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Thread: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

  1. #1

    Default Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    I’ve seen a couple “teaser” posts on FB about these but maybe they are close to actual production. I’ll have to wait for some comparison videos, myself, but the color options are different at least!

    https://bluegrasstoday.com/introduci...uality-plectra

    https://toneslabs.com/store
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  3. #2
    Gummy Bears and Scotch BrianWilliam's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    That blue and green one is really cool but $45/pick is too much for me

  4. #3
    Registered User Elliot Luber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    They really need to tell us more about what they are actually made of. I'm interested because Frank says they're good, but $45 good? I hope they are.

  5. #4

    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Is that not the going rate for pretty much all the boutique TS alternative picks? Is 45 any different than 40 for an Apollo or the other picks in that category?

    https://acousticguitar.com/tortoises...utique-makers/

  6. #5

    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    I received my ToneSlab pick yesterday. Triangle shaped 1.4mm, light blue color. I like it quite a lot so far. Compared to my blue chip CT-55 it has similar playability but a little brighter tone.

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  8. #6

    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    My first should be arriving in the post any minute. Tweener (smaller triangle), 1 round corner, 1.5mm, yellow. Looking forward to comparing it with my usuals.

  9. #7

    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Curious if anyone here have give em a try and would post a review on how they compare to others picks.

  10. #8
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    I received a TS Tri (big triangle) 1.4mm about two weeks ago. So far I have really liked the pick. It is slightly larger in size than my Bluechip CT 55. Tone seems to be brighter than Bluechip or the Apollo/casein picks. Playability/fit/feel is as good as any pick I have tried, not quite as grippy as BC but still very easy to hold on to. Can’t speak to durability yet, but seems to be holding up very well with no signs of warping/wear after several weeks of heavy play. It is quickly becoming my go to pick!

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  12. #9
    Registered User mcgroup53's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    I'm working on a pick review of the Tone Slabs and a new pick from Italy called Techpicks. It'd run by a couple PhD materials scientists who want to build a better flatpick. The TS picks are certainly a bit brighter than BCs and the material is very quick off the string, very low friction. More to follow in the December issue of Bluegrass Unlimited

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  14. #10

    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Slightly related - Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen have a new CD that's available for pre-release, and they have a pre-release package for $55 that includes the CD (signed, maybe) and one of the picks. Such a deal! (Compass Records is the label/site. NFI - just a FS&DK fan.)
    2018 Kentucky KM-950, 2017 Ellis A5 Deluxe

  15. #11

    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Quote Originally Posted by Mills View Post
    I received a TS Tri (big triangle) 1.4mm about two weeks ago. So far I have really liked the pick. It is slightly larger in size than my Bluechip CT 55. Tone seems to be brighter than Bluechip or the Apollo/casein picks. Playability/fit/feel is as good as any pick I have tried, not quite as grippy as BC but still very easy to hold on to. Can’t speak to durability yet, but seems to be holding up very well with no signs of warping/wear after several weeks of heavy play. It is quickly becoming my go to pick!
    I just picked up a 1.4 Tweener. Gobsmacked! I actually think it’s every bit as grippy as a Blue Chip. Tone is indeed a bit brighter. My new favorite pick.

    Tom

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  17. #12
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    I have a BC on its way. I’ve been using a heavy guitar pick now. I wonder what the difference will be.
    It’s a TAD50-1R. I hope I made a good decision. I can always exchange it later on.

  18. #13

    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    45 dollars for a tiny piece of plastic ? pull the other one.

    Dave H
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Quote Originally Posted by BrianWilliam View Post
    That blue and green one is really cool but $45/pick is too much for me
    Many members here seem to have unlimited funds for accessory items and binge-purchase the latest as soon as they hit the market...then discard the unwanted items in the classified ads here. I have purchased two Tone Slab picks (amongst other items) sold as "used" for less than the "new" price. I like the tone, lack of friction in string contact and the gription with my fingers.
    too many strings

  21. #15
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Tone Slab is having a small sale now, about 1/3rd off. So I ordered one for guitar and one for mando. I report back what my thoughts on them are.

