Active Band Man Chats - Researching the Grip of Guitar Picks

What’s the topic this time?

Guitar picks!

Oh, that’s surprisingly normal.

Hey, don’t you find picks slip out of your hand when you play, Horry?

My fingers? What about you, Kizuhiko?

Me? My jokes never slip!

You’re slipping right now...

Huh?

Never mind.

There are quite a few picks with anti-slip designs these days.

You use those picks with holes for grip, right, Kizuhiko?

Yeah, this one!

This one right here.

I’ve been using it for a while now. When I showed it during a livestream, a listener said it looks like the drainage holes on a cup of instant yakisoba noodles!

That’s a perfect comparison!

Even though it has anti-slip, the grip isn’t that strong. But that natural feel is what I like about it. If I had to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give it a 3.

I see. So, ones with no anti-slip at all would be like a 1 or 2, right?

Yeah. Next up is...
DAVA / DAVA CONTROL NYLON

The letters are raised, acting as anti-slip, right?

Exactly. Plus, the flexible material fits the shape of your fingers, so it has decent grip! I’d rate it a 5.

Oh, a two-point increase!

But, according to the product description: “With one pick, you can switch between soft, medium, and hard responses, giving you different sound variations. This USA-patented, revolutionary pick allows you to change your grip during play — hold it higher for strumming and lower for lead, making it versatile in a single stroke, but...

But?

Because of the anti-slip design, it seems hard to change your grip mid-play!

Well, yeah, that makes sense.

Next up is...
Jim Dunlop / HERCO FLEX75

This one’s been around forever.

Apparently, Jimmy Page used it too! I used it for a while myself.

And the grip?

It’s made from nylon with a textured surface, and it’s solid! I’d rate the grip a 6!

Reviews also give it good marks for grip.

Yeah! Now, onto the next one.
Yamaha / GP101 Black/Medium

Oh, Yamaha.

This pick has a pattern that looks just like a tire!

Interesting.

Since a car tire slipping can be life-threatening, the fact they used that design shows their strong intent: “No slipping here!” Makes sense, especially since Yamaha also makes motorcycles.

True.

Oh, and the thickness of the pick adds to the great feel. Grip rating: 7!

High rating!

Next!
Fernandes / P-100SL Standard Heavy White

Fernandes!

Fernandes desu.

Your joke is slipping, though.

No way!

Yes way.

This one claims, “Micro-powder print for anti-slip properties. Recommended for guitarists who play aggressively!”

Micro-powder?

When you hold it, it feels a bit like sandpaper.

I see.

The grip is pretty strong too! I’d rate it an 8.

Nice.

Now, let me introduce the pick that won the top spot in this research.

Please do!

Here it is!
Ibanez / PA16XSG-YE

Ibanez!

This one says ‘SAND GRIP’ on the pick.

Sand? As in, sandpaper?

Exactly! Just like sandpaper!

So, similar to the Fernandes one?

Yes, but this one has an even stronger grip! It’s like, 'Try slipping if you can!

That’s intense.

So, I give it a perfect 10! It’s the strongest grip I’ve experienced.

Congratulations!

But, you know... it might be too strong...

Too strong? Isn’t it better if it doesn’t slip?

Well... I feel like it might wear off my fingerprints...

Scary! But as long as you’re not mindlessly sliding your fingers across the pick...

Yeah... you’re right.

That’s all, I guess.

Uh, when it comes to grip, there’s also this!
GORILLASNOT / Gorilla Snot

Gorilla Snot?

Yeah, it’s a grip-enhancing gel!

Interesting.

It was a gift from a senior musician.

That’s really nice.

He said, “Kizuhiko, as you get older, your fingers will dry out and become more slippery,” and gave it to me.

That makes sense lol.

It’s really effective! It’s a sticky gel that keeps things from slipping!

I see.

But, it’s kind of sticky.

Sticky... I guess people will either love or hate that feeling.

True, but it definitely boosts the grip on any pick!

Being able to improve grip while using your favorite pick is great!

Yeah!

Is that all?

And one more thing!

There’s more?

From my research, I found out that most grip-enhanced picks are teardrop-shaped!

Is that so?

Yeah, you hardly find them in onigiri (triangular) or triangle shapes.

Really? Maybe because teardrop users are more technical?

Probably... They tend to do more fast picking, so they need better grip.

I see.

That’s about it for this time!

It was pretty interesting.

I want to use these grip enhancements to make sure neither my picking nor my MCing slips!

You’re kind of slipping right now though... So, how about the usual closing line?

Yes, when you slip?

Here we go again lol.

So, everything is?

Because of love!