The Traveling Pick Sampler - Anyone Interested?

[Zach Wilson]

Sound like a good way to spend the day!

[Sweetpea44]

Just a quick note .... I've been enjoying this pick sampler a lot! My husband has also tried out some of the picks on his guitars. There appears to be around 45 picks in here, though some are duplicates/multiples of certain brands. I'll contact the next person on the list (jhowell) in another day or two and try to mail them out by saturday since that would have been a week.

[Paul Merlo]

I would like to be added to the list, thanks!

Here is an updated list:

Gandalfa (on its way!!!)
Sweetpea44
jhowell
Sevelos
hossamassey
Kback
Northwest Steve
tangleweeds
Mike001
Paul South

Is this the latest list? Please add me to the end.

[Sweetpea44]

Just sent the Traveling Pick Sampler off to the next on the list .... jhowell. Thanks to everyone thus far! I enjoyed messing around with all the different kinds out there. At the end of the day, I still like my PrimeTone and Wegen, but I was glad I got to try out the Blue Chip and the rest. I didn't have too many picks to add that weren't already in there. I use a fairly thin pick when playing my single course electric mando, so I threw some of those in there as something different. Thanks again to everyone for making this a fun experience!

[tangleweeds]

If this is too complicated shoot me down, but I have a bunch of interesting picks that are duplicated in the sampler, but I'd love to share them with others who might have more restricted pick access than I. Online sellers like to sell bags of 6 - 12, and I don't need so many just to try something out.

Is the group mind sufficiently morally evolved to handle duplicate picks being added and subtracted from the sampler as it travels, i.e.

• never remove an unique pick
• try to add unique picks
• share duplicate picks (give and take in balance as best you can)
• If unique shares get hard, adding logo picks from favorite local music stores could be fun.

P.S. I empathize with gandalfa - back in the days of traveling video tapes, my house sitter received one and helpfully put it someplace weird and never told me. Very e-embarrassing when they tracked me down post-vacation.

[Timbofood]

That's why I added half a dozen of the Dunlop lavender tortex, waaaaaaay back when this started.

[Upis Land]

I would love to be added to the list. Thanks.

[Mark Gunter]

If this is too complicated shoot me down, but I have a bunch of interesting picks that are duplicated in the sampler, but I'd love to share them with others who might have more restricted pick access than I. Online sellers like to sell bags of 6 - 12, and I don't need so many just to try something out.

Is the group mind sufficiently morally evolved to handle duplicate picks being added and subtracted from the sampler as it travels, i.e.

• never remove an unique pick
• try to add unique picks
• share duplicate picks (give and take in balance as best you can)
• If unique shares get hard, adding logo picks from favorite local music stores could be fun.

P.S. I empathize with gandalfa - back in the days of traveling video tapes, my house sitter received one and helpfully put it someplace weird and never told me. Very e-embarrassing when they tracked me down post-vacation.

Mentioned here before, but I have a number of buffalo horn picks and would be happy send one to anyone who wants one, or trade for any brand large triangle picks . . . contact via PM if interested.

[jhowell]

Wow! I've had the sampler not quite a week and I'll be sending it on next Monday ( to Sevelos). To set the stage, I'm a beginning player and through mostly lurking on this forum I have come to use Dunlop Prime Tones. I also have both gen I and II of the Dawg picks that I used to use on a guitar. I'm sure everyone on the list was salivating to try the Blue Chips and honestly, the big one is my favorite of the pack...but not favorite enough to spend fixed income on. lol Kinda liked the red V-pick, too. I'll be adding a couple of Cool Pick guitar picks to the collection. The 1.0 triangle is the pick that I'm using to get the feel of a multiple string tremolo and the blue jazzer is one pick that is always in my wallet.

A great big thank you to all who have participated!

[3rdegree]

I added that red V Pick, pretty interesting. Picked it up at Carter's when there. I'm interested to hear what everyone thought compared well to the Blue Chip as many folks don't want to spend that much. My friend and I thought the Prime Tones were very similar for a fraction of the cost.

