# Instruments and Equipment > Equipment >  Blue Chip Picks Wow!

## Brandon Sumner

I am new to the mandolin and was a finger style guitar player for several years, some flat pick work so I was skeptical at best when reading all the good reviews on the Blue Chip Picks, but, I thought, what the heck, I will get one as a birthday present for myself. Well, yes, they are pricey but, I am just bowled over at how great a difference they are from the Golden Gate picks I am using now! Got a TAD-60 and just ordered a TAD-601R They fit great in my hand and make my Easton MD505 sound like a whole new instrument, easier to play with for that matter! Very cool and am really glad I saw them discussed here in MC!

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## Spruce

Ya know, I can use just about any pick at all on a guitar...
But on a mandolin, the BC is the only pic for me...
They just seem to glide off the double strings so much better than any other pic I've tried...

Now, get yourself one of those keychain pick holders so you don't lose the thing...    :Wink:

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## Franc Homier Lieu

I love 'em, and really, they are not _that_  expensive:

http://www.violinist.com/discussion/...e.cfm?ID=15942

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## Loretta Callahan

Indeed.  It's all relative.  There's a reason I didn't take up the fiddle.  Yikes!




> I love 'em, and really, they are not _that_  expensive:
> 
> http://www.violinist.com/discussion/...e.cfm?ID=15942

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## Cheryl Watson

It's harder to lose a bow, but I hate cheap picks so...

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## bmac

If a goose feather was good enough for your ancestors it is good enough for you. And you can't beat the price.

When you speak of how wonderful and affordable the Blue Chip Pick is, How come nobody has mentioned the price they paid?

I will now Google "Blue Chip Pick" and find out for myself what this is all about!
__________

*Ok... It must be good!!!* It would cost me about the same as my best sounding mandolin!!! And the Blue Chip is new!!! While my favorite mando is close to 100 years old!!!  Wow!!! What a bargain!!!

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## AlanN

Another BC thread? Good, I was missing the other dozen...

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G. Fisher

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## Pasha Alden

Still looking for that make of pick in SA.   Simply cannot find it.   Playing with a Dunlop at present. Though I think when I travel to Cape Town their may be greater choice!

Happy picking

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## bryankimsey

> Still looking for that make of pick in SA.   Simply cannot find it.   Playing with a Dunlop at present. Though I think when I travel to Cape Town their may be greater choice!


I've never seen them for sale in a store.  I order mine or swap for them (which is how I've gotten all but 2).  On mando, I like SR60 or TPR60.

Still use my Red Bear E and Mondo a lot, too.

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Pasha Alden

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## mandodan1960

I found my Blue Chip difficult to grip and as a result was not using it much. Out came the drill ! Carefully I have drilled (5) 1/8" holes. In a tri pattern. Its held up for 2 years now with out breaking so it was a good move. 
I switch back and forth between that and a wedgen (sp?) I like the thinnest yet stiffness of the wedgen. 
Picks sometimes have a placebo effect in that they seem to work better when I switch back and forth.

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## Pasha Alden

That is interesting.   I find the same with my picks.  At the moment something Mike Marshall said made sense:  if a pick is to soft, it can dampen the tone?   Anyone find that to be the case with a too soft pick?

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## Spruce

> At the moment something Mike Marshall said made sense:  if a pick is to soft, it can dampen the tone?   Anyone find that to be the case with a too soft pick?


Most definitely....

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## tkdboyd

But sometimes that can be the desired effect, not one that I look for, but one all the same. Seems like for quite some time the most popular pick for mandolins were the tiny thin ones that created "tinny" tones. But to each their own...sort of like using a capo
:-)

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## Mike Bunting

> *Ok... It must be good!!!* It would cost me about the same as my best sounding mandolin!!! And the Blue Chip is new!!! While my favorite mando is close to 100 years old!!!  Wow!!! What a bargain!!!


If your 100 year old mandolin cost $35, I imagine that you bought it new.

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MaggieMae

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## bigskygirl

:Frown: 


> .........But to each their own...sort of like using a capo :-)....


Uh-oh, BC picks and capo mentioned in the same sentence.....we're doomed...... :Frown:

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## Franc Homier Lieu

> Uh-oh, BC picks and capo mentioned in the same sentence.....we're doomed......


bigskygirl,

I have been working on some version of a 'I use a capo on my BC....'. Well, I did not really have it worked out, so I guess you have saved me from stepping on my own joke. thanks: :Redface:

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## Brandon Sumner

> Still looking for that make of pick in SA.   Simply cannot find it.   Playing with a Dunlop at present. Though I think when I travel to Cape Town their may be greater choice!
> 
> Happy picking


 HI Vannilla! They are not available in stores here in the states either, I ordered mine online from the maker, I can try to post a link for you if you like?

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## Gplayer

BC's really are "that expensive". $35 for a pick is nuts. But.. I own 3 of them and they are the only picks I've used for guitar or mando in the last 3 years.. So, it's all relative.

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## Pasha Alden

To Vstrings: thank you.   Also suspect that I have to take what they give me, which I think are guitar picks that still work on the mandolin.

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## Brandon Sumner

AT Vanilla,
 It's www.bluechippick.net 

I like the TAD-60 with right hand speed bevel personally, so far that is!

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## bigskygirl

> To Vstrings: thank you.   Also suspect that I have to take what they give me, which I think are guitar picks that still work on the mandolin.


