A Useful Introduction of My Favorite Guitar Picks for Acoustic Guitar!

The sound of an acoustic guitar changes quite a bit depending on the pick. While trying various picks, I found some where I thought worked great, so I will introduce those picks here!

■ Picks that lower the guitar’s volume! "Katori Seisakusho Silent Pick SP-3"

This pick reduces the volume of the guitar sound. When playing acoustic guitar in apartments or rental condos, you have to be very careful about the volume level, right? Try using this pick—it can reduce the volume to about half.

I use it for acoustic guitar practice at home when my family is sleeping. Even if I strum hard, it only produces about half the usual volume, so it has come in very handy.

It’s also useful when recording both vocals and acoustic guitar with a single microphone. With just one mic, the acoustic guitar volume tends to get too loud, but using the Silent Pick allows you to record at a good balance.

○ Why does the sound get quieter?

The secret to the quieter sound is the thinness of the pick! Since it’s made of a super-thin material, even if you strum hard, the pick bends and the force with which it plucks the strings is weakened. You could say that the thickness is just a little thicker than an old film camera film.

When I first touched it between my fingers, I thought, “Won’t this break quickly?” but it’s been totally fine. I’ve probably been using it for about two years and it hasn’t broken or bent at all.

○ Not suitable for those who prioritize playing feel and tone quality

It’s durable and reduces volume, so it’s very convenient, but it does make the guitar’s tone feel lighter. Also, the feedback you get when strumming is weaker. If you’re looking for perfect tone quality or the guitar resonating in your body when you strum it, this pick probably isn’t for you.

■ The pick that won’t get lost: “Katori Seisakusho Rock Pick”

This is a pick that can be attached to an acoustic guitar. The Rock Pick fits onto the string post (the part where the strings are wound) of the acoustic guitar. Many people tuck their pick between the guitar strings when not using it, but sometimes it falls out and the pick goes missing. The Rock Pick fits firmly onto the string post, so it almost never falls off.

○ How do you fit it onto the string post?

The Rock Pick has a hole in the center. You insert the string post into this hole, and it clicks into place. Once attached, it won’t come off even if you turn the guitar upside down. You can also spin it around like a pinwheel, so it can be fun to play with when you’re bored.

I didn’t realize this until writing this article, but both the Silent Pick and the Rock Pick are made by Katori Seisakusho. From what I found online, it seems like they make interesting and creative products. One of my favorites is their tower-shaped tissue box that can hold five tissue packs—tower-shaped? What is this, a computer?

Here is the Katori Seisakusho website

■ Great snug fit on the thumb! "TAB Thumb Pick"

This thumb pick uses rubber on the nail material. While most thumb picks are made entirely of plastic, the TAB thumb pick combines rubber and plastic. The rubber part is soft and fits closely to your finger, which improves stability when wearing.

○ Differences between the TAB Special and TAB Special2

I have both the older model TAB Special and the newer TAB Special2. The main difference between the two is the thickness of the rubber and plastic parts. The TAB Special2 has thicker rubber than the TAB Special, which improves the fit when worn on the thumb. Also, the plastic part that actually makes contact with the strings is thicker and sturdier in the TAB Special2.

I think the playing feel of the TAB Special2 is better. It fits snugly on the thumb without gaps, so it’s less likely to shift even during long performances. Both models allow size adjustment, so you can optimize the fit for your thumb thickness.

In terms of sound quality, I think both are similar to regular plastic thumb picks. Although the price is higher than plastic ones, I recommend these picks if you want better playing comfort.

■ Used by Motohiro Hata! [dragonfly]

I purchased dragonfly picks because Motohiro Hata uses the white 0.6mm version. I have the white 0.8mm and black 0.6mm picks. Since the white 0.6mm is quite popular and hard to get, I chose the black 0.6mm.

The appearance is very simple, but it’s an easy-to-play pick. I think the grip when holding it and the feeling of how it catches on the strings are very good.

I find the 0.6mm thickness easier to play with. When playing strumming in a singer-songwriter style, the 0.8mm catches the strings more strongly, while the 0.6mm produces sound well even when playing with a bit of force.

However, after about six months of use, the green printed letters wear off and disappear, leaving just a simple black or white pick. The feel doesn’t change, but I still think the logo on it looks cool.

■ Changing picks lets you enjoy sound quality changes on a low budget

I introduced some useful acoustic guitar picks—how did you like them? Picks are so cheap! Compared to other audio equipment, they’re overwhelmingly inexpensive! Despite that, they can change the sound quality quite a bit, so I encourage everyone to try out various picks.

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