Plectrum (Guitar Pick)

A plectrum, commonly referred to as a 'pick' in North America, is a small tool used for plucking or strumming stringed instruments. While plectra have been used for thousands of years—historically made from materials like feather quills, bone, and stone—the modern industrial guitar pick was revolutionized by the D'Andrea company in the early 1920s using celluloid.

Today, plectrums are manufactured globally by numerous specialized brands. Major industry leaders like Dunlop Manufacturing (USA) and D'Andrea (USA) produce high volumes in the United States, while significant mass-market production occurs across China, Japan, and Germany. Brands like Pigtrum and Rombo highlight the European manufacturing sector, focusing on sustainable materials and precision engineering within Germany. Because it is a generic tool produced by hundreds of different manufacturers worldwide, there is no single country of origin for the product category as a whole.