The Plectrum - how to make a custom Kirinite guitar pick by hand

[@froggore52]

Me: Oh he's making a plectrum. No super glue and masking tape trick in this video! Ben: Hold my jeweler's saw

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Made me lol. Thanks. B

[@andrewdahl6320]

@@CrimsonCustomGuitars what is the multitool that you used?

[@michaelmoore7975]

I work at a company that makes precision custom CNC thermoplastics and fluoropolymers for energy, cryogenic and petrochemical industries. Materials we use are PEEK, UHMV, Acetal, Delrin, PVC, Torlon, Rulon, Ryton, Tefzel, Phenolic, Nylon, Nylatron. Also virgin, bronze, glass, moly, carbon and graphite TFE. I've made guitar picks from most all of these. And I gotta say, Delrin by far makes a fantastic pick; super long lasting, and good sounding. Tonally it's no different than most plastic picks; not too bright or dull. I grind the profile to an extended taper for a slightly flexible tip that won't break but still feels pretty stiff.

[@harrysaunders6180]

Thank you for that tip (no pun intended.) I have some Delrin somewhere. I must dig it out and try it.

[@A.J.K87]

Doesn't dunlop make it's thickest plectrums out of delrin as well?

[@michaelmoore7975]

@@A.J.K87 I believe so. About a year ago I made this same comment on the Guitologist channel and someone commented about a company that makes picks from Delrin. Even when I made my 1st pick almost 20 yrs. ago, it was such a good material I figured *somebody* had to have already discovered the same thing. I imagined the 1st Delrin ever created some scientist said, "Hey, I could make a pick outta that." lol

[@mickdebergerac1143]

" I grind the profile to an extended taper for a slightly flexible tip that won't break but still feels pretty stiff" Oo er steady on mate....LOL

[@michaelmoore7975]

@@mickdebergerac1143 HAHAHA!! Well, when you read it *that* way..... I guess I was subconsciously reminiscing of days gone by...LOL

[@stevetommasi4029]

Hi, I'm Steve, the inventor of the pick you like so much and owner of Essetipicks ... Congratulations man, you made a nice version of the Easy model .. 👍😃 I still do many in a handmade version .. The material you used looks a lot like what I use, and which I know is rare enough to find .. I use Galalith

[@sashabagdasarow497]

I just checked your picks and they are way too thick for me. They are also pretty expensive, why that price?

[@GySgt_USMC_Ret.]

Wow! I couldn't have picked a better video to watch with a fresh cup! I've tried many different types of picks, but always come back to a Dunlop Nylon .60mm. Have a great weekend everyone!

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

We always look for a better one but, well.. habits are hard to change! B

[@jeremiahbeck3292]

You should make more DIY picks like this from different materials. Then test them out. Super good craftsmanship keep it up

[@zeolite2]

New work holding "foolproof" method. Superglue it to your fingers!

[@kmcclinton71]

superglue and masking tape... "leaves less residue"

[@TheStupidMonkey007]

Everytime I get a new notification and see what new video you have made, I am amazed at not only the ideas, but your dexterity (except for dropping the pick (lol)). The cuts and shaping you do free hand is incredible! Keep up all the great videos and content.All the best to you and your team Ben.

[@azulchamoy]

damn i didn’t know skurge from thor ragnorok made guitars

[@fatherstalin1727]

I was thinking the same thing

[@quima5844]

How else did he afford his stuff

[@bobby9727]

Take a shot everytime Ben drops the pick Lol.Very cool Ben,even your picks are a work of Art.

[@bluzshadez]

Dude, You are awesome! I can only make plectrums from Credit Cards using a PICK PUNCH. LOL!

[@JuishHHIT]

It’s always exciting to see a counter pop up in the corner, great visual foreshadow for future fun to ensue.

[@keesketsers5866]

I can just see it : Ben playing a John Mayer PRS on the PRS stand and saying "Man, I looooooove this..........plectrum". Would have loved to see the PRS guy's face at that moment hahaha!

[@DragonofLimerick]

Very cool! It has probably been 45 years since I made a plectrum for myself!!

[@emersonvieira2533]

Exactly like a prescious jewel!!!Give to me to my birthday present please???hahaha.. Great job man and,congrats from Brazil!!

[@cx019]

i make plectrums myself as a hobby. so far i used acrylic and makrolon. putting masking tape on the material to draw the shape on helps a lot. then i saw out the rough shape with a bandsaw and shape the plectrum with a disc sander to taste. after shaping i use 400 grit sandpaper to soften the edges. most of the time i skip polishing, because i like the matte look. my favourite plecs have between 6 and 8 mm. first i mimicked the gravity picks, but invented shapes for myself. :)

[@parttroll1]

Sure beats my picks punched out from a loyalty card!

