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(14) comments about this tip

Visitors tips Make your own plectrums

Submitted by Kevin Banana

Anyone in your family play guitar? Don't waste money on plectrums. Cut your own to shape out of old credit cards.


Visitors comments



Tried it years ago Comments By: Zena... on 2005-10-19
It's Rubbish because the grade of plastic is different to comercial picks. Generally the card is too soft and too thick. It has the wrong springiness and is just plain miserly. Using old credit cards just develop bad plectrum technique in the long run and lead to insensitive right hand strumming and picking not to mention excessive string noise or click. Altogether a really crap idea.
 
i used somthing else Comments By: Kevin on 2005-11-24
instead of using a credit card, I used an old AOL cd and it works great. all you have to do is cut out the shape and sand it down to the thickness you want and your done.
 
tic tacs Comments By: God on 2006-04-08
i do the same thing wiht tic tacks, they are quite thinn, and crap for plucking, but great for strumming, and you get 4 per tic tac packet
 
ok Comments By: anon on 2007-07-18
its ok to use them if u like really bendy pics but i like em strong for good tune and strumming
 
Other way Comments By: Anon on 2007-12-18
I don't if you know what is internet card is but I also use it to make picks. I just cover it with a thin layer of scotch tape and voila! It's now a pick that is good for strumming and plucking.
 
Pointless Comments By: matty on 2008-05-28
You can pick up plectrums for around 50p, why bother?
 
why bother Comments By: marco on 2008-06-29
why dont u jst go 2 the shop and get some.if u got a guitar, then ur nt tht skint
 
hmm. pay 50p for a bit of plastic. mug. Comments By: ben marsh on 2008-07-29
plecs are horribly overpriced. i am a big distributor and maker of guitars and spares from big supplies i get them for 0.8p each(i buy others for logoed ones and good finishes i cut mine from 3m sheets plained coloured) , i make hundreds of thousands of plecs a year from wood, cellulose, bone, abalone. im never going to use old throw away materials because some are too brittle but making 4 plecs from a box with the most basic method, sanding to shape, should take no longer than 10 minutes a hugely conservative estimate. but then even at that it makes roughly a tenner an hour. youre never going to sell them to anyone but youve saved yourself a bit just by sitting on ur backside and recycling junk. good idea
 
Sad Comments By: Callan Howard on 2009-03-22
They're like 10 pence, if your that skint I think you should be thinking about selling that guitar.
 
when necessity requires Comments By: Plutten on 2009-11-11
forgot to bring my plectrum to my summer cabin, googled and this idea came up.
Def. better than no plectrum.

thanks for saving the holidays ;)

 
Good Comments By: BON JOVI on 2009-12-22
Good for people who dont know how to play guitar but i part of Bon jovi get mine for free
 
metal Comments By: alex on 2010-06-18
just get a small coin, hit it with a hammer a few times, then use a junior hacksaw to cut out the shape you want then file it down a bit.
 
how? Comments By: Anon on 2010-09-19
how do u decorate them? paint?
 
Amazing plectrums Comments By: Marianna Averaldo on 2011-03-10
hey guys, i made my own plectrum ;D
I painted it with nail polish. It works!


 



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