Picks really do make a difference. Live i mostly use those Fender medium tortoiseshell colored ones. At home i fool around with heavys and thin ones. I like thin ones for rhythm playing a lot and the heavy ones are i find often sound darker and i like those for playing slow lead parts. The materials make a big difference too. I bought some Lollar pickups years ago and they came with a fibre board pick that i love! It's great for a crazy clean trebly sound when you rake it over the strings