Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this video we'll explore everything you never wanted to know about guitar picks. Do guitar picks of different types and materials sound different? Which sounds better for acoustic or electric guitar? Can you make your own guitar picks? If so, out of what? Is it LEGAL to deface or mutilate coins for use as guitar picks?
We'll make guitar picks out of British, American, and Mexican coins. We'll also make picks out of seashell and even the dead tree in my front yard! I'll show the process of making a guitar pick from beginning to end, and finally we'll demonstrate what picks of different materials sound like.
Special thanks to Stevie Lunn and Colten Bell for contributing the Mexican Peso picks and the zirconia pick used in this video! Also thanks to Andrew Smith from the Flatwoods Monster Museum for the smashed penny picks, and David Johnson of Volcano, California for the deer antler pick. Thanks to Sean and Kathy @scarmyguitar for the amazing Scarred Gauntlet guitar I used in the electric demo! These people are all awesome. If not for them, I would not have made this video.
Chapters:
0:00 Guitar Players Neglect Their Picks
1:09 How I Got Interested in Metal Coin Picks
2:36 1971 British 2p Tuppence Coin Pick
3:46 1974 Kennedy Half Dollar Pick
5:33 1960s Mexican Pesos Viewer Mail
8:34 Is it LEGAL to Deface Coins?
11:34 Bone and Seashell Picks (Alligator Scute & Mother of Pearl)
16:46 Dead Japanese Maple Tree
22:17 Making Picks from Japanese Maple
29:21 Acoustic Guitar Demo w/ Custom Made Picks
35:21 Electric Guitar Demo w/ Custom Made Picks
*SHOW YOUR SUPPORT*
1: Become a Member on Locals: theguitologist.locals.com
2: Donate via Paypal: paypal.me/guitologist?locale.x=en_US
3: Buy Merch: bit.ly/GuitologistMerch
4: Send in Viewer Mail. (Contact Me for details at electrictoothsyndrome@gmail.com)
5: Purchase an ad! (Rate sheets available upon request at email above.)
6: Buy something from a sponsor and tell them I sent you.
7: Stand in the middle of the street naked screaming "LONG LIVE THE GUITOLOGIST!" Then when the cops arrive, tell them about my channel.
8: SUBSCRIBE TO THE FIXOLOGIST CHANNEL: youtube.com/@fixologist1
♠RECOMMENDED BOOKS
-RCA TUBE MANUAL amzn.to/2GOBVqS
-Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass: amzn.to/2DK5tmt
-DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF TUBE AMPLIFIERS: amzn.to/2HSNMne
In this video we'll explore everything you never wanted to know about guitar picks. Do guitar picks of different types and materials sound different? Which sounds better for acoustic or electric guitar? Can you make your own guitar picks? If so, out of what? Is it LEGAL to deface or mutilate coins for use as guitar picks?
We'll make guitar picks out of British, American, and Mexican coins. We'll also make picks out of seashell and even the dead tree in my front yard! I'll show the process of making a guitar pick from beginning to end, and finally we'll demonstrate what picks of different materials sound like.
Special thanks to Stevie Lunn and Colten Bell for contributing the Mexican Peso picks and the zirconia pick used in this video! Also thanks to Andrew Smith from the Flatwoods Monster Museum for the smashed penny picks, and David Johnson of Volcano, California for the deer antler pick. Thanks to Sean and Kathy @scarmyguitar for the amazing Scarred Gauntlet guitar I used in the electric demo! These people are all awesome. If not for them, I would not have made this video.
Chapters:
0:00 Guitar Players Neglect Their Picks
1:09 How I Got Interested in Metal Coin Picks
2:36 1971 British 2p Tuppence Coin Pick
3:46 1974 Kennedy Half Dollar Pick
5:33 1960s Mexican Pesos Viewer Mail
8:34 Is it LEGAL to Deface Coins?
11:34 Bone and Seashell Picks (Alligator Scute & Mother of Pearl)
16:46 Dead Japanese Maple Tree
22:17 Making Picks from Japanese Maple
29:21 Acoustic Guitar Demo w/ Custom Made Picks
35:21 Electric Guitar Demo w/ Custom Made Picks
*SHOW YOUR SUPPORT*
1: Become a Member on Locals: theguitologist.locals.com
2: Donate via Paypal: paypal.me/guitologist?locale.x=en_US
3: Buy Merch: bit.ly/GuitologistMerch
4: Send in Viewer Mail. (Contact Me for details at electrictoothsyndrome@gmail.com)
5: Purchase an ad! (Rate sheets available upon request at email above.)
6: Buy something from a sponsor and tell them I sent you.
7: Stand in the middle of the street naked screaming "LONG LIVE THE GUITOLOGIST!" Then when the cops arrive, tell them about my channel.
8: SUBSCRIBE TO THE FIXOLOGIST CHANNEL: youtube.com/@fixologist1
♠RECOMMENDED BOOKS
-RCA TUBE MANUAL amzn.to/2GOBVqS
-Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass: amzn.to/2DK5tmt
-DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF TUBE AMPLIFIERS: amzn.to/2HSNMne
