How do guitar companies determine thicknesses for guitar picks?

Yeahh.: How do guitar companies determine thicknesses for guitar picks?
How do guitar companies determine how thick they make guitar picks? When I look at some picks they’re some random obscure number like 1.15mm or .88mm. Thanks
Yeah my favorite pick is a Dunlop nylon .88.

Answers and Views:

Answer by OnTheRock
They make them in various thicknesses because guitarists have different preferences. The “random” numbers you’re seeing are the actual thickness of the pick in millimeters (they use those to measure small distances in countries other than the US). Picks also come in various shapes and materials (plastic and nylon being the most popular). I prefer Dunlop .60mm nylon picks. I actually switch between a thinner weight pick and a medium weight pick depending on the song I’m playing as well. Some call for a lighter more sweeping strum and the lighter picks work better for that. I highly recommend the nylon picks over plastic though. Those tortoise shell plastic Fender picks are the worst. They crack and then catch on the strings. Go to a guitar store and grab a bunch of different types and try them out. When you find the kind you like best, buy a bunch (because you’ll lose them a lot). Remember to always keep one in your pocket too ’cause you never know when you’ll come across a guitar that needs playing!

Answer by Left-T …
Guitar thickness is determined by the thickness of a finger nail. Usually, you should always use a pick that is about equal to yout fingernail thickness which is roughly 1mm.

Now, these companies make thin picks which is good for strumming compared to a hard pick which has no flexibility.

Another factor to consider is the string gauge that can run from extra light to medium or heavy and you need to use the corresponding pick. The thinner the strings, the lighter the pick and vice-versa. This is a matter of preference. I use 1mm pick for speed because it isn’t too flexible. Thin picks hamper the speed considerable because they bend and don’t sprint back quick enough on fast runs.

Personally, I use 1 mm for speed or .88 Dunlops as well.