Mike Marshall's BlueChip

[MediumMando5722]

Does anybody know which model BlueChip Mike Marshall uses? I'm unable to figure out what gear works for me, and if I buy the same one, i'll be able to play and sound just like him.

Or, I'm just really into picks and curious as to which one he uses.

[keithb]

I seem to remember him using a Pro Plec.

[DataNick]

He uses the one that he holds in his right hand: it's the strength/technique of the right hand my friend...YMMV

[Ron McMillan]

If I had more hair, I would get a Chris Thile or a Mike Marshall haircut. I'm fairly certain that that's got just as much chance of making me sound like them as mimicking their pick choice.

[Bill Findley]

ProPlec 1.5

[MediumMando5722]

If someone asks about a famous player's picks or strings, everyone feels the need to say using said product won't make the asker sound/play like said player. Even when the asker acknowledges this in the question.

MM did use (or currently uses) a BC pick. It's stated in the interview he did on this site and BC's site. For grins, I am curious to see which one.

[DataNick]

Chris,

Since he apparently uses a Proplec 1.5, my money would be on a TAD60 thereabouts...

[MediumMando5722]

For the record, I just got confirmation Mike is back to using the Pro Plec 1.5mm... if anyone aside from me is curious about such matters

[JH Murray]

I do like the ProPlec 1.5m, but I liked it better when I put a speed bevel on it. Does Marshall doctor his picks I wonder?

[Al Trujillo]

I bet most musicians have a box full of picks and switch them out every now and then. I have a favorite (Wegen) and I switch between it and my Primetones a couple times a day.

[MediumMando5722]

I do like the ProPlec 1.5m, but I liked it better when I put a speed bevel on it. Does Marshall doctor his picks I wonder?

I emailed Mike, and he said they sound darker than BCs, so I doubt it. I also bevel my Pro Plecs, which makes them sound noticeably brighter.

I also switch between a BC, a few Wegens, a Dawg, Primetones, the Pro Plec... they're all a lot of fun.

[Ivan Kelsall]

It's amazing that on a day to day basis,different picks can sound 'better' (more pleasing) than others. I re-strung my Ellis 2 days ago & while i was playing the new strings in,decided to try out a few different picks. My usual picks are Dunlop Primetone 1.5mm thick 'teardrop' shaped ones. I found a 0.9mm 'plastic one that i'd been sent as a freebie with a peg winder i'd bought,tried it out & believe me,it didn't sound bad at all. I'd have expected it to sound almost 'powerless',but it was fine. It did feel a bit 'too flexy' in my fingers though,
Ivan

[John Hill]

Mike uses the 1.5mm Pro-Plec

[Mark Gunter]

I'm theorizing that once a musician begins to try a variety of pick styles and shapes, the quest truly never ends. But certainly people gravitate toward favorites. The pros are good examples, it's obvious they have their favorites but they all tend to switch around from time to time.

I've only been at the mandolin for a bit over a year now, and I still can't settle on a favorite pick. I find myself switching often between two different weight Wegens, a Primetone, a TS, Cool Picks, ProPlec, horn, Claytons. And sometimes I go to the inactive pick pile and find some surprises.

I'm thinking now that, especially for newbies, you might be cheating yourself if you don't switch around a great deal. As you develop technique, you may be surprised at how a pick you didn't care much for earlier on will shine for you.

[foldedpath]

I'm theorizing that once a musician begins to try a variety of pick styles and shapes, the quest truly never ends.

I dunno... either that's not a general principle or else I'm a very rare exception, because I found the material and shape I like a few years ago, and have no interest in switching to something else. That will happen if the Blue Chip company ever goes out of business, or stops making this particular model. And after I lose the last one. We're not all the same when it comes to anything. Including pick choice.

I'm thinking now that, especially for newbies, you might be cheating yourself if you don't switch around a great deal. As you develop technique, you may be surprised at how a pick you didn't care much for earlier on will shine for you.

I agree about newbies. When I started playing mandolin (after 30+ years on guitar), it took me something like three years of swapping around various picks and strings before everything settled down, and I found what gave me the voice I was looking for with the mandolin.

As a happy coincidence, I found the same pick also works well on octave mandolin and acoustic guitar. That probably makes me even more unusual compared to the majority of players here on the Cafe, but it's mainly due to the fact I use a thinner (1.0) pick for playing Irish music with treble ornaments. That's a thickness that works fine on guitar. If I played a heavy "Dawg" style pick, it wouldn't work.

[MediumMando5722]

I appreciate the handful of folks who don't get disgusted by another thread about picks. They've been my favorite piece of gear since I started playing guitar, so I'm always in the mood to talk about them.

As an experiment, I'm gonna cycle through some of the picks I didn't spend much time with, and give each two straight weeks to see if I can get used to them. I'm going to start with the Pro Plec 1.5 tear drop. It's much smaller than my normal choices, and not beveled.

[JeffD]

If I had more hair, I would get a Chris Thile or a Mike Marshall haircut. I'm fairly certain that that's got just as much chance of making me sound like them as mimicking their pick choice.

I would have a Marty Stuart haircut if it would improve my playing.

[Marty Jacobson]

I would have a Marty Stuart haircut if it would improve my playing.

How could it not?

[terzinator]

Nope. Just, nope.

[Bill Slovin]

Being open to changing gear from time to time is a good thing. Sometimes the pick you use might depend on the setting you're playing in. A hard driving bluegrass jam might demand something like a blue chip which pulls a lot of volume and still gets good warm tone, but a Choro or Classical setting might be better with a darker pick like proplec 1.5 or Dawg pick.

Different techniques and instruments can also affect the pick that works best. I've found for some of the classical arpeggio techniques, a pointy narrower pick gets through the strings better but has a thinner tone than what I'm used to.

Personally I bounce between a Wegen TF140, BC TAD60, and Proplec 1.5. They all have the same shape and pointiness, but the materials are different. The Wegen is the brightest sounding, then the BC and finally the Proplec is the darkest.