.
Best features and specs
The D’Addario Celluloid Guitar Picks is a 10-unit pack of 5-colored picks that are made from celluloid and come in medium size with 70mm thickness.
User impressions
Users say that these are exceptionally good for beginners, easy to grip, and comfortable to hold, but aren’t as flexible as one wants.
What we think
These picks are something worth keeping around because of their versatility. They are equally excellent for both strumming and precision picking.
Bottomline
The D’Addario Celluloid Guitar Picks are a great choice for someone who is looking for a pack of versatile picks that are both medium in size and thickness and equally good for strumming and precision picking.
Dunlop PVP102 Guitar Pick Variety Pack
Pros
- Versatile
- Affordable
- High-quality
Cons
- None
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
You should choose Dunlop PVP102 if you’re into experimenting and playing various music styles instead of just one. It’s a pack of 12 Dunlop picks that are appreciated by guitar players worldwide.
Best features and specs
Dunlop PVP102 is a pack of 12 high-quality picks that come in various materials, shapes, and textures.
User impressions
Users like Dunlop PVP102 because this pack lets them experiment with a variety of sizes and shapes and choose ones that suit their style and manner of playing the best.
What we think
The pack is an extremely versatile pack of picks for any occasion imaginable. It is a very budget-friendly way of figuring out which type of pick is more suitable for you personally.
Bottomline
Dunlop PVP102 is a great choice for someone who is looking for a 12-unit pack of picks that offers a chance to choose one for every playing style and occasion.
Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks
Pros
- Pleasant to touch
- Durable
- Classic-looking
Cons
- Only one thickness
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
The guys from Dunlop spend 40 years making their special Tortex line better and better. Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks are their latest achievement and are, in fact, a pack of great picks that are incredibly easy to grip.
Best features and specs
The Tortex Standard Guitar Picks are a set of 12 picks that are immensely versatile, easy to grip, sturdy, and have a sharp point that was designed to give maximum accuracy and speed.
User impressions
Many users will say that the Tortex Guitar Picks are the best picks because of their flexibility, durability, and making the guitar sound warm.
What we think
Although the Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks have a very flat surface, they are surprisingly grippy, which means it will be very troublesome to drop them even if you have slippery hands.
Bottomline
The Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks are a great choice for someone who is looking for a pack of picks that are medium-thick, easy to grip, and perfect for fast playing.
Dunlop 427PJP John Petrucci Jazz III Guitar Picks
Pros
- Firmly grip
- Sturdy
- Good for fast-playing
Cons
- Only one thickness
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
Dunlop 427PJP picks are designed in collaboration with John Petrucci so that you get absolute maximum control, and thanks to polished tips, you get fast attack and release.
Best features and specs
Dunlop 427PJP is a set of 6-unit picks that is 1.5mm thick and suits best those who play any kind of metal and rock.
User impressions
Users tend to like the Dunlop 427PJP picks because of its size, durability, and sturdy build quality. Many say that while strumming, these picks don’t provide any noise.
What we think
If these picks are good enough for John Petrucci to give his name to, they are certainly good enough for us to use.
Bottomline
The Dunlop 427PJP picks is a great choice for someone who is looking for a decent and sturdy 6-unit pack of picks that are a great fit for any heavy style of music.
Dunlop 47PKH3NPS Kirk Hammett Jazz III Guitar Picks
Pros
- Easy-to-grip
- Thick
- Good for fast-playing
Cons
- The shape isn’t for everybody’s liking
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
It’s always good when a famous brand is doing a collaboration with celebrated guitar players. Dunlop 47PKH3NPS is perfect evidence of a successful collaboration.
Best features and specs
Dunlop 47PKH3NPS is a set of 6 picks that are heart-shaped so that it’s comfortable to hold them while playing. A sharp edge is perfect for precise and fast playing. The autograph of Kirk Hammett makes the surface of the pick easy to grip.
User impressions
Users agree that Dunlop 47PKH3NPS are perfect for precision-picking playing, especially solos and rhythm sections.
What we think
If a celebrity of a very high caliber puts their name on something, they always make sure that the product is of the highest quality possible. And this is exactly the case with the Dunlop 47PKH3NPS.
Bottomline
Dunlop 47PKH3NPS is a great choice for someone who is looking for unique-shaped electric guitar picks that are made in collaboration with Kirk Hammett and are quite beneficial for precision playing.