I like the TP-1R 50.  It has one rounded corner that I use from time to time.

funny thing is I don't like it for the guitar at all but it's the only pick I like for the mandolin.

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Brandon Sumner

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## Pasha Alden

Thank you Vstrings for the link!

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## Brandon Sumner

AT Vannilla! You are very welcome. Happy picking! :Mandosmiley:

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## Michael Bridges

VanillaMandolin, I'm using a TPR-60, has a bit more rounded edge. Nice tone, and tremolos very nicely!

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## Bluetickhound

I bought a used Ibanez at a thrift shop for $35... i hadn't thought that if I bought a BC I would have as much in my pick as I did in the Mandolin itself!

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## ADAL

Just my opinion and nothing more,I think Bluechip picks are like pre war Martins,hide glue,etc..All hype.. I've used a Bluechip ,and I'd rather have my 50 cent Dunlop.In fact, I gave the one I had away.

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## Franc Homier Lieu

> Just my opinion





> All hype


"Just my opinion" and "all hype" don't make sense in the same sentence. I completely understand people not liking BCs. But to say they are "all hype" is to suggest that you have discerned something about the picks themselves, and not just that you do not favor the particular tone, grip, durability etc. of the BC.

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## ADAL

Its my opinion that its all hype

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Franc Homier Lieu

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## Bob Clark

I'd love to try out some Bluechips and would be likely to buy one.  I have read enough good reviews of them that I'd be willing to take a shot at it.  I really like trying out different picks anyway.

The problem is, that at $35, I'd only be willing to buy one, and without trying them, I am not sure which one I'd like best.  I really need to find someplace where I can try out a few and select the one that most suits me.  I hope to be somewhere, one day, where someone is selling them and has a few different ones to try out.

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MaggieMae

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## terzinator

Matt Goins will give you your money back if you're not happy. Or he'll exchange it for another.

No risk, really. I think he currently has free shipping; could try a handful, and send back those you don't like.

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Bob Clark

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## f5loar

Pretty much if you have a favorite shape and thickness pick now you would get a BC in that same size and thickness.  I think it goes like 1.0mm is a 40; 1.25mm is a 45; 1.5mm is a 50 and so on.  The price goes up the thicker they are.  I look at it more like something every picker should at least try one.  Don't like it fine, but do like it and it could change your life in the way you pick.  There are enough life changing testimonies to believe there is something to it.  It's not all hype.  It has more to do with what you want out of life.  Or you could take the position of never had one, so don't need one.  Those living in caves really don't need one.  Who is going to hear them pick better when picking in a cave?  But you are in a bad and you are fighting those  super mastertone tone ring banjos and big loud forward braced scalloped Martin D28s you want all the power you can get out of your little mandolin.  BC delivers that power and then some.

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Bob Clark, 

doc holiday, 

Mike Bunting

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## mandobassman

> Its my opinion that its all hype


You are certainly welcome to your opinion.  At least you have tried them and have something to form an opinion on.  There are quite a few, even here on this Forum, that have the same opinion but have never even used a Blue Chip.  Many just look at the price and assume that it's just another high-end pick that is a waste of money.  While I really believe that there have been many products over the years whose reputation has been built on hype with very little real world musical improvement, there are also those that do make a difference.  One that comes to mind is the Tone Gard.  Those that haven't used one will claim it's all in the users mind and that there is no difference.  For me, it was the best $75 I ever spent, making a huge improvement in tone and volume.  As for the Blue Chip, I feel it is the best pick I ever laid my hands on.  However, I have owned 3 of them and after experimenting with those and many other types and thicknesses of picks, I have settled on the custom made Wegen that I have used for the last two or more years.  It turned out to be the best-sounding pick for my mandolin and the tone I was seeking.  Still, I wouldn't call the Blue Chip "hype" at all.  It is a superbly-made product that has made a real difference for many players.

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Brandon Sumner, 

Eldon Dennis, 

Mike Bunting

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## Paul Brett

I'm waiting on my to be delivered, but with all the discussions here I'm beginning to form an opinion before I've even held one. On one side I've buyers regret at spending €30 on a pick that'll be the same as the 80c one I'm using and on the other I'm thinking it's going to be the best thing since sliced bread! Please stop talking about BCs until I've tried mine :-)

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## Michael Bridges

Please stop talking about BCs until I've tried mine
You do realize that if people stopped talking about Blue Chip picks, traffic on the Cafe forum would drop by about 30%, right? If they also eliminated the "Best F style for $500" and "Capo" threads, this place would turn into a barren wasteland!

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Astro, 

bigskygirl, 

lorrainehornig, 

Paul Brett

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## Astro

MikeDMandoMan was kind enough to bring an assortment of picks to an Atlanta jam last month. The BlueChip did have a unique and nice feel and tone. Enough to where I made up my mind to go ahead and buy one. BUT, there were also other great picks. Some very inexpensive. The V pick also had a unique feel and good tone. For more inexpensive, I liked the propleck (also recommended by Mike Marshall). I also like my Wegen TF140. The tone and feel for each pick is a little different and fun to have on hand.

Good grief, for less than the cost of going to dinner and the movies, get one of each and be done with it.

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## Paul Brett

Just received my Blue Chip. Now I see. I don't get how it can be so different but it is. I tried every other pick I could find in the house and the difference is obvious. Bright, clean and _distinct_.

