Blue chip picks

[stratton7584]

Ok I just purchased my first blue chip pick and at first I thought 35 dollars for a pick they must be insane. Well I now know that it is the best 35 dollars I have ever spent(on a instrument accessory), I love this pick and I have only had it a couple of days!! I would recomend this pick to everyone!!

[fishtownmike]

I was thinking of getting one but then opted out. I need more proof. How about everyone who owns one record a clip with out the blue chip and then with. I would like to hear if there is a difference between your previous choice of pick and the blue chip...Mike

[JeffD]

I would like to hear if there is a difference between your previous choice of pick and the blue chip...Mike

:)) Don't want to take our word for it, eh?

[Mike Bunting]

Why worry about it, play what you got.

[mandroid]

man we got 40 pages of blue chip tossing discussions elsewhere, one starting here too I guess..

[OldSausage]

But to address the question of sound, I think it's quite plausible that you would be able to get the same sound out of a mando with many different kinds of pick. I do like the particulars of the sound I get with my blue chip, but I honestly doubt if I or anyone else would be able to hear those on a recording. I have old recordings of me playing sometimes with a blue chip and sometimes with a pro plec, and I couldn't tell you now which was which if you held a gun to my head.

The key difference is in the feel of playing with the pick, and how that makes you think about the sound your are making. Also because Blue Chips do not wear, the consistency is fantastic.

[Big Joe]

Picks, like underwear, are a very personal thing. Sometimes you just have to try boxers to see if they are better than briefs :) . Sound clips will never tell you what a pick in hand will do. It is more than just the tone, but the feel and the way you can do things differently. In the violin world they have bows for tens of thousands of dollars. I also have them for 35.00. Trust me on this, the good bows are in a different league all together. The same with picks. The Blue Chip is not your .50 pick from the pic bin. The reason people are buying them and paying that much for them is because it makes a difference... to them... and that is what is important. It could be the best 35.00 you ever spend, or the worst 35.00 you don't spend. You've spent a whole lot more onother things you've found useless, but this one you can actually sell if you don't like and get your money back. Chances are you won't. You will find, like most others, it is well worth the investment in your tone and playing. Just my opinion. (I am not a dealer... I don't sell them, but I do play them).

[devilsbox]

I use a Pro Plec now, would it be possible to describe the different "feel" you get with the Blue Chip? Is it more or less flexible? Is it easier to keep a good grip on? Or like so many things, is it more of an intangible. I would spend the money if I thought I could see an improvement over my heavy Pro Plec. I haven't found any to try out. Thanks.

[cwtwang]

Pro Plec vs Blue Chip. Other than having a clearer, brighter, crisper tone (and if you compare same bevel types) IMO, the Blue Chip is easier to hold on to and feels more fluid off of the strings. My pick strokes are more fluid with the Blue Chip. Also, if you want a bit less thickness, you can go with a 55. Some players like the 50 for mandolin but I find them a bit too thin. I prefer 55 and 60. The Pro Plecs are quite thick.

[Mike Scott]

I recently got one too. I have been in search of the "holy grail" of picks since I started playing mandolin 2 years ago. I have Dawg, Golden Gate, Wegen, V Pick, Red Bear, assorted Dunlop, Fender, Pro Plec, etc. My issue has been having the darn thing stick to my fingers and tone. I really don't see much difference in tone of the Blue Chip compared to the Red Bear and only slight differences with those two and the Wegen and V pick although the V Pick does make some interesting string noise sometimes. The V Pick and Blue Chip both stick the best to my fingers. I have had the Blue Chip a month and for the past couple of weeks that's all I've used. I think every one who has bought one likes them, because they don't want to admit they spent $35 for a pick that they then didn't like-lol.

[JeffD]

I use a Pro Plec now, would it be possible to describe the different "feel" you get with the Blue Chip? Is it more or less flexible? Is it easier to keep a good grip on? Or like so many things, is it more of an intangible. I would spend the money if I thought I could see an improvement over my heavy Pro Plec. I haven't found any to try out. Thanks.

The BC is easier to grip and hold with no pick rotation because it sticks to the fingers as it warms.

And it sounds different. You may or may not like how it sounds different, but it does.

As far as intangibles, I think it picks faster, or more accurately, I seem to be able to picks a little faster with the BC. Perhaps because of the sureness of the grip, or perhaps how it glides across the strings, I don't know.

