Picking Through History

From being found in the wash to being left on counters and desks to being counted with change out of a guitarist’s pocket, guitar picks are the definitive proof that the holder undoubtedly plays the instrument.

But as omnipresent as they are, how many guitarists have pondered the history of the pick itself? Who are they? What were they doing?

Oops! Those are the Druids. Sorry, I digress...

(If you missed the reference, watchThis Is Spinal Tap now. We’ll wait...)

So, let’s see if we can trace back and find the guitar pick’s origin story.

A Plectrum Like So Many

The pick itself is not unique to the guitar. Throughout history, numerous types of plectrums have been used to play multiple different stringed instruments.

For example, we have the mezrab used by sitar players (a piece of metal worn on one of the fingers of the picking hand used to pluck the strings.) 

Also, the risha looks like a long, thin stick (almost like a popsicle stick) used for playing the oud. 

In Japan, an ice-scraper-shaped plectrum is called a bachi and is used for playing the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument.

These are but a small sample of plectra over the course of history, though many more exist. The range of materials used was also impressive, from metal to wood to bone and other exotic materials. The guitar pick was also no exception.

Quills, Shells and More!

For the guitar, the earliest forms of guitar picks were made from feather quills (a standard for harpsichord as well), which was a common material used for such applications in the 1800s (and you can actually still buy some today!).

A change in practice occurred around 1885 when John Harris introduced guitar picks made from the shell of the Atlantic Hawkbill Sea Turtle (commonly referred to as tortoiseshell). Tortoiseshell is made of keratin, a material that has many desirable characteristics, from stiffness with some flex to good tone. 

There was also a change in approach and attitudes towards using certain materials in the early 1920s. Industrial plastics were starting to come into the fold, much like the switch from elephant ivory to bakelite in the 1920s for billiard ball manufacturing (though the early attempts at using nitrocellulose in the 1860s had some explosive results!) The use of tortoiseshells would eventually stop (with the Atlantic Hawkbill Sea Turtle making it onto the endangered species list in 1973, making anything made with its shell illegal to make or even own without proper documentation), with the guitar pick moving towards new material.

As mentioned in a previous post, Luigi D’Andrea, a crafty man who purchased sheets of tortoiseshell-looking celluloid from a vendor in 1922, hoping to make makeup compacts using the material, along with some other assorted odds-and-ends purchased. After his son Tony mentioned how the material resembled the tortoiseshell pick used by a mandolin player in the family, Luigi made picks out of the celluloid, sold them to a music shop for a nice sum, and the modern guitar pick’s story was in full swing.

The Shape Of Things

While the material was chosen, the shape of the pick was also a question, and this is where Nick Lucas comes in.

A popular jazz guitarist in the 1920s and 30s, Lucas had the distinction of being one of the first jazz singers and guitarists to record an album and have his music featured in one of the new “talkie” films. 

Lucas was also one of the first players to put the guitar pick on the map, with D’Andrea collaborating with him on a shape for what would be sold as the Nick Lucas Guitar Pick in the 1930s. That shape would eventually be known as #351, arguably the most popular pick shape in the world and what you see when you close your eyes and think of a pick.

The D’Andrea Company also introduced new innovations over the years, including various ways of imprinting text and logos on picks, different shapes, and different thicknesses for different sounds.

Various companies would also use different materials that offered a variety of playability and tonal options. These include nylon (a long staple of the Dunlop corporation), metal, stone, Delrin (or Delrex), and wood. Innovations in shapes also continue, with companies such as Acoustik Attak offering their takes on traditional shapes.

The pick has come a long way from its days as a simple feather quill. Thanks to the innovative ideas of the D’Andrea Corporation and others, we guitarists are spoiled by the number of shapes and materials available to find the one pick that works great for us. Let us know what your guitar pick of choice is in the comments (I’ve been a long-time user of the Dunlop Jazz III in red - easier to see on a dark stage if I drop one), and don’t forget to browse the great pick offerings here at Thalia Capos!