.....got my Blue Chip Pick

[Duane Graves]

The other day I got my TPR-60 Blue Chip....cost me $46 and change to get it to me and I dare not tell the wife...o, no....anyway, just to say it's good I think but it's sure hard to break away from my Wegen 140 that I have been using for three or so years. It cost so much to get it here I now feel guilty if I don't use it.....Duane

[pumpdogg]

Soon you won't be able to use anything else for tremolo

[Astro]

I really like my Wegen 140 so I'm interested to hear what you think about the comparison in another month.

[shortymack]

Dont worry, she hasnt told you about those shoes either, and they were alot more than 46 bucks.

[Beanzy]

I thought that when I got mine, "right that'll be the Wegens in the pouch for the foreseeable future", but I've tended to stick with the Wegen T140 more.
I do use the CT55 but not nearly as much. It's still worth having though and I don't regret a penny of it either.
A cello bow re-hair would cost me the same.

[John Ritchhart]

I like my TP50 1-R. It got me off of the Tortoise shell and is really smooth on the strings. Great to tremelo with and very little "pick click". The one round corner gives me some tone options.

[lukmanohnz]

My TAD60-1R spends most of its time in the pick box. I'm still partial to my JazzMando V-picks. I feel like they give me more of that 'hollow' woody tone, but the BC is brighter and louder - great for jams.

[Laird]

I thought that when I got mine, "right that'll be the Wegens in the pouch for the foreseeable future", but I've tended to stick with the Wegen T140 more.

Every few months I'll switch to my Blue Chip and try to make it my favorite, but I've always come back to my Wegens. The Blue Chip feels great in my hand, but the tone seems duller. It may be that, with a different pick attack, I'd prefer the sound of the Blue Chip, but for the way I play I get the cleanest tone from my Wegen.

[shortymack]

Thats strange how some people have a duller tone with the BC, its the opposite for me. The wegen, while my second choice, has a darker tone and more resistance/noise and isnt as loud for my playing style. While I actually like the tone a little better with the wegen the other factors make the CT55 my go to.

[KMB]

I have always said that if I am going to spend $30 - $50 on a single pick, it better play the instrument for me :) but I have heard good reviews on the blue chips. I have started using wooden picks myself, (made by www.pickyouraxe.com) and I really like them. I have used wooden picks before but they never felt right or were too thick and bulky, these seem to be around 1mm in thickness and play very well in my opinion. I have been experimenting with different picks and between mandolin and guitar, the wood sound has a big effect and one wood does not sound the same on both instruments. I have noticed that they have really brought the mandolin to life.

So, either BlueChip (which I admit I have never used) or wooden picks, I just think they both are a better route than plastic.

[Duane Graves]

I have started using wooden picks myself, (made by www.pickyouraxe.com) and I really like them. I have used wooden picks before but they never felt right or were too thick and bulky, these seem to be around 1mm in thickness and play very well in my opinion. I have been experimenting with different picks and between mandolin and guitar, the wood sound has a big effect and one wood does not sound the same on both instruments. I have noticed that they have really brought the mandolin to life.

KMB....I see your Wood Picks there in your site what style type are you using and what else can you tell me about them?.....tks, Duane.

[KMB]

Hi Duane,

I understand everyone's taste is a bit different and what pick works for one may not work for another, so with that in mind, here is my personal review: I like the look of wooden picks myself, but my problem in the past has always been that the wooden picks are always bulky, beveled oddly, and just awkward, so I moved away from them and experimented with various plastic picks and other polymer material. Doing research one day I stumbled upon the site I referenced above, so I decided to give the wood ones another chance. What I like about these, is that they are the same shape (Flatness) as most plastic picks and I would estimate to be about 1mm thick. But what I like about them is that 1) each wood offers a unique sound, and 2) they feel smooth on the strings and I don't get that "Clingy" sound that you find with plastic picks. Tremolo's flow like butter whereas it seemed a bit "catchy" with my plastic picks. But this is my opinion.

Personally, I have tried Mohagany, Lace wood, and Paduak wood (and plan to buy some others to try out here soon). The Mohagany seemed a bit bassy so if you like a deeper sound, that’s a good choice. The Lacewood on my mandolin brought out the high tones and the pop whereas the paduak sounded more even and mellow. So I switch between the two depending on the song, I found that the characteristic of each offers something to the sound depending on what you're after. But, the lacewood on my guitar (HD28V) is more mellow and even, (might be because it’s a rosewood back and the whole wood vs wood aspect? Not sure) but as you can tell, one pick may sound one way in an instrument and another way on a different instrument. But I really like the sound of the paduak wood, it also looks nice to since it’s a bit more red in color.

[JeffD]

I have a BC, a Wegen, and a Red Bear, and some others. And I have given up the notion of "the favorite pick". I don't always play the same kind of music, or the same venue, or the same amplification, or with the same number of people. Each situation has a pick that is the best for that situation.

I would never recommend a pick to someone. Its such an individual decision. But I would recommend that we get away from this "one pick for all situations" idea, which is a guitar thing, because the type of pick seems to make less overall difference. Since we know the right pick makes such a difference with mandolins, lets take advantage of that and find the right pick for each situation.

My only other recommendation would be to take care of your picks, they are your operator interface.

[JeffD]

I have a BC, a Wegen, and a Red Bear, and some others. And I have given up the notion of "the favorite pick". I don't always play the same kind of music, or the same venue, or the same amplification, or with the same number of people. Each situation has a pick that is the best for that situation.

I would never recommend a pick to someone. Its such an individual decision. But I would recommend that we get away from this "one pick for all situations" idea, which is a guitar thing, because the type of pick seems to make less overall difference to guitar. Since we know the right pick makes such a difference with mandolins, lets take advantage of that and find the right pick for each situation.

My only other recommendation would be to take care of your picks, they are your operator interface.

Duane, you are going to love the pick for some situations, and you have the Wegen for other situations. Now you can optimize over two operating regions! Enjoy.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Wise words Jeff. With my 2 mandolins,i've found that they do sound tonally different if they're either warm or cold & i choose which pick to use accordingly.They both sound over-bright if cold, & i use a Dunlop 500 pick which takes the sharpness of the treble to an extent,otherwise i use my 1.0mm Wegen Bluegrass pick on my Lebeda,but i still use a Dunlop on the Weber which is bright(er) sounding anyway,
Ivan

[Mike Snyder]

Two different Red Bears, two different Wegens, two different BCs, all in the rotation from time to time. I have five different hammers, eight or ten different kinds of saws. A crescent wrench won't do what a pipe wrench does. Embrace the diversity.
My go to, always come back to pick; TAD-1R 80. Next time I'm at the Blue Chip booth, I hope he has a 100.

[John Ritchhart]

Like your picture Mike S. Where do you like to camp? I'll start another thread on this subject and not hijack the pick thread but I am interested if there is a camping trails map that focuses on music and/or jams at the campsites across the country.

[drbluegrass]

Messed that up. :redface:

[drbluegrass]

I have always said that if I am going to spend $30 - $50 on a single pick, it better play the instrument for me :) but I have heard good reviews on the blue chips. I have started using wooden picks myself, (made by www.pickyouraxe.com) and I really like them. I have used wooden picks before but they never felt right or were too thick and bulky, these seem to be around 1mm in thickness and play very well in my opinion. I have been experimenting with different picks and between mandolin and guitar, the wood sound has a big effect and one wood does not sound the same on both instruments. I have noticed that they have really brought the mandolin to life.

So, either BlueChip (which I admit I have never used) or wooden picks, I just think they both are a better route than plastic.


What about termites? Sorry, couldn't resist. ;)


Tom