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plectrum/plek’tram/n.,pl,.plectra/plectrums[l,fr.gk.plectron]1. a small piece of wood, metal,ivory,ect. for plucking the strings of a lyre,mandolin,guitar,ect.

Pick. Funny little things. Nobody takes them seriously-confined to the musical periphery as picks are. Unnoticed, Humble. Over shadowed by performer and instrument. Residual servants that go about their task without fanfare, never to be included in a bow or curtain call. Ready to serve without notice, day or night. Asking nothing, loyal as old dog Tray.

Unnoticed. But not all together unloved.

Imagine every guitar without a pick. You might as well imagine a song without a tune.

But there ARE picks. Fantastic picks of assorted shape and design.

Engineering marvels.

Plectra-not plectrums, either is acceptable, not that the average person-who hitherto has never heard of a plectrum, singular or plural-could much care. The average person does know what a guitar pick is.

No one knows where old picks go to die.

The origin of the string instrument + plectrum like the wheel and fire and other monumental achievements, has been lost to antiquity.A arrow head resembles a pick!

We do know that plectrum(plectra to those who prefer plurals without "s"have been around for ages.

According to those in the now proper plectrums were expected to elastic, never stiff, allowing the instrument to be played with "delicacy". To do so the plectrum should be 40 to 60 millimeters in length and 1 millimeter thick. Flexibility could then be controlled and adjusted by holding the plectrum either nearer or farther from the tip.

Celluloid-very flammable-first commercial plastic

The holy grail of guitar picks- an original D’Andrea mallet die from the 1920’s-shape no.351 from which the first guitar pick might most likely sprang.

NO.351 It remained the industry standard for guitar picks(since 1928)

1930-first imprinted guitar pick (Nick Lucas) the pick with the crooning tone. Lucas died July 28,1982.

Pick manufactures

D’Andrea, Jim Dunlop, Pickboy

Fender medium no.351 known to guitarist everywhere as the "the fender pick" "the sideman pick"

Luigi D’Andrea- god father of the guitar pick died in 1954 he has 2 sons Anthony and Victor.

Rock ‘n’ Roll also effectively killed the term plectrum. An excruciating word containing to many syllables for the average teenager to condone.

In a society with a propensity to hoard ever conceivable object- it is remarkable that fretted stringed instrument plectrums manage to fall through the crack. But the picks always were small and thin.

Vintage Picks can be almost found anywhere in bureau, drawers, cigar boxes, dusty banjo cases, closets, old music stores, vintage guitar emporiums, repair shops, luthiers, pawndealers, a and antique stores.

As with most things collectible anyone who wants to begin a pick collections should target a category- Celebrity rock & country imprints, fender picks, or by material, promotional imprints, odd ball imprints.

Picks from the Golden Age

1) Nick Lucas

2)Lang &Reser

3)Mc Neil

4)Pettine

5)KorkGrip

6)D’Andrea corkgrip

7)cushion grip

8)crescent grip

9)Gretsch "nonskid"

10)Gibson

11)Unfinished

Celluloid picks

1)has a dull flat sound when dropped on a table

2)very flammable

3)camphor vapors-mothball scent

Care of a celluloid pick

1)keep out of direct sun light

2)keep out of fluorescent lamp light

3)keep away from heat, cold, dry or moisture

(store in a cool, dry place)

4)ventilation is god too.

While every plectrum is a pick, not every pick is a plectrum. Thumb & finger picks are not plectrums in the strictest sense.

Fundamentally plectrums are flat picks.