10 Best Materials For Homemade Guitar Picks

Guitar picks are more than just disposable accessories - they're an essential tool that can significantly impact your tone and playing style. As the owner of Iron Age, I've been crafting custom guitar picks since 2015, experimenting with a wide range of materials from wood and plastic to metal, bone, horn, and various resins.

This journey has taught me that the best materials for homemade guitar picks often depend on the player's unique preferences and needs. In this guide, I'll share my expertise to help you navigate the world of pick craftsmanship.

We'll explore different materials, their properties, and how they affect your sound, giving you the knowledge to create picks that are truly tailored to your playing style. Whether you're looking to craft your first pick or refine your technique, this guide will provide valuable insights into the art of pick-making.

Why Make Your Own Guitar Picks?

Crafting your own guitar picks is more than just a hobby - it's an opportunity to fine-tune your sound and playing experience. As someone who's been making custom picks for years, I can attest to the numerous benefits of this practice.

Firstly, creating your own picks allows for unparalleled customization. You can experiment with different shapes, thicknesses, and materials to find the perfect combination that suits your playing style. This level of personalization is hard to achieve with mass-produced picks.

Secondly, making your own picks can be cost-effective in the long run. Once you've invested in the necessary tools and materials, you can produce picks at a fraction of the cost of boutique or specialty picks.

Additionally, crafting picks gives you a deeper understanding of how different materials and designs affect your tone & playing comfort. This knowledge can significantly improve your overall guitar playing experience.

Lastly, there's a certain satisfaction in playing with a pick you've made yourself. It adds a personal touch to your music and can even become a unique part of your identity as a guitarist.

Remember, the journey of making your own picks is one of constant learning and improvement. Don't be discouraged if your first attempts aren't perfect - each pick you make will teach you something new about your preferences and the craft itself.

Essential Tools for Making Homemade Picks

When it comes to crafting your own guitar picks, the tools you'll need are relatively simple. At its core, the process requires just two main elements: something to cut your material and something to sand it.

For cutting, there's a range of options depending on your budget and level of commitment:

1. CNC machine or CO2 laser: These are professional-grade tools I use at Iron Age for precision cutting. They're ideal for consistent, high-volume production but aren't necessary for beginners. These machines offer unparalleled accuracy and can handle intricate designs with ease.

2. Handheld jeweler's saw: Perfect for those just starting out or working on a smaller scale. This manual tool gives you complete control over the cutting process and is great for working with delicate materials or creating highly detailed designs. Here's a jeweler's saw I recommend.

3. Dremel rotary tool: This versatile handheld tool can be fitted with various cutting attachments. It's great for detailed work and can easily handle curves, making it ideal for shaping picks. Here's a rotary tool I recommend & here's the official Dremel brand one.

4. Scroll saw: Perfect for cutting intricate shapes in thinner materials. Its thin blade allows for tight turns, giving you the flexibility to experiment with unique pick designs. Here's the scroll saw I used briefly back in 2015.

5. Band saw: Excellent for cutting thicker materials and making straight cuts. It can handle larger pieces of wood or plastic, allowing you to quickly cut multiple pick blanks from a single sheet. This is a good overall option, especially for other crafting projects. I've never used any of these so can't recommend one personally.

6. Table saw: While primarily used for straight cuts, a table saw can be useful for cutting square pick blanks from larger sheets of material. It's especially handy when working with harder woods or thicker plastics.

When it comes to sanding, I recommend a belt & disc combination sander for efficiency, but don't worry if you don't have access to one. Hand sanding is still viable, especially when you're first starting out, it's just going to take a bit more effort. Here's the sanding machine I currently use & another one that's a solid option for less.

For optimal results, I suggest using three different grits of sandpaper:

1. 100 grit (heavy) for initial shaping
2. 320 grit (medium) for refining the shape
3. 600 grit (light) for final smoothing

To make your sanding more efficient and controlled, I highly recommend using sanding blocks (I use the 6" Durablocks aka Sanding Tacos). These simple tools give you a firm, flat surface to work with, ensuring more even results.

