Pick guitar for yourself. Mediators for guitar mediator do-it-yourself sizes

Sooner or later, many novice guitarists are faced with such an important question: how to choose a pick for a guitar? Today, there is a fairly large selection of pickups for every taste and color in music stores that, looking at the box with these plastic things, their eyes diverge.

Therefore, from the first time it will be difficult for a beginner to make the right choice himself, well, except to pick a pick with some cool picture. But this is not so simple, there are many different criteria by which the right choice of a future mediator should be made. Just for such people this article will be devoted.

From my own experience I will say that I myself once for the first time chose a pick on a picture and, moreover, I took the thinnest one, as a result, it was inconvenient to play. Today, in just a couple of minutes I can choose what I really need and what I have been used to for all the years of playing the guitar. Therefore, I always buy several mediators I need at once so that I do not have to get used to others. In fact, the habit is also developed to the mediator, with time and you will understand this when you find the optimal one for yourself. First, take one mediator of each species for yourself. But what kind of species, we now understand.

Mediator  (aka plectrum) is a thin plate, most often of plastic, with a pointed end, which is designed to bring the string into an oscillatory state or, more simply, to extract the sound.

Manufacturer

There are many different companies that manufacture mediators. It is not necessary to carp at the quality of the product, since its design is nowhere easier. Many guitarists often choose such famous brands as: Dunlop, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez  other. And this choice is connected with the fact that working with such mediators is already inspiring.

Materials

In the production of mediators the following materials can be used:

• Tortex (Tortex) / Derleks (Derlex)   - has a smooth silky coating that does not wear out for a long time. The mediator from this material is very comfortable and has a warm sound when playing.
• Derlin (Derlin)   - the coating of the mediator made of this material is smoother, and the sound is bright. Suitable for high-speed game.
• Celluloid - surface, polished and smooth to the touch. This material is well proven, because Best for rhythm melodies and solos.
• Nylon  - mediators made on the basis of this material have an advantage over others, which consists in their softness and flexibility. The surface is flat and smooth.
• Polycarbonate  - a material with properties like derlin and celluloid. It may even give a glass tone at a certain thickness of the plectrum.
• Lexan (Lexan)   - The material is similar to glass, very hard and almost not bend. It is mainly used in mediators with a thickness of more than 1 mm. It has the effect of glass ringing and wears out quickly.
• Metal  - has its own additional sound when playing, and mediators made from it are best suited for strong attacks.

The form

• Standard  - the most popular and widely used type of mediators. The standard mediator is characterized by a soft sound when playing.
• Teardrop & Jazz- these mediators are usually thicker than standard ones. Love them for their brightness.
• Triangle- has the shape of an equilateral triangle. Such a mediator is practical, because you can play any of its side. The best option for fans to experiment.
• Sharkfin- This is a universal mediator that allows you to use two sides for the game. You can play as a ribbed part, and the usual side as a standard mediator.

Thickness

Perhaps this is the most important thing when choosing a future mediator and this should first be paid attention to, because mainly on its thickness and the sound of your guitar will depend. The thickness of the mediator is from 0.38 to 3 mm. When choosing a mediator thickness, you need to consider what you will play and how.

• Thin  mediators are suitable for those who want to get a soft and at the same time chord sound.
• Thick  provide the ability to control the force of impact and attack while allowing you to play at different volumes.

Now let's look at the thickness mediators:

• 0.38 - 0.65 mm  - thin mediators.
• 0.65 - 0.73 mm  - Mediators of medium size.
• 0.73 - 088 mm  - thicker than average.
• 0.88 - 1.0 mm  - thick mediators.
• 1.14 - 3.0 mm  - very thick mediators.

Typically, the thickness is indicated on the front side of the mediator and is expressed in millimeters, and if the numbers are missing, then most likely a scale of the following type will be used:

• Thin  (thin)
• Medium  (average)
• Heavy  (fat)
• Extra heavy  (very fat)

Surface

I recommend using mediators with a rougher surface than with a smooth one, because if your fingers quickly become wet during the game, then such a plectrum can simply fly out of your hand at the wrong moment.

The size

In this case, in order to decide what size of a mediator the area would suit you best, here you should start from your own preferences. The most important thing is to keep it comfortable and comfortable. If you are going to do something fast, then take a small pick.

Colour

The range from different manufacturers is wide enough and therefore everyone will find a suitable pick for color. You can, for example, take the color of the guitar or clothing.

Mediators for different types of guitars

•   For an acoustic guitar, I can advise you to take a soft pick. Thickness from very thin to medium. Explain why. It is convenient to play with such a pick, but its sound is more pleasant and gentle, which is not typical of a solid pick. On an acoustic guitar, the strings are strung more tightly than on an electric guitar. Playing a solid pick on an electric guitar of complexity you will not feel any, but you will notice acoustics right away.
•   Undoubtedly, a solid mediator is needed for an electric guitar, due to the fact that the strings here are not as tight as acoustics. You can safely take the thickness from medium to the most solid.

