Pick Holder for Stringed Instruments

The present invention pertains to a pick holder for stringed instruments, and more particularly to a pick holder, in strip form, for attachment to a guitar.

A number of pick holding devices are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,431 (Ferguson) discloses a pick dispenser for a stringed musical instrument which includes a resilient sponge rubber material mounted in the housing of the pick dispenser to urge a pick upwardly toward an opening in the housing. The Ferguson device is a pick dispenser rather than a pick holder and consequently involves counteracting forces on the picks housed therein which may result in jamming. In addition, this pick dispenser is mounted on the face of the guitar and includes only one pick holding compartment.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,029 (Watrous) discloses a pick holder which employs a coiled spring for holding the pick. this pick holder is complicated in structure and includes undesirable protruding elements.

Additional problems with prior art pick holders include their lack of aesthetic appeal, their being mounted on the guitars in a permanent fashion, and that picks may potentially shake loose therefrom.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome problems encountered with prior art pick holders by providing a simple, side-mounted, holster-style pick holder. The present pick holder includes a series of strip-holding compartments providing excellent pick storage capacity. It provides a simple design which is aesthetically appealing, securely maintaining picks in the compartments thereof. Moreover, the present pick holder contains a detachable mounting feature allowing permanent or semi-permanent attachment of a fastening portion to the guitar body and detachable mounting of an element having pick-receiving pockets thereto. The present pick holder is particularly adapted for rapid access should a pick be dropped during a performance. These and other objects and advantages will be evident from the detailed description which follows and is to be read in conjunction with the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a guitar having the pick holder of the present invention mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of the pick holder illustrating the various elements thereof.

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 illustrates a guitar 10 having a neck 12 and a body 14. A pick holder 16 is mounted in a cradle position 18 of the guitar body. The guitar is preferably a solid body electric guitar (as shown); however the present invention is adapted for use with all guitar body styles, both electric and acoustic. Mounting of pick holder 16 in the cradle portion 18 of the guitar provides quick access to the picks. This feature is important in the event that a pick is dropped during a performance. The holster style of the pick holder enables a replacement pick to be obtained within a couple of beats of the rhythm being played, minimizing any break in the flow of the music. The picks are place closely enough to the edge of the guitar body so that they may be "plucked" from the holder between the thumb and forefinger. In addition, a cradle mounting maintains the face of the guitar free from distracting or interfering elements, allowing maximum freedom and safety of hand movement. The strip style pick holder nestles into the cradle portion 18 to maximize the increased surface area at the cradle and to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Five picks 20 are held in five adjacent pick-holding pockets 22 in the embodiment shown. The present design affords a secure grip on the picks, so that they are maintained securely in place despite the guitar being shaken or handled vigorously during the course of a performance.

FIG. 2 is a close-up view in perspective of the pick holder illustrating the preferred elements thereof. The elements include a facing strip 24 have pockets 22. The facing strip is preferably composed of a suitably-colored leather to provide a secure holding means which is aesthetically appealing. The facing strip in the embodiment shown is sewn to a substrate portion 26 in a manner which defines pockets 22. The substrate may be composed of any suitable material; in a preferred embodiment, it is composed of a wood fiber material such as paperboard.

In the embodiment shown, elements 28 and 30 are mating strips of a Velcro fastener, strip 28 being affixed to the substrate 26, preferably by gluing, and strip 30 being removably afffixed to strip 28. In the embodiment shown, elements 24, 26, 28 and 30 are all substantially equal in their dimensions to provide a four-layered rectangular-shaped device.

In the preferred embodiment, an adhesive strip 32 is affixed to Velcro strip 30, the adhesive strip being adapted to be adhered to the guitar body. A peelable backing strip 34 covers the adhesive layer. Backing strip 34 is peeled away prior to affixing the adhesive layer to the guitar body. Adhesive strip 32 will not harm the finish of guitar body 14 when affixed thereto. When it is decided exactly where to position the pick holder, a Velcro piece equivalent to Velcro strip 30 may be glued to the guitar body in a more permanent fashion.

FIG. 3 is a section view of the pick holder of the present invention taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1. Adhesive section 32 is attached to guitar body 14. Velcro sections 28 and 30 are attached, and substrate portion 26 is sewn to facing strip 24 by stitching 36 and retains pick 20 therebetween.