[JeffD]

Picks, like underwear, are a very personal thing. Sometimes you just have to try boxers to see if they are better than briefs

I doubt there will be a better quote on this message board in 2010. :))

[Randi Gormley]

I just tried one at my lesson on Saturday -- my teacher had me try both the 40 and the 50 just to see what they'd be like on my bandolim (i usually use whatever free pick i can find, or the 600 for 99 cents ones); it did make a difference in my playing, but just about anything would... for me, the difference was in the literal feel of the pick. It felt smoother in my fingers and it glided over the strings faster and easier than other picks (making it great for tremolo). Sort of the difference between feeling fine silk and, say, smooth cotton. I don't play hard enough consistently to wear out picks, but my teacher told me that he would wear out a pick or two per performance and the blue chips don't wear out. For someone at my (intermediate) level, it's not worth the $35, because I'd probably just lose it anyway. But it was fun to try one, just for the feel of the thing. I'd never felt a pick like it, but my experience is limited.

[fishtownmike]

I tried the wegen which have the bevel and i didn't like them because of the single edge right or left hand bevel. I prefer a slight bevel all around the pick on both sides like the dunlop ultex triangles have. The blue chip also have the single edge bevel. Why not offer with a standard full bevel like most picks have? The single bevel forces my hand in a way i don't want it to go. Or do they? Cant tell from their website.

[Kate D.]

First a disclaimer- I don't have a blue chip pick. But I do have sweaty hands sometimes when I'm playing, and when they are sweaty my pick grip shifts. When my grip is how I like it, I hear the tone as better. But, of course it is. The pick is hitting the strings at the angle I want, my hand is staying at the angle I want, and my arm is it's most relaxed. When the pick shifts the tone drifts. If any pick of any material stayed put, my tone would probably make me happier, and therefore be worth 35 dollars.

[stratton7584]

It stays put very well.

[yankees1]

945 posts on BC thread in other room! A long way to go! ~o)

[rmartinez]

I tried the wegen which have the bevel and i didn't like them because of the single edge right or left hand bevel. I prefer a slight bevel all around the pick on both sides like the dunlop ultex triangles have. The blue chip also have the single edge bevel. Why not offer with a standard full bevel like most picks have? The single bevel forces my hand in a way i don't want it to go. Or do they? Cant tell from their website.

For some reason I'm not finding it now on their site but under FAQs I seem to recall there being a 'standard bevel' option that they offer. I could be completely wrong here but I recall reading this. The 'standard bevel' would be expressed in the notes section.
Does this sound familiar to anyone else?
rm

[chasgrav]

I don't have the energy to read another thread on this subject. But FWIW, I'll never give up my Blue Chip! I went from skeptic to fan, and won't be going back.

[Geoff]

I just recently got a Blue Chip. The picks I used beforehand are the big triangle 1.14 dunlops. About two months ago I got the CT 55 from Blue Chip. I still prefer the tone that I got with the dunlop, the Blue Chip is a little bright for my tastes. But I prefer the Blue Chip over all. I notice a definite difference in speed and smoothness and the pick definitely sticks between my fingers much better. A slight difference in tone is a more that acceptable trade for speed, grip and smoothness. Also the blue chip is louder and it's good to be heard.

[devilsbox]

I'll have to find one of these to try out. If they grip better that would really be a plus.

[ccravens]

Count me as a BC believer.

Only 923 posts to go!

:grin:

[stratton7584]

They are great!

[mandolirius]

Count me as a BC believer.

Only 923 posts to go!

:grin:

At this rate, 923 turn into the number of BC threads.

[Laird]

The grip on a Blue Chip is unbeatable, though I've gone back to Wegen because they give me a brightness of sound that I don't find with the Blue Chip. But you won't find anything with better grip (though a Golden Gate with a few holes drilled in it works pretty well, as far as that goes).

[Mandoist]

As always...

If you like T-shell (but can't get one, or you subscribe to the endangered tortoise theory)...

Get your kicks with [U
RL="http://www.wegenpicks.com/"]Wegen Picks[/URL].


:mandosmiley:

[JeffD]

As always...

If you like T-shell (but can't get one, or you subscribe to the endangered tortoise theory)...

:

There are lots of new pick materials and shapes these days that compete in sound and playability with T. And most of them don't wear out anywhere as fast as T does.

These days it is quite reasonable to prefer something other than T.

To my ear and the way I play, the Red Bear Tortis plays and sounds just like T. BCs are a very close second.

