Dunlop Tortex Standard
0.60 mm orange, 12 pack
The Delrin pick that replaced tortoiseshell, in the gauge most people settle on
Under $15
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The short version
Tortex exists because real tortoiseshell was banned in 1973 and nothing else felt like it. Delrin is the answer Dunlop landed on: a plastic with a matte, slightly powdery surface that grips a dry hand without any texture cut into it, and enough stiffness to keep its shape while still flexing at the tip. The colour is the gauge - orange is 0.60 mm, every Tortex colour maps to a thickness, and the system is so widely copied that guitarists read the colours as numbers.
How we rate it
Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.
- Grip
- 8.0
- Attack
- 8.0
- Durability
- 8.0
- Comfort
- 8.0
- Value
- 9.0
Specifications
| Brand | Dunlop |
|---|---|
| Model | Tortex Standard0.60 mm orange, 12 pack |
| Category | Picks |
| What it is | |
| Shape | Standard 351 |
| Colour | Orange |
| Materials | |
| Material | Delrin |
| Measurements | |
| Thickness | 0.60 mm |
| In the box | |
| Pack size | 12 |
8 verified fields, taken from the manufacturer first and the Amazon listing second. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.
What it gets right
- Matte Delrin grips a dry hand with no texture or hole needed
- Holds its point far longer than celluloid
- 0.60 mm is the most generally useful gauge for mixed playing
- The colour-coded gauge system makes picking a thickness trivial
Where it gives ground
- Matte surface gets slippery once your hand is really sweaty
- Brighter and harder attack than celluloid, which some players dislike
- Only one gauge in the pack, so no comparison to be made
Who it is for
What owners report
Patterns drawn from published owner reviews. Summarised, never quoted.
What comes up most
- Grip is the single most cited reason players choose Tortex
- Durability compared with celluloid comes up constantly
- Many owners report using nothing else for decades
Frequent complaints
- Some find them slippery when hands are wet
- A minority prefer the warmer attack of celluloid
- Occasional reports of thickness varying slightly between batches
Recognised strengths
- One of the most-used picks in existence, with correspondingly consistent reports
Recognised weaknesses
- A single gauge, so it is a commitment rather than an experiment
The verdict
At 0.60 mm this is the gauge that suits strumming and general playing better than anything: firm enough to articulate single notes, flexible enough not to fight a strummed chord. Delrin outlasts celluloid comfortably and holds its point rather than fraying. The two honest limitations are that the matte surface loses its grip once your hand is genuinely sweaty, and that the tip does eventually wear round - just more slowly than the celluloid alternative. Twelve to a bag makes both irrelevant.
We do not publish prices, because Amazon prices change constantly and a stale figure helps nobody. Follow the link for the current price and availability.
Sources
Compared with
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