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Brandon Sumner, 

lorrainehornig

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## Herbm55

> Just my opinion and nothing more,I think Bluechip picks are like pre war Martins,hide glue,etc..All hype...


Pre war Martins hype?  I suppose if you couldn't hear anything different, then for YOU, yes, it could be considered "hype."   :Smile:   To a lesser degree, it's kinda the same deal with Blue Chips.  Me, I've been using the same two Blue Chips since 2008 and can definitely hear (and feel) a difference.   Like they say though, YMMV.

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## FLATROCK HILL

> Just my opinion and nothing more,I think Bluechip picks are like pre war Martins,hide glue,etc..All hype.. I've used a Bluechip ,and I'd rather have my 50 cent Dunlop.In fact, I gave the one I had away.


Dear ADAL, In the event that you come into possession of a pre-war Martin, would you please put my name on the top of your 'give-away' list.

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## DataNick

TPR 60 3R for me...also use a TPR 80 3R on my "Derrington" Flatiron...

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## Brandon Sumner

> Just received my Blue Chip. Now I see. I don't get how it can be so different but it is. I tried every other pick I could find in the house and the difference is obvious. Bright, clean and _distinct_.


 I have used a lot of various picks over the years on guitar before I fell in live with the Mandolin ( yes, I just traded away my martin for a new Girouard) I am just very impressed with the feel and sound of the Bluechip, the reason for starting the post, I think it is an outstanding article, just me you all understand, but I am impressed, I like the TAD 60 -1R very much

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## Dan Margolis

I now have three:  TD50, TD60, and, new to me, a TD35 that was laying around at the store where I work.  Nobody claimed it, so I did.  The TD35 is about the thickness of a yellow Dunlop, which has always felt too thin for me.  But strangely, I kind of like the 35!  Unless there's a chance that they could drop and be lost, the Blue Chips are all I use.  Easier to grip, less click on the strings, long wear, and y'know, I don't buy handfuls of picks every few months!

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## Nathan Kellstadt

> I'd love to try out some Bluechips and would be likely to buy one.  I have read enough good reviews of them that I'd be willing to take a shot at it.  I really like trying out different picks anyway.
> 
> The problem is, that at $35, I'd only be willing to buy one, and without trying them, I am not sure which one I'd like best.  I really need to find someplace where I can try out a few and select the one that most suits me.  I hope to be somewhere, one day, where someone is selling them and has a few different ones to try out.


I didn't know which size/style to get so I ordered 3 different permutations. I decided on 1 (quite happy with my decision), and returned the other 2. Matthew "BC" Goins promptly gave me my money back, no questions asked, for the 2 I decided not to keep. 

If you can afford to spend the money for multiple picks up front, buy whichever picks you think will potentially transform you into a mandolin god, and then return the ones that fail to deliver.

Alternatively, purchase the one that you're pretty sure will most likely transform you into the living reincarnation of "WSM", and if it doesn't, return it, buy another pick and repeat until you have discovered for yourself why there are so many lengthy threads about these picks and not Dunlop Ultex picks (no offense to loyal Ultex users, I like them too).

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Bob Clark

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## lorrainehornig

I was also big on Golden Gate Picks until my instructor let me try his Blue Chip. The difference in sound was pretty noticeable and I bought one. I keep a few Golden Gates as spares, but gave the rest away to one of my instructor's very young students. 

Now, as a Christmas Gift,  I got my instructor another Blue Chip (different from the one he has) as well as a Blue Chip pick box...both engraved with his name. I give them to him tonight...I hopes he like them.

I really don't think they are that expensive...and when you think about the fact that we drop thousands of dollars on our mandolins, they certainly deserves to be played with the best pick out there.

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Brandon Sumner

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## lorrainehornig

> Just received my Blue Chip. Now I see. I don't get how it can be so different but it is. I tried every other pick I could find in the house and the difference is obvious. Bright, clean and _distinct_.


 Paul, you're description of the difference is exactly right! I felt the same way when I got mine.

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Brandon Sumner, 

Paul Brett

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## JeffD

Was a mandolinner named Dave,
Who found a flat rock in a cave,
   It was too bulky and thick,
   To use as a pick,
But think of the money he'd save!

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lorrainehornig, 

MaggieMae, 

Timmando

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## JeffD

Its total hype that musicians get more dates. But I am sooo glad I believed it, or I never would have gotten started on what has been the adventure of my life.

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lorrainehornig

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## DataNick

> Its total hype that musicians get more dates. But I am sooo glad I believed it, or I never would have gotten started on what has been the adventure of my life.


Not so fast JeffD!....I resemble that...LOL!

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## mandroid

72 fender 346 for the same price, And you can lose a couple and still have spares..

looked at site  thickness is a convoluted  data.. 

 they dont understand reducing fractions 

 if its .04" say so


 then Height and width is a total secret ..  

measurement  is a handicap .  apparently.   :Sleepy:

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## Polecat

I finally had the opportunity to try out a blue chip pick about a week ago. My impression? distinctly unwow. It is a good plectrum that does the job it's designed for but did it radically improve my tone? no. Did it feel different to the galalith picks I currently prefer? yes. Did it feel better? no. Was it less likely to slip out between sweaty fingers? no.
I won't be buying myself one, partly because of the cost _in relation to other picks_ (I accept the argument that if you spend $$$$$ on an instrument, begrudging 35 or so is niggardly), but mainly, because I realize that 99.9% of my tone is up to how I strike the strings, and no amount of fiddling with peripherals will ever be as important as the work I put in practising and playing. 
There's nothing wrong in investing in "better" (read: more expensive) stuff if it makes you feel that you play better as a result, be it a pick, a heavier tailpiece or even a strap; equally there's nothing wrong in attempting to be brutally honest with oneself about where the true cause of how one sounds lies.

