Brass Vs. Stainless Steel Guitar Picks

Pick materials include metal, plastic, wood and bone.

Guitar picks, or plectrums, are manufactured in a range of materials. While plastic picks are the least expensive and most popular overall, many players opt for metal picks for their durability and distinctive sound. Brass and stainless steel are two types of metal picks that have similar qualities---but with a few key differences.

Construction and Use

Guitar picks are usually made in the shape of a rounded-edge triangle or teardrop. Though usually thicker and heavier than plastic versions, metal picks come in a range of gauges, including very thin styles. Steel and brass picks are less common in acoustic playing, more frequently used for electric guitars. Lighter gauges are better for strumming, while heavier gauges are useful for picking out individual notes and for power playing.

Relative Hardness

One of the key differences between steel and brass guitar picks is their relative hardness. Brass is a denser material than steel. However, according to the Engineering Department at Oregon State University, steel is approximately four times as hard as brass when measured on the Brinell scale of hardness. This affects the picks' weight, durability and flexibility.

Stainless Steel Picks

Stainless steel picks are more durable than brass versions because they are harder. They will usually keep their shape, color and tone for longer---even thin gauges---depending on how hard and how often you play. Steel picks are inflexible and can cause damage to the guitar body and the strings, particularly the D-string. Acoustic guitars are more vulnerable to scuff damage from steel picks. The sound produced by a stainless steel pick is crisp and metallic, but it lacks warmth. Though weight is unlikely to be a noticeable different, stainless steel is less dense than brass, so it weighs less.

Brass Picks

Due to their lower hardness level, brass picks often become slightly tacky and tarnished after continued use. This is actually one advantage, as it can make them a little easier to hold than stainless steel plectrums. Like steel picks, brass picks can damage the guitar body and the strings if used vigorously. However, as they are made of a metal that's less hard than steel strings, they are not as harsh on the guitar as steel picks. Brass picks produce a sharp, clean tone that's slightly warmer than a steel pick due to their softer nature. This makes them a little more suitable for acoustic guitar playing than steel picks.

Customized Metal Picks

Homemade brass picks are often created from broken or discarded drum cymbals. Brian May from the band Queen famously used a sharpened English sixpence as a pick. Billy Gibbons from the band ZZ Top also uses a coin---in his case a Mexican peso filed down to the shape of a plectrum.

References

• Engineering Department, Oregon State University: Hardness Test
• American Guitar Institute: Choosing the Right Pick