Let me introduce myself
My name is Eppo Franken, founder and designer of ChickenPicks premium guitar picks. I was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1967, and nowadays I live in Dordrecht.
I’ve been playing guitar since I was 11 years old and grew up listening to classic hard rock bands such as KISS, Deep Purple, AC/DC, and many others. Like many guitar players, I was always searching for the perfect guitar pick. In the mid-1980s, I realized that the picks available simply didn’t feel the way I wanted them to. Instead of settling, I decided to make my own..
Eppo Franken/Nataraj in 1987
Photo: Eppo & Jolanda Franken
First I made 1400 Chickenpicks guitar picks by hand
After experimenting with countless materials and different types of plastics, I eventually discovered a thermoset material that delivered the tone, grip, durability, and feel I had been looking for. That design would later become what is now known as the ChickenPicks Regular 2.6 mm, one of our most popular guitar picks.
While developing my picks, I studied Business Economics and built my career in the financial and banking industry. For many years, making guitar picks remained a personal passion. I crafted them by hand for myself and occasionally for friends who wanted one too.
Everything changed in 2010, when my wife, Jolanda, suggested we start selling them. At the time, we both had demanding careers at one of the largest banks in the Netherlands, so ChickenPicks began as little more than a fun side project with a simple website and a Twitter account.
By 2012, it was clear that our “little joke” had become a real business. Demand had grown beyond what I could make by hand. Before moving production to a specialized manufacturer, I had personally handcrafted approximately 1,400 guitar picks, every one of which was sold.
ChickenPicks guitar picks are hand finished
Since 2013 all picks are machine made in Germany and Belgium and hand finished in The Netherlands. They’re all checked one by one by hand by people at a sheltered employment company in The Netherlands.
We’re very proud this works out well for a lot of people with different kinds of mental- and physical disabilities.
ChickenPicks guitar picks for the first time at the NAMM show USA
After a few small guitar shows in The Netherlands we went to Nashville Summer NAMM in 2013 and 2014.
Everybody we talked to was impressed by the feel of our beveled guitar picks.
Our first full NAMM Show was 2015 showing all 7 models at Winter NAMM in Los Angeles.
We attended every NAMM Show from 2015 till 2020
Chicken Picker myself
I still practice guitar every day and I play the music I like. In my early days it was hard rock music like Deep Purple and KISS.
Ace Frehley was for me the reason for picking up the guitar in general.
For the last 30+ years mostly into Country music. You may call me a Chicken picker!
Of course, the name ChickenPicks comes from my favorite style of guitar picking.
Ricky Skaggs, Redd Volkaert and Brent Mason are some of my favorite guitar players in that style.
At this moment I’m a band member of The Amazing Stroopwafels doing what I love to do: playing guitar!
Cheers!
Eppo
Youtube: Eppo Franken/Terry White Band
Youtube: Eppo Franken/The Amazing Stroopwafels