Paul Gilbert's New Signature Picks Are 0.50mm-Gauge

Paul Gilbert
(Image credit: Jason Quigley)

Paul Gilbert is busy prepping the release of his upcoming 16th solo studio album, Werewolves Of Portland.

Back in March – upon his announcement of the album – Gilbert premiered its first single, "Argument About Pie," the music video for which, it turns out, inspired some unique signature guitar picks from the maestro's friends at Jim Dunlop.

“Tortex has crafted some 'Pie Baby'' picks from some of my drawings from the 'Argument About Pie' video," Gilbert wrote of the picks on Instagram. ".050mm has my favorite tone and thwap.”

Gilbert first revealed his affinity for (much) thinner picks in an interview with Ultimate Guitar last summer, citing the fact that he kept running out of heavier picks as the original catalyst for the switch.

"What actually happened was that I ran out of heavy ones," Gilbert said. "I had a box of heavy-gauge picks and I ran out of those, so I went a step lighter, and I ran out of those, so I started using the thin ones. 

"Pick scrapes are so ferocious on a thin pick – that in itself almost makes it worth it. That, and the more I got used to it, the more I found myself strumming acoustic-style through the solos.

"Kind of like when Hendrix would do 'Killing Floor.' There are solos going on but he's not picking individual strings, he's just banging away. So thin picks are good for that stuff."

Jackson Maxwell
Associate Editor, GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com

Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.