Blue Chip thumbpicks?

[Transylvania]

Does anyone use them? Thoughts and insights appreciated. I have been a Fred Kelly guy for some time, but wonder if there is something out there that will coax a little more sound.

[islandguitar]

Originally Posted by Transylvania

Does anyone use them? Thoughts and insights appreciated. I have been a Fred Kelly guy for some time, but wonder if there is something out there that will coax a little more sound.

HI, Yes, I use a Blue Chip exclusively......love it! It took a LONG time to get my right combination for what I play. I used Golden Gate thumb picks before that, and I would "work" them till they were just right....filing, smoothing....and then the bend in the pick would break and I'd have to start all over! I"ve had the Blue Chip for years now.....I did some filing when I first got it.....very sensitive material which files easily and quickly so you have to be careful. Over the years it has not worn down from play...great material. I use Pro Pik fingertones and this combo has given me what I'm looking for with sound. Very balanced.....the Blue Chip brings zero harshness when played on the wound strings. I'm a light fingerstyle player.
Fred

[markallen]

I'm a bit like you as my thumb pick of choice for many years has been the Fred Kelly speed pick. When I do use a flat pick I love my BC TD50 so I thought I would try their thumb pick about a year ago and never really liked it. It's very well built but after using the speed pick it just felt too bulky. Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance, but that's my experience with them.

[s2y]

I have one. My 2 cents is that the pick is a hair too long and they thumb clasp runs small. I have very small hands and somehow fit a medium thumb pick.

[Transylvania]

Thanks guys--good information. Anyone else?

[Jeff56]

I use them exclusively, been using the same one for years now. Great tone, fit and feel. The fact that they don't wear out is such a bonus. Use them with pro-pik split wrap brass picks. I think I use the JD Crow version on the thumb pic.

[Mr. Paul]

It's the one I use. I agree they run a little small, never had a large thumbpick be such a tight fit, but the metal band can be spread a bit. I use Alaska picks with mine.

[DanleyJ]

I've used their dobro thumb pick (thicker than the standard) for several years now and love it. I play square neck dobro as well as acoustic guitar. I had a choice of long or short blade and chose the long blade. Sometimes I wish I had the shorter blade but I don't have another $40 bucks to spend to find out if it would be better right now. I have large hands and got the large size. The band feels a bit loose at first but after using it for awhile discovered that it stays in place with no problem no matter how aggressive my attack. And I get pretty aggressive on the dobro. Maybe something about the way they are put together. Also the blade rides back on the thumb closer to the knuckle than the Fred Kelly or X-large Nationals I used to use. That will make a difference in your technique. But I made the adjustment pretty quickly. I also agree with all the other positive comments. The tone quality gives a deeper more solid thunk to the bass stings. Very comfortable and does not cut off the circulation in my thumb like the others do.

[HFox]

22 years ago I broke my neck delivering a boat.
Had great surgeons and I'm now fine....except I lost some tactile feeling in my right hand and can not keep a pick between thumb and finger.
Blue Chip made 2 thumb picks for me.
One is a 35 on metal thumb ring and the other is a standard narrow style thumb pick.
I use the 35 almost all the time except when I play my Martin in DADGAD...then the slimmer pick.
I would be lost without them.
I play with SCGC strings...Medium and light tension.
The Blue Chips are silent and clean sounding both finger style and strumming.

[nedray]

It isn't for me--too long, although I guess the thing is to file it down. Fred Kelly Slick Pick works best for me when I use a thumb pick at all. Bare fingers is ideal, but sometimes you need the pick.

[drbluegrass]

Use the Blue Chip JD. Crowe exclusively on my banjos. Yates finger picks.

[Geof S.]

The Blue Chip thumb picks are significantly heavier and louder than the Fred Kelly thumb picks. It might take a few weeks to fully adjust your thumb strokes to compensate for the additional volume.

The main advantages of the Blue Chips are stability (with the right size and the iron band adjusted properly they are very stable), excellent tone, and they are virtually indestructible (I have been using the same one years with no sign of wear). Once you get used to them, you have basically eliminated one variable from the playing process.

The main downsides for someone who is used to Fred Kelly picks is that they are significantly heavier, the blades are stiffer and thus less forgiving technique-wise, and when you first try them the metal band may sometimes catch on the strings. It might take longer to adjust to them due to the fact they are louder and stiffer.

Some people seem to prefer lighter thumb picks, and the Blue Chips are not for them.

I prefer the JD Crowe thumpicks to the regular ones because the JDCs have a significantly shorter blade.

[Dustinfurlow]

I like the tone of them a lot but in my brief experience they aren’t as punchy/secure around the finger as the thick Dunlop ones that players like Tommy Emmanuel and Don Ross use. I personally could never find a size I liked, got the large cause that’s what I used for the Dunlop standard ones then returned it for a medium and that was too small...oh well. My roommate who recently placed third at Winfield for fingerstyle always swore by them but when he took his to a nice studio he couldn’t get over the scratchiness against the string winding. He just uses acyrlic thumbnail now for more versatility.

My preference: get a ten-pack of Dunlop’s and file them down smoother (I like to get rid of the point a bit) and so that way you can get closer with your regular picking fingers when you dig in. Just something I like a lot for the price point! I’d probably use the blue chip for certain things if I could order a medium-large or something.

[svea]

I liked it at first, but I don't seem to use it anymore. I found the tone of it very nice after some shaping of the tip, but the metal band digs into the side of my thumb slightly. So I usually just use my old standard, the Dunlop white ones. I shape the tips on all my thumb picks. Most of them come too long for my tastes. Another trick is to scratch up the inside of the plastic thumb picks with a sharp tool and then apply a little violin rosin dust. They don't slip around of your hand gets moist.

Svea