Fred Kelly

Fred Kelly

Fred Kelly

Fred Kelly’s interest in guitar began when he was a young child. He would strum with a flat pick, which suited his needs, until one day when he listened to Merle Travis on an old 45 record. Fred was deeply intrigued by Merle’s picking style, and played the record over and over until he eventually wore it out. He tried to imitate Merle’s style several different ways using a flat pick, but all were unsatisfactory. As Fred’s interest and ability grew he held on to his intrigue of Merle’s picking style and tried other picks, like the standard thumb pick, in his study to become a better guitarist. Unsatisfied with the products he used, Fred was inspired to design his first thumbpick, the Speed Pick.

Due to the overwhelming positive response the Speed Pick received from fellow guitar players, Fred Kelly designed more custom picks, leading up to the 58 different styles of picks Fred Kelly Picks offers’s today. Because of his interest in guitar and the inspiration taken from incredible performers like Merle Travis, Fred Kelly now offers the largest variety of pick styles on the market. Fred Kelly has over 60 years playing guitar and understands the importance of musical signature. He has been producing custom guitar picks for nearly 40 years, and offers very competitive prices for all styles of picks and thumbpicks. Fred Kelly Picks is today distributed nationally throughout the U.S. and internationally throughout the world.

Fred Kelly & Doyle Dykes

Fred Kelly & Doyle Dykes

Fred Kelly’s Picks offers a unique array
of high-quality, custom designed thumb picks to musicians world-wide. All picks seen in this web site are created by Fred Kelly, a music enthusiast himself. His experience with guitar playing has allowed him to conceive a variety of picks, to meet many different needs. The superb craftsmanship of these picks is ensured through a reliable production process and durable materials.

Our Beginnings

Fred’s love for guitar playing began when he
was a young child. He loved strumming with a
flat pick, and this suited his needs until one day, when he heard Merle Travis on an old 45 record. He was extremely intrigued by Merle’s picking style, and played the record over and over, eventually wearing it out. He tried many different ways of simulating Merle’s picking style using
a flat pick, but all were unsuccessful. He then
tried a standard thumb pick, but all on the market were too bulky and uncomfortable. This inspired Fred to fashion his first unique thumb pick, the speed pick. He designed the pick with a slim
shank to allow precision and speed, and with a comfortable, securely fitting thumb hole.

Helen Kelly

Helen Kelly

Our Variety

Because of the overwhelming positive response to the speed pick he received from fellow guitar players, Fred was inspired to create more custom picks. He now offers the largest variety of pick styles available on the market. He knows that each guitar player has their own specific needs, and he works hard to meet them. That’s why Fred’s picks come in multiple blade gauges, materials, sizes, and even left-handed models.

Our Guarantee

When you purchase a Fred Kelly pick, you
can be certain that you are receiving a reliable, well-made product. Each pick is injection-molded in Fred’s work studio by Fred and his family. Injection-molding is a dependable process,
ensuring consistency in shape and weight throughout an entire run of picks.

Materials

The materials used in his picks are delrin, polycarb, and nylon. All are long-lasting, and have their own unique qualities. Delrin is an extremely strong, unbreakable material, and provides a very soft and natural sound on the strings. Polycarb is also very strong, and has an appealing transparent color. The sound created from a polycarb pick is louder and brighter than that from the delrin or nylon. Thenylon material is used only in the flat picks, and is very durable yet flexible. The nylon

Fred and his Shop

Fred and his Shop

also creates a softer sound on the strings. Choose which best suits your needs!

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