What kind of guitar pick should be suitable for a beginner (in guitar)?

Question

What kind of guitar pick should be suitable for a beginner (in guitar)?

Answer 1

Most guitarists start off with a medium guage pick, though you may want to try them in any thickness you can get your hands on.  I myself prefer a nice thick one (I use Dunlop Gator Grip 2mm's), because it allows me to alternate pick with hardly any resitance from the strings (of course, I use thick strings as well, so...).  Lighter picks simply have too much give for me.  But, since you may agree or disagree with me, try any picks you can find, and keep a record of which brands, thickness, textures, etc. you like.

I started using Fender Medium Picks, usually a .73mm.  They're smooth, untextured picks that are great if you don't like rubber grips or textured plastic.  Again, I currently use Jim Dunlop Gator Grip 2mm's, which, besides being extremely thick, have a sort of gritty texture, which prevents them from slipping out of position, or worse, out of your hand.

This may seem a little shallow at first, but try finding out what sort of gear your favorite guitarists use.  I use my afformentioned Gator Grip picks, Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom strings, and Seymour Duncan SH-8 Invader pickups, all of which are used by my personal favorite guitarist, Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold.  I'm now hooked on all three, and apart from maybe the pickups, I'll probably never use anything else.  The fact of the matter is that if your favorite artist uses them, then your style is probably going to be influenced by their's, and as a result, the equipment will probably fit your style well.

If you can, try going somewhere that sells picks out of big containers, rather than individually wrapped packages (unfortunaley, this means no Guitar Center), and see what sort of features you like in your picks.  Then, you can ask the people who work there what sort of picks would be good for you.  If you end up with something that you don't like, don't be afraid to try something else.

Hope you find the right picks!  Remember that your preferences will likely change as you progress, so what you like now may not be what you'll prefer in two years.