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Thread: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

  1. #1
    Registered User Niavlys's Avatar
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    Question Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Critical topic here for other CT-geeks out there. Have you noticed Chris Thile seems to have kind of switched back to Wegen picks instead of "his" BlueChip CT55?

    I saw the Punch Brothers live in Geneva this summer, and this white pick in his right hand quickly caught my attention... Same thing on the videos of his latest appearance on A Prairie Home Companion a few days ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byuBNNvHeT0 -- Bach's Allegro.
    [side note: I'm not a big fan of the sound in this particular clip, but I guess it has more to do with the recording setup, since I felt the same way on earlier APHC performances like that one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHMjGQ3iNAM -- Bach's E Major Prelude].

    Do you have any idea, or heard anything, as to why he broke up with the BlueChip?

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    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    I always find it amusing that these topics are usually followed with such interest. Lots of professional players endorse a product or even have a signature model of an instrument that don't ever use them in performance. We read all of the time about mandolinists that constantly switch back and forth between different picks. Why would it be any different with Thile? Maybe he likes the tone he gets with the Wegen in a certain stage setting and likes the Blue Chip in others. Certainly no one will ever compare me to Chris Thile, but I've been using the same pick for the last 5 years and just recently found something I like better. Maybe Chris picked up his Wegen one day and said "Hey, this thing sounds pretty good". Who knows, but more importantly, who cares?
    Last edited by mandobassman; Oct-19-2015 at 8:34pm.

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    Certified! Bernie Daniel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandobassman View Post
    I always find it amusing that these topics are usually followed with such interest. Lots of professional players endorse a product or even have a signature model of an instrument that don't ever use them in performance. We read all of the time about mandolinists that constantly switch back and forth between different picks. Why would it be any different with Thile? Maybe he likes the tone he gets with the Wegen in a certain stage setting and likes the Blue Chip in others. Certainly no one will ever compare me to Chris Thile, but I've been using the same pick for the last 5 years and just recently found something I like better. Maybe Chris picked up his Wegen one day and said "Hey, this thing sounds pretty good". Who knows, but more importantly, who cares?
    Well I picked up Wegens some years ago and never looked back -- but as you say, who cares?
    Bernie
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Probably because the wagen has less pick noise than the bluechip. Well, to my ears anyway. It could also be my experience with my particular mandolin with those particular picks.

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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    I'll bet you he'll do the same switcharoo with his Dude and Loar at some point.
    Last edited by Demetrius; Oct-19-2015 at 9:21pm. Reason: Wrong spelling of his

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    Registered User Nick Gellie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    I have played lots of other picks out there and I agree the Wegens have less pick click than most. I seem to come back to the Wegen T140 because of the pick shape and feel of it.
    Nic Gellie

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    Registered User John Hill's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Plus the Wegen's have holes for extra speed.

    I do agree that the 10/17/15 recording isn't that Loar at it's best.
    There are three kinds of people: those of us that are good at math and those that are not.

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    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    I approve of his choices!!

    f-d
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  11. #9

    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    I watched the live feed of the PHC shoe and noticed the large white pick too. There was a segment of the show where he was filmed just standing there with the pick woven into the strings. I have a BlueChip but my Wegen Trimus is my favorite mandolin pick.

  12. #10

    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Attachment 139870

    Chris this past Saturday.

  13. #11

    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandobassman View Post
    Who knows, but more importantly, who cares?
    Chris Thile fans? I mean, if nothing else, it's an interesting bit of trivia. Maybe it's not the most significant thing to the general public (or even the general mandolin public) . . but that's why they're called "fans."

    Maybe saying he "broke up" with Blue Chip is jumping to conclusions. And the reason could be pretty inconsequential . . but the reason *could* be interesting.
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Niavlys View Post
    Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

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  17. #13

    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Hilarious. Who cares? All the folk here who have slavishly, almost religiously, endorsed their beloved BCs here, that's who.

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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    It could very well be that CT chose the Wegen in response to his mandolin's tone on any particular day. I know for a fact that some days my own mandolins can sound 'different' in response to temp.humidity changes.That's one of the reasons why,when i used to use the Wegen Bluegrass picks,i re-shaped the point on a few to cut down the trebles. Compared to the Dunlop Primetone picks i use now,i find that the Wegens i used to use,sound very flat & dull. However,that could be due to my age.Our hearing 'treble resonse' drops considerably with age & i simply might 'need' the brighter tone. But,there are quite a few 'Primetone pickers' on here who aren't 70 years old & they like the tone as well. 'Whatever' - i'm sure that CT knows his mandolin well enough to choose the right pick for it. I always loved the story of the time that somebody shouted to Bill Monroe when he was on stage - "What type of pick do you use ?". He held up the 'whatever' pick & shouted back - ''One of these''. It was 'possibly' some ghastly multi coloured monstrosity that somebody gave him that he used at the time. Thinking about it,i can almost see the wry smile on BM's face - priceless !!!!!,
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    Registered User grassrootphilosopher's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    As a guy that likes CT about solely for his classical mandolin playing and his choice of instruments and as a fellow musician here´s what I think:

