By Michael Murawski
One day after a four-hour practice session, a guitarist who had been playing for 27 years thought to himself how cool it would be if his guitar pick could give him a printout of everything his picking hand had done during the session.
That guitarist is Michael Murawski, and this internal monologue got the ball rolling for a new business venture. Murawski reached out to Brad Egler, a friend from high school who works as a software architect, and, after exploring the possibilities over lunch, Egler wanted in.
Testing the Waters
Together the duo built a working prototype using off the shelf components, including a circuit board, pressure sensors and a 3D-printed shell with a reinforced tip. A couple hundred hours of software development later, they had a working app and proof of concept for guitarists to start trying out, and Pickatto LLC was born.
The effect of the pick is very similar to fitness trackers people use to monitor daily movement. Developing the picking hand takes millions of repetitions just like exercise. When humans can see their efforts in numbers, it becomes easier to set and meet goals. Very similar to someone who won’t get off the treadmill until they hit their 5-mile goal, a guitarist won’t be satisfied with their session until they have hit their picking goal for the day.
Next, the team needed to get the prototype in the hands of guitarists to try, so they paid for a booth at the largest music convention in the world: the National Association of Music Merchants show in Anaheim, CA. With two prototype picks in hand, Murawski and Egler set out to explore if there was truly a market for a product like this. The initial feedback was overwhelmingly positive from guitarists who tried the pick while watching their stats on a screen in front of them. It was clear the duo should move full speed ahead.
From Research to Reality
The team’s initial product model will have many software features for users, and the pick will be able to track all plucks against the strings while distinguishing down- and up-strokes. It will come with a custom charger to house the pick and keep it from getting damaged during charging. Pickatto will use Bluetooth technology to stream this information to the user’s phone. The pressure sensor embedded in the pick will let the user know in live time if they are tensing up and squeezing too hard on the pick.
“I have pain in my thumb when I play, and I think it is from squeezing the pick too hard over all the years of playing. I wish I would have had this pick many years ago to keep track of this,” says Mark Koch, longtime guitar instructor at the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA.
Murawski and Egler are now connected with The INNOVA Commercialization Group, a venture development initiative of the High Technology Foundation that provides access to commercialization services, strategic planning, professional and technical assistance and early stage capital.
“Pickatto was a great candidate for enrollment in a new initiative instituted by INNOVA: The 3 Steps to Start-Up program,” says Guy Peduto, director of INNOVA.
This collaborative program links the resources of TechConnect West Virginia, INNOVA and the West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust to provide assistance to an early-stage entrepreneur.
“This is a perfect product development model that can take advantage of all the assets in our program to create a business from concept to market introduction,” says Peduto.
Through the 3 Steps program, Pickatto was introduced to the Center for Applied Research and Technology to build the production model and custom charger. The center is located on the campus of Bluefield State College, and the personnel provide evaluation, prototype development and product design. The team is currently going through multiple phases to get the pick to meet the desired specs to be functional and comfortable for a guitarist to use.
Murawski and Egler have visions of Pickatto being a stand-alone product as well as possibly linking up with preexisting software. Until now, guitar instruction software could only monitor and train a guitarist on their fretting hand because there has never been a way to get data directly from the picking hand. Pickatto will finally allow guitarists to be trained and scored on both hands.
“This pick could change the way we play a stringed instrument. It is definitely going to be a game changer,” says Rich Engler, legendary concert promoter and producer.
Pickatto LLC has an official U.S. patent and copyright on the name, and Murawski and Egler have formed a limited liability company in West Virginia.
About the Author
Michael Murawski is the co-founder of Pickatto LLC. He received a bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University before going on to work as a customer service specialist in multiple fields. He leads a stress-free lifestyle, which allows him time to stay active, practice his guitar and follow his dream of getting the Pickatto project off the ground.
