Best guitar picks for metal guitarists (shootout)

Ever found yourself endlessly tweaking amp settings, swapping out pedals, or even changing pickups, only to feel like something’s still… off with your guitar tone? We’ve all been there. But what if a crucial part of your sonic puzzle is something you hold in your hand every time you play? That’s right, we’re talking about guitar picks. It’s an often-overlooked aspect, but as any seasoned producer or player will tell you, the right pick is absolutely crucial for nailing that killer metal guitar tone, and it’s a key part of the signal chain along with solid recording techniques.

Too thick, and you might find yourself fighting the strings, causing intonation nightmares. Too thin, and your chugs might sound weak with no pick attack. And that’s before we even get into how the pick’s material, shape, and edge condition can radically alter your sound and feel. Let’s dive into how different picks can shape your performance and tone, with some real-world examples.

Beyond Just Thickness: Key Pick Characteristics That Sculpt Your Sound

It’s easy to just grab any old pick, but understanding the nuances can be a game-changer. Here’s what to consider:

Pick Thickness: The Balancing Act

Thickness is probably the first thing most players think about, and for good reason. It directly impacts how much control you have and how the string responds.

• Too Thick (e.g., 1.5mm and up): Super thick picks, like the heavy black pick demonstrated in the video, can make it easy to dig in for aggressive palm mutes. However, this force can easily bend the string sharp, especially on guitars without a super-stable bridge like an Evertune. The interaction between your pick, strings, and hardware is key, which is why it’s so important to choose a guitar with the right specs for low tunings and aggressive playing.
• Too Thin (e.g., .60mm or less): While great for strumming acoustic guitars, ultra-thin picks often lack the rigidity needed for articulate metal riffing. You might find your pick attack gets lost, and palm mutes can sound flimsy because the pick flexes too much before it can move the string with authority. The Dunlop Tortex .60mm (light gray), for instance, felt great for speedy tremolo parts but struggled to deliver truly powerful palm mutes.
• The Middle Ground (e.g., .73mm – 1.14mm): Many metal players gravitate towards this range. Picks like the Dunlop Tortex .88mm (often green or gray) offer a good balance. They’re stiff enough for solid attack and defined chugs, but not so thick that they become unwieldy for faster playing or lead work.

Material Matters: Flexibility, Feel, and Attack

This is where things get really interesting. Even picks of the same thickness can feel and sound wildly different based on what they’re made of.

• Tortex: A very popular choice (think the ubiquitous Dunlop Tortex picks), known for its slightly matte feel that offers good grip and a bright, snappy attack. The video highlighted a key point: even between two .88mm Tortex picks (a gray one and a green one), there was a noticeable difference in flexibility and how they responded. The green .88mm felt a bit stiffer, making it a beast for digging into palm mutes, while the gray .88mm was a tad more forgiving for tremolo. This shows it’s worth trying different picks even within the same material and thickness.
• Ultex: Known for its brightness, durability, and a sharper, more defined attack. In the video, the pick referred to as "alt text" (likely Ultex) demonstrated superior clarity on low-string riffs compared to a softer material pick like the Jazz III, allowing the pick attack to really cut through. Of course, once you’ve captured that source tone, you need to know how to edit your guitars to keep that pick attack pristine in the mix.
• Nylon: Picks like the famous Dunlop Jazz III (often red or black) are made of nylon. They tend to have a warmer tone compared to Tortex or Ultex. The Jazz III is a favorite for lead players due to its small, sharp shape and the way it glides off the strings, often producing a distinct "chirp" or high harmonic squeak that can be very desirable for solos.
• Other Materials: Delrin (like Fender picks), celluloid, and more exotic materials all bring their own unique tonal flavors and playing feel to the table.

Shape and Edge: Subtle but Significant

The shape of the pick and the condition of its edge also play a role:

• Standard Shape: The classic, somewhat rounded triangle is versatile.
• Pointed/Sharp Shapes (e.g., Jazz III, Ultex Sharp): These tend to offer more precision and a brighter attack because less of the pick surface hits the string. Great for articulate lead work and fast picking.
• Small vs. Large: The compact size of the Jazz III makes it nimble for lead playing. However, its shorter length made it a bit harder to really dig in for heavy palm-muted rhythms in the video examples.
• Edge Bevel/Condition: A sharp, new edge will sound brighter and more defined. As a pick wears down, the edge becomes rounder, which can result in a warmer, duller tone. Some players even prefer a slightly worn-in pick for this reason!

