Well,

Perhaps it's the confusion over who is (was) or isn't (wasn't) Mr (Dr) Guitar...

...or maybe it's just 'cause I'm full of BS. But now I'm getting these letters! Am I the only one getting this mail?!

Mr Hardly,

I heard you were soliciting helpful musical hints. Here's one of my faves!

How to get an errant pick dislodged from the interior of your guitar.

1. If you have the presence of mind to use only floating picks the solution is quite simple;

Using a carpenter's square, a plumb bob, and a level, make sure that the top of the guitar is perfectly level and that the pick is directly beneath the sound hole. Then simply fill the soundhole with water and the pick will rise to the top. From here it's a simple matter of finding something suitable (for me latex gloves afford the best grip) with which to grab the errant pick. If you didn't have the forethought to use picks that would float,

2. And this has worked well for me. You will need a 1" wood chisel, a dentist's mirror (you know, those mirrors on a little shaft) and a flex-arm flashlight. Using the mirror and the flex-arm light, locate the wooden obstructions that are all over the underside of the top of your guitar---these are called "braces". Once you have located these braces, firmly force the sharp end of the chisel under each brace and with a twisting motion, pop the braces, one at a time off of the bottom side of the guitar top. You may find that it will require some reaching in the sound hole to break off bits of the bracing that may remain behind as a continuing obstruction, but the beauty of this method of pick retrieval----it's permanent! Now, with all that lumber removed, and the path cleared, simply turn the guitar over. Once the pick has landed on the top you need merely slide it around until, voila', it drops cleanly from the hole!

Sincerely,
Snap-on Craftsman