The Traveling Pick Sampler - Anyone Interested?

[Coffee Guy]

This is a cool Idea. What do I do?

[Timbofood]

I think you just did!
Actually, all you need to do is let Eric C. (I think) know you want to follow.
This has gone surprisingly well! Glad to see the interest still growing!
Being the first recipient of the sampler was fun, glad I shared when I did, I am not one to put a pick through its paces unless in a pretty hard hitting jam. Not seeing any on the horizon just now so, have at it folks!

[Mark Gunter]

Please add me to the list! This was a great idea, guys.

[Mark Gunter]

So, I assume I need to PM my address to CoffeeGuy? Is anyone keeping an "official" list?

[Timbofood]

As far as I know there is nothing "official", it's all by "gentlemens agreement". There is no official sanction by the good folks at Mandolin Cafe or any of the kind pick producers who have generously added to the sampler. All this is has been done under the simple flag of helping each other. Now, all that being said, I will thank Scott, et al, at Mandolin Cafe for providing a site for members to do this little project. Thanks to everyone who got some manufacturers involved too, I don't know that either Caleb or I had any idea the sharing would have gotten so big so fast.
Thanks for starting the project Caleb!

[Mark Gunter]

Could be you guys would prefer not to include 'newbies', if so, I can respect that. Not many choices in plectrums locally, and my own history regarding the plectrum: Began using picks with guitar about 45 years ago, and gravitated to nylon mediums. Stopped using plectrums entirely about three years ago, and went for bare fingers only. For the past year, I've been using a delrin thumbpick and metal finger picks, as well as flat pick again. I quickly moved from medium nylon to a heavy plastic - this was ecouraged probably due to the interest in mandolin. At any rate, I am now comfortable with the fingerpicks and the heavy flat pick. Would be great to try out the picks you guys are passing around, if possible.

[Timbofood]

I see no reason to exclude "newbies", how better to expand your knowledge and experience without a serious expense?

[objectsession]

So, I assume I need to PM my address to CoffeeGuy? Is anyone keeping an "official" list?

So far, the pick sampler has been moving along through people who have posted on this thread that they are interested - so this thread is the unofficial list. I don't think it's necessarily worthwhile to PM anyone your address right now since it could be months before the sampler gets to you at this point. Probably best to wait until it gets to the person before you gets the sampler.

As for newbies (which I consider myself to be, too), I think the only issue would be if someone made an account just to request the sampler and didn't post at all otherwise. That might be suspicious.

[Chunky But Funky]

Hey All,

This venture continues to get more interesting by the day. It's growing on an international scale! Hard to believe. Last night I was contacted Rob from Hawk Picks in the Netherlands. He is interested in adding to our sampler pack with a couple of samples from his line of picks. They are very shortly releasing their Simon Brady Signature pick. It will be a tri tipped pick with different profile at each tip. The material is a faux tortoise similar to "RB" picks some of you may be familiar with. I am awaiting Rob's reply with regard to donating to our sampler. His picks are sold on this side of the pond at Riff City Guitar.

I also suggested we could possibly join forces to start a similar venture in the UK. Ivan are you in? We'll see where it goes.

Doug

[Emmett Marshall]

Pretty soon, you guys are going to have to ship these picks around in a large potato sack!

[Timbofood]

Caleb, see where this is going!?

[Caleb]

What a neat deal this is turning into! I love the UK idea. Hopefully Ivan or someone will head it up.

[Paul Busman]

As far as I can tell, Mandobassman is next on the list for the traveling sampler so I've sent him a private message asking for his shipping information. Since I got the sampler, I've added the two Blue Chips that Chunky forwarded to me. I've also added, from my collection, a Gravity pick, a Bloodwood pick that I made myself, and one of perhaps my favorite of all, a Dunlop Americana large triangle.
I liked the Blue Chips a lot but not enough to pay the price. The large black triangle Wegen was another favorite from the sampler.
Chicken Picks seem sort of odd to me although I can't say why.
In many cases the differences were pretty subtle. Played one right after another I (and my musical wife) could hear differences, but played alone I liked many of the picks quite a lot. This has been an interesting experience all around.
I'm keeping them through the weekend to try them out on my electric mandolin (where I expect the tonal differences to be even more subtle) and some of the thinner picks will get a workout on my Irish Tenor Banjo.

[Timbofood]

Ivan, I have a few other "V-picks" I might be willing to share as seed for the UK sampler. If you're interested in another project, let me know.
Caleb you are a mandolin junkies worst kind of dealer, get this thing started and then let everyone else build addictions!
But, it's fun, ain't it?
Glad to have been in on the ground floor.

