This is the pick I use for guitar. The used one is probably about 7 years old. The new one is brand new.
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This is the pick I use for guitar. The used one is probably about 7 years old. The new one is brand new.
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Is that all original wear, or did someone (you) do some reshaping at some point.
That's 7 years of hard pickin' , my friend.Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffD
I cannot top that amount of pick wear on my BCs…
Nothing like that wear, but this is one of the older Blue Chips from before the model codes were engraved (it's the same as a TP50). Not my only pick, but it's gotten plenty of play time in the 16 or so years I've had it. Finally decided yesterday that the wear on the one tip I use had dulled the tone significantly. I couldn't even see how rough it was until I used a camera close up in the light. I polished it with sandpaper (800, 1000, 1500), then brown paper bag (2500 equivalent), then a little bit of dremel polish wheel with just a touch of polishing compound. Now it's better than new because it has my pick wear pattern that makes it a little less pointy and it glides right through the strings with that glassy polish. If I'd known what a difference it would make, I would've done it sooner.
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i suspect the short answer to the thread title is no, or at lest very few. congrats on playing that much.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay
My friend gave me his worn one. It started life as large triangle and after year or two of hard picking (I think 120+ gigs a year) the size between points was more like the smaller triangle. I guess cumulative loss of material could be roughly like OP's. I don't have a pic as I reshaped it to small triangle for my use when I got it.
Folks playing with stiff wrist do wear them. It's plastic against rough metal...
Nope. My oldest one does have some wear after all the years playing it, but one has to look hard at it to see it. Got that way from playing guitar about 10 hours a week for I would guess about 8 years. Maybe longer. Was given it by a friend not long after Blue Chip came onto the market.
I can’t top that but I wore the point right off a BC and put a bevel on it that didn’t have one..
Thank you, thank you. Hoping to get some recognition from the Blue Chip corporation for this accomplishment or maybe a free pick.Quote:
Originally Posted by Luna Pick
I sure can't, because I don't use a Blue Chip. But I have been using the same pick for about the same length of time - a Jim Dunlop 1.5mm - and it shows nowhere near as much wear. Now, I'll grant I probably haven't been playing as much as you, as I started with this pick toward the end of that band's lifetime. And slamming away on rhythm guitar (I'm assuming) is a good bit more traumatic for a pick than the delicate coaxing of a lead mandolin. But that is indeed an impressive display. I wonder whether the corporation would want to acknowledge your "achievement," as their marketing strategy and pricing indicate a desire to provide a long-lasting product. You never know; worth a try. :cool:
Yeah, I'd send that back. Obviously a manufacturers defect.
Man, I would have replaced it LONG before it looked like that.
You got your money's worth.
If you search out papers on how insanely Vespel (the material they're made from) is, it's even more impressive. The stuff is really made for insanely harsh conditions.
Yeah, I know. Honestly, I think because it happens so gradually, I never really paid much attention. I was in total shock when I got the new one and saw how much it wore. I should also add that the new one is sooooo much better both feel and tone. So, yeah, lesson learned - BC's DO wear, and need to be replaced when appropriate.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murphy Slaw
I think Matt Goins would be interested in seeing this pick. He'd probably swap you straight across for a new one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murphy Slaw
Vespel is one of many engineered compounds used in industry. It's used as "soft" (as opposed to metal) seat material in many valves in my power plant that get exposed to steam, high temperature/high pressure water, high flow rates and radiation exposure. It wears out there too.Quote:
Originally Posted by blauserk
I designed it into a rather insanely harsh application: insulators and clamps in a (semiconductor) plasma reactor. Very much unearthly conditions. Never saved the scrap, though. Used rather large plates of the stuff. Wasn’t thinking about picks back then.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandobart
Looking again, this is an odd wear pattern.Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffD
My picks always tend to wear the points down, making them more round.
Strange, indeed.
Terrific job! I never would have equated a paper grocery bag with a grit level.Quote:
Originally Posted by bradeasley
Well, that's impressive! I've got 3 BlueChip CT picks - I've only used one so far. It's got around a few places, so I'm surprised I thankfully haven't lost it. I only use one corner and have hardly any visible wear after 2 years. I guess I better practice more!