[Mike Bunting]

The endangered species list is hardly a theory.

[Rob Fowler]

[QUOTE=Mandoist;767557]As always...
or you subscribe to the endangered tortoise theory)...

There is no "theory" about it. The Hawksbill Turtle is critically endangered from both unsustainable fishing practices and being harvested for it's carapace (i.e., shell) to make all kinds of little trinkets, including guitar/mandolin picks.

Here's a link (http://http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/hawksbill.htm) to NOAA with more information on Hawksbill Turtles.

[jasona]

To my ear and the way I play, the Red Bear Tortis plays and sounds just like T.
This.

[Sleepy]

I was going to get one, however i thought it would be smart to take my girlfriend to dinner. That's right i ate my pick.:mandosmiley:

[Rob Gerety]

I was going to get one, however i thought it would be smart to take my girlfriend to dinner. That's right i ate my pick.:mandosmiley:

See, that's where you went wrong. You've got your priorities all out of whack. :cool:

[JeffD]

I was going to get one, however i thought it would be smart to take my girlfriend to dinner. That's right i ate my pick.:mandosmiley:

Taking the girlfriend to dinner is always a good idea, don't get me wrong. But the direct benefits are on the occation, and the lasting benefits are not in taking the girlfriend out to dinner, but in the habit of taking her out to dinner.

The pick on the other hand will provide benefits at no additional cost for as long as it lasts, and it will last much longer than your mandolin, with less maintenance.

On the other other hand, when it comes to love, logic is just the gasoline thrown on the flames of emotion, so you are all on your own as to your decision. :(

Happy Valentines Day all. Here's hoping we don't get what we deserve. :mandosmiley:

[OldSausage]

If I took my girlfriend out to dinner, I would expect her to return the favor by buying me a Blue Chip Pick.

[Sleepy]

Loved the responeses. The fact is that i lose so many picks i'm afraid i would be a bit neurotic ( no spell check here) and obsessed with keeping track of them.
Just thinking there are some super people here. Has there ever been a Mandolin Cafe convention. Just imagine the great times and stories that would come from it.
Sleepy

[Rob Gerety]

Also keep in mind that girlfriends come and go, a Blue Chip pick lasts forever.

[ccravens]

Also keep in mind that girlfriends come and go, a Blue Chip pick lasts forever.

Also that a girlfriend can lose her bevel over time and become "dull" sounding. Not true for a Blue Chip.

[OldSausage]

Also, sometimes it's easier for a girlfriend to slip out of your grasp. Especially if you play a lot.

[terzinator]

I used to think that a $35 pick would be foolish, since I can never find my picks, and I'd probably lose it, etc... but you learn to keep REALLY good track of a $35 pick.

Just ordered my third. I have a TPR 60 for mandolin and a TD 50 for guitar. I rounded one of the points on the TPR 60, and that rounded point works pretty well for tremolo, but it certainly lacks tone when picking overall... problem is, I always find myself on the rounded point, and it goofs me up! I just ordered the Chris Thile Sig 55 pick... we'll see how that works.

[Jim MacDaniel]

Picks, like underwear, are a very personal thing. Sometimes you just have to try boxers to see if they are better than briefs :) ...

LOL!

(Anyone out there play commando?)

[fishtownmike]

I used to think that a $35 pick would be foolish, since I can never find my picks, and I'd probably lose it, etc... but you learn to keep REALLY good track of a $35 pick.

Just ordered my third. I have a TPR 60 for mandolin and a TD 50 for guitar. I rounded one of the points on the TPR 60, and that rounded point works pretty well for tremolo, but it certainly lacks tone when picking overall... problem is, I always find myself on the rounded point, and it goofs me up! I just ordered the Chris Thile Sig 55 pick... we'll see how that works.
You rounded a point? I thought these were indestructible. You must be superman.:)

[Rooster59]

I keep reading how the BC is grippy and doesn't slide around. That was probably the main reason I bought one. I've found the opposite. I have trouble hangin' onto the thing---or at least keeping it where I want it.
I even took it to the drill press and drilled holes in it like a Wegen.
If I wash my fingers and the BC with dish soap then it grips really well but as soon as I get nervous or sweat a bit, it's like hanging onto a wet bar of soap.
Maybe just the way I'm made? Or most likely my technique sucks.~:>

[Roger Kunkel]

I was thinking of getting one but then opted out. I need more proof. How about everyone who owns one record a clip with out the blue chip and then with. I would like to hear if there is a difference between your previous choice of pick and the blue chip...Mike

For $35 I'll do that for you!