• Always have a few mediators different in thickness (believe me, they will come in handy), and there should be a few spare ones, because they are usually lost often.
• Just in order not to lose the mediators and not to buy new ones every time, acquire at the same time a special case for them, which can be attached to the guitar. Mediators will always be at hand, and they will not need to look in their pockets.

That's all about mediators! Hope this article has helped you. And now you already know how to choose a pick for a guitar. So you can share with friends on social networks, and also leave below your comments. I would only be glad of this. Good luck to you!

This post will kill all the plants that produce mediators!) Because, with a minimum of tools and an hour of time, you will have a dozen or so mediators what form and caliber you want.

As you probably guessed from the photo, we will make the mediators from old plastic credit (debit) cards, SIM-cards of cellular operators, or other similar plastic products.

All the tools needed for this operation are shown in the photo:

Namely:

1. Sachet (obligatory thing. Because a lot of mediators rolling around after the manufacturing process will become a problem for you. Which can be solved by putting them in the sachet right away. And getting as needed (losing))
2. Scissors. The cards are made of soft plastic, susceptible to cutting with regular nail scissors.
3. File. For leveling the ends after trimming with scissors.
4. Sandpaper to remove burrs.
5. A pen. For marking mediators on the card.
6. Plastic cards.

So, you have all of the above, and you are ready to compete with the monsters of the guitar industry. We take the card and putting the template around the outline with a pen. As a template, you can take the finished mediator. As you can see from the figure, 6 medics are obtained. From Sim-full-time card - 4 pcs.

From the old MegaFon payment cards, soft, thin mediators are obtained. They are good to play fighting acoustic guitar. From bank cards and Sim-ok get tough doctors, to play on electrum rhythm parties.

It will not be possible to cut exactly, so the next step is to take 4-5 mediators together and cut them in a file, giving them an averaged even shape.

We want the whole party to have the same smooth contours.

Plectrum or plectrum?

Every guitarist knows that the pick for a guitar is such a thin, sharpened plate that is played with strings when playing. But where did this name come from?

Everything is very simple. The word "mediator" comes from the Latin word mediator, which means "mediator". After all, this is really an intermediary - between your fingers and the strings of a guitar.

But sometimes the guitar pick is called the strange word "plectrum." In fact, there is nothing strange here: this word comes from the ancient Greek plectron - from plesso, “to strike” (including the strings).

In our country, the word “mediator” has become more common, but in English the mediator is always called a plectrum. In English colloquial speech plectrum called even easier - picks.

Guitar pick thickness

The thickness of the mediators are divided as follows:

• Extra light  - very thin (thickness less than 0.44 mm)
• Light  - thin (thickness 0.45 - 0.69 mm)
• Medium  - medium (thickness 0.70 - 0.84 mm)
• Heavy- thick (thickness 0.85 - 1.20 mm)
• Extra heavy  - very thick (thickness greater than 1.20 mm)

The thicker the pick, the stronger the attack and the more powerful the sound of the guitar. But this is not always necessary - for example, on acoustic guitars they play “chesome” with thin mediators to make the strings ring.

What are the mediators made of?

Most often, guitar picks are made of plastic.

By plastic is meant several polymeric materials. Nylon usually make neurotransmitters with a thickness of up to 1 mm. Such mediators are soft and flexible, but wear out quickly.

The materials Tortex and Derlex patented by the American chemical company DuPont are also used in guitar mediators. They have a slightly roughened surface and feel better in fingers. Wear long. The thickness range from Light to Heavy.

Another type of plastic - Ultex. Has a slightly shiny surface, wear out slowly.

There are also other polymeric materials from which mediators are made - delrin, lexan, acryl, etc. They all have approximately the same performance characteristics with minimal difference in sound.

But there are many other materials that find a certain demand from guitarists. Here are some of them.

Mediator of tortoise shell.  Many people think that they used these as early as the beginning of the last century, but even today such mediators can be found on ebay - they cost about $ 20 and are made by hand. They wear out faster than plastic ones, but at the same time they have one feature - even very thin bone mediators have greater rigidity and do not bend.

Metal mediators.  Give a ringing sound with a metallic tinge. Strings wear faster. Many (for example, Brian May) do not use a metal pick, but a coin.

Ceramic mediators.  When playing, they give a sound similar to the sound when they strike with a fingernail on the string. Other characteristics are similar to plastic guitar pickers, except that they do not bend.

Wooden mediators.  When playing with such a pick, the sound is warm and soft. Wooden mediators grind off pretty quickly, so they are made only of solid wood.

If there are glass slides, then why not make glass mediators? And they exist! Guitars for glass guitar heavy in weight and, of course, solid. But maybe that’s what you need?

Mediators made of stone.  There are also such - probably, before all of them cavemen began to make. But stone mediators can be found today. For example, the firm Pick Boy manufactures them from semi-precious agate. Polished neurotransmitters are very beautiful, streaked.

