Personalised Plectrums: How to Choose One and What to Engrave

A personalised plectrum is one of the simplest gifts you can give a guitarist, and one of the few they'll use every single time they play. Whether you call it a plectrum, a pick or a plec, here's how to choose one and what to put on it.

Plectrum or pick?

They're the same thing. "Plectrum" is the traditional British word, while "pick" is more common in the US and with younger players. Either way, it's the small piece you hold to strum or pick the strings.

Why choose a wooden plectrum?

Most plectrums are plastic. Wooden plectrums feel warmer in the hand, have a softer attack and, crucially for a gift, take laser engraving beautifully. The engraving burns slightly into the grain, so it looks like part of the pick rather than a printed sticker that wears off.

Choosing the wood

Our personalised wooden guitar picks come in four woods:

• Walnut: a rich dark brown that makes lighter engraving lines stand out.
• Rosewood: a warm reddish tone with a striking grain.
• Olive: a lighter wood with swirling, characterful grain.
• White Oak: pale and clean, so engraving looks crisp and dark.

Every piece of wood is different, so no two plectrums look exactly alike. Not sure which to pick? Our guide to wooden guitar picks goes into more detail.

What to engrave on a plectrum

A plectrum is small, so short and simple works best. Popular choices include:

• A first name or initials
• A date, such as a birthday, anniversary or first gig
• A short message like "I pick you" or "Rock on, Dad"
• A song lyric of a few words
• One of our ready-made designs, or your own artwork

Need more ideas? We've put together 60 things to engrave on a guitar pick.

How the engraving works

Choose your wood, type your text or pick a design on the product page, and we laser-engrave it to order. You can also upload your own artwork as a PNG, JPG, SVG or PDF. Orders are engraved and dispatched within 1 working day from the UK.

Make it a gift

A plectrum on its own makes a great stocking filler. To turn it into a proper present, pair it with an engraved box: our guitar gift sets combine a personalised plectrum with a square, oval or guitar-shaped pick box, so it has somewhere safe to live.

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