Guitar pick grip is one of the most sought after characteristics that guitarists look for in a plectrum.
How do we define grip?
It’s a firm & tenacious hold providing control and mastery.
It’s what helps to keep the pick from slipping or rotating out of position while playing.
So a guitar pick with grip will tend to provide more picking control
and if you’re looking to attain speed mastery or accuracy for example,
then this plays a critical role.
It’s the difference between keeping the pick firmly planted in your progression & having to stop to pick it back up off the floor!
In this article we’ll cover some essentials related to grip to better understand its function.
We’ll also cover the gripping characteristics of our own picks,
namely our pick collections as a whole and how they all measure up to each other.
As previously mentioned, grip is the determining factor that helps to keep pick under your control,
keeps it from slipping away, & helps to keep you from dropping it altogether.
With grip being one of the main things guitarists are looking for in a pick,
There are many variations which we’ll go into more depth.
These include things like textured grips, engravings, grip holes,
and even some aftermarket options you can add to your favorite plectrum.
Well why do guitarists seek this out in their picks?
With an ample amount of grip available, you start to see some of these benefits:
Who doesn’t want that?
Despite all of the seemingly positive aspects of grip, there are a couple things to note on the downside.
Using very aggressive grips such as sandpaper or other rough options,
Can leave your fingers feeling raw if used for extended periods of time.
This could take some time to get used to, somewhat like how we all build calluses on our fretting hand.
There’s also the possibility of losing some of your ability to make micro-adjustments to your picking angle
or shifting your pick into different positions such as when tapping or performing pinch harmonics.
This might not affect everyone & depends on each individual’s playing style but something to keep in mind.
Below are some of the options we’ve encountered when it comes to pick grips.
Some of them are built into the pick during manufacturing, others can be applied as a DIY,
and others can be applied as enhancements to your favorite plectrum.
If you have a guitar pick that’s lacking in grip, there’s also a few things you can do to modify your pick & level it up.
For all of the Iron Age fans who want to know about our very own handcrafted picks,
here’s the breakdown of our pick collections ranked in terms of grip.
Here’s our current list of pick collections, each one including several picks which are all finished in the same way.
Next to them will be the finishing characteristics that are applied which could affect grip.
Other individual picks from our top 10 highest rated list:
Comment below if you want to find out more about a certain pick!
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For tips, tricks, & other informative articles, check out our General Guitar Blog
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Iron Age Guitar Accessories
226 Douglas Way St
San Antonio, TX 78210
USA
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“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution. It represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
~William A. Foster (MOH Recipient, 1945)
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Est 2015.