Picks
Charles Lusso was repairing machines for Kodak and then went on the road as a musician for 3 years. When he returned Tony D’Andrea asked if he would help with some of the machines in the company. His sister, Rosemary D’Andrea, had married into the famous guitar pick family. Charlie and Rosemary’s...
Guy DeVillez has always had a passion for music. At age 12, Guy started playing guitar and would collect odd guitar picks that he found here and there. He found colorful and unusual picks in music stores and after gigs in local clubs. As his collection grew, so did his knowledge of pick history....
Charlie Argall picked up a guitar and wanted to join a band the moment he heard the Beatles. He took lessons where he was introduced to his local music store, a place he found fascinating. He was drawn to the people and gear of the industry and later, when he had the opportunity to work in music...
Rebecca Brill-Argall and her husband, Charlie, worked hard to build their customer base of dealers throughout Canada. Their distribution company provided musical instruments and accessories including their own Cat’s Tongue Grip brand guitar picks. As Charlie pointed out, one of the key elements of...
Chris Proctor has always been inspired by his instruments and the craft of music making. As a result, he has sought out opportunities over his career to enhance and expand the range, style, and functionality of his gear whenever possible. From picks to guitars, Chris has focused on his ideals to...
Herschel Blankenship’s love for music all began when he saw Buddy Holly on the Ed Sullivan show as a kid. It sparked his interest and led him down a path filled with performing and touring. After working for many years in the music industry, he became a founder of Schecter Guitar Research – a...
Frank Whetstine was working late in his musical instrument repair shop when he got to thinking about the unique way George Benson holds his guitar pick. Frank tried a few ways and finally took his pliers and twisted the end of the pick. He looked at the twisted pick and said out loud, that is a “...
Tony D’Andrea is the grandson of Luigi D’Andrea, the innovative founder of the famed pick company. After college, Tony joined the company and worked long and hard to expand the business over the years. Among his contributions to the guitar pick are the PRO-GRIP products he created to reduce the...
Rosemary D’Andrea has always been interested in art and in fact had a series of galleries in and around Long Island, New York. So when her husband, the president of the D’Andrea Guitar Pick Company asked for her help in designing products and marketing materials, she was hooked! Rosemary had the...
Jim Dunlop started the Dunlop Manufacturing company in 1965 in Benicia, California, and followed his dream to provide quality products for fellow musicians. Along the way he created the Dunlop Cry Baby, an innovative wah-wah pedal for the electric guitar. Jim focused on the accessories market and...