Red Sunday

Started playing early today, ended when breakfast arrived. Guitar of choice - Ibanez RG550DX. The guitar itself was not the reason I played, the Duncan JB was. I feel it's the best representative to understand how pick material / thickness contributes to tone. What's so special about the JB? It has a spiked midrange which many people shun but in the right guitar, with right set up, it sounds incredible. In this case, the JB manifested tone difference each time I switch picks. Back to the topic in hand, I ended up using my 4mm Gravity pick for the rest of the playing time. 

Folks, pick material & thickness do contribute to tone; it's a matter of hearing it. My take on the matter:

• Thickness: Thicker picks give off a deeper tone, more bottom end so to speak. Awesome for those peddling bass notes, the riff mongers among us. 
• Pick material: This is my way of testing - drop the pick onto a hard floor. If it sounds crispy, it tends to manifest more top end. If it sounds a little muted, the opposite is true. The crispy sounding picks (especially acrylic) will please the solo-inclined players, assuring them of clarity. Those choosing the neck pickup for solos will appreciate this boost.

My Gravity 4mm pick you see above is an acrylic pick. At the time of playing, I was focusing on riff ideas more than solos. Its thick form assured good bottom end but its acrylic pedigree means clarity will be present & reducing the chances of muddy tones being heard. Personally, I like my riffs to ring clear as well especially when I tend to play real fast with too many notes per beat. Oh, managed to swap out those black control knobs & selector lever tip to red ones. 😅