Before starting I thought I'd outline my expectations about the kind of results I expected to see when comparing smaller picks to larger picks. In general I assumed the smaller picks would be quieter with less dynamic range on tap, brighter sounding and easier to play speedy licks with. The increase in size gave me the impression that the larger picks would be both more dynamically and tonally variable, with more volume available and more depth to the tone, but possibly more sluggish to play with.
The first plectrum I picked up was the Jazz 3-esque ToneFirst Custom Master Series, a 1.5mm thick piece of modified acrylic. I instantly noticed that I held the pick with only the tiniest of corners showing to strike the string with, which enabled me to play pinch harmonics very clearly, but somewhat capped the amount I could dig in without brushing my thumb against the string when the accompanying harmonic was not desired. These points are also noticeable when using the Gravity Sunrise Mini 2, which is slightly shorter length-wise, making chordal work challenging to play without serious consideration of my strumming technique. Tonally the ToneFirst Custom is surprisingly rounded, with clarity in the top and a nice warmth to it, and the Gravity has it's recognisable brightness which is sure to cut through a band mix. The third small pick I tried was the Dunlop Tortex Small Tear Drop 1.14mm, which is a longer pick and lends itself more readily to strumming and has that Tortex sound which many will enjoy.
The V-Picks Saga plectrum could hold all three of the small plectrums in it's surface area, and because of this the issues with strumming and accidental muting which were noticeable when using the smaller picks were no longer an issue. The rounded edges of this pick give the sound a duller attack, but this is somewhat counter-balanced by V-Picks signature tone which is still noticeably bright. The Wegenpicks Trimus 350 is very similar in shape to the V-Picks Saga but at least twice as thick. The bevels on this pick are really nice and rounded, skipping over the strings with ease, but still doesn't encourage fast lead melodies like the smaller picks do. The Winspear Bloodline Longsword V is a different shape all together - just as tall as the other two picks, but the shape of an isosceles triangle. The thickness tapers down from 5mm at the thick end, and the material is very light weight, which is interesting for a thicker feeling pick. For such a soft feeling material, the Longsword has a very precise attack and felt nicer to play lead with than the others did.
In general I think this informal experiment shows why most players favour a pick which is somewhere in the middle, offering traits observed in both larger and smaller picks, however for players with more specific guitar tones the more extreme ends of the plectrum spectrum might be more appropriate. And as I usually find myself saying, the recording studio will always be a place where a wide variety of tones are required to create varied tonal layers, and being able to easily switch between plectrums is very useful.
Do you find yourself regularly using particularly small or large plectrums? Let me know why you like them in the comments! Also remember to follow The Pick on social media for updates on blog posts, interesting guitar or music things and possibly free stuff coming in the future...
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