Are they really worth it?

[JeffD]

A young mandolinner named Dave,
Found a flat rock in a cave,
It was too bulky and thick,
To be a good pick,
But think of the money he'd save!

[Beanzy]

Love mine. Wouldn't mind a backup, I'll gladly pay the postage to free up space in your pick holder...

I lend mine to people at jams etc to satisfy their curosity, so it still has an educational function in there with my wegens, primetones etc.
My observations are that most (including myself) like the smoothness/grip, those who hear things like pick slap etc agree the shape is particulatly poor for that.

[CWRoyds]

One thing that is worth noting is that it really depends on the instrument.
I use a Blue Chip on my F5 mandolin, but I don't always prefer it on my other instruments.
I use the ProPec on my Gibson A00.
If the instrument is naturally bright or nasal in tone, a thick ProPlec can be perfect to round out the tone a bit.

Each of my guitars seem to like different picks.
My Gibson Southern Jimbo likes the Wegen Tf140.
My Taylor likes the BC TAD60, or the CT55.
My Gibson L48 likes the ProPlec.

I just take each instrument and go through all the picks I have.
Whichever one works the best with that instrument, stays in the strings on that instrument.

The instruments I have yet to find the perfect pick for are ny electric guitars.
I have always used the Big Stubby 3mm since the early 1990s, but after getting into all the picks I was finding for the mandolin, I totally changed my view of picks and what is best for tone and playability.
I think I want to stick to mandolin style picks for the electrics too.
So far, my Red Strat likes the ProPlec, my Black Strat likes the BC CT55, and the Les Paul still likes the Big Stubby.
I am not sure if I still like the Big Stubby though.
I now feels really small.

[Verbian]

A $30 pick is worth it if it has the properties you enjoy and if you promise not to lose it.

A big thick pick, like most of the expensive ones, is going to provide you with a real big even sound. Rounded edges and soft tips reduce pick noise and allow for easier double-stop tremolo picking.

My personal preference (Tortex/Delrin triangle 1.0mm) lays towards a stiff, but not thick pick with soft but still triangular tips. A pack of picks can cost as much as one of those $30 picks, so $30 isn't really a bad price if you aren't going to lose your pick.

[almeriastrings]

Oh, good... another multi-page thread on Blue Chips!

[Shelagh Moore]

I resisted Blue Chips for years because of the price, especially here in the UK, as well as the hype and have tried most brands of pick over several decades. Now I have a couple of them and prefer them to all the others... they just work better for me and I like the feel and sound. Picks are a very personal thing I think.

Oh, good... another multi-page thread on Blue Chips!

Same with fiddlers and bows...

[Ivan Kelsall]

As others have said,the ONLY way to tell if any brand of pick suits your mandolin/string combo.& produces the tone that 'you' want,is to try them all out for yourself.

Most experienced players will have experimented with string brands & gauges on their mandolins many times,just as i've done in the 11 years (almost) that i've been playing. Some strings worked,some sounded dire. I eventually found a string brand/gauge set that suit 2 of my mandolins perfectly & give me what i want - clarity & punch(when i need it) DR MD11 strings. Shortly after that,i read about the Dunlop 'Primetone' picks,bought a pack, & they added yet another dimension to the sound on my mandolins.

I've had the chance try out 2 Blue Chip picks belonging to a friend of mine,& neither sounded ''as good to me'' as my Primetone pick - but !. The 2 BC picks were a different shape & thickness than my Pt.pick,so the comparison is a tad unfair.

Here in the UK,i don't have chance to try out every style/thickness of BC picks in a store,or i might indeed have already joined the ranks of BC pick owners. Having said that - i have a pick + a spare,in each of my mandolin cases = 6 picks. Having 6 BC picks,would never happen,
Ivan

[HoGo]

I've tried most of the picks available in stores over last 20 years and while there can be striking difference in sound that certain materials produce I believe the most difference in tone comes from exact shape of the pick. Similar to top woods, it's the shape of arch, graduations and bracing, not just species of wood that give you the tone.
I personally hate the "speed bevel" of most of the high end picks. If you strike strings at quite large angle and stiff wrist that can be ok but most folks just cut into strings with the sharp edge till it rounds off somewhat. On my picks I do just gentle bevel almost symmetrical from both sides - that's what came naturally on my celluloid picks that started out symmetrical. I mostly put the pick almost paralle lagainst strings when I pick solo and a bit more angle during chopping when hand takes more of a circular path.
I've tried Wegens, Bluechip, Primetones, celluloid and many other picks and I always reshape them (large triangle with slightly rounded edges) and polish to my favorite corner style and bevel. I think that Primetone, Bluechip, Celluloid and casein (like RedBear) picks sound close to identical once they are polished and shaped the same. The main difference is how long they hold the polished edge and that is highly dependant on how you strike the strings. I've seen Bluechip corner completely worn in less than a year of use by a heavy handed player and in my personal use I can hardly see any wear on my favorite celluloid pick I made 15 years ago.
I'd put Wegen to the class of softer plastics like nylon and some of teh Dunlops. These are harder to polish and after some playing the surfaces become a bit satin. These sound a bit mellower especially on plain steel strings.
Then there are the hard acrylic picks that can be glass smooth when new but the polish won't hold too long and they become gritty as the material tends to chip off the surface (especially if you play heavy chord rhythms). These picks sound very bright but can become harsh in not polished again.

