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So, on a whim, and because a few terrifyingly fast technical players I know swear by them, I thought I'd try some thick plectrums. I bought some of these:



... then moved house and forgot I had them. Anyhow, found them the other day, and they're weird but quite good. I've got a 2mm and a 3mm, and they look (and feel) a bit like a boiled sweet, but they're quite good. Anyone else using, or tried, thick plectrums?

I have a couple big stubbys. even though I mainly use purple tortex picks. I like em, they are a bit awkward though.

I used to use 2mm Big Stubbies almost exclusively; now I mostly use ~1mm Tortex. They play similarly, but I find the Tortex nicer to hold. That said, the Big Stubbies wear better than the Tortex.
My preference might come from the fact that I come from playing bass rather than guitar, but, I never got on with bendy plecs.

I prefer thick plecs Tim, they seem to offer more accuracy and dynamics. Even use a brass plec at times.
You cant 'dig in' with thin plecs, i hate them and i imagine my old English teacher used them on his shitty acoustic...

I used the 3mm small stubbies for ages, playing jazz they worked really well, but something was not perfect - I don't really like sharp points on picks mainly.

Now I've ended up back with what I first started with 10 years ago, the purple Tortex picks, and they sound great.

Thick/heavy preferred, just got a few of those Dunlop Teckpick things, in Brass colour but they are actually aluminium. Added squeaks when playing, excellent comedy value.

I use the purple Tortex ones for lead stuff (sometimes use something a little bit thinner if recording rhythm only parts). Have done for years now.

Maaaan, I remember buying a few Big Stubbys when I was like 15 or so.. such heady days.

I don't remember having any specific problem with them then, but I fear trying one now would be akin to playing with a marble.

They very much have a cough sweet vibe about them.

I have mostly used medium or medium/light plectrums all my guitar playing life, but in my last band when we were playing much heavier stuff I played with thick ones and it did make a massive difference. If you want staccato crisp chug-a-chugs and precise riffage I found them much easier. Thick ones definitely brought teh brutalz.

For three solid years I used a 50p piece, I found it great as it has so many edges. Gutted when I accidental paid for a drink with it. Still check out my change in case it ever lands in my change.

Now I flit between blue and purple tortex. Might dig out my dava metal tip ones.

i can get away with a blue tortex, but even then i tend to break strings a bit more. i'm strumming daft, me. ultra-thick ones would be no use.

I can't play bass with a pick, but when I try I use a purple stubby. Tried it with guitar once, was not a fan. I use 1mm nylons for six stringin'.

When I was about 14 I was using a 2mm pick. It was like the thickness of a nickel. I used these Dunlop 500 purple ones. Looking back on it I don't know how I did it... I used 9s as well. Ever since a couple years later I've used .60mm picks and 10-52/11-48 sets, but since I buy picks by the gross I still find purple ones every now and then in a gig bag or one of my parts boxes with a mess of squier wiring harnesses. When I try them again I just think "Paul, you dumb little bastard, these are ridiculous".



I do have fond memories of trying 1mm Pickboys, though the raised logo right near the tip used to catch on my high e.

don't really like tortex. I use the black dunlop nylon picks. big stubbys are cool though. they're not all really thick, I had some of the red ones. I like their shape quite a lot. they seem to increase your picking accuracy.

Being more of a chord shambler and not a arpeggiating lead playing wizard i tend to like the more lighter picks (Pink 0.96mm Dunlop 500 currently)

Progrockabuse wrote:For three solid years I used a 50p piece, I found it great as it has so many edges. Gutted when I accidental paid for a drink with it. Still check out my change in case it ever lands in my change.

Nice. I filed down a (euro) 5c piece to use as a plec. It worked pretty well on bass, but was just too thick and heavy for guitar. Another downside I found is that it likes to stick to pickups.

Gotta be Jazz III

Switched to them when I was trying to be shredder (still trying) and can't play with anything else now. Normal plectrums feel like flying saucers (not the sweets)

Gotta be Jazz III

Switched to them when I was trying to be shredder (still trying) and can't play with anything else now. Normal plectrums feel like flying saucers (not the sweets)

I've just ordered some Fender Celluloid Extra-Heavy picks, I'll report back when they arrive.