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Thread: D'Addario picks?

  1. #1
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    Default D'Addario picks?

    Someone on Facebook mentioned meeting Chris Thile and he spoke highly of D'Addario picks. I looked on their website and they have several different materials. On the Facebook post Chris was reported to have said the D'Addario picks gave list pick click than the Blue Chip CT. Any idea which material he might have been referring to? Has anyone tried whichever pick this might be?
    Last edited by JEStanek; Mar-11-2020 at 9:55am. Reason: Fix spelling in title for searches
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    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    It's this pick - https://www.americanmusical.com/Item...-2CA701CT-LIST

    There don't seem to be many of them out there in the wild yet. If you look on the Cafe, there is a discussion of these picks. https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...ile-s-new-pick
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    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    Casein, like in a Red Bear
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    Have I read somewhere that the casein picks tend to chip or wear out faster than the Blue Chip?
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    My personal opinion is that casein picks click more than Blue Chip material (i.e. I get more pick click with casein).

    They are also more brittle and will not last as long (they are not resistant to moisture for example).

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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    I will have to try them out. I have found casein picks problematic insofar as breakage and wear are concerned in the past. Perhaps this variety will wear a little better. We shall see. R/
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by FrDNicholas View Post
    Have I read somewhere that the casein picks tend to chip or wear out faster than the Blue Chip?
    They certainly don’t last like a Blue Chip, but then Blue Chips don’t last like PEEK. Uncoated strings don’t last like coated ones, and bronze ones don’t last like monels. Everything is a compromise, so you have to prioritize. My Red Bear (made of casein) is my favorite in terms of tone for solo play at home, and I’ve just recently acquired an EML (also of casein) that I’m still getting to know. I don’t expect them to last forever, and I’ve read horror stories about what happens when they gut run through the washing machine.
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    It looks like they keep getting backordered -- my wife pre-ordered one that was supposed to be here shortly after my birthday in early January, and now the website is showing "expected March 8." Like I said in the other thread, I'll report back with first impressions (if it ever gets here!)

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    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    Got mine today. (Sweetwater now wins for overpacking. 8X10 box for 1 pick.) My early take - if you like casein, you will like this. I think the quality is at least equal to Red Bear, Charmed Life, Hense, John Pearse and Papas. Size is identical to the Red Bear triangle and slightly smaller and sharper than a Blue Chip TAD-1R. The bevel edge seems to be the big difference. Be interesting to see how it lasts before getting rough or chipped.

    As to the sound, it's muted to my ears, like all casein picks. Slides well off the strings and has a good tone otherwise. Not too much click. Generally I hear more click from casein than BC, others hear the opposite.
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    Robert Feivor RFMando's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    I was very excited about this "new" Thile pick as the BC Thile CT55 has long been my favorite, ;-) And candidly after a few more a/b comparisons the CT55 will remain my #1 but this will be a nice back up (the D'Addario CT) just in case its needed. This is both from a hand feel standpoint the newer D'Addario moves around a lot more in my hand while playing... though it has become less slippery upon usage. But as Eric referenced compared to the CT55 its a bit muted "sound wise".

    Now, depending on your instrument this could be a good or bad thing. I'm playing a Weber Gallatin and on that instrument the extra "clarity" of the BlueChip is appreciated and of value. YMMV as they say depending on your instrument. I believe Don G. mentioned he liked that the D'Addario took some of the harshness away on his instrument on the high strings; which totally makes sense!

    No such thing I guess as "one pick to rule them all" but it is a fun journey (aka rabbit hole) to go on/down with your instrument....may you find your favorite!

    RF

  13. #11

    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    I have to reshape the bevels on BC picks to try to get rid of the high end hash they add to the E strings. It's not there with any other pick I use. It's definitely the BC pick not the instruments. I find if you let a lot of pick show like Thile does, the new D'Addario/Thile pick has everything the BC does except that high end hash.
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    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Don Grieser View Post
    I have to reshape the bevels on BC picks to try to get rid of the high end hash they add to the E strings. It's not there with any other pick I use. It's definitely the BC pick not the instruments. I find if you let a lot of pick show like Thile does, the new D'Addario/Thile pick has everything the BC does except that high end hash.
    And this shows how different folks hear things. I want more high end harsh out of my mandolins. Especially in a band setting. My fiddler cannot hear my Collings if I'm not trying to sound harsh. She liked the A Jr. I was using before, but it had no volume at all for her ears.

