Last Updated on July 10, 2023 by Justin
Believe it or not, Stone guitar picks have been around for a long time. However, they have recently become quite a popular topic of concern when it comes to the world of guitar picks.
Some guitar players seem to swear by stone plectrums whilst others stay far away from them. It all comes down to preference and what you as a guitar player like to feel and hear among other factors.
I’ll be answering some key questions regarding stone guitar picks as well as reviewing some of the best stone guitar picks below.
1) StoneWorks | 2) Timber Tones | 3) Strum-N-Comfort | 4) Pickboy Exotic | 5) Onyx Gem |
Top Choice | Best Variety | Best for Beginners | Smallest | Lifetime Warranty |
What Do Stone Guitar Picks Sound Like?
It is often said that using stone guitar picks will add life to the tone and sound of your guitar. The reason for this is that the strings become more resonant and vibrate a lot more than other synthetic materials.
I tend to agree that stone picks add life to the sound however, I feel that this only applies to using stone plectrums on acoustic guitars.
With electric guitars, the sound is amplified and often affected by pedals so the true resonant and lively sound of the guitar pick will most likely get lost when using them on electrics.
When it comes to the use of synthetic materials for guitar picks like popular Delrin and celluloid, it is often agreed that these plastics tend to dull the strings in comparison to stone guitar picks.
It is important to note that each specific stone material will have its own unique sound and tone but for the most part, stone guitar picks will have the same tonal characteristics. When it comes to using stone as a bass pick, the same principle applies.
How Does Stone Guitar Picks Feel to Play?
When using stone plectrums, it definitely feels like the pick is able to glide a lot easier as well as smoother. This results in a lot less friction when picking or strumming.
However, due to the thickness and nature of the stone, they offer very little flexibility. The lack of flexibility leads me to believe that stone guitar picks are better suited for lead and articulate playing as opposed to strumming.
Will Stone Plectrums Damage my Guitar and Strings?
This is a tough question to answer however I tend to believe that the stone picks can cause damage to the guitar and strings only if they are used to strum hard.
With that in mind, I do not believe that is what stone guitar picks were intended for. As I mentioned above, I believe stone guitar picks should be used for lead playing and light strumming. With that being said, any guitar pick can cause damage to your strings and guitar if you strum hard enough and consistently.
But that is what the pickguard was designed for. Luckily, nowadays there are transparent pickguards for those who don’t like the look of them.
1) StoneWorks Handmade Stone Guitar Pick
These stone guitar picks by StoneWorks are handmade by the owner himself and are a great choice for those who have never used stone guitar picks before.
Usually, stone picks are exceptionally thick but you can get these as thin as 1.5mm which for a stone guitar pick is considered thin. They are designed to be almost frictionless as a stone guitar pick should be.
- Shape: choice between Jazz shape or Standard teardrop
- Gauges: 1.5mm/2.0mm/2.5mm/3.5mm
- Type of stone: Agate and Jasper
See the video below which demonstrates the Stoneworks guitar picks.
2) Timber Tones STO-MT-4 Guitar Picks
These exact Timber Tones stone guitar picks are part of our list of cool guitar picks. They’re a good choice for those who are not sure which type of stone guitar pick to buy as they come with four different types of stone guitar picks.
They are supposed to be designed for electric guitars but I feel they perform and sound best on acoustic guitars.
- Types of Stone: Jasper, Jade, Malachite & “Blue Dragon Skin”
- Gauge: 2.5mm, however, gets thinner the closer it gets to the tip which is around 0.7mm.
- Sound: a very unique and warm tone that these produce
You get 4 picks in this variety pack which allows you to try out different types of stones.
3) Strum-N-Comfort Dove Magic Stone Amber Agate Heart
This is not only a great stone guitar pick but is also great for beginner guitar players as it helps improve and strengthen picking technique.
With that being said, these stone guitar picks by Strum-N-Comfort are a great choice for guitar players of all levels.
It has been designed with an oddly shaped tip that is essentially hooked but this is a good thing as it is meant to make picking easier. They’re quite a thick and heavy guitar pick but produce a wonderfully unique sound that cannot be explained in words.
At first glance, one might think this is a triangle pick but it in fact only has one tip as the other two are too rounded to be used for picking or strumming.
They’re made from agate stone and come with a beautiful engraving that also doubles up as a grip. If you’d like to read more about this pick, I have reviewed it on my best guitar picks list of all time.
4) Pickboy Teardrop Stone Pick
This PickBoy guitar pick made from stone is a very wide-shaped teardrop/jazz plectrum.
They’re very thin which allows you to play much faster. And, with an almost frictionless feel. Due to the shape and size of this PickBoy stone guitar pick, you’re able to get closer to the strings with your fingers which for guitar players like me, allows me to play much faster. Especially for picking.
You can get this PickBoy stone plectrum in amber, green and black.
5) Onyx Gemstone Guitar Picks – Unique & custom
These Onyx picks are some of the highest-quality stone guitar picks out there that come with a lifetime warranty. This is a really good thing. Because some stone picks like the ones featured below are susceptible to breaking if they drop on the floor.
The Onyx pick is a regular shape however it has a slightly rounded tip than most regular-shaped guitar picks. They also happen to be handmade as well as polished to achieve a smooth slide/glide over the guitar strings.
Concluding the Best Stone Guitar Picks
To some stone guitar picks are a novelty item whilst others use these as their first choice of a guitar pick.
Whatever the case may be, stone guitar picks to produce a very unique sound so if you’re chasing that specific tone or looking for a different sound then I highly recommend giving the stone guitar picks recommended in the list above, a good try as you’ll most probably be very pleasantly surprised at the tone.
You can use these on electric guitars but I always maintain that these really shine when used on acoustic guitars.
Hey, fellow guitar mate! I’m Justin, I have been a professional guitarist since 2012. I have traveled the world playing on different stages alongside some of the best indie bands, at some of the biggest music festivals in the world. As a result, I’ve played lots of different guitar gear. Instead of keeping that knowledge to myself, I have set up this site to share my honest reviews of various guitar gear. But most notably, my love for guitar picks.