Pick Collecting Quarterly

As a longtime collector, one of the things I find maddening is seeing a pick defaced. Perhaps the largest offender are all these guitar pick necklaces made by a small drilling holes in the top of the pick to accept a loop for chain. And then of course one has to wonder about wear along the top edge of the pick over time as the pick sways back and forth across the metal chain. 

That said, whether you are the proud player in a band yourself or just like the idea of expressing your fandom for your favorite band, I certainly understand the desire to wear a pick around your neck. 

A brand new product on the market, The PICKBAY pendant by PickBay.com^®, has solved the problem once and for all! The PICKBAY is slightly open at the top of the back of the pendant, allowing one to place your pick(s) into the pendant without having to drill any holes of any kind. It also allows you to change picks whenever you want. So if you desire, you can continually change the pick in your pendant to fit your mood or represent the band you are going to see in concert on any given night. 

One can't help imagining the possibilities as Susan at PickBay.com^® so enthusiastically explains, "The PICKBAY is customizable and may be the most versatile accessory anyone could ever have. You can be wearing a Marilyn Manson concert pick, then change to a pearloid turquoise pick, wear a vintage Fender USA pick for awhile, and then put 1 to 4 thin Martin picks in the PICKBAY for your gig that night, just to be sure you can find your pick on stage!" 

PICKBAY was specifically designed to make sure it could accommodate thick gauge picks. As a result, it is possible for one to put more than one smaller gauge of pick inside. This could come in very handy if you are a player and want different picks for different tones. Or if you happen to score a pick at a concert, you can instantly store it in your PICKBAY along with whatever pick you wore to the show that night. 

The precision of the engineering is purely masterful. While it is unbelievably simple to change picks, one physically must give a gentle push to get the pick out. Doesn't take much effort at all, yet at the same time, the loop at the top prevents picks from just falling out on their own. It really is wonderfully designed. Each PICKBAY is hand cast and hand polished. 

PICKBAY comes in 4 different finishes: chrome, Eco-Brass (dull brass), Gold-N (bright brass that looks like gold), and .925 fine sterling silver. This variety allows one to match any outfit and/or choose a pendant to accentuate the colors of a particular pick.

PickBay.com^® also offers a variety of chains to match the different pendants. They offer brass, chrome and two types of sterling silver chains. If you prefer to buy your chain on your own, the loop itself looks to accommodate chains up to 4mm in diameter with ease. And with the chain being contained within the loop, there is zero chance the chain could ever rub against your pick.   

Customer service seems to be an extremely high point of emphasis for PickBay.com^® as well. My item was shipped very quickly. Emails were returned almost with light speed, and were both informative and enthusiastic every time. As an example, one of the things that fascinated me when my PICKBAY arrived was that it was shipped with a variety of generic picks. Susan knew upfront that I was an avid collector, so I assumed she was just sending a variety of gauges so I could test to see the various combinations one could store. Much to my surprise, when I emailed her to confirm, she told me, "Actually, I send a selection of picks with every order. We want our customers to be happy and excited at the pick possibilities, as well as a variety of gauges, since most of our customers are musicians."

Susan advises that musicians love the PICKBAY because no longer must they fumble through their pockets or their guitar case. They always know where their picks are...right around their necks. I myself don't play, but I enjoy wearing it to shows. You'd be surprised how many fellow pick collectors you meet wearing one of these. Not to mention I've had a band crew start a conversation with me about it as well. Not a bad way to score some picks!

Visit PickBay.com^® to see the full line of PICKBAY products and place your order through their secure website. Mention "PCQ" and receive a 10% discount off your first order!

By Ken Rodenas

Ken Rodenas is the Assistant Editor of PCQ.  Ken has been collecting guitar picks, drumsticks and other stage used items for over 25 years. Along the way, he came to realize the bands and manufacturers kept very little records. So a large part of his collecting involves tedious research where he interviews fellow fans & collectors, current and former road crew members, as well as band members themselves...building many industry friendships along the way. 

 

As a champion of the hobby, his online catalog of work include KISS Picks-N-Sticks, Trick's Picks, The Guitar Picks and Drumsticks of ZZ Top which are dedicated to his 3 favorite bands, KISS, Cheap Trick and ZZ Top.  He also contributed to the official websites of Starz, Bruce Kulick, and Eric Singer. 

 

His knowledge and collection have been published in printed form in volume 5 of "Official KISS Quarterly magazine", Warmam's KISS Collectibles Field Guide by Tom Shannon (KP Books, 2005), The Official Price Guide to KISS Collectibles by Ingo Floren (Random House, 2004) and Guitar Picks of Rock & Roll by Brian Bouchard  (Gateway Press, 2008).

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Comments(1):

1. www.PICKBAY.com is Best Christmas gift for the PICK Collector, Music Fan or Guitar Player

   PICKBAY.com offers readers of PCQ a 10% discount on the entire order for the 2010 Holidays, which can be quite a nice discount when you are buying gifts! Just put "pcq" in the discounts area at www.pickbay.com Happy Holidays! PICKBAY staff

   Wednesday, October 06, 2010 susie

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