    - CT had to have his BC "refurbished". In the meantime he went back to his Wegen.
    - CT lost his BC and was short on cash so he bought himself a Wegen.
    - CT, while unpacking his mandolin for the show found out that he did not have a pick packed, so he borrowed one from the audience.
    - CT read all the "BC pick threads" and all the "CT threads" over the last couple of years and decided to ruffle up everything by using not a BC but a Wegen for a while.
    - CT finally listened to his Loar which said: "Chris, I am an old instrument, don´t play these newfangled picks on me."

    There are some more ideas that I have that ought to be left alone.

    Carry on.
    Olaf

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  23. #16
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by grassrootphilosopher View Post
    As a guy that likes CT about solely for his classical mandolin playing and his choice of instruments and as a fellow musician here´s what I think:

    - CT had to have his BC "refurbished". In the meantime he went back to his Wegen.
    - CT lost his BC and was short on cash so he bought himself a Wegen.
    - CT, while unpacking his mandolin for the show found out that he did not have a pick packed, so he borrowed one from the audience.
    - CT read all the "BC pick threads" and all the "CT threads" over the last couple of years and decided to ruffle up everything by using not a BC but a Wegen for a while.
    - CT finally listened to his Loar which said: "Chris, I am an old instrument, don´t play these newfangled picks on me."

    There are some more ideas that I have that ought to be left alone.

    Carry on.
    Or the simplest reason, he just grabbed a Wegen and started playing. Perhaps we overthink these issues and it's really just a simple matter of reaching into a mandolin case, absently selecting one pick out of the batch, and kicking off a tune.

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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Perhaps we overthink these issues
    Ici? Jamais!

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  27. #18
    Registered User Isaac Revard's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Dang, now I have to buy wegans!!
    “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around and play mandolin.”

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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Anyone looking to swap their BC for a wegen plz let me know.

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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Niavlys View Post
    Have you noticed Chris Thile seems to have kind of switched back to Wegen picks instead of "his" BlueChip?....
    No worries. When I hear rumors that f5loar has put down his B.C., then I'll worry.

  31. #21
    Registered User DamonIRB's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    This might get me in trouble.... but, in my experience, "pick click" is due to improper technique, not pick choice. Flat picking or using too shallow of an angle will give you 'clicks' with any pick out there.

    A pick is a tool. Sure, there are better/higher quality tools out there (Blue Chip or Wegen versus Dunlop, for example), but how you use the tool is more important than the tool itself. Working on your technique to get a better sound should be the first step, not switching picks.

    Merely my opinion...

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  33. #22
    Registered User grassrootphilosopher's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Or the simplest reason, he just grabbed a Wegen and started playing. Perhaps we overthink these issues and it's really just a simple matter of reaching into a mandolin case, absently selecting one pick out of the batch, and kicking off a tune.
    ... joke alert... But I have been acused to be too dry at times.

    But concerning overthinking, I don´t follow you. I am very simple. My practice regime allways mandates that I shall firstly think about all matters necessary about what instrument I play, which setup it shall have at the moment of my practice hour with respect to my momentary physical status, which strings, picks and respective gadgets, then secondly I have to loosen up, doing my physical warmup exercises and finally practice my daily 10 minutes.
    Olaf

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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Did it ever occur to anyone that maybe he lost or misplaced the BC pick and grabbed what ever he had in his case...Just yesterday I tried a pick that I had laying around and thought why haven`t I ever used that one before because it sounded so great, maybe Chris had that happen to him also...I have no idea what brand of pick mine is but it is clear plastic of some kind....

    Willie

  35. #24
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie Poole View Post
    Did it ever occur to anyone that maybe he lost or misplaced the BC pick and grabbed what ever he had in his case...Just yesterday I tried a pick that I had laying around and thought why haven`t I ever used that one before because it sounded so great, maybe Chris had that happen to him also...I have no idea what brand of pick mine is but it is clear plastic of some kind....

    Willie
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  36. #25
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile back to Wegen picks?

    I have four picks I use, BC, Wegen, Primetone, and Red Bear, and I use them for different things at different times. They are all optimal for certain things and sub-optimal for others.

    Its like wine, today you are drinking red because it goes with the food you are eating, and someone says, "So, I see you are giving up white wine? Why the switch?" The answer is: "Because life is too short to drink just one kind of wine." Same with picks.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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