Gibson 369 model, beige/black Catalin bakelite, Meantone raised grip bars, 3mm

Description

The Gibson 369 is a tribute to a little shape, seen in a 1936 Gibson catalogue. A little nondescript sketchy monochrome picture, but it somehow shows balance and poise. The raised grip rhombuses, or the more modern take on these, the Meantone grip bars, are inspired by its neighbour in that catalogue, the 370…

Together, they somehow result in a vintage style plectrum that gives modern guitarists a new little tone tool that works in any material, whether modern resin, vintage galalith, Catalin, polyester or even Surfite.

Catalin is a phenolic resin, similar to Bakelite (developed in 1907 by the Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland in Yonkers, New York), but Catalin contains different mineral fillers that allow the production of lighter colours.

Catalin was developed and trademarked in 1927 by the American Catalin Corporation of New York City, when the patent on Bakelite expired that year.

Catalin is heavy, quite greasy in feel, and as hard as brass. Catalin picks offer a strong, bright, and balanced tone.

Unlike other phenolic resins, Catalin, called at the time “the gem of modern industry”, does not contain fillers, such as sawdust or carbon black, but is transparent, rather than opaque, and can be coloured in bright colours or even marbled. This characteristic has made Catalin more popular than other types of Bakelite for consumer products.