It's more than the sound, though. It's a very fast smooth pick. I really think I play better with it. Great for clean fast picking. Not necessary the best sounding pick I own, but good.

[Kevin K]

Rooster,
Wash it with a little dish washing liquid and water, dry and your good to go

[Rob Gerety]

Rooster - if you were having problems with the pick moving around before the BC then I bet dollars to donuts you could improve your grip technique. I had a lot of problems like that until I made the commitment and changed the way I grip the pick. It was a hard adjustment, but it made all the difference.

[fishtownmike]

Has anyone tried the new (insert name of new super wonder pick here). I wonder how long it will be before we are reading a new thread like this. Will the same people be making the same ravings about the new pick like they did their previous wonderful blue chips and the wegens and red bears before that. I think a lot of it is in your head. David Grisman mentioned how expensive violin bows can be and that he wished someone made a $500.00 pick just so he could brag he a had a $500.00 pick.:)

[bratsche]

David Grisman mentioned how expensive violin bows can be and that he wished someone made a $500.00 pick just so he could brag he a had a $500.00 pick.:)

What is his e-mail address? I would be more than happy to make him a $500 pick! :)):)):)):))

[Flattpicker]

I remember when a certain new violin string came out, and several of the good local players I new were using them and raving about them. A year or two later another expensive string came out, totally opposite sound IMO, and everybody switched and swore by them.

However, as an impartial observer (I have not yet tried a Blue Chip) I don't know when I've seen the sort of devotion that people are showing these picks--there must be something there, whether I will like them or not.

[SincereCorgi]

Has anyone tried the new (insert name of new super wonder pick here). I wonder how long it will be before we are reading a new thread like this. Will the same people be making the same ravings about the new pick like they did their previous wonderful blue chips and the wegens and red bears before that. I think a lot of it is in your head. David Grisman mentioned how expensive violin bows can be and that he wished someone made a $500.00 pick just so he could brag he a had a $500.00 pick.:)

You know, I was skeptical about super wonder picks up to a couple weeks ago when I bought my first Wegen, purely out of curiosity. I figured that super-wonder picks were probably a psychological thing – plastic's plastic, right? – but, surprisingly, the Wegen really does do things better than the picks I've been accustomed to. Makes me wonder if $35 for a Bluechip might be worth it. Of course, they let me try the Wegen in the shop before I bought it, whereas the Bluechip feels a little more like buying a pig in a poke.

[citycountryguy]

Nah, it's more like buying a pick in a plastic bag. But I think Matthew still has a money back guarantee if you don't chew on the thing, so if that's the case, there's really not a big risk, except for shipping...and that's like a McDonald's extra value meal.

[Rob Gerety]

I don't know when I've seen the sort of devotion that people are showing these picks--there must be something there, whether I will like them or not.

Oh yea, there is definitely something there.

[fishtownmike]

You know, I was skeptical about super wonder picks up to a couple weeks ago when I bought my first Wegen, purely out of curiosity. I figured that super-wonder picks were probably a psychological thing – plastic's plastic, right? – but, surprisingly, the Wegen really does do things better than the picks I've been accustomed to. Makes me wonder if $35 for a Bluechip might be worth it. Of course, they let me try the Wegen in the shop before I bought it, whereas the Bluechip feels a little more like buying a pig in a poke.
I tried the wegen and like them for a while then reverted back to my dunlops that i used prior to them. I really didn't like the wegen's sound. They are bright sounding but not a pleasing bright sound. And a few have described the bluechips as sounding similar so thats why I'm weary of springing for one....Mike

[terzinator]

I used to think that a $35 pick would be foolish, since I can never find my picks, and I'd probably lose it, etc... but you learn to keep REALLY good track of a $35 pick.

Just ordered my third. I have a TPR 60 for mandolin and a TD 50 for guitar. I rounded one of the points on the TPR 60, and that rounded point works pretty well for tremolo, but it certainly lacks tone when picking overall... problem is, I always find myself on the rounded point, and it goofs me up! I just ordered the Chris Thile Sig 55 pick... we'll see how that works.


You rounded a point? I thought these were indestructible. You must be superman.:)

Not by playing! I sanded it down with a bench-top disc sander. Weren't no big deal. http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/26.gif

[MandoPheel]

Fishtownmike,
I have the same concern about the "speed bevel"- I hold the pick parallel to strings and the right or left hand bevels sound pretty muted (at least on Wegens). BC will do a standard bevel:

http://www.bluechippick.net/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=108

Let us know how you like it if you try one.