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## Cheryl Watson

I think that a Blue Chip pick (or any pick for that matter) only works when you find the exact pick (size/shape/thickness/points/bevel/material) that works for you, personally.  If a player tends to lose picks easily, then expensive picks are a bad investment.

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## Polecat

You're right about that, Cheryl - as I like to change my pick angle and where I hit the strings to affect the tonality of my instrument, any one pick is inevitably a compromise (though I use the same one all the time for everything). I tend to buy a pick, polish the edge, then just use it; I used to use Jim Dunlop 1,14 Tortexes (or is that Tortices?), but have found that galalith doesn't wear as quickly, and "sticks"  to my fingers better. As I said, if a blue chip floats your boat, go for it; it doesn't mine, so I don't.

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## f5loar

the Polecat says "As I said, if a blue chip floats your boat, go for it; it doesn't mine, so I don't. "
If you do a search on the bluechip pick here at the café you will find over 100 pages of testimonies in favor of the bluechip over other picks (one thread had 70 pages alone).  I would say the Polecat is rowing his boat alone.   :Laughing:

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## Eric Michael Pfeiffer

As I said in another post: I live in Argentina, I earn my money in pesos... a Blue Chip pick would cost me the equivalent of $350 Argentine pesos....my wife and I just bought a lawn mower here for less than that! LOL!

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## Polecat

> I would say the Polecat is rowing his boat alone.


Hardly. I am not denigrating Blue Chip Picks - they are well made, carefully designed, do the job they are produced to do, and that is fine. If your goal is to play hard and loud on the "sweet spot" on your strings (and preferably very, very fast), they may well be the best choice, if, as Cheryl points out, you take the time to find the ideal shape with the ideal bevel. I try to achieve differing tonalities on my mandolin, to suit the range of musical genres I play with my band; the Blue Chip Pick I tried was able to do this, but no better or worse than the galalith plectrums (?plectra) that I am using, so I'll stick with them. It's a matter of taste, not absolute right or wrong, and I think we should be tolerant of all points of view, so long as they are expressed in a civilized manner.

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## Herbm55

> ........ have found that galalith doesn't wear as quickly, and "sticks"  to my fingers better. As I said, if a blue chip floats your boat, go for it; it doesn't mine, so I don't.......


Yep, to each his own. I know exactly what works best for me and can't fault anybody else for doing the same.  Is galalith what we refer to as casein?  If so, I guess Red Bear, John Pearse "Fast Turtle" and a few others fall in that category. Before Blue Chip came along, I tried those but had some warping and chipping problems with them, so I went back to Wegen (which I found a bit difficult to hold).  
   Since 2008 I've been using two TAD50 Blue Chips. I use it on Electric guitar, mandolin, acoustic guitar...doesn't matter. I keep the other as a spare.  I have both of them beveled like I prefer, they wear slowly, they are tacky, and I like the tone they produce. Again, for me, that's the things I look for. 
  $35 is pricey ($70 in my case) but I've never lost a pick and after five years mine look about the same as when I bought them. Not having to worry about "breaking in" a new pick every so often is very cool.
  Again, to each his own, YMMV, etc.

HM

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## Polecat

> Yep, to each his own. I know exactly what works best for me and can't fault anybody else for doing the same.  Is galalith what we refer to as casein?  If so, I guess Red Bear, John Pearse "Fast Turtle" and a few others fall in that category.


Yes, Galalith is the polymer that is produced from casein, which is a simple protein found in milk and blood, amongst other animal parts. I tried the John Pearse picks, and as you mentioned, they tend to chip, which has not been my experience with Helios Artis picks - that's why I prefer them (no experience with Red Bear Plectrums - they fall in the "Hens Teeth" category). I've been using my present pick for over a year and its still fine; like you, I have a second as "Back-up", but no cause to use it as of now.

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## JeffD

> 72 fender 346 for the same price, And you can lose a couple and still have spares..
> 
> :


You can punch your old credit cards to make picks, for free, too.

Why would I want 72 of something that doesn't work as well as one of something else.

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## mandroid

Ah  ,  But they have been fine, for decades . you on commission?

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## JeffD

Me? No. NFI at all. I am just an enthusiastic user who won't (or can't) let it alone.

And, by nature, I am not a "new" for the sake of "new" kind of person. In my day job I always argue for the application of appropriate technology, as opposed to "the latest and greatest".

Lots of things have been fine for decades, centuries even, until better ways come along. Heck, human kind spent many a millennium moving over land on foot or by horse, until a better way was found.

The only argument against a boutique plectrum that I can accept is that you have tried it and it is not to your liking.

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## Brandon Sumner

Hmmm, I seem to have started some infighting here by posting this thread and that was not my intention at all, just to be fair, I have a new Wegen Mandolin pick that i like very much as well. Perhaps it is time for the moderator to close this thread please.  Peace and happy holidays to all!

