Big Stubby: The Best Guitar Pick for Shredding

Guitar players tend to have very opposing views, especially when it comes to gear. If you are looking for the best shred guitar pick you will find tons of suggestions and recommendations. But what is the best shred guitar pick? 

There is only one guitar pick you need to shred – Dunlop Big Stubby.

The best guitar pick for shredding: Dunlop Big Stubby

I can still remember when I first picked up this pick at a store. A friend had recommended it as the best guitar pick for shredding. 

Initially, it did not seem like a great option. It seemed bulky and hard to grab. While most guitar players are used to light picks, it also seemed bulky.

But boy oh boy was I wrong. I still remember the day when I first got to practice with a Dunlop Big Stubby 3mm, and it was the first time I played very fast.

While there may be many different opinions on what is the best shred guitar pick, there is only one pick you will need – Dunlop Big Stubby.

Why the Dunlop Big Stubby is the best shred guitar pick

Why is the Big Stubby the ideal shred pick? Well, you see there are a few factors that make the Dunlop Big Stubby such a great shredding pick:

• It has a more contact surface
• It’s made out of Lexan  
• Offers less friction than most regular picks
• It has a small concave and textured gripping point
• It is contoured all around
• Extremely durable
• It sounds louder than most picks
• Rounded tip
• Sturdy and solid

It has a more contact surface

The problem with most guitar picks even the thicker ones is that they offer a very small contact surface between the pick and the string. 

They have straight lines, and for that reason, they create more friction and force you to move your picking hand more to be able to alternate pick the strings.

This is one of the most fascinating things about the Big Stubby, because the pick is contoured, and it is sort of arched towards the tip. When you are trying to alternate between the string and the part near the tip of the pick sort of slides, making the movement a lot more natural.

It’s made out of Lexan  

Lexan is a patented material developed by General Electric Plastics. It might feel weird at first, but it is actually this material that makes the pick sort of slide on the strings.

Offers less friction than most regular picks

He BIg Stubby also creates less friction between hitting the string, and how it touches the pick. One of the reasons is the material used, and another one is the design of the pick with its contours.

It has a small concave and textured gripping point

While the Big Stubby is big and bulky, it has a small concave gripping area that is textured. This makes it easy to grab the pick and offers more grip than the material used on the tip of the pick.

It is contoured all around

The contour of the Big Stubby is really what makes it the best shred pick out there. It makes the strings sort of slide on the pick and makes your picking hand movement more smooth. Because of the contour, it makes it easy to attack the string at different angles, and still be able to play fast.

With regular guitar picks, your alternate movements need to be more precise to be able to shred.

Extremely durable

Another great advantage is that the Big Stubby is extremely durable. It will last you a long time before you need to replace it.

It sounds louder than most picks

Due to the weight of the pick, it makes your guitar sound louder. If you pick the strings in the same way with a regular pick and the Big Stubby you will notice it is louder, and it has a slightly different tone.

This means you don’t need to use the same force and actually helps with your speed. If you don’t need to use as much force it’s easy to move from downward to upward movements.

Rounded tip

The rounded tip on the big stubby, combined with the material and its weight also makes it easy to alternate picking from down to upward strokes.

Sturdy and solid

Another reason why the Big Stubby is such a great pick is that it does not bend like a traditional guitar pick. Just think about it, when you use a simple thin pick, it bends slightly every time you hit the strings. The bending makes it more difficult to make fast downward and upward movements with the pick.

Traditional picks end up slowing your playing with each downstroke and upstroke.

Disadvantages of the Big Stubby

Despite being the best guitar pick for shredding, the Big Stubby has some disadvantages:

• It can take some time to get used to this pick
• Grabbing the Big Stubby can be a little uncomfortable at first
• It is more expensive than most picks

It can take some time to get used to this pick

Because most guitar players are used to thin picks, it will be difficult to get used to them at first. This should not last more than a day, and you will see once you get used to playing with it, it will be easier to shred.

Grabbing the Big Stubby can be a little uncomfortable at first

Although the concave and textured part of the pick helps you to grab it, it can be uncomfortable in the beginning. This is something that goes away if you start using the Big Stubby regularly.

How to fix it: A simple way of fixing this is by cutting a small part of an adhesive bandage that has the glue. Then you can add it to the concave part of the pick. This will create a softer surface to grab. 

It is more expensive than most picks

You should also keep in mind that the Big Stubby is more expensive than most guitar picks available. However,  because it is so good and durable it is worth the extra money. Make sure you don’t lose them, although it will happen anyway.

Which Big Stubby should you buy?

Dunlop offers several variations of the Big Stubby design, although the classic purple ones (2mm and 3mm) tend to be the best. 

Big Stubby 3mm

The 3mm Big Stubby is the best for beginners by far. This is because it is bigger and it can help you a lot if you are learning how to shred. It is more arched than the 1mm and 2mm versions which will make a slight difference.

Big Stubby 2mm 

The Big Stubby 2mm is also a great choice, however, it is not as easy to shred with the 3mm as it is with the 2mm version. Ideally, you want to pick a couple of the 2mm and 3mm, and even get some of the 1mm. Start shredding with the 3mm and then you can move to the 2mm and 1mm versions later on.

Depending on your style of playing and personal preference you may also consider the nylon and jazz version. 

Conclusion

If you are learning how to shred on guitar, the Big Stubby is the best pick you can get. It will help you achieve faster playing speeds, and it will most likely become your favorite guitar pick.

The Big Stubby also makes it easy to make pinch harmonics, and to be fair it is the best guitar pick available.

Make you try some of the different versions and don’t be discouraged if it is uncomfortable at first. It will take one to two days to get used to it.