I have recently tried a 1.5mm V-pick which has a standard bevel (though not really rounded- it's a little sharper) and I like it pretty well. Like the BC, it has a really smooth surface that gives a surprisingly good grip and it gives a bright tone with good rich overtones and good volume. You might find it suits your playing style better.

Phil

[SincereCorgi]

I tried the wegen and like them for a while then reverted back to my dunlops that i used prior to them. I really didn't like the wegen's sound. They are bright sounding but not a pleasing bright sound. And a few have described the bluechips as sounding similar so thats why I'm weary of springing for one....Mike

I kinda know what you mean- the Wegens have a slightly scrape-y harshness, but I find that if I 'dig' enough I can get a sound I like a lot. For now I'm still pretty impressed. As a side note, I did get to try a Bluechip at a jam tonight... it seemed good, but it was an unfamiliar shape so I can't really give a solid opinion. Same goes for the Red Bear I tried at a workshop this weekend.

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

Sorry, but BlueChips are yesterday's news. I recently got to test drive a new prototype pick that blew my BlueChip out of the water. It's an asymmetrical triangular 1.37 mm pick made from a composite of polymerased silicone-enriched palladium. Laser etching provides gecko-like grip on both faces of the pick, and the edge bevel is micro-honed and polished using the same techniques that shape the best obsidian surgical blades. The palladium (mined from the world's richest lode in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana) is impervious to friction, and the NASA-grade silicone lubricates against the strings even as it warms the tone. Guaranteed to increase your picking efficiency by 35% and they come with a lifetime warranty against all defects in material and workmanship.

These new picks are being sold under the "Rosebud" label out of a small lab and CNC shop on the Dupont Chemical campus in Dover, Delaware. A chemical engineer friend of mine sent me one for evaluation. As I understand it, they will come on market within three weeks, but the initial price point may dissuade all but the most serious pickers: $299 a pick.

After playing the prototype, I'm ordering two more--a 1.109 mm oblique teardrop model for guitar, and a 1.04833 mm light gauge for tenor banjo.

[Chris Biorkman]

You've got to be joking. Who in their right mind would pay $300 for a pick? Will it go to work for me and do my taxes?

[mandolirius]

You've got to be joking. Who in their right mind would pay $300 for a pick? Will it go to work for me and do my taxes?

Of course he's joking. Pretty funny though. :))

[Chris Biorkman]

Darn. I just invested in palladium too.

[mandolirius]

Darn. I just invested in palladium too.

Considering it's use in catalytic converters (over half the supply, according to Wiki), it might not be a bad investment.

[Chris Biorkman]

Yeah, but I was really hoping this pick stuff would send it into the stratosphere. My 401k has gotten pummeled and I could use a break.

[mandolirius]

Yeah, but I was really hoping this pick stuff would send it into the stratosphere. My 401k has gotten pummeled and I could use a break.

Yeah, I hear ya. This converting fossil fuels/global warming is all well and good but tapping into that lucrative flatpick market could have made you rich. Bummer.

[JeffD]

These new picks are being sold under the "Rosebud" label out of a small lab and CNC shop on the Dupont Chemical campus in Dover, Delaware.

$299 a pick.



:)) You made me splort my coffee.

[JeffD]

I wonder how long it will be before we are reading a new thread like this. Will the same people be making the same ravings about the new pick like they did their previous wonderful blue chips and the wegens and red bears before that.


You predict the future. We are going to see, over the next several many years, all kinds of new materials as picks. Stuff scientifically designed to be used as a plectrum, and stuff designed for entirely other purposes that just seem to work well as a pick. And each new pick is going to have its advantages.

The differences are not only in the head, they are measurable real differences. Whether a person likes those differences is, of course, in the head.

I switch among the big three you mention, depending on what kind of music I am playing. If something comes along that works better for me I will switch.

[devilsbox]

That Palladium pick sounds well engineered, and would be hard to surpass. However, perhaps incorporating some Stabilitum to improve the grip and even out the beat? Just a thought.

[Kevin K]

It won't be long now, buy a pick get a mandolin free.....

[GRW3]

Unstated in the movie Avatar, the unobtanium material they are after is pick material with skill enhancing qualities. In the future, everyone will play a flat picked instrument.