Making guitar picks from materials like buffalo horn, bone, or fossilized ivory is a simple and rewarding task which can bring about great results in a musician’s playing. Each material offers its own patterns, feel, and tone. The only tools needed for the task are a handsaw, files, and sandpaper.
Finding Guitar Pick Blanks
The first step is to settle on the material to be shaped into a guitar pick. Bone, horn, and fossilized wooly mammoth ivory are all unique options that add character to a guitar pick. Each material has a slightly different density and consequently will bring out a different voice in each instrument.
Most often, hobbyists purchase guitar pick blanks from a supplier rather than cutting the material themselves. Blanks for items as small as plectra are very affordable.
Cutting a Bone or Fossilized Ivory Guitar Pick
Blanks for guitar picks will usually come as thin slabs of bone, horn, or fossilized ivory. Musicians can use a pencil to trace the pick shape they’re after directly onto the material.
Next, musicians will need to cut along the outside of their line, being mindful to leave excess for finishing. A jeweler’s saw works well for this step. The blank can be clamped to the work surface with a C-clamp. If the material is extremely thin or brittle, musicians may wish to first glue it to a plywood or cardboard backing.
Finishing Fossilized Ivory and Bone Guitar Picks
Once the rough shape is cut, the plectrum will need to be smoothed and the edges beveled. This can be accomplished with a hand file and finished with sandpaper. It’s a good idea to wear safety goggles and a dust mask during this process.
Musicians can use a fine flat file to complete shaping and smoothing of the guitar pick’s edges. Once the guitar pick has been filed into shape, musicians can sand it down to the desired thickness.
To decrease the plectrum’s thickness, musicians can lay a coarse piece of sand paper on a flat surface and rub in circular motions. Musicians can sand alternate sides of the guitar pick until it becomes the thickness they enjoy playing with. Now the edges should be beveled in a gentle curve with the hand file.
Musicians can begin finishing the pick with a wet/dry sandpaper between 120 and 180 grit. They should follow this with a wet/dry sandpaper between 220 and 240 grit. This can be perfected with a used or worn out piece of the same fine grit sandpaper. Wet sanding is not recommended because water could damage the material.
The final finishing should be done with 0000 steel wool. This is the finest grain available and can be asked for as four aught steel wool.
Polishing a Bone, Fossilized Ivory, or Horn Guitar Plectrum
Polishing can be easily achieved with paste wax and a felt wheel on a dremel, but the pick should not become too hot or it may crack. To hand polish the picks, use paste wax and a piece of cloth.
Once the guitar pick has been shaped, finished, and polished, all that remains is sealing. A clear coat of shellac will protect the plectrum over time.
In related articles, players can:
- Learn how to make their own plastic guitar picks from casein.
- Discover guidelines for selecting the best guitar pick based on style of playing and personal preference.
- Learn how the thickness of a guitar plectrum affects its tone,
- Explore the materials used to make guitar picks and the unique voice each offers.
- Read about the various shapes of guitar picks to find which works best for them.
Marcy Paulson - From the moment Marcy Paulson picked up a recorder in fourth grade music class, she was hooked. Since then, her passion for music has ...
