Fred Kelly Picks

Fred Kelly Picks

Also known as: Fred Kelly

Unclaimed

Fred Kelly Picks is a guitar pick maker based in Grayling, Michigan, specializing in thumb picks and flatpicks that are injection-molded in-house. The company was founded by Fred Kelly, who took up pick-making as a second career after being inspired by the thumb-and-fingers style of Merle Travis. Dissatisfied with the bulky thumb picks available at the time, Kelly designed a slimmer, speed-orie...

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Fred Kelly Picks is a guitar pick maker based in Grayling, Michigan, specializing in thumb picks and flatpicks that are injection-molded in-house. The company was founded by Fred Kelly, who took up pick-making as a second career after being inspired by the thumb-and-fingers style of Merle Travis. Dissatisfied with the bulky thumb picks available at the time, Kelly designed a slimmer, speed-oriented thumb pick with a secure grip, which became the basis for the product line.

The catalog is built around several distinct thumb pick shapes, including the Speed Pick, the Bumblebee (a hybrid thumb-and-flatpick design with a protruding blade), the Freedom Pick, the Slick, and standard thumb and flat picks. Picks are offered in multiple gauges and sizes, with left-handed versions available across most models. Materials include Delrin, polycarbonate, and nylon, each producing a different tone and feel. Production takes place at Kelly's own workshop, where he and his family handle the molding and finishing.

Fred Kelly Picks occupies a niche among acoustic fingerstyle, country, and bluegrass players who use thumb picks as a core part of their technique, and the brand is a staple in that community rather than a mass-market pick manufacturer.

Fred Kelly Picks has 9 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Picks & Pick Holders. Their gear is featured by 6 artists, with the strongest followings in Folk, World, & Country, Blues, and Jazz. Notable users include Doyle Dykes, Luke McQueary, and Scotty Anderson.

Artists Who Use Fred Kelly Picks

Doyle Dykes uses 2 Fred Kelly Picks products

Doyle Dykes

Guitarist

Luke McQueary uses 1 Fred Kelly Picks product

Luke McQueary

Guitarist · Don Kelley Band

Scotty Anderson uses 1 Fred Kelly Picks product

Scotty Anderson

Guitarist

Buster B. Jones uses 1 Fred Kelly Picks product

Buster B. Jones

Guitarist

Thom Bresh uses 1 Fred Kelly Picks product

Thom Bresh

Guitarist

Bunny Barnes uses 1 Fred Kelly Picks product

Bunny Barnes

Guitarist

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