Around 0.5 mm for strumming and around 1.0 mm and above for single notes, but the honest answer is that thickness is personal and a mixed pack settles it in an afternoon for the price of a coffee.
What thickness changes
A thin pick flexes and softens the attack, which suits strumming chords. A thick pick transfers more energy and articulates individual notes, which suits lead playing.
Why a mixed pack is the answer
No description tells you what your hand prefers, and buying picks one at a time takes months. Twelve picks in five materials costs almost nothing and answers the question immediately.
Then buy a dozen of the winner
You will lose them. That is not a figure of speech.
The questions players ask
Does material matter as much as thickness?
Grip material matters more than tone for most players, especially anyone whose hands sweat. Nylon and rubberized grips stay put where celluloid slips.
What about bass?
Heavier, usually. A bass string carries far more mass, and a thin pick spends its energy bending instead of moving the string.
Last reviewed 2026-08-18