  22. #16
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Just got my Tone Slab picks yesterday. A 1.5 mm (my preferred thickness these days) TS tear drop for guitar and a 1.5 mm TS Tri for mandolin. Both have right hand bevel, which is also my preference.

    Compared to my other picks (Wegen, Prime Tone, Gravity Gold, Gravity acrylic, Blue Chip, Apollo PEEK and others). These are my 2nd least preferred. The blue chips are the overall least preferred.

    Like the blue chips I find the Tone Slabs to be dull and muted sounding, on guitar and mandolin family instruments. This holds for flatpicking single notes or strumming/chopping chords. The TS are slightly brighter than the BC, but both brands sound worse to me than the others.

    The PEEK Gravity Gold (not the confusingly named colored Gold picks) still have the best overall tone to my ears.

  23. #17

    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    The one I have (1.2 or 1.4 a have to measure) was a full triangle with fairly pointy tips and was too bright, but when I rounded them off it quickly approached too dark for where I wanted to be. Haven’t gone back but I suspect the sound is in there somewhere.

    Kind of like my Apollo (PEEK IIRC) picks, and maybe all of boutique plastics, the sound depends a *great* deal on thickness and shape. And for me, what I’ve been using or playing lately can greatly change how I feel about a pick on any given day. My last couple months noodling around in classical stuff has me back with 1.4 Primetone “grip” all polished up for a brighter sound, so I probably should have just left the TS alone :|

    In the end, I realized I *need* the collection of picks I’ve amassed. Probably “need” some more

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  25. #18
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    I am still on the wait list for the pick sampler; and I am relatively new to mandolin - only played for the last couple of months +/-, but I have played guitar and banjo for 20+ years, so I am not a neophyte to tone. I bought a 1.3 - 1 rounded corner full triangle Toneslab, and compared it to my CT-55 Blue Chip, which I love, but find a little thick. The 1.3 Toneslab is noticeably thinner - .1mm doesn’t seem like a lot, but in feel, it is different. I love the feel of the ToneSlab; but attack is actually less bright than the CT-55, which is 1.4 mm. I’ll order a 1.4 Toneslab to do a side by side comparison. I rounded one corner of my TC-55, and like it more than the other pointy corners for tremolo / chord work; but the full point on the 1.3 Toneslab is pretty great. I find my 1.3 Toneslab, regular points, to be less bright than the CT-55 points (1.4), but only slightly. For the moment, it’s the pick for me - but only barely, and maybe because it’s new. The CT-55 was a little too bright on the points, and the rounded corner I put on it is a little too dull - but great for tremolo - and 100% over sanding on the machine. The standard point on the Toneslab has a wickedly smooth bevel; as does the B/C-CT55. Really, if either pick maker sponsored me, I would be psyched to play the pick. I really don’t know how someone could say one was superior to the other. I realize that isn’t helpful, but really, both are incredible picks.

  26. #19
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    My experience with a coupla TS picks is that they wear/get rough much quicker that any BC I have used. I like the bright tone and gription, but it seems they may require as much maintenance as the actual turtle shell I have used for so many years. BC CT55 is still my preferred expensive plectrum.
    too many strings

  27. #20
    Registered User John Soper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    I have a couple of 1.3 large triangles with sharp points, A/B comparing with Bluechip TAD 50s. Still early in my experience, but I like them. Not gonna sell my Bluechips for a while though, because some days I prefer their tone. I haven't noticed any significant wear yet, but will keep an eye out.

  28. #21
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Quote Originally Posted by musicofanatic View Post
    My experience with a coupla TS picks is that they wear/get rough much quicker that any BC I have used. I like the bright tone and gription, but it seems they may require as much maintenance as the actual turtle shell I have used for so many years. BC CT55 is still my preferred expensive plectrum.
    Very interesting.
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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Hanson View Post
    45 dollars for a tiny piece of plastic ? pull the other one.

