Pick thickness

[evanreilly]

I had a very enjoyable visit to the Blue Chip table at Gala and discussed picks with the C.E.O. I handed him my Clayton 1.9mm white triangular pick and asked him if he could make me a Blue Chip that thick. He pulled out his micrometer and said it was about a 69-70. He told me that he has made several picks that are thicker than the 60s lately and he could make me an 80 if I wanted it.
I am saving my pennies!!!
I have Blue Chip 55s & 60s, but want a heftier one.

[Bob Bronow]

As I've said - I can't get on with Dawgs. There is something peculiar about them; I just can't get any sound/volume out of them. Anyone else experience this? I have a couple of Ted's Pro-Plecs but I don't think I've tried them.

I've had the same problem with the "Golden Gate Mandolin Picks". I think that they are the same shape as the original Dawg pick.

I like their shape but thought they sounded a bit dull on my mandolin. So I took a Mock Turtle pick (also made by Golden Gate) and sanded it down to the shape and bevel of their mandolin pick. It's now my favorite!

[Martin Stevens]

This is the one I'm currently using: http://shop.bluechippick.net/products/TAD50.html so around a 1.25mm thickness.

I also have the CT55 but it's pretty clunky for leads at like 1.4mm, although the bevel is a little more forgiving.

[Mandolin Mick]

I use the Dawg. Great for Bluegrass & Italian tremolo mandolin. It fits my grip best. That is, my index & middle finger w/thumb.

[Paul Hostetter]

All the old Italian mandolin players I've known played with extremely thin picks, such as the old gray Herco nylon extra-lights, often sharpened to a point with a pair of scissors. I personally get along better with a classic Fender medium.

I've been messing with and making picks for ages, and put together a little page about it here. There might be something of interest there for some folks.

[Mandolin Mick]

Paul-

Very intersting and informative! Thanx!

[grassrootphilosopher]

I´ve seen people use relatively thin picks (Steve Kaufman plays medium picks with a thickness of under 1 mm) and I´ve seen folks pick with really thick picks (like David Grisman and the Dawg picks).

Viewing this as a matter of taste and what you´d like to sound like I´ve settled with whatever pick I use (Clayton Tortex Ultem, Wegen, Red Bear and yes even a Blue Chip) in a thickness of about 1,2 mm. The picks must not flex. That´s the golden rule for me. The rest is taste. I also played rounded picks (Golden Gate, Dawg, Red Bear Mondo, the round side of a Clayton) and found out that I pull better tone as a pointed pick guy (like Jimmy Geaudrau) while picking is easier with a rounded pick (like David Grisman). I found out that the thicker the pick it may kill tone ... or may not, depending on the picking style and the mandolin.

My current choice of an unflexible teardrop shaped pick is determined by the fact that I can switch from mando to guitar and back using the same pick, while with a Dawg Pick etc. the tonal differences would be so different on both guitar and mandolin that each instrument would command a different pick. I have different picks on different instruments (Blue Chip on a Martin, Red Bear on a Gibson, Clayton on a Strad-O-Lin and Wegen on a Duff). Each pick sounds the best on the specific instrument though i could easily use each pick and use it on all the other instruments as well with only minor differences in the sound. I´m still looking for "the one and only" pick. I have one (old and from the material that must not be mentioned) but I reserve this for recordings etc. in order to not wear it out too fast.

[Brent Hutto]

...depending on the picking style and the mandolin.

And I might suggest adding "and the bevel". When you get up past your 1.2mm or so the shape of the bevel really seems to make a difference, too.

[GRW3]

I use a Bluechip 60 on the mando and a 40 on the guitar. The 40 would work better on the mando than the 60 on the guitar because strumming needs a little more flex than 60 will provide.

[Gerry Cassidy]

I have been playing the BC TAD601R for the last year or so and just picked up the BC XR 50. The feel is definitely different, but after playing a few days at a few different venues the performance has proven to show little difference.

I prefer the BC for the way the material interacts with the strings and the thickness doesn't seem to have any effect on that aspect.

[300win]

I use a Bluechip 60 on the mando and a 40 on the guitar. The 40 would work better on the mando than the 60 on the guitar because strumming needs a little more flex than 60 will provide.

The very same I use, also have a 50 that was my first BC, all rounded corners, I can still use it and it does good but the 60 gives me a little more to hold on to, plus I can play guitar with it and the pointed corner in in a pinch.

