Guitar Pick Information
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 stimulating 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. He designed the pick with a slim shank to allow precision and speed, and with a comfortable, securely fitting thumb hole.
Our Variety
Because of the overwhelming positive response to the speed pick he received from fellow quitar 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 quitar player has their own specific needs, and he works hard to meet them. That’s why Fred’s pick come in multiple blade gauges, materials, sizes and even left-handed models.
Slick Pick
Fred Kelly’s Slick Pick has a flat pick point that enhances smooth strumming. This pick is neither big nor bulky, like many on the market, and is the first pick that acts like a straight pick. The Slick Pick is available in delrin or polycarb materials. Delrin is an extremely strong, unbreakable material, and provides a very soft and natural sound on the strings. Ploycarb 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.
Flat Pick
Fred Kelly’s Flatpicks come in nylon, delrin, or polycarb materials. The nylon material is very durable yet flexible and creates a soft sound on the strings. Delrin is an extremely strong material, and also provides a very soft and natural sound on the strings. Polycarb has an appealing transparent color, and creates a brighter sound than nylon or delrin. These picks have a unique fine textured grip, and the newest Standard Flatpick has a slight ridge around the thumb area to ensure a firm grasp. We also have some new flat picks this year. The Fat Flat Large Pick and The Baby Fat Flat Pick are our latest and greatest! The Fred Kelly Fat Flat Picks only come in the polycarb.
Bumblebee
The Bumblebee is a unique combo of a flat pick and thumb pick all rolled into one! It is fully adjustable and rotational which makes it user-friendly and adaptable to your individual playing style. Adjust the amount of blade striking the string and set the angle of attack as you prefer. Switch from thumb picking to flat picking without changing picks! Unlike the rigid feel of solid one piece thumbpicks, the BUMBLEBEE is assembled in two pieces and allows flexibility as you pick- it really does feel like having a flatpick in your hand. Just choose a BUMBLEBEE in whatever gauge and blade style you use for a flatpick and sting the strings! Made of Delrin, it provides a soft and natural sound on the strings. The Bumblebee comes in two shapes: Jazz and Teardrop. The Jazz is pointed more like a regular flat pick and is favored by players in transition between thumb and flat picking. The Teardrop has a more rounded, less aggressive point. Choose from regular or large thumb hole and right or left handed models! Bumblebees are made in light, medium, heavy and X-heavy.
Speed
Fred Kelly’s Speed- Pick was designed to be fast on the strings. The long, slim shank allows for precision, speed, and truer tonal clarity. It has a comfortable, yet securely fitting thumbhole, and is available in the delrin material. Delrin is an extremely strong material, and provides a soft and natural sound on the strings. The speed pick is available in left-handed and large thumbhole models. The Speed picks are color coded in Yellow-light, Orange-medium, and White-heavy. The new left hand and the large thumbholes are not color coded.
Regular
Our “Regular” is our most traditionally styled thumb pick and has long been a popular one for players picking a variety of instruments and a wide scope of styles and genres. It’s made in “Heavy” gauge and is available in both Delrin and Polycarb materials and regular and large size thumb holes- one for every application!
Freedom Finger Picks
Our world famous FREEDOM PICK takes the place of your fingernails and increases volume. It also works great for frailing back and forth across the strings and hence works nicely for banjo players and others besides just guitarists. It has a comfortable, yet secure fit to your finger and is completely adaptable for a personal fit by way of manicuring, cutting and trimming. You can also customize their shape and fit by exposing them to hot and then cold water etc. The FREDDOM PICK made out of delrin provides a softer more natural sound while the polycarb model produces a brighter sound.