Wood guitar picks are something that many of us have heard of, but may not have actually used. I myself was one of those people. So, I decided to remedy that! In this article I’ll share my experience with wooden picks, as well as provide you with an overview of them, including their benefits and drawbacks. Finally, I’ll have some ideas on how to choose the right wooden guitar pick for you, and links to makers of wooden picks.
Guitar Picks Wooden?
Wooden guitar picks are, of course, made from wood. Because they need to be relatively durable, the wood species used are typically hardwoods such as Maple, Rosewood, and Ebony. Wood picks, like any pick, are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, though not as many as picks made of more common plastic-based materials.
Here are some reasons to consider a guitar pick made of wood:
1. Comfort
With their natural, organic feel, wood picks are comfortable to hold.
2. Sound
Wooden guitar picks produce a mellow, woody tone that is decidedly different from the sound produced by most plastic picks.
3. Sustainability
If a wooden pick is responsibly sourced, it is a renewable resource, unlike plastic products.
Testing 3 Wood Picks
To get me started on wooden picks, I ordered the Trillogy Sampler Grip set from US Blues. This set contains three picks, each made of a different wood: Rosewood, Padauk & Maple. This set has a thumb impression on one side, and a finger groove on the other. US Blues also makes picks without contouring if you prefer a flat surface.
As with anything, I had a few preconceptions that turned out to be wrong:
- I thought that a wood guitar pick would be heavy. Although the picks I ordered were thicker than the plastic picks I regularly use, they were actually quite light.
- I thought they wouldn’t feel too different from plastic picks. They do! The organic, natural feel of real wood is unique.
- I thought picks made of different wood species would sound the same. They don’t! I heard distinct differences in each species of wood pick.
The Sound of Wood Picks
I tried out these picks on my usual assortment of guitars, including a Tele, Strat, Hollowbody, and Taylor solid-wood acoustic guitar. First, my general thoughts, then wood-specific observations. Having a baseline is helpful when testing, so during testing I switched between a plastic pick I know well, the Dunlop Ultex Jazz III XL, which is made of Ultex.
First off, each of the US Blues wood picks had a different tone. This was surprising to me, because I had assumed that they would sound about the same. The Rosewood and Padauk were very close in tone, with the Maple being the most distinct.
One of the keys to these differences may lie in wood density. In terms of wood density, Rosewood clocks in at 52 lbs/ft3, Padauk at 47 lbs/ft3, and Maple at 44 lbs/ft3.
From what I know of wood, this makes sense: Rosewood is the most dense wood, and produced the highest volume. Additionally, Rosewood is known for its treble response. Padauk was a close second in volume, and a little softer in the treble. The Maple had a noticeably softer output than both of the others. The bass response was consistent across all three picks. See our article on guitar fretboard woods for more info on the tonal properties of Rosewood and Maple.
Wood Pick Tone on Acoustic Guitar
I immediately noticed that wooden picks sound great for strumming. There is a percussive quality to the attack that I’ve never heard in a plastic pick. It’s a “chick-a-chick-a” sound that is actually very pleasant. In fact, I would say that it’s an effect unto itself that lends a rhythmic accent to strumming.
Single note lines were interesting, if less remarkable than strumming. The note attack has a quality that is difficult to describe. It’s not a bad sound, it’s just… different. It’s warm, but not in the same way as a warm pick such as a nylon pick. The Maple pick had a little bit of a nasal quality, while the Rosewood pick was the brightest, and the Padauk a tiny bit warmer than the Rosewood.
Wood Pick Tone on Electric Guitar
The electric sounds were tested through my Quilter SuperBlock US.
I find the Quilter to be a clean and revealing amp, and the impressions I had of each wood type acoustically held consistent. In some ways, the differences were more pronounced, especially on the Tele with a clean sound dialed in. The Rosewood pick had the most presence, in addition to slightly more volume than the Padauk. The Maple was a distant third in both treble response and volume.
The most interesting contrast, however, was the effect of the percussive strumming sound on electric guitar. On an acoustic, this sound blends in naturally with the sound of the guitar. In contrast, when playing through an amplifier you hear the percussive sound on the strings, but not really though the amp. The percussive sound is distinct from the sounds that the pickup produces, and your amp is outputting. The effect is that I heard far less of the percussive sound on electric than I expected.
I especially liked the wooden picks with humbuckers. The Seth Lover pickups in my hollowbody sound great, but humbuckers aren’t as articulate as good single coils. The US Blues picks accented the woody warmth. The Rosewood pick once again stood out as the most articulate, and the loudest. I actually found that the Maple pick sounded better on this guitar, producing a nicely mellow, and fuller, tone. The Padauk grabbed the middle ground.
Here’s a quick recap of the sound of the woods used in these picks:
- Rosewood – Greatest volume, clarity, and presence.
- Padauk – Slightly warmer, maintaining good clarity
- Maple – Noticeably less volume, slightly nasal sound.
Durability
One thing I didn’t get to in this review is the durability factor. This is only because I haven’t used them for that long. I have noticed what looks like slight wear on the edge of the maple pick, but this could simply be a discoloration, since Maple is a light-colored wood. I’m going to play them for a while and update the review.
Where To Buy Wooden Picks
There are a surprising number of companies that produce wooden picks. In addition to US Blues, here are a couple of others:
1. US Blues
US Blues has a wide selection of wooden picks, in a number of woods and wood combinations.
2. Timber Tones
Timber Tones offers a wide range of alternative material picks that include various woods, as well as leather, stone, and horn. Timber Tones picks are available on their website.
3. Tree Picks
Tree picks have a nice selection of competitively priced wooden picks made from Ebony, Teak, Padauk, and more. Their sampler pack is next on my list to review.
Final Thoughts on Wood Picks
If you haven’t yet tried a wooden pick, you should do so. It’s not so much a question of “are wooden guitar picks good”, but rather, a recognition that they have a sound worth exploring. I particularly liked the sound for strumming on acoustic. While you give up some articulation compared to many plastic picks, you gain a unique percussive attack combined with warmth. And, sometimes that is simply the *right* sound.
With respect to wood choice, I recommend experimenting. The three woods I tried all sounded different, and I’m curious to hear what other woods such as Ebony sound like. I found the Maple pick the most distinct sounding of the three, and the least versatile. That said, the soft warmness I got with the hollowbody and Maple pick is a usable tone. Wood picks won’t replace my favorite plastic picks, but they are an alternative that has a place in my pick box.