So my conclusion would be to determine your pick of choice with yoour style of string attack in mind. the main difference in materials is how fast it wears or how slippery it feels between your fingers. I'm still using my celluloid picks most of the time but I like the Primetone and Bluechip as well, when tuned for my right hand (mostly for guitar as I left them a bit larger than my celluloid picks).

[Mark Wilson]

one of the coolest things when learning mandolin is trying out all the picks. Sizes, shapes, thickness, bevel. Also cool to see how your taste in picks can change if you keep them around long enough

less cool probably is being told that you made a foolish life decision regarding pick preference

Spent the evening with friends in local pub last weekend, and bar/grub tab was prolly 3 bluechips

[renoyd]

The only place I've been where you can actually try them out is Fiddler's Green and the have every model. There may be other places but darn few. Settled on the TP-1R (50 and 60 thickness). It is close to "typical" pick size but an equilateral triangle shape with both pointy and blunter corners giving a choice even while playing. Seems like others may try out th CT model and like me, find it to big and unwieldy and the simply give up on Blue Chips. Anyway, like othershere, I had tried every pick around and made some basement modifications, etc. and was satisfied with several but honestly, nothing compares to BC in feel and sound. They stay super smooth and are super strong and have contoured edges, the result being the clearest tone of any other pick, (no clickity-clack or brushy effects). I'm clearly a fan and it's not simply a mindset bias because I paid the $35, it is to me, an actual improvement. And I fully agree with those above who point out that you can spend the same or more in just one meal of a burger, cup of soup and a couple beers. And if one is reluctant because they might feel foolish or embarrassed if any spouse or friend knew what you paid for just a silly pick, simply suck it up, stiff upper lip, etc. It's a better investment than either the beans OR the cow!

[Mandoplumb]

Thirty years I used picks made of a material we don't discuss now. I remember paying &15 or $20 dollars for them back then which makes them more expensive than Blue Chip adjusted for inflation. Since that time the man made materials have come a long way. I used the TS because I saw a big difference in what else was available then. I have used BC and don't see a difference in them and picks costing 1/3 as much or less. Granted I haven't used every shape and thickness and different mandolins may like difference picks just as they like different strings although I use the same pick on each of my mandolins. End result I don't see where they are worth it just my 2cents worth.

[Timbofood]

Well, it actually seems to me that we, the mandolin community, are afflicted with terminal "Gizmosis"!
We must try to test every tool, pick, string, attachment, tuner, case, humidity level, beer, scotch, gin, or combination of all of the mentioned gizmos to find out if it's the right thing for any one of us! It's a terribly interesting sickness, I have it connected with any number of other hobbies as well, it's incredible how much grilling "stuff" I have amassed.
So, all that said, buy what you want to try or borrow one for a test run. You will spend the money on something sooner or later, what the heck!

[JeffD]

Well, it actually seems to me that we, the mandolin community, are afflicted with terminal "Gizmosis"!!

Guilty!

I find it easier to get good stuff than to get good on the stuff I have.

[Tobin]

I can't think of any hobby that doesn't have an associated strain of Gizmosis to go along with it. Seems perfectly normal and reasonable to me.

Somewhere out there on the internet, I'm sure there's a knitting forum where someone is asking whether it's really worth it to spend X number of dollars on high-end knitting needles. And the replies are, predictably, much like the ones in this thread.

[custer]

I guess so. Of the picks I own the Blue Chip is always the one I pick up to play since I started using them. Second to that is the Wegen Mandolin pick. Less expensive, but again, I hardly ever use that any longer.

Which Blue Chip do you use?

[sblock]

When will folks realize that it's quite silly to ask "Are they really worth it?" Well, OF COURSE they are worth it, because a successful business exists selling them!

There exists an open, capitalistic market for flatpicks. These things are sold over a wide range of price points, from a few cents to many tens of dollars. Many, many factors drive the costs: brand recognition/reputation, perceived quality, durability, materials costs, advertising costs, availability/scarcity, and so on.

BlueChip are "worth it" to enough pickers that Matt Goins has a successful business, with many happy customers who sing the praises of his picks.

It is downright silly to inquire if these are "worth it". It only makes sense to ask if they are worth it to YOU, personally -- the OP. And none of us can possibly answer that! We can only relate our own experience to you (mine is favorable). You just have to be willing to try these picks and make up your own mind. And honestly, I don't care which side of the fence you wind up on! I have No Financial Interest (NFI).

