If I had more money I would use a levi strap without question, but as of now the best thing for the money is an epiphone 1/8 in. thick plain leather strap. For picks, I dunno. Depends on what I'm playing. All around fender medium or something similar. Of course, that's about half the picks out there. It's a pretty common tension. For rock, like if I got a band going again, one of those purple dunlaps.