Guitar picks, also known as plectrums, have been around for about as long as stringed instruments have been played. Musicians use the thin triangle-shaped tool to strum or pick the guitar strings to get the best possible tone from their instruments. There is a real science to designing and making a good guitar pick. The thickness, the shape, and the material all influence the sounds made when the pick is used.
While the quest for the ultimate tone is nothing new, partners at ToneSlabs are pushing the plectrum envelope with a signature material and beveling process that sets them apart from other pick makers.
Company co-founders David Welch and Frank Solivan were destined to meet. They have spent decades performing, searching, tinkering, and experimenting to find a pick that will produce the perfect tone. “David and I were pitting against each other for pick material on eBay,” says Frank. “We saw each other on Instagram and decided to not only share our pick-making secrets, but we decided to start a company.” Ultimately, that time and effort led them to design and refine plectrums for optimum tone. “Our company motto is ‘We’re here for the tone.’”
The timing couldn’t have been better. When Covid hit, gigs dried up. Frank, a multi-Grammy® nominated artist, had been touring extensively, but when the pandemic changed the world for a while, the performances stopped, as did sponsorships. “With our focus on the artists, we wanted to be the first company to help build revenue streams for them,” David says. That resulted in the development of signature lines for several artists. “We didn’t want to be like the companies that left us in a lurch.”
David stresses that he and Frank take the power of “tonal essence” and all that it represents very seriously. “Our attention to detail, along with using the finest materials and our proprietary compound bevels, make ToneSlabs the premier pick in the plectrum landscape.” He explains that picks have been made from Hawksbill sea turtle shells for the last hundred years. While top musicians preferred the tonal quality of tortoiseshell picks, they are no longer manufactured as the species is now endangered.
“It’s fun to try different materials to see what sounds good and lasts the longest,” says David. “We have found a material that provides just the right hardness, rigidity, and density that we craft our ToneSlabs picks with using bevel techniques that we believe exceed the tonal quality of tortoiseshell.”
The picks are individually manufactured in the ToneSlabs shop in Florida. “I’ve been making picks since I was young,” says Frank. “I tried a lot of natural materials and plastics before we hit on this material.” Frank and David are hands-on, making each pick. Frank says he learned the skills he needed to make the picks while growing up, working construction jobs. “And I’ve also done all kinds of carpentry,” says David. Their skills in making picks combined with their years of experience as professional musicians is a winning combination.
They worked together to refine their product before launching the company, “We sent out a bunch to our picker friends to get their feedback, and they loved them,” says Frank. “We have had steady growth month after month since hitting the ‘go’ button on the website.” He explains that there are different ways to develop a business like this. “Things started to come into focus, and we were able to determine what was viable and what was not. By our second month, we were profitable. We believe we have hit on the right business model.”
The ToneSlabs pics started at $45, and the goal from the beginning was to try to bring the price down without sacrificing quality. “We did a Black Friday sale last year that we extended through Christmas, then to the first of the year,” says David. “We offered picks at $35, and we’ve kept the price there. We even offered refunds to people who paid full price earlier. We always strive to be friendly and amenable to our customers. We just want to get our picks into the hands of as many people as possible.”
The picks are sold in the “boutique market” in smaller shops in select locations and via the company’s website. Perhaps world domination is next. “We want to get our picks into everyone’s hands,” says David.
Frank says they are just getting started. “We are still experimenting with different materials, always searching for that perfect tone. The slab is the connection between the musician and the instrument. It is the key to volume, clarity, and note separation, which is what every discerning musician strives for.”
There are plenty of testimonials from satisfied customers on the company’s website, including one from Mason Via, who plays with Old Crow Medicine Show. “I’ve never skydived before, I’ve never run in the running of the bulls, I’ve never wrestled with a swamp gator, and I’ve never storm chased a tornado, but I can only imagine that those thrills must pale in comparison to the rush I get while playing with a ToneSlabs pick.”
As the ToneSlabs website says, this ain’t your grandfather’s equipment company.