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## Michael Bridges

I really think the powers-that-be on the forum just look at the BC threads and chuckle! Nothing seems to stir up as much "spirited" conversation. All I say is, if you have tried one, and determined it just ain't your cup of tea, fine. No argument from me. If you haven't, please don't categorically state that "No pick can be that much better", just based on cost. It's not the only pick I use, but it's either 1A or 1B, depending on the song, how my mando feels at that particular time, my mood, whether the planets are aligned a certain way, etc.

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lorrainehornig

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## Beanzy

Nah, this is definitely one of the better natured BC threads.

I use mine where it's needed but use others more than it. Didn't begrudge paying the dough for it as they take a bit of work to make and it's not a cheap material. More than happy to pay the cost of a Wegen which looks like great value beside the BC, but it's different material/overheads. The TF140s have proved the most useful off the shelf pics so far for me. But none are a patch on putting the time in and making my own, experimenting, tweaking and listening carefully to the results. 

In my bass-playing days I never found a pick that did it all for me and I'd be very surprised if there ever could be such a thing on the mandolin. They're tiny things to carry. Make many, carry more, experiment, use different ones for different playing effects. This is your sound genetator before you even get to the wood of the mandolin so treat it like a microphone in recording and try out different stuff. You don't have to get hung up on one pick, though you could just get along ok with whatever takes yer fancy if you're just after one sound & feel. I find it far more fun to let the tools give me new ideas and push me out of stasis.

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Brandon Sumner

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## Bob Clark

> Lots of things have been fine for decades, centuries even, until better ways come along. Heck, human kind spent many a millennium moving over land on foot or by horse, until a better way was found.


A better way...perhaps.  In the course of human history, the age of the car represents, thus far, just a brief moment.  Could it be a passing moment? One can dream.  I'd probably be happier back in the days when horses were the way to travel.  Just imagine driving along in a cart, playing your mandolin in time with the horses hoof beats.  Perfection itself (just avoid what comes out the back end) :Grin:

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## Pasha Alden

Am sure no fight will be too big Brandon.   Just healthy spirited discussion.
I choose a pick in accordance with the strings on my mandolin.  In SA, especially in Grahamstown there is a limited selection.   From these I try and choose.  I have a triangular shaped Dunlop, we cannot see the first part of the name.   It has a rather rough surface.   I have today decided, and that hopefully not prematurely, to abandon it.   The pick noise it produces is absolutely chronic and irritates the living daylights out of me.


Happy picking and may joy and peace fill your holiday playing!

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Brandon Sumner

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## Brandon Sumner

Hi pasha! You are right of course, I wish good cheer to all on this thread. RE pick noise, yep, it is very annoying, that Wegen I purchased was like that but seems to have broken in now and I am using it more.
 Cheers!

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Pasha Alden

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## Bob Clark

Hi Pasha,

I have a Dunlop Jazztone 207, which is a black, somewhat textured pick.  For perhaps a couple of years, when I would try it from time-to-time, I would put it away due to excessive pick noise.  Then when I tried it again recently, no problem.  It has become one of my favorites.  I don't believe it's a difference with the pick, I think I have probably changed my picking technique in a way that accommodates this pick.  Perhaps the same will happen with you.  Over time, my choice of pick really varies, or perhaps evolves.  Maybe yours will, as well.  But even if not, I think it's fun to keep trying new picks.  I haven't gotten around to ordering a Blue Chip yet, but it's on my list of things to do.

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Brandon Sumner

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## Brandon Sumner

Agreed Bob, it is fun to try new picks!
 Happy picking!

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## Pasha Alden

Hi Bob 
That's interesting.   I may actually find a similar thing happening to me.   I discovered another of those picks in my bag, so will just take it out from time to time.   I also wondered, I have a D'Dario 74 flatwound string I think bronze on my mandolin.   Wondered if the choice of strings and the choice of pick, coupled with picking style could contribute to some pick noise.

Stay well and happy picking

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## JeffD

> I'd probably be happier back in the days when horses were the way to travel.  Just imagine driving along in a cart, playing your mandolin in time with the horses hoof beats.  Perfection itself (just avoid what comes out the back end)


I recently got to play with a banjo, guitar and flute, in a horse drawn carriage ride around the city. We wore bowler hats and jammed on tunes we always play, with a few Christmas favorites thrown in.

It was great. No matter what pick you used.

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Bob Clark

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## mandroid

asked shape analogy question, and about the BC flex factor for a given thickness , 
they seem mostly set up to take your money, more, than answer questions about the product.

other than the FAQ, none of which are  really technical Q's .

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## lorrainehornig

> BC's really are "that expensive". $35 for a pick is nuts. But.. I own 3 of them and they are the only picks I've used for guitar or mando in the last 3 years.. So, it's all relative.


 BC is my pick of choice as well but I don't think $35 is that expensive considering they are made of aerospace plastic and anything even remotely related to aerospace is expensive. I can't verify this, as it was relayed to me via word-of-mouth, but apparently the sheets of aerospace plastic from which Blue Chip picks are cut cost about $4000 each give-or-take $$ for thickness. I work for a company that produces 3-dimensional graphite structures for the aerospace industry and let me tell you, the price is astronomical.

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## roberto216

I have tried (2) of the Blue Chip picks. While they are excellent picks, at the moment I actually prefer the Wegen Mandolin pick and also the Golden Gate pick. They seem to have a warmer tone and the Wegen is both warmer and louder. I'm also into the rounder shape lately.

