Find out what makes guitar picks unique, focusing on dimensions that impact your playing experience.
Guitar picks might seem like simple accessories, but their dimensions—encompassing size, shape, thickness, and even material—significantly influence your guitar playing. Many guitarists, especially beginners, often overlook these crucial aspects. At ChickenPicks, we understand that every detail counts. We frequently receive questions about what sets our picks apart. Therefore, we’ll delve into the dimensions that make ChickenPicks guitar picks special compared to standard options available in the market. The core difference lies in our material: we utilize a thermosetting plastic, unlike the thermoplastic commonly used for most guitar picks.
The Material Dimension: Thermoset vs. Thermoplastic
Our guitar picks are crafted from a Thermoset polymer, a thermosetting plastic. This immediately distinguishes us from the vast majority of guitar picks, which are made from thermoplastics. This fundamental difference in material translates to noticeable variations in sound, playability, and a reduction in pick noise, a common issue with cheaper, more flexible plastic picks.
To understand this dimension better, let’s clarify the contrasting properties of thermosetting and thermoplastic materials.
Material Rigidity: The Core Difference
Thermoset polymers, once hardened through a heating process, become permanently rigid. They cannot be melted down and reshaped again. This results in a material that is extremely rigid and exceptionally strong, maintaining its shape and integrity under pressure. Thermoplastics, on the other hand, possess a different molecular structure that allows them to be repeatedly melted and reshaped without undergoing permanent chemical change.
This inherent rigidity of thermoset material in ChickenPicks is a key dimension that affects your playing. Unlike flexible thermoplastic picks, our picks provide a direct and immediate response when striking the strings, contributing to a more articulate and controlled sound.
Thickness Dimensions and Beginner Guitarists
For those new to guitar, navigating the world of guitar picks can be overwhelming. Understanding thickness as a key dimension is crucial for beginners. You might be wondering what the best guitar pick for beginners is. While personal preference plays a role, thicker picks are often recommended for beginners due to their enhanced control and reduced flexibility. Our other blog posts offer detailed guidance on choosing the right pick if you are just starting your guitar journey.
Grip Dimensions: Ensuring Stability
Regardless of the brand, shape, or thickness, maintaining a firm grip on your pick is paramount. A slipping or rotating pick can disrupt your playing and consistency. This is where grip-enhancing accessories like Gripperzz come into play. Gripperzz are specially designed for the best grip on your guitar pick. These small, soft rubber stickers, shaped like guitar picks themselves, provide an added dimension of control, ensuring the pick stays firmly in your fingers.
Flexibility and Pick Attack: Another Dimension
Thermoplastic picks, being softer and more flexible, tend to bend upon striking guitar strings. This flexibility, while sometimes preferred by certain players for specific styles, can introduce a slight delay in your picking attack. You ideally don’t want a guitar pick that bends, especially when aiming for precision and speed, such as during guitar solos. The rigid dimension of thermoset picks eliminates this unwanted flex, providing a more immediate and controlled attack.
Furthermore, the softer nature of thermoplastics leads to faster wear and tear due to the abrasive nature of steel guitar strings. This not only necessitates more frequent pick replacements but also can contribute to increased pick noise as the edges become jagged and uneven with use. Boutique guitar pick manufacturers, like ChickenPicks, often utilize alternative materials to mitigate pick noise and enhance durability.
Boutique Guitar Picks and Material Dimensions
ChickenPicks falls under the category of boutique guitar picks. This term generally refers to picks crafted with unique shapes and, crucially, special materials. We have a dedicated article that explores the world of boutique guitar picks in more detail. Read more here. The material dimension is central to the boutique pick concept, as it directly impacts tone, feel, and longevity.
Thickness and String Breakage: A Related Dimension
Using thinner, more flexible guitar picks often necessitates a harder picking attack to achieve a full, resonant tone. This increased force applied to the strings can, over time, contribute to string breakage.
Heavier, thicker picks, possessing greater mass, require less force to produce a rich tone. Another advantage of thicker guitar picks is their frequent incorporation of beveled edges, which allow you to glide on- and off the strings very easily. This combination of thickness and beveled edges ultimately contributes to reduced string breakage.
In essence, the material and thickness dimensions of a guitar pick are interconnected and play a significant role in overall playing experience and even string longevity.
Acoustic and Bass Guitar Picks: Dimensions Across Instruments
While acoustic guitars differ from electric guitars in construction and sound projection, there isn’t a strictly defined category of “acoustic guitar picks” or “bass guitar picks” in terms of specific dimensions. The process of finding the best guitar picks for acoustic or bass guitar remains consistent: experimenting with different models, thicknesses, and materials. We offer useful guidelines for choosing the best picks for acoustic in another Guitar Essentials article. The same principles apply when selecting bass guitar picks. Ultimately, the ideal dimensions for your pick depend on your individual playing style, instrument, and desired tone.
