Since rejoining the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1998, John has been using orange Dunlop Tortex picks with a 0.60mm thickness. According to his guitar tech, Dave Lee, Dunlop once approached John about creating a custom design for his picks. Initially, John felt that having a personalized design was a bit excessive for his taste. However, they eventually agreed on a custom design (see photo below).
For picks, John uses Jim Dunlop .60mm. They’re the orange ones. There’s a funny story attached to these picks. The guy that makes them was asking if John wanted a personalized one and John felt kind of funny about that, kind of like it was a little too rockstar-ish, y’know? So when we were in South America we were in an airport and this kid freaked out about the band and then he looked at me and said, You are Dave Lee, guy of John. The story got back to the pick maker guy and he had some picks made up with that on.
Guitarist (UK), June 2003 – Universally Speaking
The 0.60mm Tortex picks strike a balance between flexibility and control, offering a softer attack compared to thicker picks. This lighter touch can produce a warmer, more dynamic tone, which suits John’s style perfectly.
In any case, if you want to dive deeper into guitar picks and how they can affect your tone and playing style, check out our article on Best Guitar Picks.
Didn’t realise this was even the pick he used until now- I use it all the time and he’s one of my fav guitarists!