[Glassweb]

i'm off the BlueChips and on the ProPlec train... the large, rounded triangle model. i like the sound even better than the BC TAD50 that I had been using and, at 70 cents a pop, it's certainly a winner budget-wise. try 'em... you'll lke 'em!

[Glassweb]

this is the one i use...

[i-vibe]

i like those large 1.5 propleks too.

i modify them slightly w a bevel and a few drilled holes in 'em.

i also do this w Dunlop 207's.....for 45 cents and about 2min to bevel and drill the holes on these, this just might be the best bang for the buck and is quickly becoming my go to pick for both mando and gtr.

[fscotte]

Pro-Plecs are great.

[JeffD]

I tried those propleks. I thought they were easy to play, but I didn't care for the sound on my Gibby, compared to the BC or Red Bear. On my Weber I liked them a little better.

As for my pick budget, the money I saved on festivals I could not attend this year because of work have put me in designer picks for the rest of my life.

[sea sea]

I am a bluechip fan now. Have the TAD501R for guitar and TAD50 for mando. Slick on the strings, no noticable wear, good tone and fit good on my hand. claytons and ultex would start flexing after a song or 2 and had about 5 in my pocket when playing swapping them out. And they wear fast. tortise is hard to come by, never could find the right shape/thickness for my liking. Red bear has a 5 week wait. Matthew Goins @ bluechip was good to talk to, had my pick in 3 days. Swapped one out that wasnt the right size no problem. Heck, when you have a $3-$5K instrument, whats $38 when that is what actually touches the strings and makes the sound.
CC

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

So I took a Mock Turtle pick (also made by Golden Gate) and sanded it down to the shape and bevel of their mandolin pick. It's now my favorite!

I've done the exact same thing myself. Bought a few of these mock turtle shell picks off ebay, and went to work. I do prefer the larger triangle size picks with the sharper corner, which I find easier to control while picking those celtic triplets on the mandolin. I would count the Wegen big triangle TF 1.2mm as my favorite, follow by the Golden gate mock turtle triangle as a close second.

[Brent Hutto]

I just wish I could play those Scots and Irish ornaments in the first place so I could offer an opinion on what kind of pick work best!

[Mandoe]

As rsgars, I like to treat myself to a pick tasting every now and then as well. I get my picks out and mess with them. For me, changing picks is the easiest way to change my sound.

Over the years I have collected a bunch of picks, including Dawgs, Wegans, Blue Chips, Red Bears, Shell, Pro Plecs, etc. I generally like picks that are rounded and shaped the same on all three sides so that if/when a pick turns in my hand it doesn't matter.

Currently, my main pick is a BC TPR60, prob the best overall pick I have ever used. I also use a Red Bear Mondo and Dunlop 207s. Monroe-style sounds best to me using shell. I generally find the Dawg, Golden Gate and Pro Plec picks too dark and muted for me, but I know lots of pickers who sound great with them.

Although I have trouble with the shape, the John Pearse Studio "Fast Turtle" pick made from Casein is the loudest pick I have ever tried.

[Elliot Luber]

Cool. I just bought a pack of Wegen Bluegrass picks, which I like alot.

[fscotte]

I think it's more important to get the bevel right. The bevel will be different for everyone because we all play differently. That's probably my biggest gripe with some of the newer technology as far as picks go. They usually have tremendous resistance to wear but that is a double-edged sword. You WANT wear, you want the bevel to be shaped to your picking angle.

I've found that holding a small strip of sand paper over one string and then tremolo the pick over it will wear the bevel down to your picking angle.

[Matt DeBlass]

I've settled on a large triangle shape, but the more I play, the thicker they seem to get. I've been using the Ultex 1.14 for a while, but just picked up some 2.75 V-picks. I'll need a few days of playing to really decide if I like them, but so far I've had a favorable impression.
I've definitely noticed that the same thickness in different materials will not feel or sound the same, nor will different shapes in the same material and thickness. Just playing around with two different "cuts" of the V-Pick, I've noticed a very different feel and sound (round=darker and fatter, pointed=crisper, slightly more metallic, no surprises there).

[Mike Snyder]

I wrung out the V-picks a year or so ago, Matt, and could not abide the noise. Didn't matter what angle of attack I used, great tone, but too much squeek. I went to a Wegan Trimus 250, and never looked back. If BC puts out an 80 thickness in a big triangle like the Trimus I'll have to have a used pick sale to finance one.

[evanreilly]

Matthew at Blue Chip told me at Galax he has made several larger than 60 picks. He told me he wold make me a TAD 80 no problem, and has made several in that size. Contact him via their website.
I am saving my pennies for a TAD 80.