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Thread: Apollo picks -- another option for you

  1. #1
    Certified! Bernie Daniel's Avatar
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    Default Apollo picks -- another option for you

    I noticed an add in the MCC a few weeks ago (Ad #162803; mandolin accessories section) and was attracted to the fact that they were made only about 100 miles from home and also on the company's web site and there was mention of the option for ordering custom designed picks.

    First, FYI I have zero financial interest in Apollo but of course I'm always partial to Ohio companies.

    Second, Apollo offers picks in 7 standard shapes (shapes A through G) and in two different materials a "high performance" thermal plastic (PEEK, polyetheretherketone) and a really old plastic, casein. It seems that a wide variety of pick thickness can be specified with your order.

    I ordered a "shape E" pick in the PEEK thermoplastic and also ordered a custom triangular-shaped pick in the same material (see pic). For the custom pick I specified an "edge to vertices" distance of 32 mm (1.25") and a 1.2 mm (0,05") thickness. The image includes some standard more common commercial picks for reference.

    I have been evaluating these new pics for several days and find them to be just what the doctor ordered. They feel and perform very much like other thermoplastic picks already on the market ( e.g., the brown ones).

    I would say both picks are certainly worth the $25 no doubt. My favorite of the two is the custom pick which shaped exactly like I wanted. It's a shape that I have wanted to try for some time BTW. So it is, by far, my go to picks. I'll be ordering more I expect.

    Might also try the Apollo casein picks.

    I came across that convinced me to give these picks a try.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by Bernie Daniel; Dec-16-2020 at 2:46pm.
    Bernie
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  3. #2
    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    You beat me to it...I was fixing to write about how much I like my PEEK Apollo pick. I got shape A, in 1mm and 1.25mm. They are what I’ve been seeking for years. Better than BlueChips. If they hold up, as I suspect they might, it will be my new “best” pick.
    I have an extensive boutique collection, and will/should share my journey.
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    Certified! Bernie Daniel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Quote Originally Posted by MontanaMatt View Post
    You beat me to it...I was fixing to write about how much I like my PEEK Apollo pick. I got shape A, in 1mm and 1.25mm. They are what I’ve been seeking for years. Better than BlueChips. If they hold up, as I suspect they might, it will be my new “best” pick.
    I have an extensive boutique collection, and will/should share my journey.
    Happy pickin!
    Matt I agree. So far no sign of any wear and they are as good or better than any pick I have ever had. For me the biggest thing is to have a large pick with rounded edges. It seems like all large picks (e.g., 32 mm) have relatively sharp points and all rounded picks are small e.g., 28 mm etc). The custom Apollo is large and has rounded tips. Perfect!
    Bernie
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    I bought a PEEK and a casein from this seller.

    Quality product, with superior customer service.

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    Registered User Murphy Slaw's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Who would have guessed the "pick" business would become a growth industry?
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  8. #6

    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Thanks for your kind words. I will follow this thread, but I'm not always much of a talker. I've been a member of MandolinCafe for about a decade, but I do a lot more reading than typing. I'd rather folks get the picks in their hands and make their own conclusions anyway.
    Thank you, sincerely, to those who are giving the picks a try.

    Murphy Slaw: One person would have surely been Luigi D'Andrea (a Neapolitan vacuum salesman from NYC). I'm sure you know but back in the '20's and '30s many picks were made with Hawksbill sea turtle shell (which was a bit expensive and overly stiff for some folks), and it was D'Andrea who got the idea to stamp picks out of sheets of celluloid then throw them in a tumbler to bevel the edges. When he realized his product served the market better than what else was out there I don't think he sold vacuum cleaners for much longer. There is a lot of fascinating (maybe not for everyone) info about all of this in the book called "Picks!" by Will Hoover. It is not an easy book to get ahold of, but I sure learned a lot. Anyway, it helped me to see my new venture as part of a much larger and longer tradition.

