If you’re a guitarist or bass player, you’re probably aware that the kind of pick you use can affect your tone immensely. From light and heavy gauged picks, to no pick at all, the contact point between you and your guitar strings can range from a sharp, high-end type of sound, to a rounder, tighter tone. It might seem like a subtle concept, but the type of pick you play with has the power to change your tone, playing style, and overall feel when you’re busy rocking out.
In lieu of this concept, YouTuber and guitarist Robert Baker has set out to put a few different picks through the ringer, as well as his fingers (ouch!). In his video, Robert experiments by testing out light, medium, and heavy-gauged picks, all to see how the different styles of affect his tone. He also plays the main riff with his fingers to some extra non-pick context. It’s pretty amazing to hear the differences between the different picks, even though they’re all played through the same guitar, tone settings, and riffage. As he explains, the ligher-gauge pick tends to have more high-end, while the medium and heavy picks tend to get darker and rounder. Pretty fascinating stuff, and it just might make you reevaluate your picking lifestyle choices!
