Dunlop guitar picks
Open any case, shake any acoustic guitar, or look in any guitar player’s dryer, and you’ll likely find at least a few Dunlop picks. They’re the industry standard when it comes to high-quality and innovative guitar pick designs. Whether you want a straightforward plastic pick or something more unique with grips and strange shapes, Dunlop makes a pick for every playing style. And don’t forget Dunlop’s exclusive Tortex picks. They’re made to feel and sound like real tortoiseshell picks, without hurting any poor turtles.
Dunlop guitar accessories
You don’t just buy a guitar or bass and start playing. Like any great hobby, there are tons of accessories you just absolutely have to buy! And luckily, Dunlop makes them all with their incredible lineup of guitar gear and accessories.
Here are just a few of the goodies you can find in the Dunlop catalog:
- Straps
- Strap locks
- Cleaning supplies
- Capos
- Gig lights
- Cables
- Power supplies
- Slides
- Strings
- Mic stands
- And much, much more!
If there’s an accessory Dunlop doesn’t make, you don’t need it! And all Dunlop accessories are made to the highest quality with the best engineering practices, so you can be sure they’ll be able to handle whatever you throw their way.
History of Dunlop
Back in 1965, Jim Dunlop was working as a processing and chemical engineer in hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. Apparently, the job wasn’t very exciting because he decided to open the Jim Dunlop Company on the side, developing guitar and musical accessories part time.
The first product from the Jim Dunlop Company was the Vibra-Tuner. It was one of the first “clip-on” tuners that tuned a guitar based on vibrations. The reason for the quotes around “clip-on” is because the first Vibra-Tuner actually attached to the guitar with a suction cup!
As he traveled around to various music shops trying to sell his products, he overheard someone saying if a company could produce a quality capo that was strong enough to work on a 12-string guitar, they’d make a killing. Using his engineering background, Dunlop went to work. He ended up creating the 1100 series capo, which ran for a long time because of its strength and longevity. Apparently, the person in the music store was right!
The first Dunlop products were made in Jim’s living room. As operations expanded, he moved out to the garage and eventually made his way to a proper manufacturing location outside of his house.
The guitar effects pedal world was forever changed when Dunlop released the iconic original Cry Baby Wah pedal in 1967. It and its successors have been a staple on countless pedalboards ever since!
In 1972, Jim Dunlop decided to take on the guitar pick market. The first Dunlop picks were made from Nylon — and many still are! In the same year, Jim Dunlop also decided to quit his day job and work on the company full-time (finally). He moved his family and operations to Benicia, California, where the Dunlop headquarters remain today.
Over the next few decades, Dunlop exploded in popularity. Their unique Tortex picks (released in 1981) provided the look, feel, and sound of vintage tortoiseshell picks without using actual tortoiseshell — which was outlawed in 1973.
In 1987 Dunlop purchased the trademark for the popular effects pedal producer MXR and began to manufacture them under the Dunlop brand. And in 2008, Dunlop began working with Way Huge and their effects genius Jeorge Tripps to create even more high-quality effects pedals.
When you’re looking for effects, picks, and accessories, you can’t go wrong with Dunlop. They make some of the best guitar gear in the industry and are well known for their quality, performance, and longevity. No matter what you need to make your guitar sing, Dunlop has the accessories!