[@troublingleaf]

That's cool, I might have to try it. Pick gauges an on and off thing with me, I go through phases where I'll only use really chunky picks, but then a few months later I'll lose it and start playing with a .88 or 1mm and they feel so much better for a while until inevitably I get bored and want a good manly pick again!

[@yetimatzenightcat8702]

Me too

[@mykhough6614]

Me: Nothing from Crimson today. I'll get on with making some picks. Computer: Ping!!! Spooky or what? I picked up some off-cuts of Keruing yesterday from a reclamation site and one piece just cried out to be made into picks. My method is slightly different. I sand the wood first then cut out the shapes. I have a home-made hand vice to hold the picks while I bevel and smooth the edges with various sanding sticks. I've given myself too many accidental manicures holding the picks in my fingers and I am much less likely to drop them! I'm going to finish some of them with Crimson Finishing Oil and some with Melamine lacquer. Another coincidence is that I've just bought some skip-tooth blades for my jeweller's saw (from The Vintage Toolshop) and I'm loving them.

[@JbfMusicGuitar]

Amazing craftsmanship, as always. Can't deny the temptation to make (some likely horrendously awful) diy picks!

[@peterfredrickmeyer]

Hey Ben i have using deer antler for my pick material and loving it !! ps. No deer were harmed,, found antler in the woods

[@TheAlanSaunders]

I used to live in the middle of a forest/woods in southern England with many Roe and Fallow deer but in twenty years of daily walks I was disappointed never to find shed antlers. The deer came right up to the house and decimated our apple trees and beech hedge. I had a plan to make a 'one way fence' so they would be trapped in our two thirds of an acre - I like venison! I wonder if antler would make a good nut or acoustic saddle?

[@nicktubby3768]

Alan Saunders - definitely make good nuts

[@Southernguitar74]

I never thought about antler. I have boxes full of them, literally, from years of collecting. I use antler for many things. Now I will be making an antler pick...Perhaps many of them! Thanks

[@joebikeguy6669]

Jazz guitarists are quite fond of the thick pick. They believe, and I think it is true, that it produces a fuller "jazzier" tone. I think the material it is made from also is part of the produced/perceived tone. Cheers!

[@jimbullock4833]

I have sheets of that exact same material!!! No way haha. Made myself a few chonky 7mm ones a year ago but after watching this I'm gna have have a go at some different designs 😁 Made mine with a dremel to get the base shape and a pack of the multi sided nail files from b&m to bevel it down then sanded and polished it smooth using wet sanding 😁 super fun way to kill some time on a weekend.

[@modergav]

What is this material? Celuloid?

[@dalebodmer]

Always a time watching what you are up to, ben. Phil McKnight gave you some great recommendations on his live Q&A broadcast yesterday!

[@zrxdoug]

Try delrin..stuff wears forever and works pretty easily. Not as pretty though.. 😁 I do the central "divot" by drilling a pilot hole and following that with a depth-stopped countersink bit. The thru-hole makes polishing on a full size wheel a lot easier..you can pass a bit of shoelace thru to make a holder/lanyard to keep from launching the pick into low earth orbit

[@retrovirusjet6244]

Hi Ben, i made make plectrum too, how i laugh when i see you dropping the thing.... it happend to me a thounsan times. My current record is a 20 m launch ! when polishing the pick..... :D. Very very good channel by the way.

[@Rooonga]

Hey Ben. I think you should use the superglue and finger trick on plectrums. Maybe you’ll drop them less 😂

[@jojjeja9371]

Love this guy, funny and kind.

[@shoetree]

I carved out a mold in rubber, in the lab where I worked, and used left over epoxy resin from processing biopsies to make my own plectrums. They sound and feel great, but are pretty brittle so you have to make them pretty thick, which I prefer anyway.

[@EricMLopez]

Try polyester resin. It's better for picks than epoxy resins

[@creamore]

1:56 gives a whole new meaning to hand sanding...

[@themicdfiles1865]

I make my own picks with hardwood fall down from my shop. I lay the wood down in a way that leaves the hardwood as the top of the pick, then pour epoxy over the entire mold. Using a caliper and my bench grinder I take them to different thickness, and they are amazing tools. I also have acquired a tile saw and I’ve found piles of dinosaur bone, so that is my next project. I’d trade you a couple of your picks for a couple of mine. Your guitars are insane, btw! You do some incredible work!

