Engraved Guitar Picks

Play them or wear them, but engraved guitar picks appeal to almost everyone who loves guitars.

What do you want engraved?

Engraving picks is a way to personalize your plectrum, and there are a number of options available.

• Anodized aluminum: This is the same material used to create dog tags. You can typically order your favorite color, and the etching removes the top layer so your words or design shows through as silver.
• Sterling silver: This type of guitar pick is more expensive than anodized aluminum, but it is one of the best choices for engraving.
• 14K Gold: Gold is another fine choice for an engraved pick, but the cost is far more expensive than sterling silver.
• Stone picks: Stone or gemstone picks are seen far less than standard plastic picks, but they have a unique look and produce some very nice tones depending on their thickness. Engraving one of these picks is a delicate process since even creating a stone pick without chipping it can be a challenge.

Many metal picks are machine engraved as part of a large or bulk order. However, most are hand engraved as single picks or in small batches using a laser engraver to etch the surface of the metal with the desired design.

While you can actually play your guitar with an engraved pick, it has become very popular to convert these picks into keepsake jewelry. In most cases, this means adding a hole and mounting the pick on a chain so it hangs like a pendant. The same modification allows two picks to become a set of dangling earrings. More rare but still stylish, a metal pick can be welded onto a ring base to wear on your hand.

There are so many ways you can go with an engraved design. Use the following ideas for inspiration.

• Keep it simple; just add your initials. This makes a personalized guitar pick that your fellow musicians will never mistake as their own and try to walk off with it.
• Add your band name. Just keep in mind that the space is limited and you'll need to verify that the entire name will fit on one side.
• Add your band logo. How intricate you can get with this idea depends a lot on the artistic talent of your engraver as well as the material of your chosen pick. It's usually a little easier to get very detailed on a metal pick as opposed to a gemstone pick that could chip during engraving. Still, a highly skilled engraver can produce a work of art on just about any material.
• Go with an artistic design. Choose something you like, such as scrolls and flowers or tribal markings. You can have a pick engraved simply for the beauty of it without making it particularly personalized.

The Internet offers a lot of places to purchase engraved picks. You can choose a pick that is already engraved or work with a merchant to create an original design of your own.

Check out:

• SterlingGuitarPicks.com: For $24.95, this company will engrave a single .025-inch thick sterling silver pick with a name or short message. The pick comes with its own keepsake gift bag.
• SilverPicks.com: This company offers personalized engraving as well as many attractive designs. These picks are meant to be played as well as admired. You can choose the font your prefer, and you have the option to engrave one or both sides of the pick. Pick jewelry is also offered.
• Andros Creations: Advertised at ThisNext.com, these guitar picks are truly works of art.
• EJ Customs: Advertised on RollaNet.org out of Rolla, Missouri, this company offers engraved anodized aluminum guitar picks in a variety of colors and fonts for about $6.00 a pick.

Don't forget to check your local music stores and jewelers to see if they also offer engraved guitar picks. It's usually best to buy locally whenever you can.

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