Pick punch

[Peter Gurton]

Everyone should get one of these. You get three picks out of a credit card and four out of a hotel swipe card. The have a bit of a rough edge and I really like the way they sound. I have hundreds of plectrums now.

 

[Peter Gurton]

Can anyone see the picture? it doesn't want to show on my computer

 

[László]

It doesn't show, but it's been posted here before.

I use these:

http://www.bluechippick.net

I use them because I can't find anything more expensive. Just kidding. I think they sound great, and glide over the strings more smoothly. Here's a little video comparing some of the nicer picks out there:

 

[markintime]

Whoa! $75 for a pick??? Come on! And it's not even made of gold? Holy crap, they sure are proud of that thing...

 

[Kazz]

From what I've seen the BlueChip picks also last for a *very* long time. I've been wanting to try one or two, I just can't decide which one(s)...

I'm also interested in their thumb picks, but there I'm even less sure what I'd want. I wish I could try them all locally or somethin'...

 

[Peter Gurton]

Okay, so what did I do wrong to stop the picture showing?

 

[sleary]

I use gravity picks . A little costly however I'm still using the same pick after a year . Long wear and great tone ...

 

[The Fight]

I use brass picks and I love the tone, harder to play compared to jazz III.

 

[DHW]

I have been using primetone 1.5mm and really liked them... That said, the point wears off them pretty quick. I just got some gravity Chapman signature picks. 2mm hand shaped plexiglass sort of stuff with a sharp point. Now, those picks I REALLY like. Haven't been brave enough to drop the cash for a blue chip... I lose picks too often.

 

[László]

Whoa! $75 for a pick??? Come on! And it's not even made of gold? Holy crap, they sure are proud of that thing...

I usually pay $35-40 for the ones I buy. Yup, they're expensive. I've been using them for about 2 years. So far I haven't noticed any wear on mine at all.

Evidently the material is some space-age/military stuff that costs them several thousand bucks for a small sheet. Blue Chip is a machine shop.

The story is that one of their machinists who was working with the material was a bluegrass festival guy, made himself a pick from scrap, thought it sounded like tortoise shell, and some of the guys on the bluegrass circuit tried it and wanted one. So they started making the picks. Remember, lots of bluegrass guys will spend over $100 on a real shell pick sourced from the black market. And real shell wears out fast, they have to re-shape shell picks with files and sandpaper after nearly every gig. Back when it was legal, I tried shell myself, and it does have a sound.

Whatever they're made of makes the pick go through the strings without much friction, so they are very fast picks, and they do sound like the old shell picks. On my PS acoustic, I've tried so many picks, these seem to sound the best. They're also not slippery, there's a natural tackiness, yet they're not sticky at all.

Also, if these accidentally go through the washing machine in your jeans pocket, they aren't ruined. The Red Bear picks that are an artificial turtle shell material, or real shell come out like potato chips if you accidentally wash them.

Great stuff. But...definitely not for everyone!

So far I haven't had to replace one. I do make sure I don't lose them, and put them in a pick pouch in the accessory case of my guitar cases.

Guys spend more than 40 bucks for the weirdest tone gadgets, but a pick is something that helps you directly get your tone, and a good one makes playing a little easier. So...40 bucks to have a little more smoothness through the strings, and tone I like better?

For guitars I spend thousands on?

Heck, it's chump change. I spend more than that on a good lunch that turns to poop the next day. The only poopy thing about these is my playing skill.

EDIT: One last thing...my kids were making jokes about this at my expense when they were in town about a year ago, and I was talking picks with my son (who I gave a couple of the picks to). My son of course knew that picks have a sound, But my daughters and son in law were making fun of the idea.

So I got out the acoustic, and used each pick (I have lots of different kinds). They were, first of all, amazed that every pick sounded different, and second, they could tell that the Blue Chip had what they thought was the most balanced tone.

My wife has had hearing issues for many years, so she couldn't hear a difference. But that works well for me when I crank my amps.

