Abstract:
A guitar pick retriever includes an elongated shaft that has a width small enough for fitting between a string of a guitar and an edge of a sound hole of the guitar. The elongated shaft is sufficiently long for reaching within a hollow body of a guitar through a sound hole of the guitar. An attracting device is affixed at one end of the elongated shaft. 
     The attracting device having attractive properties (e.g., suction, static charge, stickiness) such that, upon contact and/or pressure with a guitar pick, the attracting device temporarily holds onto the guitar pick for removing the guitar pick from the hollow body of the guitar.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates to the field of musical instruments and more particularly to a device for retrieving a guitar pick lost within the body of a guitar. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Most any guitar player who plays with a guitar pick on a hollow-body guitar has experienced dropping a guitar pick into the sound hole of the hollow-body guitar. Once the guitar pick finds its way into the hollow body of a guitar, it is very difficult to get out. 
         [0003]    Do date, the best way to retrieve a guitar pick from the hollow body of a guitar is to hold the guitar with the sound hole pointing upward and shake the guitar until the guitar pick is located beneath the sound hole and then, in a quick movement, inverting the guitar so the sound hole pints down and, hopefully, the guitar pick falls out of the sound hole. This process usually takes many attempts before the guitar pick falls out, may not look professional during a show, and may result in damage to the guitar and surroundings due to the rapid movement and shaking. 
         [0004]    What is needed is a device that will predictably retrieve a lost guitar pick from within the hollow body of a guitar. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In one embodiment, a guitar pick retriever is disclosed including an elongated shaft that has a width small enough for fitting between a string of a guitar and an edge of a sound hole of the guitar. The elongated shaft is sufficiently long for reaching within a hollow body of a guitar through a sound hole of the guitar. An attracting device is affixed at one end of the elongated shaft. The attracting device having attractive properties (e.g., suction, static charge, stickiness) such that, upon contact and/or pressure with a guitar pick, the attracting device temporarily holds onto the guitar pick for removing the guitar pick from the hollow body of the guitar. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment, a method of retrieving a guitar pick that has fallen into a hollow body of a guitar is disclosed including extending a first end of a shaft of a guitar pick retriever into a sound hole of the guitar until an attracting device affixed to the first end of the elongated shaft contacts the guitar pick that has fallen into the hollow body of the guitar. The guitar pick sticks to the attracting device and the shaft is retracted along with the guitar pick from the sound hole of the guitar. Once retracted, the guitar pick is removed from the attracting device with the force of a user&#39;s hands. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment, a guitar pick retriever is disclosed including an elongated shaft that has a width small enough as to fit between a string of a guitar and an edge of a sound hole of the guitar. The elongated shaft is sufficiently long as to reach a guitar pick that is resting within a hollow body at the back wall of a guitar through a sound hole of the guitar. An attracting device is affixed to one end of the elongated shaft. The attracting device has attractive properties (e.g., suction, static energy, sticky surface) such that, upon contact and/or pressure with the guitar pick, the attracting device temporarily holds onto the guitar pick until a force from a user removes the guitar pick from the attracting device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a guitar and the guitar pick retriever. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates a plan view of the guitar pick retriever having a stiff shaft with micro-suction cup material at one end. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates a plan view of the guitar pick retriever having a bendable shaft with micro-suction cup material at one end. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a plan view of the guitar pick retriever having a stiff shaft with a miniature suction cup at one end. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates a plan view of the guitar pick retriever having a bendable shaft with a miniature suction cup at one end. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates a plan view of the guitar pick retriever having a stiff shaft with a sticky surface at one end. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  illustrates a plan view of the guitar pick retriever having a bendable shaft with a sticky surface at one end. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. 
         [0017]    Throughout this description, the term hollow-body guitar refers to any guitar that has any type of sound hole and hollow cavity in which a guitar pick may be dropped, including acoustic guitars, hollow-body electric guitars, semi-hollow-body electric guitars, etc. The disclosed device is useful for any musical instrument having a hollow cavity into which a pick might fall. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a guitar and the guitar pick retriever is shown. Shown is an example of a guitar  10  having a body  16 , a neck with tuning knobs  14 , and strings  12 . Although not necessarily located or shaped as a circle, many hollow-body or semi-hollow body guitars such as the guitar  10  of  FIG. 1  have sound holes  18 . The sound holes are designed to allow audio waves (e.g., sound) to exit the hollow body  16  of the guitar  10 . Many guitar players use a guitar pick  20  to strum the strings. The strings are often strummed over the sound hole  18  and, therefore, picks  20  often find their way into the hollow body  16  through the sound hole  18 . As discussed above, once the pick  20  finds its way into the hollow body  16 , it is very difficult to extract and retrieve by maneuvering and shaking the guitar  10 . 