[Pick&Grin]

My BlueChip truly is to me. Whenever I go back to some other picks of mine, they're good, but don't hold a candle.
The real question is is it worth it to you, and that's a different matter. Try to borrow a friends for a few days, if you can (s/he'll let you!) and see what you think. Or, treat yourself and sell it if it doesn't work out.

[jesserules]

I have one Blue Chip and maybe a dozen Wegens.

Every now & then I pick up the Blue Chip & play a while to try & figure out what I'm missing. No luck so far!

And so I go back to the Wegens. They give me the sound & feel I'm looking for.

Moral: Tastes differ.

[Tobin]

I have one Blue Chip and maybe a dozen Wegens.

Every now & then I pick up the Blue Chip & play a while to try & figure out what I'm missing. No luck so far!

And so I go back to the Wegens. They give me the sound & feel I'm looking for.

Moral: Tastes differ.

Try the opposite, just for kicks. Put your Wegens away for a month or two, and only play with the BC. Then pull out the Wegen and see if you feel the same way.

Often, our ears are biased towards what we're accustomed to hearing. The only way to confirm that you truly like the Wegen picks better is to bias your ears the other way.

[Rodney Riley]

I didn't use my Blue Chip very much. Actually like an M10R Angle pick. Until I got my Mandocello, now unless I'm doing a lot of tremolos on the mandolins. The Blue Chip is all I use. ( For tremolos, the angle pick )

[Kalasinar]

I have a selection of picks, ranging in price, as I enjoy trying new picks to see what differences in sound they can pull. It is really quite interesting considering the various factors that can alter sound and/or playability - pick shape, size, thickness, material, bevel angles etc etc. Are higher cost picks worth it? Really you won't know until you try them.

I got a Bluechip over a year ago now when the company offered a free international shipping deal. Along the way I picked up a Red Bear, gold Gravity, Wegen TF140, Hawk SB, John Pearse Fast Turtle etc etc. Lower cost picks like the Dunlop Primetones I've found to be really great too.

The supplier I buy Wegens from (Clifford Essex) do a great thing - they give out a free pick each purchase. That's how I discovered one of the best picks I now have, and I honestly wouldn't have bought one had I not had this opportunity to try it. It's a buffalo horn pick, but I'd tried buffalo horn before and not liked the excessive pick noise. But the one they sent me - different shape, thickness and bevel to what I'd tried previously - was fantastic. It really surprised me, and it just goes to show that you don't know 'til you try. Later I eventually bought some to put in my mandolin cases, £3 each.

But, for all that, I don't have a single favourite...I change picks depending on what my ears seems to like at the time. On the whole I tend to use the Red Bear and CE Buffy pick for my Eastman, and Wegens for my Bowlback and Pocket. I think back to what I started with compared to what I use now, and I can hear and feel a significant difference. I started with a Dawg, Golden Gate and Proplec...I never use them anymore - too much pick noise for my tastes. So for me at least, the picks I've bought along the way have been worth it indeed.

[Ivan Kelsall]

From CWRoyds - "....it really depends on the instrument.". Not only the instrument,but the strings used on it.. If i've run out of my favourite strings,the DR MD11's,a couple of times i've had to return to EJ74's. My Primetone picks still give me a good 'sound',but it ain't like the 'sound' i get with the DR's. The combo. of mandolin / strings / pick can be pretty unique. Change one & your favourite mandolin won't sound 'the same',
Ivan

[JeffD]

And if one is reluctant because they might feel foolish or embarrassed if any spouse or friend knew what you paid for just a silly pick, simply suck it up, stiff upper lip, etc. It's a better investment than either the beans OR the cow!

There is a cultural strain, much more prevalent I think in guitar players, where you pride yourself on how much you deny yourself. Play a guitar shaped object found in the men's room of Port Authority Bus Terminal, use a jute chord for a strap and an old coffee sack for a case, and picks fashioned from construction waste.

I think (my opinion) the genesis of this is the cognitive dissonance one experiences playing down and out blues with a $2000.00 guitar.

[DavidKOS]

To me, yes, BlueChip picks are worth it. To others, they're not.

You won't know until you try one.

No

First, I have tried BC picks and did not feel the magic, I am very content with many cheaper picks. I also do not use only one type of pick, I swap up a bit, the only thing in common is that they all have pointed tips, not rounded.

If I had found the BC's to be that special I would have several in my pick box.

BUT

Many folks, as you can see by the responses on this and any BC pick thread, do swear by them, so the answer is up to you!

[UsuallyPickin]

IMO the best pick is endangered and as such I will no longer purchase or use them. In my search to replace them I tried out many picks. I happened to settle on an expensive one. It hasn't worn and due to the expense I take care to not lose it. As in most things technique is paramount, then it comes to tools. I found the tool I preferred was a BC-CT55. R/