(1) Golden Gate at $1.50 or (1) Wegen for $5.00 or for 2300% and 700% more respectively I can get (1) Blue Chip. BCs are very good but to me are no way worth the extra cost. Plus I like trying new picks now and then for fun.

As far as I know, David Grisman, Tim O'Brien, Sam Bush, and Matt Flinner are a few professionals who use something other than the BC. Different strokes for different folks I guess. If you like them great but I don't feel they are the "be all end all" of picks.

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## peterk

Unfortunately, I can't try BC picks unless someone sends some to me for free. You see, I have that fiscal policy which limits my expenditure on picks to 50 cents max per pick. :Grin:

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## woodwizard

Either you like em or you don't. I have (2) TPR 60'S and love em!  However I would never buy my guitar playing son one...he would loose it on the 1st or 2nd day  :Smile:

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## Patrick Sylvest

I realized, with some astonishment, that I'd purchased 6 blue chip picks. I have three TPR 60's for mandolin and two thumb picks for dobro. We all know the price, so add that up and I've got quite an investment . I've also given one as a gift as a thank you for a free recording session from a great guitarist. So, I'm a believer!

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## OldSausage

> As I said in another post: I live in Argentina, I earn my money in pesos... a Blue Chip pick would cost me the equivalent of $350 Argentine pesos....my wife and I just bought a lawn mower here for less than that! LOL!


 I have a lawn mower that cost me three times what my blue chip cost, but the lawn mower sounds terrible and I never take it to gigs.

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woodwizard

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## Johnno

I hope all you Blue Chippers are on commission if not you should be. This has to be the greatest free advertising site on earth. I must get one hehehe.
Merry Christmas and God Bless
John
Hey Old Saus maybe your mower needs a "set up"!

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## Canoedad

I gambled that I wouldn't lose a Blue Chip and lost.

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## f5loar

So many more testimonials of the life changing BC picks.  Well I've been using one since they first came out (3 years ago?) and can say it still looks new with no wear.  I'm considered a "heavy" handed picker and not so light on the touch.  I just ordered a special TD45.  I had been using the 40 and knew the 50 was a bit too thick and stiff so gambled on a 45 being the happy middle ground.  I got the pick last week and tried it out for two shows (5 hours of picking time) and again BC has changed my life for the 2nd time.  Just when you thought it couldn't get any better,  this slight change in thickness knocks you for a loop into wondering what have you been missing all these years.  So I ponder if these guys who don't like the BC got the right one for them first time at bat?  Don't know but do know them sure is expensive bats to try out until you do find it.   I look at buying a new pick is like buying a new pair of shoes.  They may fit fine in the store but you got to walk on them awhile to see if they hurt your feet or not.

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almeriastrings, 

Brandon Sumner, 

dang, 

DataNick, 

David Rambo, 

MaggieMae

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## JAFO

I can see how those who don't like or use Blue Chips could easily get tired of seeing these long threads arise on a regular basis. I just waded through these last 4 pages and read pretty much what I have seen in all the predecessors. You either love 'em or hate 'em and the price is either way too high, or reasonable.
 I first learned of these picks over on the BHO and wondered what all the fuss was about, then my buddy Steve Martin had Matthew Goins on his radio show for an interview and I became intrigued. The interview can be found here: http://www.unrealbluegrass.com/inter...ins_130427.mp3 . 
 When I was at Grey Fox this past summer I met Matthew on the first day of setup and over the next 5 days we spoke frequently as each of us had time between work sessions. Matthew and I became friends and near the end of the weekend I sat down to try out his stuff and it didn't take me but a couple of minutes to settle in on a TD-60 which he gave to me as a gift.
 I am just a beginner, only a year and a half in, but it sure helped me with some of my issues such as grip and string drag. Made my lousy playing sound a bit less lousy and changed the dynamics in my right hand allowing me to develop better. Now I can play with cheaper picks better and I have a few I use from time to time, but I go back to the BC after a while.
 Some things I learned that might answer some questions I saw posed:
1) The material used in these picks is in fact very expensive and I have used it myself in semi-conductor manufacturing equipment in the past. That cost leaves very little in the profit column for Blue Chip. I am in fact still surprised that BC can make and sell these at this price and still make money.
2) Because of the low profit margin, Blue chip cannot market these through dealers because it would drive the price even higher.
3) Blue Chip does not market these picks as a 'wonder drug' and if you listen to the interview above, you will hear Matthew state clearly that he knows they aren't a good fit for everybody and that is why he has the money back deal that he has.
4) You won't find a more honest, enthusiastic, harder working, or genuinely fine person than Matthew Goins.

 That's just my 2 cents, which I had to get off my chest after reading so many pages of these posts.
Keep Pickin'
Tom

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almeriastrings, 

Bob Clark, 

Brandon Sumner, 

Jim Garber, 

mandolirius, 

Mike Bunting, 

sblock

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## JeffD

> but I don't feel they are the "be all end all" of picks.


There is no such thing. I have different picks for different tunes, different mandolins, different venues, different sound effects.

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bratsche

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## JeffD

> Unfortunately, I can't try BC picks unless someone sends some to me for free. You see, I have that fiscal policy which limits my expenditure on picks to 50 cents max per pick.


How'd you ever afford a mandolin to use the picks on?