[@tomparnell4718]

You need bigger balls! 😁 had a similar problem on a different project and used a bigger abrasive ball. Came out very neat. Great work as always!

[@rosejuliette9180]

I love making plectrums. i'm always making them out of various things i find. My favourite one so far I made out of a piece of Whitby Jet I found on the beach. I later found out that it's a fairly expensive material xD. Very nice though.

[@fordcomets]

It looks beautiful, I'd love to see it used in an inlay, but wonder how well it would hold up

[@bertrandmajorik6589]

DAMM YOU !!! not even started the video, i'm shopping for some Kirinite, WRRRRAAAAHHHHH........

[@seanbarker6478]

I made one out of coconut shell a few years ago, the natural curve gave a nice thumb grip. Very deep and woody sounding though!

[@Keith_KC8TCQ]

Saturday drinking game, every time Ben drops the plectrum, drink an Irish Cofffee

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Atleast there's coffee!

[@Keith_KC8TCQ]

@@CrimsonCustomGuitars well of course there is coffee. What do you take me for?

[@Markknightexeter]

I can see quite a few strings snapping from this beast

[@rikfroschauer1743]

I used to make mine outta different wood veneers, a hole in the center for grip and for different thickness I would glue 2 or 3 plys together

[@billkaroly]

It's like you're back in the Stone age making Flint arrowheads.

[@JasonTAho]

With a Dremel and files and such? I bet the cavemen would have loved a Dremel

[@mortwally3510]

Nothing wrong with that I hunt Whitetail deer with a long bowl and flint arrowheads🎸🎼😎🍺🦌🇺🇸🇱🇹

[@billkaroly]

I think making a guitar pick is super of like making Flint arrowheads. Both are cool. One is easier.

[@distantsunrising]

You are BRILLIANT✨ Sir.!!! I really enjoyed Your Episode. Stor Suksuss Grand Success to Ye Mó Chridhe🌅 Love from Texas

[@glennwhitlock1272]

oOo. I want one, please, Ben. I only use Gravity picks and some of them have the rough beveled edges, which is nice for a crisp sound. Nice demo, btw. Would also like a lock-in one weekend so that I could play all those guitars on the office wall.

[@El_Croc]

Kirinite, learned something Thanks. Tip: Try holding the rasp/file upside down and moving the workpiece instead when shaping small objects.

[@joepolygraph]

Get yourself a 3d printer, and you can make picks with the Crimson logo in the middle. Recessed textured groves and all. Best part, once you get the design down, you can program the printer to make about 25 at a time, and in various gauges

[@x9x9x9x9x9]

You do enough hand work with the dremel I think you'd benefit from a flex shaft grinder. You get more speed and power than a dremel and in a lighter hand piece. I have heard mixed things about foredom flex shaft grinders but haven't used one. I have one of the cheap chinese ones (bought from harbor freight in the Us) and it works great. I have multiple hand pieces that I swap out for changing bits quickly between cutting, sanding/wire brushing, and polishing. The only down side to the cheap one is needing a chuck key to change bits but that can be fixed easily. It was just cheaper for me at the time to buy replacement hand pieces for $8 each.

[@robertsparkman8516]

Good choice going for the Dremel, if you had used the bench grinder pick drop three would have delivered it to me in Ohio.

[@Forest_Fifer]

4:22 - Teeth. On. Edge. Dropped plectrum counter - genius

[@gregmartin1757]

Nice pick or plectrum as you call em in the uk. Seems like a great deal of work for something you can buy very inexpensively but i suppose it is still a worthy endeavor to experience the satisfaction of crafting one yourself.

[@camerontgore]

Up vote for the slow-mo drop cut!

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Jordan and Talitha are doing really good work these days! B

[@DidierSampaolo]

Yeah, the masking tape and superglue trick! :D

[@toppertruthio]

This video made me imagine you making a guitar out of layers of denim,and epoxy resin..........Cmon bad boy.....you can do it

[@wanderingcalamity360]

That's pretty awesome. Doing that it off stabilized wood or bone ought to be interesting.

[@TwistedStrummer]

Gorgeous

[@Ochatach]

Looks very similar in material to the 60 year anniversary plektrums from Fender released back in 2006, still got some of those and they're beatiful but bought too heavy ones for my usual playstyle

[@RetroPlus]

That looks beautiful, i love the look of that material.