For those looking to achieve a high-gloss finish, polishing is the final step. A great advantage of using a Dremel rotary tool is that you can easily attach polishing attachments for this purpose.

Alternatively, a jeweler's polishing machine works excellently and is my preferred method. I recommend it over using a grinding machine with a polishing wheel, as those tend to spin too fast and can potentially damage your pick or create too much heat. As far as what compound to use, white buffing compound works best. I use a Foredom Bench Lathe but for a more cost-effective option, I recommend this one.

Remember, while having the right tools can make the process easier, the most important elements are patience and practice. As you gain experience, you'll develop your own techniques that work best for you and the materials you prefer.

Best Materials for Homemade Guitar Picks

When it comes to crafting your own guitar picks, the choice of material is crucial. At Iron Age, we've experimented with a wide range of materials, but for those just starting out, I recommend focusing on wood & plastic. These materials are cost-effective, easy to work with, and offer a great foundation for learning the craft.

Plastic

Plastic is a versatile and popular choice for guitar picks. For beginners, I suggest working with materials that are 1-3mm thick. While there are various types of plastic suitable for picks, including ABS and Delrin, we'll focus primarily on acrylic due to its accessibility, workability, & colorful choices.

Acrylic comes in two main types:

1. Extruded Acrylic: This is a slightly cheaper option. It's easy to find and work with. However, it's slightly less durable than its cast counterpart & prone to melting quite easily - For this reason I don't really recommend going with this type of acrylic.
2. Cast Acrylic: While a bit more expensive (really not by much at all), cast acrylic offers better durability and a wider range of color options. If you're looking to create visually striking picks, this might be the way to go.

Recommendations

1. Clear Acrylic: Start your pick-making journey with this no-frills 12x12 sheet of 3mm thick clear cast acrylic. It's budget-friendly and perfect for beginners to experiment with shapes and techniques. See on Amazon.
2. Colored Acrylic: Dive into a world of vibrant hues with this 6-pack set. It includes eye-catching fluorescent acrylics that create a mesmerizing glowing edge effect - the green is particularly stunning! See on Amazon.
3. Glitter Acrylic: Take your picks to the next level with this 8-piece variety pack. Each sheet features dazzling glitter in vivid colors, adding a touch of sparkle to your playing. See on Amazon.
4. Holographic Glitter Acrylic: For a truly unique look, try this set of 6 translucent sheets. The holographic effect creates an illusion of larger glitter pieces floating within the pick, catching the light as you play. See on Amazon.
5. Pearlescent Acrylic: My personal favorite, this 6-pack of pearl acrylic variants offers a mesmerizing swirly effect. These picks not only sound great but also look like miniature works of art in your hands. See on Amazon.

Wood

Wooden picks offer a warm tone and unique aesthetic that many guitarists love. When crafting picks from wood, I recommend starting with thin sheets between 1.5-3mm thick. This range provides a good balance between durability and tonal characteristics.

Different wood species offer varying tonal qualities and playing experiences:

1. Basswood: Soft and easy to work with, making it ideal for beginners. It has a light, creamy color but may wear faster than harder woods due to its softness. This stuff id really cheap & I couldn't find it in low quantities. See on Amazon.

2. Bubinga: Dense with a beautiful reddish color, often featuring intricate grain patterns. It offers excellent durability and takes a fine polish, resulting in stunning aesthetics. Here's some good quality Bubinga you can get at 1/8" thickness and in various sizes. See on Amazon.

3. Maple: Hard and light-colored, maple is known for its durability. Its tight grain structure makes it excellent for precise shaping and detailing. Here's a 4-pack that comes in many sizes from 15-20 bucks. See on Amazon.

4. Padauk: With its distinctive orange-red color, padauk is a real eye-catcher. It's moderately soft but polishes beautifully, often developing a deeper, richer color over time. This is a patina monster & looks incredible but the price reflects that & is a bit higher than the rest. See on Amazon.

5. Walnut: Dark and rich-looking, walnut offers a sophisticated appearance with its chocolate-brown hues. It's moderately hard and pleasant to work with, taking well to both machine and hand tools. See on Amazon.