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## mandolirius

What always baffles me is the resentment expressed by some non-BC users. They cry "all hype" and "shill" etc. but I can't figure out what they're complaining about. If a Fender or a Dunlop works great for you, then why not be happy you saved all that money? Think of us as suckers if you like. I don't care. I'm finally pick-content after 25 years of never being truly satisfied. To me, that alone is worth the money.

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Mike Bunting

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## mandobassman

> What always baffles me is the resentment expressed by some non-BC users. They cry "all hype" and "shill" etc. but I can't figure out what they're complaining about. If a Fender or a Dunlop works great for you, then why not be happy you saved all that money? Think of us as suckers if you like. I don't care. I'm finally pick-content after 25 years of never being truly satisfied. To me, that alone is worth the money.


Amen to that!!!  If you think they're too expensive, then don't buy one.  Personally, I still think it's a cheap investment compared to what we have paid for high end instruments.

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almeriastrings, 

DataNick, 

Mike Bunting

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## goose 2

I have played for a long time and can pull pretty good tone with about any pick. However, I pull my best tone and my playing is most fluid with a Bluechip SR 60. The difference is significant enough to me that I don't even blink when it's time to reorder a pick.

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## Mike Bunting

[QUOTE=JAFO;1236708]I can see how those who don't like or use Blue Chips could easily get tired of seeing these long threads arise on a regular basis.
You mean posts like, "Best mandolin under $300, $500 and on" or "mandolin A vs mandolin B" or..... :Smile:  It is what it is.

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## dan in va

Well, i did my part to resist them and try just about everything else first, all the while reading about so many folks' reasons for buying them.  After all, there are so many shapes, thicknesses and bevels, and there's lots of trading around...seems spendy and time consuming to pick a winner.  But then again, many of us are willing to pay the price and do the dance for great tone and playability.

There was a lightly played CT 55 in the classifieds one day. Very popular pick and it seemed like a good place to start.  It brought out certain tones that none of the others (Red Bear, Pro Plec, Dawg, Fast Turtle, Clayton, Ultex, etc) could.  Then a TAD 60 (RH bevels) showed up under the tree on 12/25, and that one is even better.  They're both great in different rooms and i'm thinking about a TAD 60 with CT bevels someday.  The things will last 3x times as long with the 3 tips, too.  The only thing that came close was a completely reshaped and beveled Dawg.

Maybe there are some good reasons why so many are buyin', pickin', talking' and post in' about 'em.

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Brandon Sumner

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## Nick Quig

I'm curious now - is the CT bevel different to the usual Bluechip speed bevel?

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## Herbm55

> .......but I don't feel they are the "be all end all" of picks.





> There is no such thing. I have different picks for different tunes, different mandolins, different venues, different sound effects.


There is no such thing, unless one uses the same pick for everything, like I do.   :Smile:   Mandolin, acoustic guitar, or electric guitar, I want the same feel and consistency. As for being the "be all end all", for me that has varied through the years. Before BC I used Clayton Ultems, and before that I used real TS.  Like they say, find what works for YOU.

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## dan in va

Nick Quig, i don't know if i can explain the CT bevel better than the Blue Chip website pics and comments.  This bevel has a more gradual taper and appears wider than the standard bevel.  It makes the edge a bit more knife like (for lack of a better term) and seems to make the pick faster.

i don't have a TAD 55 pick to compare to, but the CT 55 seems to bring out more high overtones across the strings, while the TAD 60 is a little meatier sounding to me.  It's a wonderful pick if that's what your mandolin needs, similar to making the string set sound like a lighter gauge.  Another thing about this TAD size (the CT 55 5 thou thinner but the footprint as the TAD 60) is that it makes a little more pick stick out from my grip, resulting in more volume and high overtones on the G strings.

If i do have the CT bevels put on a TAD 60, the bevels will look a lot wider because the pick is a little thicker.

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Nick Quig

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## Mark Wilson

Every year for Christmas the wife and I get each other a simple gift that we would never buy for ourselves. On a whim I chose a BC TPR45.  I gotta say it lived up to the hype.  Can't imagine a smoother or faster pick that stays put and sounds great.  I'll still play my wegen but it's no longer my favorite.

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## JeffD

> There is no such thing, unless one uses the same pick for everything, like I do.    Mandolin, acoustic guitar, or electric guitar, I want the same feel and consistency. As for being the "be all end all", for me that has varied through the years. Before BC I used Clayton Ultems, and before that I used real TS.  Like they say, find what works for YOU.


That is the bottom line. And consistency of feel is important.

I have never found a pick that wasn't a compromise under certain circumstances, at which times some other pick seemed better suited.

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## Jesse Weitzenfeld

My son got a Blue Chip for Christmas.  Hes been wanting one for a while.  He has a pretty nice collection of picks but no Blue Chips.  When he first tried out the TD50 on his guitar, wow!  Incredible.  The sound was just better.  Cleaner, with a three dimensional quality I usually associate with an organic material.  Its hard to describe sound, but it really jumped out at me as being a huge improvement over the other picks he was using (mainly Wegen).

On mandolin, he didnt like it as much.  He preferred his Matt Miller pick.