 

[toothace]

I use the Red Bear picks (www.redbeartradingpost.com) $27-35 depending on thickness. hey are made out of "animal protein" to momick a tortoise-shell pick. Like the Blue Chips, I see no wear on mine after a couple years.

 

[DHW]

One thing I like about these new gravity picks is that the chapman signature ones are NOT polished so there is some friction going through the strings. It's subtle but just enough that you can use a lighter touch to get that thing vibrating. Honestly, to me, if feels like a well rosined bow across violin strings. Just enough grip.

 

[bluenova]

I have one Blue Chip and it's nice, but I usually grab a Gravity. I think I have just a little better grip with the hole punched Gravity.

 

[dkilpatrick]

I just ordered a few different gravity picks to try them out.

 

[kes7u]

Guys spend more than 40 bucks for the weirdest tone gadgets, but a pick is something that helps you directly get your tone, and a good one makes playing a little easier. So...40 bucks to have a little more smoothness through the strings, and tone I like better?

For guitars I spend thousands on?

Heck, it's chump change. I spend more than that on a good lunch that turns to poop the next day.

Totally agree with you. I have a thing for trying out different picks. For me it is finding the one that just feels right. But it is amazing how different each of the different picks sounds. It has always confused me the outrage over expensive picks. These same people may spend thousands on guitars, amps and pedals, but don't want to pony up for a more expensive pick that has such an immediate impact on tone. Kind of weird.

Haven't tried Blue Chips, but really want to. Maybe this is the impetus.

Kevin

 

[László]

These same people may spend thousands on guitars, amps and pedals, but don't want to pony up for a more expensive pick that has such an immediate impact on tone. Kind of weird.

It's all relative to expectations. If picks had always been expensive, people wouldn't give it a second thought.

But folks are used to picks being cheap, that's the expectation. So $40 seems relatively extravagant.

I get that, and also a player can easily lose a pick, so that's why I say that expensive picks aren't for everyone.

Then again, my wife dragged me to Costco today, and we bought a package of a dozen honey crisp apples for $20.

20 bucks for a few apples? You see how it's all a matter of one's expectations...

 

[DHW]

$20 for 12 honeycrisps? That's insanity! I thought $60 for a bushel was expensive....

 

[bodia]

$20 for 12 honeycrisps? That's insanity! I thought $60 for a bushel was expensive....

I'm in the far west suburbs of Chicago. Honeycrisps were $2 per lb at my supermarket last Saturday. I opted for Tentations, imported from France. They were only $1.50 per lb. Go figure. Really good apple too. That and the Opal may be my new favorites.

As for picks, I'll toss my hat in the ring for the Blue Chip. Since I don't play out anywhere, I'm not worried about losing them. As a hack level player, I can really notice the difference too. If I can, everyone can! I also think they improve my playing as well.

 

[Huggy Love]

Credit card punch picks would never work for me, I use a thick beast of a pick, soft flappy picks I just can't use.

As for the expensive picks subject (OK here's where the resident contrarian comes out), I did a comparison with Gravity picks and one other high end pick (forgot the brand) with my Dunlop 208, and the 208 played and sounded better than the expensive ones. Haven't tried Bluechip but wouldn't go out of my way for them or any other so called "premium" guitar pick, *although* the concept that picks, strings & fingers make as much of a difference in your sound (if not more) as your guitar and amp choices is SO DEAD ON!!! Too many people miss that whole concept.

I used to work for a musical instrument company decades ago (that will remain unnamed) that catered to bluegrass players, got to rub elbows with Mike Marshall & David Grisman as I ran the repair bench and warehouse. Periodically old govt. confiscated T-shell picks would float through there (on the down low) and fetch a good price, David would laugh about it saying how overrated the concept is, his words where "use what works no matter how cheap and don't buy into the hype of new products or old traditions."

PS-Dunlop 208 $15.99 per 100

 

[Ovibos]

In Austin I picked up a pick made out of a Mexican Peso (like Rev. Billy G plays, IIRC).

Haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet; still falling back to my Clayton Acetals.