Polygons, Circles, Rhomboids, and home plates are less manufactured these days. However, they played quite a role in yesteryear.
There are some great oddballs out there. There used to be more shapes in celluloid plectra, but now other materials see many shapes.
Over 2 dozen pick shapes used to be produces besides Polygons, Circles, Rhomboids, HomePlates, and Home Plates, back 100 years ago. They compensated for not having other materials by offering 2 dozen shapes when only Hawksbill Turtles and Celluloid existed.
If we look at each type, we can delve into their qualities, for instance, Polygons from years gone by.
Polygons are not made much now. Fact is, few are produced, but there are star shaped flower-like plectra. Although rare, there are Propeller Picks. They offer three different gauge tips, great for that fast picker who goes back to hybrid strumming while singing:
Such a pick, and it’s predecessors are more rare among all the types that include Polygons, Circles, Rhomboids, HomePlates, and Home Plates. I don’t yet have good photos of other Poly shapes nor have I tried any of them yet. I’m hoping that over the next few years I get ahold of some so I can write about them from experience.
Now, at the other end of the spectrum of the Polygons, Circles, Rhomboids, HomePlates, and Home Plates we can discover various types of circles.
Circle shaped picks exist, consider coins such as what Queen’s Professor Brian May uses. He liked coins so much, when he and his father built his signature guitar, they buried a 3 Pence inside it.
A small coin might be hard to hold, but it lends itself to a rolled off release. It gives a signature sound that can have a reduced OR enhanced attack yet sharp tone. Even a squeal much like how some glassy picks sound that we discuss in the materials section.
In these modern times, coins are refashioned to have tips:
Such picks might be more of a challenge for speed picking, but in a pro’s hands, the impossible still happens!
That isn’t the end of it (by the way, I own and will review some coin picks at some point in the reviews blog. More recently, but no longer manufactured, are another circle type pick:
Ever put off getting ’round to-it? Here is a pick from my review section that used to be made, I have 2 of them:
I told the maker that I was very sad they are no longer being produced. Read my review and you can judge yourself if they should make a come-back. Tone is very rolled off (see what I did there?) is just one of the qualties of such picks.
The Japanese Koto Use picks like this. Of the Polygons, Circles, Rhomboids, HomePlates, and Home Plates
Along with fingerpicks, they work very comfortably with a strongly pluck-like movement. You might not witness them used by a lead guitarist, but who knows what some people will try, true? These are currently only vintage instruments of their own right. They tend to be flappy and not so accurate, but in the right stringed instrument, they might see purpose.
Oblong picks work well as some triangle picks for instruments that sit at right angles to the player. These oblong picks are used for Instruments such as lap and table instruments. They also, long ovals, are useful for instruments at right angles or small stringed instruments.
The above Trapezoid is a Vintage shape that might be hard to find. Most users use the tip in a forward position for more attack. Holding the pick in the reverse yields a rolled off tone.
There are also 5 sided and 6 sided polygonal shapes Among the Polygons, Circles, Rhomboids, HomePlates, and Home Plates . Their existence has more to do with personal taste and style than any standard concept.
5 sided picks are often called “home-plate” picks. I’ve surprised myself with the comfort of how they feel in the hands, it’s not all gimmick. I wouldn’t have believed it had I not tried it, this pick is both precise and holds in the hands pretty well. I have a few others, the above model in yellow is a vintage I got.
An oblong octagon is preferable because you have different tips to play with, but it’s mostly a matter of special taste.
The pictured home-plate pick is celluloid and is vintage, solid color celluloid picks are uncommon now.
There used to be perhaps two dozen non-351 shaped rounds and polygons. The material is what differs more often nowadays.
There are still some 367 style picks. I hope to get some and add to the site about there, both here and in the Reviews Blog.
Well, that’s it for shapes for now! If you’d like, you can go on to the Materials Section here. Oh yeah, and by the way, there is a conical chisel style pick I review here, also. Check them out, they are a really modern take on odd shaped and innovative plectra.
So what unusual plectra do you have and want discussed? Do you have photos to share? Make a comment here:
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