Personalized Guitar Picks

About Personalized Guitar Picks

Picture the scene. You're at a concert, the crowd is screaming and the guitarist has just finished a scorchin' hot solo. He reaches into his pocket and flings a few picks out into the audience, and people dive to grab them first.

What makes these picks so special? After all, they're just pieces of celluloid plastic. Sure, they've been touched by the rich and famous, but what really makes them desirable is the fact that they've been personalized. They might feature the band's logo or the guitarist's name. In even rarer cases, they may have the artist's image or even an autographed signature.

Personalized guitar picks have definitely found their niche, but they're not just for our guitar heroes. Anyone can have personalized picks made to order. If you're in a band and struggling to get recognized, picks can help get your name out there.

Promotions

Honestly, the humble guitar pick becomes a real marketing tool once it has been personalized. Fans love to come away from a concert with souvenirs, and customized guitar picks are especially desirable give-aways.

The key to this marketing ploy is to make your design unique so people will want to hang on to the picks even if you haven't hit the big time yet. Have them imprinted with your band name or a catchy logo you've created yourself, and don't forget to sign them on the back. What fan wouldn't want to hang on to the autograph of a musician that just might be famous some day?

Custom Pick Manufacturers

If you've decided personalized picks are the way to go, check out the following companies. Most manufacturers will keep your design on file, making reorders a snap.

Pick Factory

PickFactory.com has been in business since about 2003, and will customize picks for you. The company doesn't design graphics from scratch, so if you want a logo or other artwork, you need to supply it yourself. Pick Factory will help refine the design so it's clean enough for printing, but it all starts with you. You can even download templates from the site to help you work.

You can select the gauge/thickness for the picks from light through extra heavy, and the company offers eight background colors to choose from. You can also pick the color of your logo, as well as whether you want one or both sides imprinted.

Prices run from $36.59 for a single customized pick to $476.95 for a batch of 2000. You can select batch sizes between these two extremes, but the price is definitely better on bulk orders.

Guthrie Thomas

Guthrie Thomas specializes in custom guitar picks, and you can even choose from a few specialized shapes. Guthrie Thomas also offers templates in standard and PSD files to help you with creating your design. Prices are reasonable at $24.50 for 25 single side imprint, and $29.50 to have both sides imprinted. The company also makes keepsake picks for everything from weddings to birthdays to anniversaries.

More Choices

There are plenty of companies willing to make custom guitar picks for you. For more choices, check out:

Kurt Cobain collector picks

• PickGuy.com
• D & D Guitar Picks
• InTuneGP.com

Collector's Items

Tiny picks have become big business for musical memorabilia collectors. Artists and entire bands put their name and logos on their picks and toss them out to adoring fans during concerts. Of course, some picks carry a higher value than others. Dealers and collectors conduct business outside in the parking lot. Certainly, a Van Halen or Clapton pick may currently carry more cache than a Styx pick, but all have their niche in the collector's realm. These miniature celluloid masterpieces are even more valuable if your lucky enough to get the artist to sign it.

Many fans collect picks from their favorite artists at concerts and by trading with other fans. As the hobby gains momentum, you can even find collector's picks at eBay and Amazon.com. Swag.com also sells picks with your favorite artists' logos.