Wabash 351 Std. Pick / Plectrum (1980s Translucent Blue PVC)

Introducing: Jayme's Plectrum Picks®, a divisionof Jack's Guitarcheology.

Jayme is Jack's partner in business and in life, and she is quite thevintage guitar pick aficionado. She has spent all of her spare time the lastfew months reading articles on D'Andrea and watching Joe Macey (RIP to alegend) videos. So, without further adieu, let's talk plectrums with Jayme:

Yet another 351 pick manufactured by D'Andrea. This pick is labeled as standard gauge ("STD.") which I would consider a medium. It's made of a fantastic, translucent blue celluloid. The text says Wabash, which refers to the Chicago street on which David Wexler & Co. was located. Wexler dates back to the 1920s and continues to distribute instruments, though they are located in Arizona now.

Fun tidbit - the little piece of ink missing from the top of the W is not a flaw - it's an eighth note! You'll see this on all Wabash-branded items (and in their original trademark filings).

It's difficult to date these blue Wabash picks as they were produced from the 1950s through at least the 1980s. Originally, the blue Wabash picks were produced with surplus celluloid from the Fairchild Camera Company, which was originally used for military aircraft photography. It was a very light blue and the edges tended to fade over time. This supply of celluloid was limited, so eventually, D'Andrea switched to the blue you see here. At first, they used celluloid, but this line with the "STD." gauge was likely printed on PVC in the 1980s.

All our picks are stored in a case with plenty of circulating air. I will shipit in a coin flip to ensure stability in transit, but please do not store it inthis container long-term. Celluloid is an unstable plastic that is prone todisintegration when it doesn't get enough air. The shipping cost allows us toship with a bubble mailer and a tracking number. International packages willcome first class.