[@daisysophia1748]

I want to quit my job and just learn how to use everything in that workshop 😂

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

We would love to teach you.. maybe wait till after covid though? B

[@rofertpomendia1388]

Me too🙏🥰

[@zrxdoug]

You've inspired me to create a plectrum which enables me to play a whole song without dropping it.. My only question is, should the superglue go on the thumb, the forefinger, or both? 😂

[@jonpomerance-trifts6113]

Doesn't matter, but if you want to play fast, don't forget the accelerator! ;)

[@bkbinj6320]

Superglue on forefinger, accelerator on thumb

[@0nLyCh4oS]

For me the equivalent to the superglue-masking tape trick for irregular shapes is hot glue and using alcohol for removal (not as easy as with masking tape, but you can peel it off in one piece after soaking it in alcohol)

[@DavidGlendinning]

Nice work! This colour would be cool for some inlay work (the Crimson logo, perhaps?) or a (really thick) pickguard.

[@charlesharper7292]

Very nice! Very thick. Probably three times as thick as my heavy store bought generic picks...

[@tomheynemann8768]

No custom 6 hour super-elaborate custom plectrum build? Who are you and what have you done with Ben?

[@michaelogden5958]

I've never played with a pick (plectrum) that thick. However, to each his/her own! Cheers!

[@MrAlexandreRocha]

Thick picks like this one sound great on bass and work really well with jazz players and even sweep picking players, like Frank Gambale

[@scottr.hampton2474]

Ben! Can light pass through Kirinite? Crazy idea about lit inlays. Yes, I have no idea why I'm so hooked on... lights. I'm looking for someone to tell me if I can hook a small Aduino board to pick ups, then use the signals to light different LED inlets in the body, maybe also the neck of a guitar! Brain cells on overload!

[@EricMLopez]

You can somewhat see through most colors if the material is sufficiently thin, but for these types of thicknesses, a regular LED wouldn't penetrate very well

[@piemmetubo]

Great video. Thanks! Personally I prefer picks of wood, that I make by myself. My favorite woods are oak, olive, mahogany and durmast.

[@Mizai]

Thats a nice pick

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

thank you.. B

[@danielswine536]

Picks!?! We wanna see the 2020 custom case build! BTW my mum (73) thought the Crimson Guitars Tshirt I have is cool. My love of metal not so much...

[@Puerto_Rico_Law21]

Bass plectrum. Looks heavy. Nice job.

[@peterlinley6520]

Back in my youth/ broke student days I used old bank cards. You could get three or four Pics out of an old card. Bit too soft but they did the job.

[@Synard66]

Wow sure did have to PICK that up a lot.

[@ianb4801]

If a plectrum is too light to bruise your foot when you drop it (the plectrum, not the foot), then the plectrum is too thin!

[@jaydenstramel562]

Rob Scallon uses giant picks from Purple Plectrums, this one almost looks normal in size compared to those

[@RisiRajGuha]

looks line Skurge did survive Ragnarok, now he is into guitar now.

[@J__C__]

The ragnarok references are really getting old at this point 👎

[@RisiRajGuha]

@@J__C__ 😜 i thought i was the only one notices any resemblance.

[@sid35gb]

A plectrum is not a plectrum until it’s been dropped into the void 😎

[@CrinosAD]

Now Ben.... Only thing left to do with that plectrum, is to drill a tiny hole in it, and attach a wrist band to it... Since you've become to old to bend down all the time when you drop it. :D

[@StoneShards]

...at the very bottom of all my todo lists...hehehe

[@TheScubaboy56]

Back on the Planet Ocean !

[@Robert-ww7gz]

A purple heart or black palm pick would be nice.

[@azbababooey]

Do you have the antique centrifuge to start a new project? The 12 hr blood guitar? 😂

[@vk2ktm]

would the centrifuge help separate the drops from the butter fingers?

[@pavannippani7680]

this is the first time i heard him play a guitar...... and he is good....what do ya know...

[@paulhcan]

Maybe use the material for Truss Rod covers.

[@J__C__]

Are stiff picks better than floppy ones? Someone recommended that I use a floppy/bendable pick as a beginner. Why is that? And why would one want such a thick pick(plectrum)?

[@albertodalmaso8896]

Hey Ben can i ask you how to repair fret slot that are cut too Wide from the factory ? I've bought 2 SX brand strat. With maple neck and rosewood fingerboard and in both there is almost 75% of the fret pulling out from the slot After 2 month seating on a "Proel" stand and normal playing

[@vk2ktm]

what would it do to feel and playability if you deepened the detent - until it made a small hole in the middle?

