In Tune Guitar picks - We want every pick that comes out of our factory to look its best.

Since I started visiting concerts I noticed that many people are obsessed by getting picks from a band member. I had the luck to catch a few guitar picks from artist like Nikki Sixx, Metallica, Volbeat, Hatesphere and Trivium. Some of them are made by a company named In Tune Guitar Picks so I thought it would be fun to have some more information about this company.

In Tune Guitar Picks is a company owned and founded by Bert Lecato who is a musician him self. I arranged an interview with him and asked him about the history and the process of making the picks.

Bert LeCato: ‘Well, a short history of the guitar picks begins back in the days of the pyramids, where there are pictures on the pyramid walls showing a guitar pick like object. There are suggestions that stones were used in the early times. There is documentation that feather quills were used up until the 1800’s when tortoise shell became a popular material, which is now illegal to use due to the Hawksbill turtle becoming protected. In the early 1900’s celluloid became the material of choice for guitar picks. As the years went by, more and more materials became popular and today there are so many different materials that a guitar player has a lot of options to help get the sound and feel he or she desires.’

‘In the Year 2000 I ordered custom picks for myself. After about an 8 month wait, I received them and they were terrible. Due to my Fire Department work schedule, I had a lot of free time and decided to try out the business. After a lot of hard work ensuring we could offer a great quality product and customer service, we launched our website and the rest as they say is History.’

‘We employ 10 people at this time with some part timers that help out when need. We are looking at increasing our full time staff in the near future.’

‘The most popular materials today are celluloid, delrin and nylon. However, there is ultem, acetal, wood, stone, glass and many, many more. If the material is durable enough and can be made thin enough, it can be used for a guitar pick. Our most popular guitar pick is our GrippX line which is made of delrin. However celluloid is very popular as well and will be around for a long time.’

‘We prefer Delrin. Delrin is a very durable material and when manufactured properly, allows for a non slip grip, durability and great image adhesion.’

‘Although some guitar players like a very rounded style pick, the triangular pick is the most popular because the average guitar player wants a tip to attach the string with. Some prefer a very sharp tip, where as some prefer a tip that is defined, but still somewhat rounded.’

‘The two biggest things that guitar players tend to look for in a pick is its feel, attack on the strings, size and tone. Durability is also very important. Over the years, there have been many different picks that have all kinds of specialty features, but in the end, the average guitar player likes to keep it simple. They want that good feel, attack, durability and tone.’

‘Thickness is generally a preference of each guitar player. However with that said, thickness can greatly affect the tone of your guitar. I personally use the gauge that I use on an electric guitar, because of the flexibility and the tone it gives me. I found the thickness I liked and I adjusted my equipment around that. If I change the gauge, it throws off my sound. We offer a total of 12 thicknesses depending on the material you choose. They start very thin and work their way up to very heavy. We offer a range from .46mm to 2.0mm. There are thinner and thicker picks out there.’

‘Simply put, you know. You try as many picks as you can, and you will know when you find the one.’

‘One of our very first touring bands is a band called Chimaira. They jumped on board with us early in both of our careers, and since we have watched each other grow in the industry. They are a great band and true friends.’

‘Most customers come to us with a design unless they just want text. We do everything we can to help our customers with their artwork if needed to ensure that there final custom pick is as perfect as it can be. We are so particular about our quality, that if a piece of art simply will not work and the customer insists that we print it, we will not take the order. We want every pick that comes out of our factory to look its best.’

‘Well, a lot of our process is proprietary, but making picks is not a simple process. The picks start from a raw plastic that is punched or injected into the shape of a pick. From there it goes through a multiple step finishing process until it is ready to be put on the shelf awaiting printing. The process can be very lengthy and determines the end quality of the pick. Whether they print well, how the edges feel, what kind of surface they have and even whether or not they will break.’

‘Our minimum order for custom guitar picks is 1 gross (144 picks) Because we specialize in custom printing and our process is a very detail, durable and time consuming process, we don’t do small numbers like 1 or 5. We are working on a process that will allow us to do that for customers who just want a few novelty picks. When it gets to larger orders, we are capable of printing any amount.’

‘Every band is different. Some bands throw out 5 to 10 picks a night and some bands throw out upwards of 100. The average touring band generally places several orders throughout a tour consisting of 500 to 1,000 pieces per artist.’

‘We have a 3 to 4 week turnaround time. We do not like to rush through our work. We stay extremely busy and with a 3 to 4 week turnaround time, it allows us to process the order from start to finish and also provide the service that is required for each individual customer big or small.’

‘That’s a funny question. A few of them, I don’t think you could print what they said, but we have done so many pictures and sayings. It is amazing what some customers come up with. It does make our job fun. Picks are used for weddings, birthdays and some even say you owe me a beer or buy me a beer. It tends to work. I think the craziest thing is the variety that we print. In one day you may print religious picks, satanic picks, wedding picks and funeral picks. All in the same day. You just never know what you are going to see.’

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