Best Glass for guitar picks?
 

What is the best glass for making guitar picks? Can effete be used? I am concerned about whether it is hard enough to avoid breaking.

As a (lapsed) guitar player, I'd feel better using boro...

I'd disagree. Boro rods snap a good bit easier than soft glass - it's harder, but more brittle, as far as I can tell. I don't know why guitar picks would be any different.

the only ones I see for sale online are boro.

Maybe Bullseye then? It's stronger than Effetre when pulled thin.

guitar picks
 

Why would you want to make guitar picks?

I would really like to know your reasoning for this.

there are thousands of glass guitar picks online.
so this isn't a new idea.

Yeah, I used to use a glass pick, loved it...

I never thought of making a guitar pick out of glass. My husband plays the guitar & I might have to make him one. Thanks for starting this thread.

There are some very nice glass guitar picks available online. Mine was a lot like the green/orange/yellow opaque pick on this website (http://anniespicks.weebly.com/gemstones-glass-etc.html), got it back in the 80's. It worked well and it's still around here somewhere.

Would love to see what you come up with, Lou!

Sharon, thanks for the link! There's a lot of fascinating information there.
I had no idea that folks use glass picks either, or that they were available in such a wide range of materials. Since I don't have a torch right now I ordered one from an Etsy artist for DH. Will be interesting to see what he thinks...

Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions....

We're a good bunch here, Lou.

Taino? I see you're new... you'll get a lot out of good info and help from this forum if you employ reasonable manners.

Welcome to the forum, both of you.

*sharon*

What kind of sound does a glass pick produce - and I'm thinking there must be a difference between an acoustic/electric - the pick would fare better on nylon strings versus wrapped wire strings.

I would lofe to see
glass slides for guitars.

Lol! Geeze... love
Thats all we need, right?

I just made a couple. Sorry for the bad picture. I snapped it with my phone. I made them with 96COE glass. Hubby used them & it does make a different sound. He likes them. Now my daughter wants me to make her friends one. I've created a monster.

So what was the difference in the sound? I have four people I could give these to for Christmas, and am going to try it.

Awesome.. I have never tried to make them and I don't play.. However, they seem cool.. Maybe someday when I grow up.

Crisper & richer from what he said. I'm going to make the next ones a little thinner. I'm still playing around & tweeking them. I don't play, so hubby's being my guinea pig.

Thanks Vivian. Interesting.

Those are really nice. And what a nice gift for the player:)

Nice idea. My brother is a cantor and his instrument of choice is guitar. I might have to make him one - and I was just fussing what to get him for Hanukkah.

Great picks Vivian! We've done ours in Effetre - DH and his band will give them a trial run before we post for sale.

Lou, thanks for starting this discussion. I just made 4 more that I like much better. I'll post pictures after they've finished annealing. These are really fun to make.

Those are nice, Vivian! Are you making them buy starting with a flattened paddle at the end of a rod? Are you using anything (like a purchased guitar pic) as a template?

wow, ok now I know what to do for my nephew! :waving:

Yes Vivian - please share you're tips if you will!

My DH is not one for jewelry, but he loves his guitars! He's also very particular about the various sounds he can get with minute variations, so a glass pick would pique his interest! I'd love to be able to make something specially for him...

(Gosh - hope I spelled everything correctly! Lol)

I used one of hubby's guitar picks as a template to get the size & shape right. I saw some different shapes online. I even saw a heart shaped one. The larger end isn't as important as the end that goes on the strings. It needs to come to a point & be really thin. The indentions help make it easier to grip, since the glass is so smooth & slick.

1) Make a blob on the end of my rod.
2) Shape the blob in to a pear shape & flattened it.
3) Make the ribbed indentions to help grip it.
4) Punty it up on a boro rod with the ibiger end/ndention part attached to the boro.
5) Heat the section attached to original rod & pull it out.
6) Then, flatten the point & smooth the whole thing out.

Here are a few more I made. Sorry for the bad picture. I'm just using my phone. I promise they look much better in person. The red/yellow one is a little wonky on one side though LOL.

Nice guitar picks. My husband is a guitar player and I tried to make him picks out of glass years ago. Some effetre, some boro. He didn't like them because he likes very thin picks and I couldn't get them thin enough. Make sure you know what kind of pick the guitar player likes. :)