[mandobassman]

As far as I can tell, Mandobassman is next on the list for the traveling sampler so I've sent him a private message asking for his shipping information. Since I got the sampler, I've added the two Blue Chips that Chunky forwarded to me. I've also added, from my collection, a Gravity pick, a Bloodwood pick that I made myself, and one of perhaps my favorite of all, a Dunlop Americana large triangle.
I liked the Blue Chips a lot but not enough to pay the price. The large black triangle Wegen was another favorite from the sampler.
Chicken Picks seem sort of odd to me although I can't say why.
In many cases the differences were pretty subtle. Played one right after another I (and my musical wife) could hear differences, but played alone I liked many of the picks quite a lot. This has been an interesting experience all around.
I'm keeping them through the weekend to try them out on my electric mandolin (where I expect the tonal differences to be even more subtle) and some of the thinner picks will get a workout on my Irish Tenor Banjo.

PM sent Paul. Looking forward to my part of this adventure. Now I have to look to see who's next after me.
OK I checked and it looks like Grandalfa is next after me.

[Timbofood]

It's interesting to me how many mandolin players are on this site now rather than playing music on a Friday night!
Are we getting old?

[mandobassman]

It's interesting to me how many mandolin players are on this site now rather than playing music on a Friday night!
Are we getting old?

No gig tonight but I've been working a crazy work schedule this week and tonight is the first chance I've had all week to peruse the Cafe. However, I have a mandolin being played between posts. First time all wee I've done that as well.

[mandobassman]

Got the picks today. Thanks Paul. I'll post a mini review of my first impressions in a little while.

[mandobassman]

Well, I haven't had the picks very long but I have tried each of them at least once. Some of them I have used in the past so there was some familiarity. A few were ones that I was anxious to try. I have never like the tone produced from picks with a beveled edge. In my opinion, the bevel creates a much brighter and "hard-edged" sound, which has never appealed to me. So picks with a rounded edge sound more pleasing to me. (I'm referring to the edge, not the point). I've been anxious to try the Blue Chip CT55, since it seems to be a big favorite here on the Cafe. However, to me it had just the same hard tone I have heard from every other beveled pick I've used. It's pretty much the same as the Primetone triangular pick. To me they're very similar. The Primetone rounded 1.3 was a pleasant surprise. It was probably my second favorite pick in the bunch. I have used V-picks before and always found the edge to be very scratchy sounding. The golden Gates produce little volume and even less tone, IMO. The Wegen TF 140 is very much like the CT55 and the Primetone triangle. The Wegen M-150 (I think it's a 150) has a scratchy edge on the high strings to my ears. I was looking forward to trying the Chicken Picks but was disappointed. They're very bright sounding. The one that spoke to me the most was the Blue Chip TRP50. There was a beautiful fullness to the tone with none of the shrillness I heard from many of the other picks. Not the loudest pick I've used, but plenty loud enough. It was such a pleasure to play, with a great feel and loads of beautiful tone. I have owned a few Blue Chips in the past, but this one is the nicest I've used yet. I may have to buy a couple. I was certainly hoping to find something inexpensive that would provide a heavenly tone, but of course the $40 pick was the best of the bunch.
The biggest surprise to me was how similar my cheap Planet Waves 346 celluloid picks sounded to the BC TPR50. There is a difference, but the difference is not as big as you would expect when comparing a $40 pick to a 25 cent pick. The slickness on the strings and feel alone would make me favor the Blue Chip, but if I was just comparing tone, they're surprisingly similar. I have a bunch of them so I'll throw one into the box so others can compare as well. The only other pick I have to offer is a Buffalo Horn pick that has some very good qualities but is too scratchy for me, so I don't mind giving it up.
I'll hang on to them a few more days just to give them each a thorough test drive then I'll pass them along.
Thanks everyone for your contributions.

[mandobassman]

I contacted the next on the list, which is Gandalfa, and have not heard back from him in three days. If I do not hear from him in the next couple of days it's going to the next in line. I've had a chance to play them all so there's no need for me to keep the collection much longer. Might as well keep this moving.
I had a good chance this afternoon to really evaluate all of the picks and my feeling hasn't changed. The Blue Chip TRP50 is my hands-down favorite, followed by the rounded Primetone. What has really surprised me is that for several years now i have been using a 346 shape of pick and has always been my favorite. But the two favorites from this collection have been smaller, more rounded picks that I didn't think I would like. I liked the TPR50 enough that i'm going to order one and have put in my request for one for Christmas.

[Caleb]

What has really surprised me is that for several years now i have been using a 346 shape of pick and has always been my favorite. But the two favorites from this collection have been smaller, more rounded picks that I didn't think I would like. I liked the TPR50 enough that i'm going to order one and have put in my request for one for Christmas.

This is excellent, and was the entire point of the sampler.

[mandobassman]

If I haven't heard from Gandalfa by Wednesday I'm moving on to the next person in line.

[mandobassman]

Well, I've really enjoyed trying out the picks and I going to be buying a couple real soon. They are on their way to "Objectsession". There were quite a few that sounded exactly like I thought they would sound and a couple that really surprised me. It showed me that you never know what you might like until you try it.

Also, next on the list was supposed to be Gandolfa, but he/she never responded to my PM so I moved on.

[objectsession]

Just got the pick sampler in the mail. I'll update when I've tried them all out.

[mandobassman]

Just got the pick sampler in the mail. I'll update when I've tried them all out.

Where's the review???