CLAYTON PICKS WILL BE AT NAMM 2025 - VISIT US AT BOOTH #5631 FROM JANUARY 23–25, 2025
The Story of Steve Clayton, Inc.
A Legacy in Music Accessories
Steve Clayton, Inc., based in Talent, Oregon, is a renowned manufacturer of high-quality musical accessories, with a focus on guitar picks. The company’s origins go back to 1966 when a 16-year-old Steve Clayton, armed with creativity and determination, began selling beautifully designed guitar chord chart posters. Living out of his van, he traveled across the country, visiting music stores and building his business from the ground up. Today, the company operates out of a state-of-the-art 16,000-square-foot factory, continuing its legacy of innovation and American craftsmanship.
From Guitar Slides to Picks: The Spark of Inspiration
Steve’s journey into guitar picks began with a challenge. Initially, he focused on selling guitar slides, but increased competition in the market prompted him to pivot. Determined to create a product with long-term success, Steve devised a list of essential criteria:
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Non-perishable: A product that wouldn’t spoil or degrade over time.
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Compact: With limited warehouse space, it had to be small.
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Distribution-ready: A product that could seamlessly integrate into existing music retail networks.
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Consumable: Something musicians would buy repeatedly.
This led him to guitar picks—a small but indispensable accessory for every guitarist. In 1979, Steve Clayton, Inc. launched its first line of guitar picks, setting a new standard for quality and performance.
Revolutionary Guitar Pick Materials
Steve Clayton, Inc. has always been at the forefront of material innovation, introducing two groundbreaking plastics to the guitar pick world:
Acetal
Made from a nearly indestructible plastic developed by DuPont, Acetal picks resist notching during play, providing exceptional durability and performance. Their reliable grip and strength make them a favorite among players.
Ultem
In the mid-1980s, the company introduced Ultem picks, which deliver crisp, clear tones and brighten guitar strings. This material quickly became a sensation among musicians and has since been imitated by other manufacturers, a testament to its enduring popularity.
The Birth of the Iconic Eagle Logo
Steve’s creative process for branding began humbly, inspired by clip art books and rub-on transfers—long before the age of digital design. His first designs featured his name, Clayton, and an elephant for his innovative extra-heavy picks.
In a stroke of inspiration, Steve discovered a Roosevelt-era eagle design with “Made in America” emblazoned across it. He admired its nostalgic, patriotic vibe and adapted it to create the now-iconic Clayton USA eagle logo. With subtle tweaks to give it a sharper, edgier look, the eagle became a perfect symbol of the company’s values: quality, innovation, and American craftsmanship.
Steve Clayton Products: Trusted by Top Artists
Steve Clayton, Inc. offers a wide range of products for musicians, including:
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Guitar picks (standard and custom)
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Guitar slides
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Guitar straps
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Capos
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Guitar Care Products
Their products are trusted by some of the biggest names in music, including Johnny Cash, Tenacious D, Eric Church, James Otto, Switchfoot, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The company also partners with iconic brands like Playboy, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and more to create licensed designs.
Custom Guitar Picks: A Game-Changer
Steve Clayton, Inc. revolutionized the industry by making custom guitar picks accessible to everyone—not just professional bands. They were the first to offer small-batch customization, allowing individuals to order as few as 30 picks.
The company also pioneered full-color imprinting on picks, using a proprietary in-house printing method. This innovation ensures stunning clarity, vibrant designs, and unparalleled durability, with fast turnaround times that musicians love.
From humble beginnings as a teenager selling chord chart posters on the road to leading a global musical accessories brand, Steve Clayton’s journey exemplifies creativity, resilience, and innovation. Today, the business remains proudly family-owned, with a third generation now joining the team to continue the legacy. Every Steve Clayton product embodies the values of quality, craftsmanship, and passion that have been passed down through the family. When you buy a Steve Clayton pick, you're not just purchasing a professionally crafted, American-made accessory—you're supporting a family tradition dedicated to inspiring musicians around the world.
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History of Steve Clayton, Inc.
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Steve Clayton, Inc. is a manufacturer of musical accessories, primarily guitar picks based in Talent, Oregon. Founded by Steve Clayton, who started in the music business in 1966 at the age of 16, by selling poster chord charts to music stores around the nation. The company has now grown to occupy a 16,000 square foot factory.
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What inspired Steve Clayton to start making guitar picks?
Steve started out in the guitar slide business however when a competitor moved in on his slide business it pushed him to expand in the pick direction. He knew it had to be something that would be successful and would last long term so he decided to sit down and come up with a list of what would be necessary for this to be successful.
The list was the following:
It had to be non-perishable.
Had to be small, because I did not have warehouse room at the time.
Had to already have an in place structure for distribution.
Had to be a consumable product meaning the same person would buy it more then once.
This list led him to guitar picks. In 1979 he created the first of what would be a long line of superior guitar picks for every type of player.
Acetal
Steve started out in the guitar slide business however when a competitor moved in on his slide business it pushed him to expand in the pick direction. He knew it had to be something that would be successful and would last long term so he decided to sit down and come up with a list of what would be necessary for this to be successful.
Ultem
Ultem is a plastic that was discovered by the company Steve Clayton, Inc. for use with guitar picks. It was originally discovered and marked by Steve Clayton back in the mid 1980's. The picks gained fast popularity due to its crisp clear tones and ability to brighten strings. The material has gained huge popularity among musicians and thus has been imitated by various other manufacturers in the industry.
How did Steve come up with the eagle logo?
I started out with my last name Clayton on the pick, then I did a really extra heavy pick with an elephant on it, before home computers. The only way to look at graphics back then was to look at books of clip art. The clip art came on a sheet that you had to rub down to get it on the surface you wanted it to be on. Back in those days the heaviest pick was 1.00mm, but I was able to make a 1.52mm pick with the elephant. Much to everyone’s surprise, you could take the cheapest guitar off the wall and it make it sound better! Then one day I saw an eagle that seemed to come out of the Roosevelt era, which was an eagle that said made in America on it. I really liked the made in America part and thought it was nostalgic. So I took the made in USA out and put in Clayton USA. Then I alerted the eagle a little bit to make it more edgy. The eagle fit on the picks perfectly!
Steve Clayton, Inc. offers a wide range of guitar accessories, including: guitar picks, custom guitar picks, guitar slides, guitar straps, guitar capos, and guitar polishes. They also license with many well-known companies and bands such as Playboy, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Ed Hardy, Warner Bros., and Tattoo Johnny. Many well known bands use their products, including Tenacious D, Eric Church, James Otto, Switchfoot, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Steve Clayton Products
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Custom Guitar
Picks
Steve Clayton, inc. was the first company to offer lower quantity customized guitar picks direct to the public. Large bands generally only created custom picks, however quantities of only 30 or 100 picks made customized picks obtainable to the general public. Steve Clayton, Inc. was also the first company to offer full color imprinting on guitar picks, which was also made available to the general public. Steve Clayton, Inc. uses a proprietary printing method developed in house to create full color designs on guitar picks with a fast turnaround time, with amazing clarity and durability.