Picks are a funny business.  Its all about personal preference, and people tend to get invested in certain products and not want to change.  I believe there are several quantifiable characteristics of Blue Chip which makes it better than the average pick, but that doesnt mean its always going to be the ultimate, for everyone, on every instrument.  Weve also found that picks we initially didnt care for, will grow on us over time.  As your ears, and your playing, improve you might also find youre hearing things in a different way, or appreciating nuances that you were previously blind (or deaf) to.

We recently filmed a review, which I posted in another thread, where we compared several high end picks (including BC) with a couple holy grail picks that most players probably dont have access to.  You can see it here.

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## AlanN

Pick choice is ultimately very personal. I listened to part of that video, all sounded pretty good, some more 'picky' than others. I would need to sit down with that arsenal to see how they fit in my hand, how they attacked the strings, how they felt before I could say 'this is the one'.

Thanks for putting up the video.

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## Cheryl Watson

> I'm curious now - is the CT bevel different to the usual Bluechip speed bevel?



Nick, in the past, I have ordered the CT55 with a right-handed bevel and it is nearly a "knife" bevel which is a bit more radical than the usual right-handed bevel.

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Nick Quig

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## yankees1

> Amen to that!!!  If you think they're too expensive, then don't buy one.  Personally, I still think it's a cheap investment compared to what we have paid for high end instruments.


 Yep, you said it all !

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## John Ritchhart

I used some real TS a few years back to get away from the "pick Click" I was getting with plastic picks. But I always had that "this ain't right" feeling about using a banned substance even if the provenance was legal. I went to BC's because they gave me that same pure tone on the string that I was getting from TS without the ennui. Also they don't wear down like TS. I got mine at the Picking Parlor in Knoxville. They have a good selection of sizes and shapes and you can try them all out there in the store. Nice people too. I have three different ones but have settled on the TP 50 as my favorite. The money? Well yea, but I can drop that much on lunch at the Cork & Crown.

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## Marty Jacobson

Tonight, I was browsing MandolinCafe, and my wife (who also plays mandolin) said to me:
"Are Blue Chip picks really that good?"
I said - "Yes, they are."
"Really?" she said.... "Better than your brown one?"
 :Laughing:

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Michael Bridges

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## f5loar

The real believers just keep coming forth to praise how the BC changed their picking lives.  I see many mention having used the real TS.  Last time I priced a real TS from that guy that has a notebook full of them and shows up at BG festivals and Fiddler's Conventions the price was $50 to $60.  Isn't a BC cheaper than that?  So what's the fuss?  If you can achieve that same sound or better, as most say, then why wouldn't you switch from a real TS to the man-made material BC?  I just don't see the fuss over the price.  Price difference seems to show up in about everything you come into contact with.  There are choices on most anything you desire but don't expect all those choices to have the same price.

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Brandon Sumner

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## thekidjohn

I'm about to place my first order for one of these. I'm already trying to figure out how I won't lose it as I seem to go through Fender heavy gauge ones like crazy. Not because I wear them out, simply because they seem to...vanish. I'm pretty fired up to get to try a Blue Chip.

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## JeffD

Its an opportunity to invest in cool pick holders. Yay, more paraphernalia.

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## rockies

I always get a charge out of us pickers, we are so reluctant to spend 5$ to 50$ on ANY accessory that goes with our hobby that we can do 365 days a year. I have friends that make fun of my $35 picks but go and buy a $600 snow mobile suit, $150 gloves ,$300 boots, $150 helmet to be used on weekends for 4 months of the year if they're lucky. I won't even start to discuss my fishermen friends lures and accessories. LOL
Dave

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Brandon Sumner, 

DataNick, 

Mike Bunting

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## Doug Heinold

I just got my TAD-40 and am blown away.  Wow.  I'm officially converted.

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## JeffD

> ,$300 boots,


I know. Its nuts. I have waders, hip waders, wading shoes, boating shoes for canoeing, boating shoes for sailing, hiking boots, winter hiking boots, not to mention the special shoes I need for work.

None of them were purchased at any special discount. Sheesh!

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## thekidjohn

I received my BC pick yesterday. Having never used much other than a standard Fender heavy pick I had ordered a TD-40 which was similar in size and thickness. I am VERY impressed with the way it sounds. My mando somehow sounds better, I can't put my finger on it yet but it sounds woodier (is that even a word?). Whatever it is I am really psyched and the price was worth it for the tone alone. I'm sure I will lose it before it ever wears out.

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## JeffD

Just decide not to lose it. Come up with a way not to lose it.

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## MaggieMae

Has anyone tried the one Chris Thile uses?  (I think the CT-50)?

I am trying to decide which type to order.

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## Jstring

> Has anyone tried the one Chris Thile uses?  (I think the CT-50)?
> 
> I am trying to decide which type to order.


Yes, it's fair to say that the CT 55 is the favorite pick of many people on the cafe... It's the same basic shape as the TAD picks. If you are a newer player, you may prefer the TAD 40... It has a little flex and is a little easier to play than the CT 55. Any of the TAD shaped picks are excellent!

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MaggieMae

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## BlueMt.

Ok, I've been converted.  I've been reading these BC threads, over the years, and always thought the praises must be a bit OTT.  I've always been happy with my Ultex picks, but after returning from a long layoff from mandolin, I felt like I wanted more from my Old Wave.  I changed strings, checked the setup and decided to try a CT-55.  I'm impressed. I'm sorry I doubted you true believers.  :Wink:

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## yankees1

I have several BC picks and just got the tad45 which I like better than the tad40 or 50.

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