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History
of Guitar Picks
As with other
great inventions, the origin of the pick has been lost in the sands of time. Some theories
that exist is that maybe the bow and arrow was the first string instrument and maybe the
arrowhead the first pick. We may never know the answer to that mystery!
Through plectrums have been around for ages and string instruments that might have been played with a pick around since the ancient Egyptian ( this proof of the string instruments have been found in carvings in ancient tombs) but no evidence of a pick resides. Feather quills in fact may have been the first standardized plectrum. But along with many other theories it's just what it is a theory! Physical evidence of the first pick does not exist but some of the ancestors of the plectrum does. One of theses first used pick was made from the outer casing of an Atlantic Hawksbill Sea Turtle. This was the first patented guitar pick in the U.S. used to play an 8-string banjo/mandolin combo. The designer of this pick was John Farris of Hartford Connecticut in 1885. Then came the guitar pick made of celluloid ( the first commercial plastic) invented by John Wesley Hyatt in 1870. The Holy Grail of Guitar picks is the Original 351 style and the God Father of the pick is Luigi D’Andrea( the first to manufacture the guitar pick in 1922)Designed to replace the turtle tortoise shell pick due to the diminishing population of the turtle. Limited quantities of these were made and are still in existence to this day. Celluloid has been regarded by musicians as the best material for a pick.Unfortunately it is very flammable and could go up in flames in a instant, even when being played. Pick made of Celluloid should not be near open flames. Other bad things celluloid can do is warp, crack, fade, liquefy, gnarl, crystallize, rot from inside out. Nick Lucas born in Newark, New Jersey on August 22,1897 (died 7/28/1982)established the guitar pick. In the early 30's Joe Nicomeda, (from Altoona, PA.)a friend of Lugi D'Andrea (the first manufacture of guitar picks) worked out a deal with Lucas to make a flat pick. The finished product featured a stylized impression of Nick Lucas' name.... the first imprinted guitar pick. This became known as the Nick Lucas shape and the most common shape of pick today. Pick were also made from ostrich feathers, raven feathers, eagle feathers, ivory, bone, coconuts, stone ebony, casein, brass, steel, tortoise shell(Atlantic Hawksbill turtle )Designed to replace the turtle tortoise shell pick due to the diminishing population of the turtle. Limited quantities of these were made and are still in existence to this day. Celluloid has been regarded by musicians as the best material for a pick. Unfortunately it is very flammable and could go up in flames in a instant, even when being played. Pick made of Celluloid should not be near open flames. Other bad things celluloid can do is warp, crack, fade, liquefy, gnarl, crystallize, rot from inside out.
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