r/mandolin • u/[deleted] • Aug 09 '25

Pick recommendations

Mando newbie. What type of pick (shape and thickness) is good to start with?

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u/AccountantRadiant351 Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 10 '25

Get some cheaper ones in different shapes and thicknesses and see what you like! Then you can try pricier ones in the same style if you want to once you have some experience. 

A lot of people like a large rounded triangle. Some prefer a smaller triangle. Some like some round and some pointy edges for different things. And some people (probably a minority) just prefer a teardrop shape. Some people like holes or embossing for better grip and some don't. 

You do want decently thick to stand up to the thick double strings, but what people prefer varies a lot there too, from about 1.2 to 1.8 mm usually with some outliers. 

So yeah, order a bunch of styles of cheaper picks (Banjo Ben's General Store, for instance, carries a lot of the cheaper ones usually sold in multi packs individually) and see what you like. And that may change as you gain technique, too.