Pick Selection in Action: Real-World Scenarios

Let’s look at how these characteristics translate to specific playing techniques common in metal:

Tremolo Picking: Speed and Agility

For those machine-gun tremolo riffs, you need a pick that can move quickly and effortlessly across the strings.

• Winners: Thinner, slightly more flexible picks like the Tortex .60mm (light gray) or even the gray Tortex .88mm excelled here. They require less force to move, making it easier to maintain speed and stamina.
• Challengers: The thickest black pick was the clear loser for tremolo, feeling sluggish and difficult to control at speed. The green Tortex .88mm, while great for rhythms, was also a bit more challenging for the fastest tremolo parts compared to its slightly more flexible gray counterpart.

Palm Mutes: Digging In for Aggression

For those earth-shaking chugs, you need a pick that can deliver a solid, percussive attack without flexing too much.

• Winners: The green Tortex .88mm was singled out as a top performer for palm mutes, allowing the player to really dig in and get a loud, defined "thump." Thicker picks in general, like the black one, also make it easy to dig in, provided you can manage the potential intonation issues on a standard bridge.
• Challengers: The Tortex .60mm struggled here; despite digging in just as hard, the palm mutes sounded weaker due to the pick’s flexibility. The Jazz III, due to its small size, also made it harder to get the same leverage for deep palm mutes.

While the pick is your first point of contact for a chunky palm mute, remember that precise adjustments are often needed in the mix to truly define that low-end power and cut out any mud, which is where you can use multiband compression to tame boomy frequencies.

Lead Lines: Articulation and Harmonics

For soaring solos and intricate melodies, pick choice affects note clarity and can even introduce desirable harmonic content.

• Winners: The red Jazz III really shone for lead work. Its nylon material and sharp point contributed to a noticeable "squeakiness" – a high harmonic that added excitement every time the pick hit the string. This can be fantastic for making solos pop.
• Challengers: The gray Tortex .88mm, while a solid all-rounder, was noted as being the "squeakiest" in a less desirable way for leads in the comparison, indicating that the type of squeak and its prominence can vary greatly. For clarity on lower string riffs during lead/melody passages, the Ultex pick provided a more distinct pick attack than the Jazz III.

It’s Not One-Size-Fits-All: Experimentation is Key

As you can see, there’s no single "best" guitar pick that rules them all. The ideal pick changes depending on:

• The specific riff you're playing (fast tremolo vs. slow, heavy chugs)
• The string you're on (low vs. high)
• Whether you're playing rhythm or lead
• Your personal playing style and how hard you attack the strings

The takeaway? Don’t be afraid to experiment! Grab a variety pack, try picks of different thicknesses, materials, and shapes. You might be surprised how much difference a 50-cent piece of plastic (or nylon, or Ultex) can make to your tone and playability. The same principle applies to other crucial choices, like doing a guitar mic shootout to find the perfect match for your amp. Keep a few different types in your arsenal and switch them out depending on what the song calls for.

Elevate Your Guitar Tones Further with Ultimate Guitar Production

Nailing your source tone with the right pick is a massive first step. But how do you take those awesome raw guitar tracks and make them sit perfectly in a powerful, professional-sounding metal mix? A big piece of this puzzle is learning how to balance the guitars and bass so they work together instead of fighting for space. That’s where understanding the entire production process comes in.

If you’re serious about getting those crushing, clear, and impactful guitar tones you hear on your favorite records, you need to see how the pros do it. With Ultimate Guitar Production, you get exactly that. Imagine learning directly from the world-class producers behind bands like Meshuggah, Periphery, and Gojira as they mix real songs from scratch, sharing every technique and decision.

You’ll get access to:

• Monthly live-streamed mixing sessions with legendary metal producers.
• The actual multi-track downloads from these sessions to practice on.
• Over 50 hours of in-depth tutorials covering recording, mixing, mastering, and plugin usage.
• Exclusive plugins designed to enhance your mixes.

Learning to choose the right pick is fundamental, just like learning how to effectively use a basic shelf EQ to sculpt frequencies and control dynamics. Ultimate Guitar Production helps you connect all those dots. Stop just guessing and start learning the methods that deliver proven results. Ready to address the problem with modern metal guitar tone and stop sounding like everyone else?

So, next time you’re chasing that perfect tone, don’t forget the humble pick. It might just be the missing link you’ve been searching for. Experiment, listen critically, and find what works best for your sound. And when you’re ready to take those carefully crafted tones to the next level in your mixes, check out what Ultimate Guitar Production has to offer. Happy picking!