Carbon mediators. CFRP is a modern and technological material. Carbon fiber guitar mediators can be very thin, light, but super hard. Give out a solid, tough sound. It should be borne in mind that after playing on your fingers coal dust may remain.

It should be noted that there is a difference in the sound of mediators made from different materials, but it is quite small. Much more on the sound affects the thickness and mass of the mediator.

Form of mediator

Most often, the guitar pick can be made of any shape, especially from the materials obtained by casting. But among all this mediator diversity, there are still several popular forms.

Standard form. Mediators of this particular form are produced the most.

Teardrop shape.

Jazz.  Releases Dunlop.

Triangle

Shark fin

What to choose?

Finding exactly “your” mediator is not an easy task. Each guitarist has his own requirements for the mediator, its shape and size, thickness and material. Often guitarists use different plectrum playing on different guitars. So the guitarist can consciously make a choice only by playing with a large number of a wide variety of mediators.

Fortunately for us, guitar pickers are not so expensive, and even a guitarist with a limited budget can try out different options. Dare!

Every third teenager has a guitar today, and adults are not averse to remembering youth and singing songs with a guitar, especially if you have a mood for it. In addition to the guitar and the ability to use it, in most cases a mediator is needed. How to make a mediator or a blector from the materials at hand we will describe in this article.

Please watch the video and you will understand how to quickly and easily make a mediator with your own hands from improvised means.

We will need:
- A pointed metal stick or pin;
- old plastic card;
- an old pick or shape that will need to be circled;
- felt-tip pen;
- scissors.

So what we need to do.

First of all, we take a felt-tip pen and a form and draw on the old plastic card the form of a pick that we need to cut out. If you have any interesting maps, then you can easily make a pick with a pattern.

Next step, carefully cut out the line of our future mediator. It is very important that the line is clear, but not very deep (this is the case, if you cut the workpiece not with a marker or a pin or a sharp stick), if the line is deep, then you will have to cut exactly along it, otherwise the edges of the mediator will hang around hard. But then we will still polish it and bring it evenly shaped.

We should have a blank, the edges of which need to be wiped. Now we take a paper or a rag or even a carpet and begin to rub over any irregularities. All edges are rubbed off easily, so you need to be very careful, one wrong move and you may have a sharp corner on your lecturer.

Wipe the edges of the mediator should be made arcuate movements to give it a smooth shape.

We got a little shaggy, but smooth edges of the workpiece.

Now rub the surface. Put the pick horizontally and begin to rub it on the paper, so we remove the shaggy. The remains of grated plastic from the edges go away. You can also use a nail file to remove rust.

That's all, our pick is ready. They need to play or fight, or tweak. You can make a big pick or a small one, this will not change the quality of your guitar playing.

I can argue that a lot, and that you were very annoyed. This undoubtedly emphasizes the exceptional affection of each guitarist to a particular type of mediator, thickness and shape.

To begin with, let's repeat what a mediator is. Mediator (aka plectrum)  - This is a plate of various shapes and sizes, which serves to pluck the strings on a guitar or on other musical instruments. Mediators for guitars today are made from various materials, for example, such as bone, metal, wood, plastic.

Choosing the shape (type) of a guitar mediator

Choice of mediator thickness

The thickness of a mediator, as a rule, can be easily determined, since it is indicated on almost all guitar picks. You can often find the designation of thickness in millimeters (mm). But there are other markings:

• Thin (T, thin, 0.46 mm), thin medium (TM, medium of thin, 0.58 mm), medium (M, medium, 0.71 mm), medium heavy (MH, medium of thick, 0.84 mm), heavy (H, thick, 0.96 mm) and extraheavy (XH, very thick, 1.21 mm)

(Thickness values ​​are based on the thickness of the D’ANDREA mediators.

The thickness of the guitar mediators range from 0.3 millimeter to 3 millimeters. In this range of thicknesses, you can easily get confused.

Remember that the thickness of the mediator primarily affects the timbre of the sound. The thinner the mediator, the more high-frequency components begin to dominate in the sound, and a so-called crackling sound may appear. When using a thick pick, the sound acquires density, intensity and clarity.

In general, thick mediators (from about 0.8 millimeters) should be used for solo parts and reefs, and thin ones (0.45 millimeters, or slightly thicker) for accompaniment.

Another feature: the thicker the strings, the thicker the pick you need to use.

Choose a pick size for guitar

The plectrum size has almost no effect on the sound of your strings. Argued that with small mediators in the game you can achieve a higher speed.

We determine the material of the mediator

• Polycarbonate. The sound when playing with a pick from this material is something between celluloid and derlin. With a large thickness of polycarbonate plectrum - a glass overtone appears.

Choosing a brand of mediator

There are no particular differences in the quality of mediators from different firms. Most popular mediatorsfrom Jim dunlop, Ibanez, Gibson, Fender.

Given all this, the choice of a mediator depends largely on how comfortable it is for them to play. Feel free to experiment (up to playing with a coin like Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top) and be sure to find your most convenient pick that will serve you faithfully.

Very interesting, what mediator do you use, dear users of the site? Write about it in the comments!