Our Story
Our Story
Inspired by Musicians. Driven by Innovation. Since 1922.
Every great performance is built on the little things.
A guitar pick that feels just right. A capo that disappears in your hand. A strap that's as comfortable as it is beautiful. These seemingly small details become trusted companions for every musician, helping transform inspiration into music.
At Thalia, we believe these tools deserve the same care, craftsmanship, and attention as the instruments they're played on.
Our story begins more than a century ago.
In 1922, Italian immigrant Luigi D'Andrea unknowingly changed music history from his kitchen table in New York City. After discovering sheets of tortoise-shell-colored celluloid, he punched out small plastic shapes that would become the world's first plastic guitar picks—creating a more consistent, reliable alternative to natural tortoise shell.
What started as a simple idea quickly grew into D'Andrea USA, a company that would spend the next century pioneering new pick materials, manufacturing techniques, custom printing technologies, and guitar accessories trusted by musicians, retailers, and many of the world's most recognizable guitar brands. Generations of players have made music with D'Andrea products, and the company's spirit of innovation has helped shape the sound of modern guitar playing.
Nearly ninety years later, another simple idea would begin around a guitar.
In 2010, eight-year-old Thalia Bradley was practicing guitar when she looked up at a poster of Taylor Swift holding a beautifully inlaid Hawaiian koa guitar. She wondered why the capo on the instrument wasn't just as beautiful as the guitar itself.
Her father, inventor and lifelong guitarist Chris Bradley, loved the idea—but believed a capo could be more than beautiful. He believed it could be completely reimagined.
Together they embarked on a four-year journey that produced more than 70 prototypes, refining every detail until they created something entirely new. The result was the Thalia Capo—a premium capo featuring an elegant reverse-action design that made it easier to use while complementing the beauty of the world's finest instruments.
In 2014, musicians around the world embraced the vision, helping launch Thalia through a successful Kickstarter campaign backed by more than 4,200 supporters. Since then, Thalia has become known for creating premium guitar accessories that combine innovative engineering, exceptional craftsmanship, and timeless design.
Today, these two legacies come together.
The pioneering spirit of D'Andrea USA and the design-driven innovation of Thalia now share one vision: to build the finest guitar accessories in the world.
With more than a century of combined craftsmanship behind every product, we continue to manufacture the guitar picks that musicians have trusted for generations while creating award-winning capos, premium wood picks, straps, and accessories that inspire players at every level.
Our commitment remains exactly as it was in 1922 and as it was in 2010—to challenge convention, pursue better ideas, and never stop improving the tools musicians rely on every time they pick up a guitar.
Because great music isn't just made by great instruments.
It's made by the people who play them.
Our job is to create the accessories worthy of becoming part of that journey.
Crafting Guitar Accessories Since 1922.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1922 | Luigi D'Andrea invents the world's first plastic guitar pick |
| 1928 | D'Andrea expands manufacturing and becomes an industry pioneer |
| 1950s–1960s | D'Andrea becomes the leading private-label guitar pick manufacturer |
| 2010 | Thalia Bradley imagines a more beautiful capo |
| 2014 | Thalia launches successfully on Kickstarter with 4,252 backers |
| 2015–Present | Thalia wins awards and expands into premium guitar accessories |
| 2026 | Thalia and D'Andrea unite under one vision, carrying forward more than a century of innovation |