         [0019]    To facilitate retrieval of a guitar pick  20  that has fallen into the hollow body  16  of a guitar  10 , an exemplary version of the guitar pick retriever  31  is shown in use. The guitar pick retriever  31  shown has a shaft  30  and an attracting device  32  at one end, shown attracting the guitar pick  20  for dependable removal and retrieval through the sound hole  18  of the guitar  10 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , plan views of the guitar pick retriever  31  having a stiff shaft ( FIG. 2 ) or a bendable shaft ( FIG. 3 ) and having micro-suction cup material  32  at one end are shown. Common to all embodiments of the guitar pick retriever  31  is a shaft  30 / 30 A (the shaft  30 A being stiff and the shaft  30  being bendable/malleable) and an attraction member  32 / 34 / 36 . The shaft  30 / 30 A and attraction member  32 / 34 / 36  are thin enough as to fit between the strings  12  of the guitar  10  or between the top/bottom string  12  of the guitar  10  and the edge of the sound hole  18 . For example, a shaft  30 / 30 A and attraction member  32 / 34 / 36  that is approximately ¼ inch in width or less performs well with most guitars  10 . In embodiments having a shaft  30  that is bendable/malleable, the shaft  30  is bent by the user to get to guitar picks that are not easily accessible by stiff, linear shafts  30 A. 
         [0021]    In  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the attraction member  32 / 34 / 36  is a section of suction cup tape  32 . Suction cup tape  32  has an adhesive on a first surface that adheres to an end of the shaft  30 / 30 A and surface and thousands of microscopic craters that work by creating many partial vacuums between the suction cup tape  32  and the guitar pick  20 , as would a standard suction cup  34  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). In operation, the microscopic craters of the suction cup tape  32  are pressed against the guitar pick  20  that is trapped within the hollow body  16  of the guitar  10 , thereby temporarily adhering to the guitar pick  20  using the elongated shaft  30 / 30 A. Then, the guitar pick  20  is removed from the hollow body  16 , perhaps first bending the strings to provide ample clearance for the guitar pick  20 , and then the guitar pick  20  is easily removed from the microscopic craters of the suction cup tape  32 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , plan views of the guitar pick retriever having a stiff shaft ( FIG. 4 ) or a bendable shaft ( FIG. 5 ) and having a miniature suction cup at one end. In this embodiment, the attraction member  32 / 34 / 36  is a miniature suction cup  34 . The miniature suction cup  34  is affixed to an end of the shaft  30 / 30 A and when pushed against the lost guitar pick  20 , the guitar pick  20  sticks to the miniature suction cup  34 . 
         [0023]    In operation, the miniature suction cup  34  is pressed against the guitar pick  20  that is trapped within the hollow body  16  of the guitar  10 , thereby temporarily adhering to the guitar pick  20  using the elongated shaft  30 / 30 A to exert the pressure. Then, the guitar pick  20  is removed from the hollow body  16 , perhaps first bending the strings to provide ample clearance for the guitar pick  20 , and then the guitar pick  20  is easily removed from the miniature suction cup  34 . Note that it is preferred that the diameter of the miniature suction cup  34  is less than the width of a typical guitar pick  20  to facilitate adhesion. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , plan views of the guitar pick retriever having a stiff shaft ( FIG. 6 ) or a bendable shaft ( FIG. 7 ) and having a sticky surface at one end. In this embodiment, the attraction member  32 / 34 / 36  is a sticky surface  36 . The sticky surface  36  is affixed to an end of the shaft  30 / 30 A and when pushed against the lost guitar pick  20 , the guitar pick  20  sticks to the sticky surface  36 . 
         [0025]    In operation, the sticky surface  36  is pressed against the guitar pick  20  that is trapped within the hollow body  16  of the guitar  10 , thereby temporarily adhering to the guitar pick  20  using the elongated shaft  30 / 30 A to exert the pressure. Then, the guitar pick  20  is removed from the hollow body  16 , perhaps first bending the strings to provide ample clearance for the guitar pick  20 , and then the guitar pick  20  is easily removed from the sticky surface  36 . 
         [0026]    The sticky surface is either a flat sticky surface such as a temporary adhesive such as double-sided tape, removable 3798LM gummy glue (from 3M Corporation). The gummy glue 3798LM is a low temperature fugitive glue that is easily removed without residual tack or residue and provides a non-permanent bond (the material used to hold credit cards to mailing paper). Alternately, the sticky surface is not flat, being a wad of sticky material disposed at the end of the shaft  30 / 30 A. As an example of such a sticky material, a wad of gummy glue or a wad of material known as adhesive putty (e.g., adhesive putty from the Scotch Corporation). 
         [0027]    Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result. 
         [0028]    It is believed that the system and method as described and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.