My blue chip will arrive at about the same time as my Cafe ball cap. Then it's off to Kurdistan to enjoy a beater mando for a month.
My blue chip will arrive at about the same time as my Cafe ball cap. Then it's off to Kurdistan to enjoy a beater mando for a month.
Root'n Toot'n World trav'ln Rock sniff'n Microscope twiddl'n Mando Mercenary
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True about Albertans. Although that Escalade should have a diesel and duallys. I'm living out in Viking, AB now but was in Camrose the last couple years. I was buying mando strings at the MCC in Camrose and the guy working there asked me to play for his bluegrass/old time band. I never called him back, but the grass seems blue up here. Maybe cuz of the cold.
Back to the BC picks. I got one in January, a TAD-1R and although I'm no mando virtuoso yet, it does made the mando sound "richer" and "fuller". I used the BC while doing some hard strumming on a 12 string guitar a couple weeks ago for a funeral and it developed a lot of scuffs and scratches on the edge. Guess I won't use it for that anymore.
Mandolin, Guitar, & Bass for Doug Rawling & The Caraganas
www.dougrawling.com
2008 Kentucky KM-1000
2014 Martin D-28 Authentic 1937
1964 Gibson LG-0
2022 Sigma SDR-45VS
My point in mentioning other players is that if the goal is play better, then it would seem that other accomplished players' equipment is just as valid as what Thile uses.
Believe or not, even when playing devil's advocate, I do understand where everyone else is coming from about Thile. If Caterina Lichtenburg, or Katsia Prakopchyk (winner of the 2007 European Mandolin Award) used Blue Chips, I would order a few without question...because I respect these players so much. BTW: I would have to dispute Thile's status of top 3 in the world, though! You'll have to just tolerate my classical mandolin viewpoint, though.
Just FYI (if you care): Erhard Fietz was an accomplished German luthier and mandolin player, teacher, and promoted the mandolin extensively in Europe during the last 2 decades...many classical recordings are done by him.
To me it's not ever a surprize to hear of a pro playing with a BlueChip pick. It makes sense to me. I just figure they finally got around to trying one of em. When you do try one 9 out of 10 will become a BC picker. IMHO
I Pick, Therefore I Grin! ... "Good Music Any OLD-TIME"
1922 Gibson F2
2006 Gibson F5 Goldrush
2015 Martin HD28-V
2017 Gibson J45
I wish everyone would slavishly follow Thile in his use of the metronome.
__________________
Mike,
Edmonton, Ab.
what metronome does Thile use? I'm sure that is the reason he plays so fast... a better metronome!
aw
albertaboyfromcowtownnowinlotusland
Hey, Greg--
Next time, instead of chucking those cd's into the river (which I agree was a pretty awesome post) try throwing them frisbee style into a brick/concrete wall...the things explode like crazy if you hit em just right...of course, then you've got a mess to pick up, but it's still worth it to do it a couple times ...
Chuck
I'll give that a try.
I still have Acoustic Traveller. I got over the Snake River and saw that there are several islands in the westbound side. I'm not good enough to miss an island-----it's hard enough to get the timing right so you don't miss the whole river in the first place.
The bridge at IA/NE 2 over the Missouri at Nebraska City was perfect, but the CD was in the sleeper and I've already thrown enough trash into the Missouri. Don't want to gag a paddlefish.
I need a new river.
Last edited by gregjones; Apr-14-2009 at 6:58pm. Reason: correct pre-post edit
Just when I got a paddle, they added more water to the creek.
I guess when I start consistently making more than $35 per gig, I'll feel I can consider spending that much for a pick. As Benjamin Franklin wrote centuries ago in Poor Richard's Almanac, "Never spend more for a pick than you earn in a night playing your mando in a pub"...or something like that...I may be misquoting it slightly. For now, it's the $2 Golden Gate for me.
Thanks to all for this highly entertaining thread. (I wonder if Chris Thile would sell me his metronome...)
George
Boston, MA
What makes me smile is the word/claim "exclusively". I always look forward to reading and hearing about gear what various musicians use and play. From this, I come to the conclusion that most pros try out, use, and play lots of different types and brands of instruments and accessories (just like us).
Jeff Rohrbough
"Listen louder, play softer"
I don't know about Thile or anyone else, but all I can say is the BlueChip is far and above the best pick I've ever had in my hand in 44+ years. I have a 50 for my mandolin and a 40 for my guitar. The differance in the tone, ease of playing, good grip, speed, everything that makes a pick great, they have it. I have tried probably every pick made in the past years, including tortise, I even had a pick made of polished stone that some hippy give me long ago, not knocking hippies understand, I was one myself one time. None of the picks I've owned or tried even comes close to the BlueChip. I've had the one for my mandolin over a year , and it still looks like it did the day I got it, with a average of 2 hours picking time everyday. Some have discussed the high price, but lets be reasonable, if there were strings you could buy that cost $38 and lasted over a year with no loss of tone, wouldn't you get them?, I know I would, or any other $38 item that made my mandolin sound better and play easier.
I was going to order a TAD 60 but then I noticed the total. There was another charge of 3.00 shipping and sales tax that was 3.41. The total came to $41.41. I personally think that if youre charging 35.00 for a pick the least you could do is put it in an envelope and mail it for about .70.
Albert, According to what Matthew said, it costs him $1.40 e-commerce transaction (paypa, visa, mastercard) plus a padded (bubblewrap)envelope that costs .75cents and then the shipping of .83 cents, that comes to $2.98 and then him haveing to drive to the post office to mail it. This is not a huge production outfit. He also pointed out that in his small shop he has a 80K milling machine, a 55K C&C lathe and these picks are hand made (polished and beveled by hand). So.....he is not making a killing on these picks......any way you look at it.
I know enough about business to know that if you have an $80k machine and a $55k machine to cut picks, then you must be selling enough to justify having that machine. There is no way I would buy that $80k machine and another $55k machine if I didnt think I could sell enough picks to pay for it. These picks may be worth every penny but I was just venting my frustration with finally getting over the 35.00 price tag in a moment of weakness and then there be almost 7.00 in charges added to that.
For me, you could add twenty dollars and it would still be worth it.
Heiden F-5 #110
GMC Terrain VIN 2GTEC13Z871107423
2007 Tempurpedic mattress
$1.35 in assorted change
I have read the previous posts about the blue chip picks in the 400 or so threads that have popped up (obvious exaggeration). My issue was not so much the pick cost of 35.00 but the fact that Tn is charging me sales tax at 3.41 and then shipping is 3.00 ON TOP of the price of the pick. Then it came up how the maker uses 80k machine this and 55k machine that to make the picks even though the machines are actually for another business. So back to my original thought........I wish he would just throw one in an envelope and put a stamp on it and mail it. Of course by me paying TN sales tax it helps me keep my job. Go figure....it is a love hate realtionship.
I just got mine in the mail today Two points and a round corner. So far, I like it. Goes with the MC ball cap(s) which also arrived today. I'm accessorized now, look out!
Root'n Toot'n World trav'ln Rock sniff'n Microscope twiddl'n Mando Mercenary
Tuxedo Mines
Triggs Mandolins
Youtube Stuff
Oh. I obviously don't have the Tenn. sales tax, but I don't remember any S&H, just getting some picks in the mail. I got mine early on, maybe as business grew, the S&H costs rose.
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