[@zarancorde]

I wonder if it would work as an interesting fret board inlay material... the colors I have found for Kirinite are amazing

[@EricMLopez]

It's somewhat more durable than wood, so it would work well for fretboard inlays

[@yetimatzenightcat8702]

This pick looks beautiful I never thought that you can do these yourself :--) My picks always make such a curve. If they are new i always have to play the outline on them, then they are great for a while and then they get worse again. Then i cut them with a scissor and everything starts again until almost nothing is left. If the pleck is very thick, it will take a very long time to get the right shape. I would need softer ot thinner material.If i were a pleck producer, people could send me their favorite used pick. Then you could scan the contour at the edge with laser and than you can make with this data new plecks. So every customer would get an optimal new pleck Sorry for my ornitology

[@chrisjs6123]

I use Wegen picks. Hand made but no idea what from. They sound good, last forever and force you into using better technique. Having watched you make this one i understand why the Wegen picks are so expensive.

[@Eo_Tunun]

I used to make plecs out off old freeware CD-Roms. They were rather crappy, to be honest. Took more time to make than to wear out. What with the size of that pick, what was your plan? Play guitar or propel a boat with it? ^^)

[@joshstarkey8883]

As to the size, I'm a bassist and that looks like something I would use. Some lead shredder guys like ones like that too, for the precision and control. I made a pick out of some 1/4 inch acrylic. I don't use picks much anymore, but yeah, when you're trying to get a good sharp attack out of a bass string, you're fighting the ≈40lbs of tension plus the tendency of the pick to slip off the fat round shape of the string before you get a good pluck. It helps to have something totally inflexible and big enough to hold onto without it moving, even as you drive it through the strings with the weight of your arm.

[@joshstarkey8883]

I don't really recommend regular old acrylic like I had by the way, the sharp edge wears down pretty quickly

[@dreamzsmith3753]

Hi Ben keep smiling God bless you

[@Eo_Tunun]

@@joshstarkey8883 I guess Teflon might be a good choice there.

[@joshstarkey8883]

@@Eo_Tunun Teflon is tough but also fairly flexible I think. I'd be curious about HDPE, the stuff in cutting boards and longboarders' slide glove pucks.

[@MisterJWJ71]

How is the material holding up? I love the pattern of colors and it looks great after you polished it. My pick making is not as advanced. I use a Pick Punch and make picks from various plastic items that would otherwise go in the trash or recycling bin (like the lids to peanut butter jars). I use to cut them out manually using my Dremel but when I got a Pick Punch I got back into the weird hobby of making picks which I had left for several years. Even with the Pick Punch I still do the final shaping and sanding by hand.

[@tomholton235]

I have a feeling he was hoping you would fall in love with the guitar he was selling 😂 I’ll have to check out some new pick shapes, not sure if jazz 3s are actually the best for me or I’m just used to them

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

There are multiple types of Jazz III. The black ones are grippier and flex less. The Ultex ones are very hard. My favorites are the Tortex Pitch Black ones. They are not as hard as the red ones, but they feel better for me. There's also the Planet Waves Black Ice, which is similar to the Pitch Black, but slightly larger.

[@malcolmgray1227]

That's an awfully thick one you've got in your hand there Ben!

[@timcarter1164]

I have made several guitar picks out of multiple materials. If I had a dollar for everytime I dropped a pic, or shot one across the room with the power tool I was using, I would be independently wealthy.

[@stuartgrier5605]

Nice pick, but I also use white sharkfins, I have never liked thicker picks, i don't know why. As I am not fully convinced, can you make me one and i will give you my honest, unbiased, opinion. Cheers

[@bluzshadez]

Wow! That is a thick one! What is the gauge of your plectrum?

[@superbersyt]

Hi guys! I really enjoyed this video but I'm patiently waiting for the guitar case for the 2020 build! Though this comment isn't very patient, is it?

[@andrewhorne7443]

"just call me mr. Butter fingers", c'mon Ben, what's this old school movie reference?

[@Keith_KC8TCQ]

One of my all time fave cult movies Joe Early and his table saw

[@kerodanalduin3719]

So, what do YOU plan to do with that blood centrifuge?

[@WibblyWobblyBob]

What's kirinite precious?

[@Danger_Noodle_Pliskin]

I see old tool racks in the background, holding this one back?

[@ultraorange1]

Yup I’m guessing the shop reorganization means They are drawing on some back up videos. I hope Ben gets on with it because I wanted to see him make a case.

[@craigfish7890]

Looks great, had to laugh at you dropping it, I make a lot of bone nuts by hand and am constantly dropping them.

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

It's a constant problem.. until the edit pointed it out I had forgotten just how often this happens.. ie, all the bloody time! B

[@isaacalexander3103]

im just curious, but about how much kirinte would it take to make custom inlays for a guitar? and approximately how much would that cost me

[@HerrRabe_zaubert]

Looks great. Is there anywhere tamplats for plactrums?