Best Thumb Picks for Guitar

1. National NP1-8B  - best thumb picks for guitar

Want to relieve your fingers from painful guitar string injuries? Here comes a great pick package that includes finger and thumb picks.

The National NP1-8B package is a great deal as you get 4 stainless steel fingerpicks to give you that punchy and crisp string attack and 2 ABS thermoplastic thumb picks that produce pleasant bass and warmer sound.

Each of the picks can be dedicated to each finger so that they can individually flaunt their potential. The Golden Gate standard ABS thumb picks are popularly used with fretted instruments, banjo, resos, and guitar too.

The 4 long-wearing NP1 stainless steel finger picks and 2 long-wearing NP 8B thumb picks are designed ergonomically to give unmatched comfort to the player who plays instruments such as guitar, banjos, and other instruments.

The medium thickness and large size of the picks are ideal for broad and tiny fingers that do not come off easily unless removed manually.

Overall, if you buy this National pick package, you get a punchy and bright sound from the fingers, whereas a warmer, louder, softer sound from the thumb.

2. dunlop thumb pick - 9002P White Plastic

Plastic thumb picks go well with any stringed instrument such as a guitar, giving the player a warm tonal and bass response and stronger control over each string’s tone.

Dunlop thumb pick is a great choice if you are looking for a plastic build thumb pick for your guitar. These thumb picks are available under medium, larger and extra-large gauges.

However, comes in an only single color, i.e., White. These 4 plectrums are to be worn only in the thumb that produces a warm tone in every string you attack. The good thing is these Dunlop thumb picks are made available for both left-handed and right-handed players.

These thumb picks come in Medium, Large and Extra-large gauges that you can choose according to your finger size. Dunlop 9002P is a great thumb pick package you can buy if you are running low on a budget.

However, I also want to have a sturdy, durable guitar pick that can handle any kind of string with maximum vibrations.

3. D'ADDARIO 5CSH6-5 - ULTIMATE FINGER PICKS

Guitar thumb picking is important if you are going for studio recordings. This pack of 5 thumb picks from Planet Waves is the best you can buy for your acoustic guitar.

Interestingly, this set of thumb picks is made of celluloid, a substitute for tortoiseshell picks. Celluloid in thumb picks bring greater advantage as compared to plastic thumb picks. One advantage is it is available in various shapes, colors, and sizes. Secondly, it produces a natural, warm tone whenever it strikes any string.

The Planet Waves 5 CSH6-5 offers a pack of 5 large sizes, colored thumb picks that are made from premium quality celluloid.

You might not be aware, but Planet Waves is a brand owned by D’Addario, a well-known company for musical accessories; hence, you can count on the quality of this thumb pick. You would not be disappointed with the level of sizes it comes in and the durability as well. You can use it for any stringed instrument that requires thumb use.

If you are looking for a thumb pick under $5, then the Planet Waves 5 CSH6-5 combo is the best choice for you. 

4. DUNLOP THUMB PICKS MEDIUM 9023P SHELL PLASTIC

The Dunlop 9023P large shell thumb pick is the best on the market. If you are looking for a durable, sturdy thumb pick, then you won’t be disappointed with the quality of the Dunlop 9023P.

This pack of 4 plastic thumb picks can be used on any stringed instrument, such as acoustic guitars. It gives the player freedom to free their fingers which in usual scenarios is not possible as the player has to keep all their fingers engaged on each string.

The design of these thumb picks is very attractively as it is molded in classic white color along with the Dunlop logo.

Players using the Dunlop 9023P experience warm tonal response in the sound of their guitar strings and get consistent control over all the strings while playing fast songs. This thumb comes in various gauges, namely medium, large and extra-large. You can choose any depending on the size of your thumb. 

5. FRED KELLY D2-L-8 DELRIN - GUITAR FINGER PICK

The Fred Kelly’s Slick Pick Delrin pick has a flat pick point which works both ways. You can use it as a fingerpick and also as a thumb pick, and it also enhances strumming. So, if you are looking for a thumb pick for strumming specifically, then this is the right choice for you.

This pick is neither too heavy nor too big, which makes it the slickest guitar pick on the market that many popular musicians love all around the world. It is more of a no hang-up pick, which means it has evenly rounded blades that help it move back and forth on the strings.