    But back to the CT pick - spent time last night rotating through my 3 main mandolins. Found that it worked best, to my ears and my playing style, on the Colling MT. Although I still wouldn't use it in my band. Maybe my duet. On the 1935 A-50 it's good, but slightly weaker sounding, IMO. Almost too muted. But will give it more time before making a final decision. On the A Jr they don't seem to play well together, although it could be the silk and steel strings as much as the pick.
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    picked up one of these to give casein another try, and because american music supply had a $10 off $30 orders promo - "TEXT10", so basically got a free pack of elixirs with the pick.

    unfortunately misplaced my bc picks to do a good cross-comparison, but so far, i definitely prefer the daddarrio to the red bear pick i had. has more of the brightness and cut i like in the blue chips (and also charmed life brown and black picks) and less of the dull/muted-ness of the red bear as i remember it. the pick itself seems more polished than the red bear as well and the bevel is sharper than i remember too.

    will review once i can do a side by side with the bluechip/charmed life picks, and when i play it with band, but so far so good and certainly worth it. i also like that thile is donating all the proceeds from it to the D'addario Foundation which does great work - http://www.daddariofoundation.org/
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    Default Re: D'Addrio picks?

    See this thread for a comparison with the BlueChip CT55 pick: https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...-mandolin-pick

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    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    I have two Red Bears and a BC CT55. Both are great picks, but I find I get better tone out of the Red Bears, even though they do break if you're not careful with them. Will have to try the D'Addarios one of these days.

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    🎶 Play Pretty 🎶 Greg Connor's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    $24.95 for a pick? Yikes!

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    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Connor View Post
    $24.95 for a pick? Yikes!
    It is worth every penny, as are the BlueChips which are $10 more.
    I am going to buy two more, one for my case, one for my pocket.
    Cool pick.
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    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by CWRoyds View Post
    It is worth every penny, as are the BlueChips which are $10 more.
    I am going to buy two more, one for my case, one for my pocket.
    Cool pick.
    Be careful carrying it in a pocket. The only casein pick I ever broke was in a keychain pick holder. Opened it up one day and the pick was in two pieces.
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    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Platt View Post
    Be careful carrying it in a pocket. The only casein pick I ever broke was in a keychain pick holder. Opened it up one day and the pick was in two pieces.
    Good to know. Thanks.
    I am used to BlueChips, which seem bullet proof.
    Mandolins: Northfield 5-Bar Artist Model "Old Dog", J Bovier F5 Special, Gibson A-00 (1940)
    Fiddles: 1920s Strad copy, 1930s Strad copy, Liu Xi T20, Liu Xi T19+ Dark.
    Guitars: Taylor 514c (1995), Gibson Southern Jumbo (1940s), Gibson L-48 (1940s), Les Paul Custom (1978), Fender Strat (Black/RWFB) (1984), Fender Strat (Candy Apple Red/MFB) (1985).
    Sitars: Hiren Roy KP (1980s), Naskar (1970s), Naskar (1960s).
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    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    Well ... I am always interested in tone. I ordered a pair from Sweetwater. We shall see. R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

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    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    Yeah, casein is very fragile, and sensitive to water/moisture. I don't think it would survive a trip through the washing machine. I trade picks on the classifieds quite a bit (mostly BC picks) and mail them in regular envelopes with a bit of cardboard protection. Never had a problem until I tried to trade a casein pick. It broke into three pieces somewhere in route.

    Long story short, I don't think they are worth it. I'm fine spending money on a BC pick because they will last. Casein probably won't - plus I don't think the tone is any better than BC.

    Another option that I would recommend, Eric at EML picks (who makes very nice casein picks) also makes a polyesther resin pick. I think they sound just as good, if not better than casein and I don't think they're as fragile. FWIW...

  26. #22

    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by UsuallyPickin View Post
    Well ... I am always interested in tone. I ordered a pair from Sweetwater. We shall see. R/
    UsuallyPickin,did you get your Daddario Thile picks yet?

    I ordered one a while back. Haven't heard anything about delivery time yet. I think they mentioned that they hoped to be shipping some out the first of this month.

  27. #23

    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    Thanks to everyone for this discussion. I haven't been on the Cafe in months and just heard about these for the first time. Will have to get one and check it out.

    M&M

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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Connor View Post
    $24.95 for a pick? Yikes!
    A pick to a mandolinist is what a bow is to a violinist. No more, no less. Blue Chip picks are at the top end of commercially made pick prices and they cost around $40.00 with shipping. The best of the best in a violin bow can cost thousands and yes, even tens of thousands and more!

    So I guess what i'm trying to say here is quit cryin'... we mandolinists get off easy! You can always buy a Proplec (large rounded triangle) for a couple of bucks or less or a Fender Extra Heavy style 346 (large rounded triangle) for about 75 cents. You'll still have PLENTY of money left over for your pint of beer...

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    Default Re: D'Addario picks?

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