When working with wood, it's crucial to consider the grain direction. Cutting and sanding with the grain will result in smoother edges and reduce the risk of splintering. Additionally, some woods may benefit from a light oiling or finishing to enhance their appearance and protect against moisture. I recommend a dab of Howards Feed n Wax.

Remember, wooden picks will wear over time, developing a unique patina and potentially changing in tone. This aging process is part of the charm of wooden picks and can lead to a personalized playing experience.

Advanced Materials

As you gain experience, you might want to explore more exotic materials. Knife scales are an excellent option for this, though they typically require power tools for initial cutting and shaping due to their thickness.

Knife scales can include:

• Exotic burl woods (Curly Maple, Ironwood, Zebrawood, etc.)
• Custom resin pours (Check these out)
• Bone (Bovine Scales)
• Horn (These look amazing, but beware the smell with the bone & horn materials- smells like absolute death)

Related: How We Make A Custom Resin Guitar Pick #1

These materials can create truly unique picks, but they often require more skill and specialized tools to work with effectively.

Remember, the best material for your homemade guitar pick ultimately depends on your personal preferences, playing style, and the tone you're aiming for. Don't be afraid to experiment with different materials to find what works best for you.

How to Make Your First Homemade Guitar Pick

Creating your first homemade guitar pick is an exciting process that boils down to two main steps: cutting & sanding. Let's break it down into a step-by-step guide:

1. Prepare Your Material: Start by cutting a small square of your chosen material, roughly the size of a standard guitar pick (1.5x1.5 inches or 40*40mm). This gives you a manageable piece to work with.

2. Shape Your Pick: There are two approaches here.

   • Draw the pick shape on your material and cut it precisely using your chosen cutting tool. Then, sand any rough edges to perfect the shape you have in your head.
   • Or if you don't have the means to be exacting in your cuts, you can simply remove all excess material using a power sander.

3. Bevel the Edges: This is where the real craftsmanship comes in. While you can start with a power sander for initial shaping, take your time to hand-sand the bevels. This process significantly affects how the pick feels and plays.

   Experiment with different grits:

   • Coarse grits create a more textured edge & create a more biting sound & feel.
   • Fine grits will give you a smoother, more refined playing experience.
   • If you want a silky-smooth finish, it's best to work your way up the grits starting with heavy, then moving to medium, and finally the finest grit. You can then leave the satin finish as-is or take it up a notch into polishing.

4. Sand the Faces: The pick faces contribute greatly to grip & aesthetics. You have several options:

   • Heavy grit for rough but maximum grip
   • Medium grit for a balance of grip and smoothness
   • Light grit for a cleaner look with slightly less grip

5. Add Final Touches: This is where you can get creative. Consider adding:

   • Grip holes for improved picking control
   • Divots for your thumb
   • Engravings for personalization
   • Other embellishments to make your pick unique

Related: How We Craft A Resin Guitar Pick #2

Remember, making guitar picks is a craft that improves with practice. Your first pick might not be perfect, but each one you make will be better than the last. Don't be afraid to experiment with different shapes, bevels, and finishes to find what works best for you.

At Iron Age, we've found that the most satisfying picks often come from unexpected experiments. So don't be afraid to try new techniques or materials as you develop your skills. The journey of crafting your perfect pick is just as rewarding as the final product.

Conclusion

In conclusion, crafting your own guitar picks is a journey of discovery that goes far beyond simply creating a tool for playing. It's an exploration of materials, shapes, and textures that can profoundly influence your tone and playing style. Remember, at its core, pick-making is about cutting & sanding - two simple processes that open up a world of possibilities.

As you progress, you'll find that the subtleties in thickness, bevel angle, and surface finish can make a significant difference in your playing experience. Don't be afraid to experiment and push the boundaries of what a pick can be. Each pick you create is a step towards finding your unique voice as a guitarist, craftsman, or even business person.

So grab your materials, trust in your creativity, and let the journey of pick-making enhance not just your playing, but your connection to your instrument & music as a whole.

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