The D2 L-8 slick pick pack comes in 8 pieces and more which helps if you lose one pick, you can use another from the pack. The build quality of this pick is excellent, too, as it is made of Delrin material.

It is a unique formulation of Polyoxymethylene(POM), a thick thermoplastic that is unbreakable under all circumstances. The Delrin produces a more natural tone or sound from the string. Hence, this is one of the best thumb picks made by Delrin. 

6. GOLDEN GATE GP-10-4PK GRAINED THIN THUMB PICK

Golden gate is a popular brand that produces musical accessories. If you are looking for reliable and long-lasting thumb pick packs, then this is the best option for you.

Being a guitarist, you always are surrounded by tons of picks, but what makes a fingerpick worth all is its tonal response. The quality of tone or sound that is produced when the pick attaches the string at a specific angle is everything. The GP-10-4PK thumb pick from Golden gate enhances the strumming in most guitars and banjos as well.

The quality of this thumb pick pack is reliable, and it is made of heavy-duty grained ivoroid that allows each string to respond effectively and loudly. The thumb picks look vintage and is intentionally made vintage looking so that the artists can match the vibe with their vintage songs.

This pack of 4 golden gates is made available in two sizes: Small and Large each of the sizes is designed and contoured to fit in any size thumb.

7. Fred Kelly Picks D2B-M-8 Guitar Pick

Some of the manufacturers tend to provide a single guitar pick at a higher cost, whereas Fred Kelly’s DSB-M-8 is a guitar pick package that costs no more than $5.

Do you own a guitar or banjo? If yes, a thumb pick could be very useful to you while playing fast songs or while playing songs for longer hours. The picks in this pack are highly comfortable on the thumb as well as on the fingers.

Also you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable after wearing them as they are ergonomically designed to fit in the shape of the thumb and also put minimum weight on the thumb.

The Fred Kelly pick is constructed from Delrin material. Most of the guitar picks that Fred Kelly manufactures are made from Delrin, which also makes it a popular brand in guitar picks.

The thickness of the guitar pick is just 0.98mm, which almost feels negligible to any size thumb. With this guitar pick pack, you sure will get a soft and natural sound on the guitar strings.

8. BLACK MOUNTAIN METAL THUMB PICKS

If you are in the market for metal thumb picks, then Black Mountain’s thumb pick is a brand you should consider. This medium-sized thumb pick gauge is built for musicians who play guitar fingerstyle and want to relieve their fingers from painful bare playing.

Unfortunately, this thumb pick is only available for right-handed players, and left-handed players might have to look for other options.

Besides, this pack comes with 3 super comfortable and wearable thumb picks, namely 3 packs: Comfortable Spring Tension and 3 pack: Extra Tight Spring Tension. You can choose any one option depending upon your use and the type of tunes you play.

Most musicians like Black Mountain’s picks because they are metal picks and also feel like a regular thumb pick. The spring inside the pick enables you to move your pick flexibly back and forth onto the strings. The spring also clamps the thumb pick around the player’s thumb creating a good balance of stability and comfort as well.

BENEFITS OF THUMB PICKS

Thumb may feel weird in the first few uses, but once you get a grip on these thumb picks, you will never let them go. Thumb picks produce a louder and focused attack angle which is quite difficult to produce by the thumb skin and thumbnail. Thumb picks are best when you want to play faster songs without risking cuts and injuries to the thumb, which usually happens in the fingerstyle method.

Another great benefit of using a guitar fingerpick is that the song you play will be consistent in terms of vibrations and bass, unlike the fingerstyle method.

THUMB PICKS VS FLAT PICKS

Flat picks are also known as plectrums which many popular guitarists use to strike each string on the guitar or multiple strings at the same time. By using this kind of guitar pick, you will no longer have to deal with strumming the strings with fingers or fingernails.

Thumb picks are the ones that you wear on the thumb while playing guitars. This not only helps you with a single string, but you can use your thumb for the 3 thickest strings while using your fingers to handle the other 3 thinner strings. Both the picks serve the same purpose, with the only difference being that thumb picks can be worn on the thumb while flat picks cannot be worn, they can only be held.