D’Addario Assorted Guitar Picks
Pros
- High-quality
- Various material
- Pleasant-to-touch
Cons
- None
See price @ Sweetwater
The D’Addario Assorted Guitar Picks give you an opportunity to get to know different material of picks and observe how it affects the guitar tone.
Best features and specs
These picks are a set of 7 picks that are from 1.00mm to 1.20mm thick and come in different materials and textures.
User impressions
Users say that the D’Addario Assorted Guitar Picks are of great quality and fun to play with while experimenting with different materials and textures.
What we think
These picks are a great way of figuring out what type of picks you prefer. But if you already know that it wouldn’t be of much use to you.
Bottomline
The D’Addario Assorted Guitar Picks are a great choice for someone who is looking for a pack of heavy gauge picks that come in different materials and textures.
Dunlop 449P088 Nylon Max-Grip Standard Guitar Picks
Pros
- Meticulously-engineered
- Sturdy
- Easy-to-grip
Cons
- Only one thickness
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
The Dunlop 449P088 picks give you an opportunity to try perfectly shaped and designed 88mm picks that have a special texture for easy grip.
Best features and specs
Dunlop 449P088 is a set of 12 nylon pear-shaped picks 88mm thick that have a special texture that ensures that the pick wouldn’t slip from your fingers.
User impressions
Users like these picks because it’s almost impossible to lose grip of this pick. Also, it’s highly durable and can satisfy even captious players.
What we think
Dunlop 449P088 is designed specifically for nylon strings, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t use it with other types of strings. It will wear down faster but still would be as efficient.
Bottomline
Dunlop 449P088 is a great choice for someone who is looking for nylon picks that are medium thick and incredibly easy to grip.
Picks for Electric Guitar Buying Guide
What is a guitar pick?
A pick is a piece of a sturdy pear-shaped material that helps you to strum strings on an acoustic, electric, or bass guitar. While a pear-shaped form of the pick is the most typical, guitar picks can have other shapes, too as well they differ in size.
Why would you need a pick for an electric guitar?
There are several reasons why you need to have at least one guitar pick, such as it’s incredibly easier to play fast while using a pick. Another reason is that it allows you to play accurately and move swifter on guitar strings. No less essential reason is that you need to protect your fingers, and the pick helps you with that.
Important features
When choosing a pick for electric guitar, you should look for the following features, such as size, material, changes in the tone, and design.
Size
When we talk about the size of the pick, we initially mean its thickness. Today, on the market, there are 5 kinds of picks that differ in thickness.
Extra thin picks are less than 0.45mm and are typically used for very gentle and delicate playing. Extra light or thin guitar picks are from 0.46mm to 0.70mm and are typically used for strumming on acoustic guitars. Medium picks are from 0.71mm to 0.84mm and are typically used by beginners. Heavy picks are from 0.85mm to 1.20mm and are typically played by those who have electric guitars. Extra heavy picks are over 1.21mm and are also used by electric guitar players.
Material
Regarding material, guitar picks can be made from anything. But on the market, such picks as plastic, acetal, nylon, xylonite, and celluloid are presented the most.
When choosing between said materials, you should keep in mind the durability, the feeling in your hands, and the sound that the guitar has.
Changes in the tone
Using thin picks will help you to achieve a lighter tone that is rich in high-end. A bit of the sidekick of using thin picks is that the volume of your playing won’t be that high. And thin picks tend to produce more noise that can affect the sound by creating feedback.
Using thick picks will help you to achieve tone with more low-end and midrange. Also, you get more volume, which is good only for specific genres of music, such as heavy metal, metal, and some types of rock.
Design
Lastly, you should consider the design and make your choice based on your personal preferences. As you know, most picks are pear-shaped, but if you are open to experimentation, you can check other shapes as well.
Are thin picks good for electric guitar?
Typically, this thickness of picks is used for acoustic guitars. But whether to use them on the electric guitar or not depends on how you play. If you are looking to achieve bright tones and do a bit of strumming on the electric guitar, sure, why not. Also, if you’re still learning how to play the electric guitar, you should consider using thinner picks.
How to choose the right one for you?
When you are choosing the best picks for electric guitar, you should keep in mind your typical way of playing the electric guitar because that depends on the thickness of the pick that you will choose in the end. In addition, it’s in your interest to choose durable and sturdy materials that will last longer. Finally, if you’re used to the certain feeling of the pick in your fingers and don’t mind colorful options, you should choose accordingly.
