Q:  … so what is this black material that you are using?

A:  …down the rabbit hole we go!  During a 5-month period, none other than Wyatt Rice and (little ole me) began testing a variety of plastics, with the primary goal of finding something that could replace his shell picks… and, in a nutshell, we both agree that we’ve found it!

This material is called polyetherimide, or PEI for short.  It is originally sold in “pellet” form, then melted into sheets or rods, for a variety of applications, by a handful of manufacturers…. As a side note, the pellets are made in Saudi Arabia.  The company who manufactures the pellets is called SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corperation).

You might know this material as “ultem.”  However, it would be misleading to leave it there. Ultem is a “family” of PEI, and there are many grades of Ultem.  The differences between the grades have to do with the percentage to which the material has been “glass filled.”  That is a plastics industry term that just means it was mixed with glass fibers, probably when it was pretty dang hot, so it is a mix of both glass and pure PEI.  Kind of like mixing straw with mud.

Some grades of PEI have no glass… that is called “unfilled.”  Then, some have 10 percent glass, some 20 percent, and some 30 percent.  As you might guess, the higher the grade, the stiffer the material is, and the higher the price!

So, back to the “family” of PEI concept… I kind of think about it in terms of this analogy

Wood > Spruce > Engelman Spruce

Plastic > Ultem > Grade of Ultem

Interestingly, each grade has a different tonality, when made into a pick.  Kind of like how each species of spruce might have a different sound.  I’ve zeroed in on two grades of this material, from a specific manufacturer, that I like in particular… Both grades have tortoise-like attributes, but one is just a bit “darker” than the other.  If you do the “drop test” onto the counter, I think you will see what I mean.  Both have that high-pitched “ping”, that is characteristic to shell, one sounding ever so slightly “darker.” 

 If you don’t mind, I’ll keep it to myself as to which grades I’m using.  It took a ton of work, a lot of dead ends, and quite a few expenses to zero in on these.  On top of all of that, even if I told you, different plastics distributors often have different qualities of this material (even when comparing the same “grade”.)  So, you can get one grade of this material from two different places, and it will sound really different. 

It should hopefully be apparent by now that although they share the same name, these are not the same Ultem picks you will find at your local music store.  Most “Ultem” picks are just the lowest and least expensive grade.  This particular material that I’m using gets pretty expensive pretty quickly.  A small sheet costs thousands of dollars… No kidding!  This plastic was certainly never made with guitar picks in mind.  Case in point, one of my sources for this material is the president of an aerospace company who uses this material to make “angle of attack indicators” for “F/A-18 Hornets.”  I can see where a 60-million-dollar jet better have good parts!

So, long story short, if you have been feeling guilty about using tortoiseshell, then here is a guilt-free alternative.

When will my order ship?

If you order a custom-made pick(s) to your specs, I will need to make it, but first I will need to make other folks’ picks first. I try to keep the wait to no longer than about 2 weeks, but it could be a little more or a little less. If you did not already read this elsewhere:  only one person works here at Apollo Picks, me (Nik)!

One last thing, if you order a pick that I already made (and took an individual photograph of) I will ship it out same-day or the next day.

About Tracking Numbers:

You will get an email with a tracking number when I print your label. This is sent automatically from the shipping program I use... But all this really means is that your order is in a group of orders that is currently on my bench, and it will still be a few days until it makes it into the envelope and into my mailbox. Thanks for understanding!

International Shipping:

Yep!  I’ll gladly ship anywhere in the world.  If I’m shipping internationally I ask $15 dollars, at the time of checkout, to cover the extra cost of shipping.  Also, I should say up-front that there is an increased chance of “lost packages” with international shipping. The USPS claim process, especially when international shipping is involved, is a bit of a nightmare, and never worth the time involved. Instead of just restricting shipping to the USA the only thing I can think to do would be to offer to ship outside of the USA at the risk of the buyer (that they eventually arrive at the address provided at the time of purchase). What I will do, of course, is guarantee that tracking will show the picks started their journey…

and, depending on the country, the packages do usually show up…

sometimes it takes a long time too.

Hope I didn’t scare you away too bad!

The 40 day return:

I mean just what I’m saying here, no strings attached.  You’ve got 40 days to decide if you want to keep it.    And if you decide it is not for you, I completely understand.  You’ll just owe the cost to ship it to you (about $3 bucks.  I realize that tone and feel are such personal things, and the ones I’m chasing might not be the same as what you're chasing.  It’s all good.  I have said it elsewhere, but I can only be this generous because I get so very few returns, and I think being this open will make people more likely to try them out.

If you return a casein pick, please make sure to return the picks in a padded envelope (to ensure they do not break.) 

My casein pick is not dead-flat?!

This is not unheard of with a casein pick, and the thinner they are the more this can happen. If you order, say, a shape A at 1mm you will notice this more than if you order a shape D at 1.3mm. When the picks leave my workshop they are dead flat, but the casein is a different, and more natural, material than say, PEEK, VESPEL, or Celluloid. They sound more natural too. I have a few tortoiseshell picks and they do the same thing. I’ve learned to live with it, and picks with a bit of cupping don’t bother me a bit. That said, if the cupping is excessive or distracting to you I’ll be happy to make you another pick and you can exchange the one you got with 40 days. No problem, it does not always happen, and it is unlikely to happen twice to you.

Why the name Apollo?  Why a “lyre/harp” logo?

The logo is of a “lyre,” which was a harp-like instrument used by the Ancient Greeks.  It turns out that the Ancient Greek’s were among the first users of “picks” in recorded history, and they used it when playing this particular instrument.  The device used to “strike” the strings of the lyre was called a Plektron (Latin: Plectrum). 

As for the name Apollo, this was the name of the ancient Greek god of, among other things, Music. 

It is kinda funny to think the name “Apollo Picks” might have been a suitable name for Ancient Greek plektron maker’s business.