Blue Chip CT55 (and other Xmas ideas)

[haggardphunk]

My wife asked me what I wanted for Xmas and I was thinking a blue Chip CT55 might be a good gift.

I usually use the Dunlop prime tone sculpted 1.4mm picks. The Thile pick is also 1.4 so thought it might be easy to switch.

Any other cool mando gift ideas?

[Dan in NH]

When I bought my first ever mandolin from Elderly Instruments, my Kentucky KM-250, I also got a slew of accessories. Among those were extra strings, a mandolin-size winder, string clippers, a strap, an arm rest, a Tone-Gard, and..... a mandolin capo.

I've bought several guitars over the last few years, and I make sure every guitar case & gig bag has all the accessories I might need when I'm out jamming, including a capo. So when I bought my mandolin I bought a mandolin capo.

And I have never used it, nor can I imagine ever needing to use it.

But it might make a fun Christmas gift for the mandolin player in your life.

[Don Grieser]

Ask Santa for some D'Addario XS strings to go with that BC CT55. Really brought out great tone in the one mando I've tried them on. Will be getting them for all the mandos.

[Rob Roy]

+1 on the XS strings, they hold their tone for a long time. If you don't have one yet, the TC Electronics UniTune tuner is great for mandolin.

[Mitch Stein]

A good clip-on tuner.
Comfy strap.
Armrest.
Case upgrade.
Strings, strings, strings.

That CT55 has been sitting in my wishlist for almost three years now...

[Dan in NH]

That CT55 has been sitting in my wishlist for almost three years now...

Get one. I got a BC TAD-60 a few months ago and have been very happy. I can’t for sure say it’s better than my bowl full of Dunlop Primetone 1.5s but I like it.

[B381]

Ya know...it's the craziest thing.

I have golden gates, prime tones and wegens and they are all of the thick variety.

Just for fun I decided to try one of the gator grips .8 something picks I had and turned it to the side to use the rounded edge and WOWZERS....sounds better and louder than those thick picks....

But yea, those are great ideas for Christmas.

[Charles E.]

Well it's a tad more expensive than a Bluechip but it sure is pretty...

https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/195434#195434



NFI

[Mandobar]

For Xmas one year I put together a little string changing kit for my niece, who had just started playing. Wire/string cutter, string winder, neck rest, a mat to lay the mandolin on to change strings, and of course some strings.

[thesecretmandolinist]

I'm trying to convince my wife that a Gilchrist is a gift we can share. Should be noted that she plays guitar and not mandolin.... but she does have to hear me playing for 6+ hours a day.

[Kenny]

A nice floor stand for a mandolin could be a suitable gift.

[milli857]

A nice floor stand for a mandolin could be a suitable gift.

I like this idea!
I use this one and it feels by far the most solid of any single-instrument stand I've used or seen.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...-ukulele-stand
I use a bigger one for my guitar too.

[Tjspahr1]

My wife asked me what I wanted for Xmas and I was thinking a blue Chip CT55 might be a good gift.

I usually use the Dunlop prime tone sculpted 1.4mm picks. The Thile pick is also 1.4 so thought it might be easy to switch.

Any other cool mando gift ideas?

So...I bought a CT55 and was extremely skeptical when I did. It's now the only pick I use, and the tonal difference from other picks, including the Dunlop prime tone sculpted 1.4 picks, is extremely noticeable.

Another thought is lessons...whether it's something like Artistworks or Peghead Nation, or skype lessons with any number of monster players that now have these offerings.

[Mando Esq]

I’ve got a Tone-Gard and an arm rest on my list this year.

[Dave Hanson]

A Gibson F5 ?

Dave H

[A-board]

Among some of my mando buddies there’s a running gag when we see a deal on a capo (none of us use one). So if you’re a crossover guitar player and not adverse to the idea…

[Mitch Stein]

I like this idea!
I use this one and it feels by far the most solid of any single-instrument stand I've used or seen.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...-ukulele-stand
I use a bigger one for my guitar too.

I have and LOVE this stand.
Same goes for the wall mounted version.