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Nik/Apollo ran a sale recently so I figured it was time to try one. I finally evolved over the last few years through various shapes and sizes to settle for a BC TP50. That is my strong choice for mandolin. The Apollo equivalent is PEEK 1.25mm shape B with right hand speed bevel. I just received my Apollo pick yesterday and spent a bunch of time A-Bing with my TP-50 and have to say that it is extremely close. Either one gives me the feel and sound I like. I think the main tone difference is the bevelling and I believe that it is very subtle. In any case, I like the Apollo and will definitely use it in rotation with my BC.
    Jim

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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    I just placed an order for 3 PEEK picks this morning. Looking forward to arrive them.

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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    I think I will give them a try !

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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Ordering one tomorrow. Looking forward to see how it is different from the BC I have but do not care for.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Keep us posted....

  16. #12

    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    I've tried a couple of the Apollo picks and liked them a lot, though I much preferred the casein to the PEEK. I made a short video on guitar, but my impression of them on mandolin was much the same. I felt the casein was much closer to the TS pick I used for comparison, just as loud but a little brighter. The PEEK did not seem as loud and had a darker sound. I've sent them to another friend so that he can give them a try on his vintage Martins.

    Nik's a super nice guy and easy to work with. Based on my experience I could certain recommend his picks if you're interested in trying something a little different. (No financial interest.)

    Here are the pick details and a short video.

    I’m reviewing 2 Apollo picks, with one of my TS picks as a good baseline of how I think a pick ought to sound and behave. The tortoiseshell colored pick is one of my personal picks that I’ve used for years, the multicolored pick is vintage casein, and the off white pick is PEEK. All are the same shape – very close to the Blue Chip TPR. I sent Nik (the maker of Apollo picks) closeup photos of mine and he used that to mimic my wear pattern in the bevels of the picks he made. The picks are 0.075″-0.077″ thick.




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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Nice demo. Thanks for posting it.

    Adam

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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Where did you find that casein pick?

  20. #15

    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Quote Originally Posted by Medley12 View Post
    Where did you find that casein pick?
    If that question is for me, both the multicolored casein pick and the off-white PEEK picks are from Apollo Picks.

  21. #16
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Thank you, Buck. Sorry I was a little distracted earlier That Casein pick just really caught my attention. Now I’ve gone to the website and see all of the options.

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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Nik at Apollo picks has a $5.00 off sale right now on a 45 picks selection !

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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    I am wondering about the grippiness of the casein picks?

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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Quote Originally Posted by QTC View Post
    I am wondering about the grippiness of the casein picks?
    I will know next Tuesday when my casein's arrive !

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  26. #20

    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Quote Originally Posted by QTC View Post
    I am wondering about the grippiness of the casein picks?
    A little background... I have fairly dry skin, but still don't have any trouble hanging onto my favorite picks. Some people like to have rougher pick surface for "traction" but that's always made a pick harder for me to hold. I prefer a flat, smooth, polished surface. To me, a polished casein pick feels almost exactly like a TS or BC pick of the same thickness. If you can hold onto those, you'll like the feel of a casein pick. They stay put between my fingers, but glide smoothly on the strings.

  27. #21
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    I'm just using some cheap Fender picks right now, but I am looking to find a pick that will not move in my fingers so much and not be so clicky on the strings. I am also curious about shape; I currently am using a pretty small teardrop shape that doesn't seem to be one of the Apollo shapes and I wonder what shapes people like and why.

  28. #22
    Registered User Willow20's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    I think I will order a few too.

  29. #23

    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Like most things, pick shape comes down to preferred tone and playing style. My favorite is the Blue Chip TPR, about 0.075" thick. I couldn't tell you exactly why, but that shape just fits me best. It feels right in my hand and gives me the tone I want. If you have a preferred shape, I believe Nik will make that for you if you either trace your favorite pick or send it to him as a pattern. He's very responsive to reasonable requests.

  30. #24
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Buck, just out of curiosity, what is the thickness of the Apollo casein pick you are using?
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  31. #25

    Default Re: Apollo picks -- another option for you

    Charley, all three picks are very close in thickness. For practical purposes they are 0.075". The micrometer was not more than 0.002" from that at any place where I measured them. They're all the same size and shape as a Blue Chip TPR. The TS has the natural bevel worn in by my playing, and the two Apollo picks were shaped to replicate that pretty closely. Insofar as possible, I was trying to get to the point where the only difference was the material.

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