[wooq]

The current list as far as I can tell:

jhowell (current)
Sevelos (next)
hossamassey
Kback
Northwest Steve
tangleweeds
Mike001
Paul South
Chris Bowsman
MandoMN18
Emmett Marshall
wooq
Paul Merlo
Upis Land

[Timbofood]

Is the red "V" a "jalapeño?"
I have one of them and like it quite a bit.....for me.

[jhowell]

Tim--

I think it is, but 3rdegree would know for sure. I must confess to liking/needing some grippiness on my picks. I do like the embossed Prime Tone over the smooth and I like the rounded pick over the pointier version. YMMV

Best --Jim

[Timbofood]

Thanks Jim,
I found even with the "traction holes" I needed some gum Arabic (candle stickum stuff really) on it.
I still think it was a stroke of genius on Caleb's part to start this!

[dschonbrun]

Mentioned here before, but I have a number of buffalo horn picks and would be happy send one to anyone who wants one, or trade for any brand large triangle picks . . . contact via PM if interested.

Mark, I'm in a similar position... I don't need more than one of each model and have extras. It may be worth starting a second iteration of the sampler to ensure a greater number of pickers can benefit. Any thoughts?

D

[Mark Gunter]

Hi David, it's a great thought, a really good idea, but . . . I don't think the timing would be quite right for something like that. Off the top of my head, these thoughts, open for discussion.

1. We have this sampler going around, and IMHO it's one of the best ideas I've ever seen and benefited me greatly as a newbie to be able to try 40+ picks. The idea of this sampler, as I understood it, was to TRY the picks, ADD to it if you can, then SEND it INTACT to the NEXT person inline. Sometime in the distant future, it would probably be raffled to a lucky guy or gal with the proceeds going to mandolincafe.com support. Already some picks have gone missing, and logically I can't imagine how the current sampler will end. At any rate, it might be confusing to start another project similar to this at this time?

2. Member Tangleweeds in post #355 above has already suggested using the current sampler to do what you are suggesting with it, by modifying the "rules of play" with this sampler. If this is done, I see no reason to start another such project.

These are just my initial thoughts, David. If you think that starting a new project that is meant to provide a choice of picks for the taking has significant merits and won't lessen this current project, and can be implemented with relative ease, I'd be happy to contribute - I no longer have a bunch of extra picks, but I would be willing at sometime to buy an assortment to give freely - because many newbies don't have a variety to choose from, and after doing this for about a year now, I have some favorites that I wouldn't mind subsidizing for newbies to try and keep what they want, pass on the rest.

Probably not a good time to start something new, and this thread might not be the appropriate place to discuss it at any rate.

Just my two pennies.

[Mark Gunter]

Another thought, David, you could post a picture of what you have to offer in my thread titled "Free Picks" - that thread title will probably continue to get readers. Downside, you have to deal with a number of PMs and send out several individual packets . . . upside, you may get to know some interesting members better through the personal messages and emails. Everything has its cost and its benefits. I dealt with maybe 6 or 7 PMs and two emails over that thread, and the time involved was minimal with a big return in personal satisfaction and making new friends.

[jhowell]

Hey all--

The sampler is on its way to Ari in Tel Aviv. There's a bit of transit time involved from the west coast of the US to Israel, have patience For a beginning player that doesn't live in Lansing or Nashville, the pick sampler is just a godsend. Thanks to all!

Best--Jim

[Caleb]

The Sampler has gone international. How cool!

[3rdegree]

Shalom!

[Timbofood]

The Sampler has gone international. How cool!

I would never have guessed that!
How amazingly cool!
Stars in your crown Caleb!
Did I tell you my Godfather was named Caleb?

[Caleb]

I would never have guessed that!
How amazingly cool!
Stars in your crown Caleb!
Did I tell you my Godfather was named Caleb?

You didn't. Very cool.

[darrylicshon]

I sent it to Canada after i was done so I'm glad to see it going out of the usa again. I enjoyed the sampler and hope others do as much as i did.

[JeffD]

I don't want to be put on the list, but I have some picks I would like to donate to the sampler. They are wooden picks, made of lignum vitae, and I think they are worth trying out.

So how would I go about sending the picks to someone about to receive the sampler, so that person can add them to the sampler as it finds its way around and about?

[Roger Moss]

Please add me to the list.