    Dave H
    I'm with you on this one.

    I've tried a number of these sorts of expensive picks, which rarely get used since I wasn't that happy with them, and although I'm sure the folks that use them have their good reasons, but for 45 bucks I'll buy bags of the Ultex, Primetone or Flow picks that work just fine for me.

  30. #23
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    I have no doubt that you guys in the cheaper pick camp who have more skill can get better tone with less expensive picks than I do with a BlueChip or ToneSlab; and I’m under no delusion that there is a magic pick that is going to make me sound like a great player, because I’m not - and I think most players know that; but compared to a Tortex 1.3 mm, Fender Heavy, etc., there’s a pretty marked and appreciable difference to me with the ToneSlab or BlueChip; both in tone and playability. And honestly, nerding out on the gear is part of the fun for me; and picks are a lot cheaper to play with than MAS. I do think it’s interesting/funny that $35-$45 is absurd to some people for a pick, but $6k, $10k, $15k+ for an instrument makes a lot of sense. Compared to fiddlers (one of which I am married to), who spend hundreds or thousands of dollars finding the right bow for their fiddle, $3 or $45 seems pretty negligible. The journey is a lot of the fun to me - it’s doubtful I’ll ever give up my day job to play professionally; so, it’s all just about the fun here. I like playing and experimenting with gear, and if it costs $100 in a year to experiment with picks; that’s less than most urban dwellers spend on coffee drinks in a year, and no more than a single dinner out for my family of 4 when we venture to the city a lot of times. That’s pretty inconsequential to my estimation. Certainly, when I began playing in high school and college, that level of experimentation was off limits - I had to buy too much beer and snuff to fund pick experiments. Now, I’m old and a nerd, so why not play with new and/or interesting gear. For you early players or people on limited funds, I’m certain the PrimeTones and other offerings are beyond adequate. No question that time in the saddle is worth more than fancy picks all day every day. And for folks who are skilled and just don’t care to experiment with the high end gear, more power to you; but for folks looking to play with fine details, this thread is useful.

    A week in, I’m still primarily with the ToneSlab; but I spent a lot of time with the BlueChip CT55 tonight, and I still love it; and really can’t pick a favorite. I guess the advantage goes to the TS for aesthetics, and maybe bevel, and I like the slightly thinner profile of the 1.3 mm - but on the floor, it’s harder to find, so if you are a pick dropper (which I am generally not), you may prefer the BlueChip. The opaque brown is easy to see; while the translucent green takes a whopping 2 seconds to find. Really, I don’t know that you can go wrong with either pick. I can’t differentiate sufficiently to comment on any tonal differences. They are both incredible picks, and to me, they are well worth the money they cost.

  31. #24
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Quote Originally Posted by TX2AK View Post
    .... compared to a Tortex 1.3 mm, Fender Heavy, etc., there’s a pretty marked and appreciable difference to me with the ToneSlab or BlueChip; both in tone and playability. ..
    Thanks for the post.

    I'm curious what sort of mandolin, string gauge, and musical genres are you playing?

    Quote Originally Posted by TX2AK View Post
    and like it more than the other pointy corners for tremolo / chord work; but the full point on the 1.3 Toneslab is pretty great. .... rounded corner I put on it is a little too dull - but great for tremolo -
    Can you tell me a bit more about how the round corner works for tremolo? I ask because I use pointy picks particularly for tremolo and cannot get as good tremolo with rounded picks.

  32. #25
    Registered User Drew Egerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Frank Solivan and ToneSlabs picks

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Can you tell me a bit more about how the round corner works for tremolo? I ask because I use pointy picks particularly for tremolo and cannot get as good tremolo with rounded picks.
    That's so fascinating to me David, because I am absolutely the opposite. I need that thick round pick to get any kind of decent tremolo!
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