shout out to Blue Chip Picks !!!!

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by the_boxer

I'm pretty curious about this... What exactly is so good about these picks? Like, what makes them better than other picks? It feels like the only thing I read about them is how great they are, but not so often WHY and what makes them worth paying so much. They're hard and don't break or wear down? I have picks like that but that cost hardly anything. Is the tone objectively better than every other pick in existence?

EDIT: I realize this topic was more about their customer service, but yeah, still curious about these picks...

Hi, firstly as a buyer of plectra from the UK - I've had need to ask the Goins folk fr sme assistance and , yes, their customer service has been everything I could have hoped,but to answer your question directly: I was initially convinced that it was a spoof business model to sell 35 pence/cent items at a 1000% mark-up to sel to the dilettante guitarist who'd bought boutique guitars etc.

So I got a used one. a TAD40. It really was better. How I hear you ask (well I don't actually hear you but I always have voices in my head) - mostly ... speed off he string.

I now have a TAD50 for each of my dreads sand my Jumbo (Roy Smeck) and TAD 40s for 000 and other guitars have light gauge strings.

That first pick taught me a lot about picks.
I learned that:

a) 346 triangles were easier to use than the 351 "teardrop" types that I'd been using for years.
b) that bevels made a great deal of difference as far as the smoothness of the contact with and release of the string off the pick.
c) there is something special about the material that they use - (Coefficient of friction?) that combined with high polishing and flexibility makes for a superior tool.

Many say that it becomes "sticky against the fingers but I have dry hands so I can't support or deny that.

I have sought to compare other picks against them - and my second favourite pick is the Dutch made Wegen TF120s and TF140s which I also se because of their excellent design,esp.when polished a little more, and I have reworked a number of Dunlop Tortex 1.14 m/m purple 346s attempting to emulate the bevel of my BCs.

The Wegens and my modified Tortexes are good ...probably fine for many ,but I always prefer my BCs.

I have tried their TAD 60 which is 1.5 m/m but for me (essentially a flatpicker) there is not quite enough initial attack and a "tad" too firm - but this is personal taste.

Thickness is relative to material, so saying one thickness s an inadequate descriptor of flex.

There is only one way to discover whether BCs suit you and that is to buy one (well you could steal on I suppose).

I'd say if you use light gauge strings try a TAD 40 (1 m/m) or if you use mediums - try a TAD50.
Note that you can order one and return it for refund or replacement within thirty days.

Some say that they don't want to pay $35 for a pick because the lose picks .... I say "value perception" - with a 35 cent pick you buy a few and put them in a pocket or leave them in bars etc. With an item with a more significant value you will tend to be more cautious - put 'em in a pick box or something.

The other thing is that practically speaking - with a minimum thickness of 1 m/m they don't break and they don't tend to wear out.

Hope that helps.

[musicman1951]

Originally Posted by the_boxer

I'm pretty curious about this... What exactly is so good about these picks? Like, what makes them better than other picks? It feels like the only thing I read about them is how great they are, but not so often WHY and what makes them worth paying so much. They're hard and don't break or wear down? I have picks like that but that cost hardly anything. Is the tone objectively better than every other pick in existence?

EDIT: I realize this topic was more about their customer service, but yeah, still curious about these picks...

Like virtually everything else in my life, I find that I get what I pay for (if I'm lucky), and I almost never get what I don't pay for.

Guitars, flutes, pianos, furniture, cars, stereos, jewelry, etc. I pay more and I get a better product.

A couple of exceptions:

It's not a guarantee. The market place eventually eliminates expensive things that don't deliver, but you might get caught before that.

You still have to engage your brain - if it seems too good to be true it probably is.

With guitars you can sometimes get really lucky with a particular guitar that plays much better than most other guitars of the same model/price. That's a good day - but not very predictable.

The big one - you can easily pay for more quality than you need (and even more quality that you can perceive). I had a wonderful lesson from a saleslady in a jewelry store when I quickly ran out of expertise and couldn't tell the difference between two diamonds that were $400 apart. She recommended I purchase the cheaper one - never buy quality you can't see (hear). There was a considerable difference to her eye, but none to my uneducated eye (and I saved some money).

So back to BC: it's mostly the very expensive material they use. For me it is a combination of being able to play very fast passages cleaner and the lack of pick noise. I have some $1 picks, some $25 picks, a $35 pick and 3 BC picks. For me the sound and feel get better as the price increases.

If you don't mind a little pick noise do not pay big money for a pick. If you never play music faster than your cheap pick can handle you certainly don't want to spend more money for that, either.

Sound is everything here, but we don't all have the same ears or the same desires. Some like mahogany, some like rosewood.

And it should be added that some players are simply outraged to pay big money for a pick. I get that and that's certainly fair. My wife is one of the most frugal people I know - and I love her more than the air I breathe.

Picks, unfortunately, are like strings - you won't know what you like until you try a bunch.

[Mrbirdog]

Originally Posted by inadu ridge

Less pick noise....they glide across the strings.
Secondly, the material is almost "tacky", ie., they grip well and are easy to hold onto.
Also, the tone is nice and fat.
And, they don't wear AT ALL.

Exactly what he said but would add they make a budget guitar sound better and a pricey guitar fantastic

Big fan of the picks and the company. I was also an early adopter. Here's a shot of any early TPR 60 next to a recent one. You can see the difference in the engraving and font. Performance seems the same.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

Big fan of the picks and the company. I was also an early adopter. Here's a shot of any early TPR 60 next to a recent one. You can see the difference in the engraving and font. Performance seems the same.

Hey Todd, when did you first buy from them? Are they ten years old yet? I'm thinking they were founded around 2008-2009.

Thanks,
Scott

Scott, I think it was around 2008 or maybe a little earlier. Seems to me I was using Red Bears purchased from First Quality, which would have been late 90's and early 2000's. That was some of the better manmade material I'd found.
Someone introduced me to Blue Chip, maybe at the IBMA? That was IT for me. I still try other things sometimes, but come back to Blue Chip, my old TS picks, or Dunlop 207's. Funny...I like $50 picks and $0.50 picks.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Todd, thanks, that sounds about right. Their patent application original filing was 2009. I think Red Bear has been around since about 2002-2003.

take care,
scott

[Vancebo]

Besides what has been said about how they stick to your fingers yet slide off the string well and how they don’t show signs of wear, (at least mine don’t yet), I have to say they are the closest sound to tortoise shell picks I have heard. If you never got a chance to play one, the comparison is lost. But that is a very high standard.

[Bunnyf]

Originally Posted by Vancebo

Besides what has been said about how they stick to your fingers yet slide off the string well and how they don’t show signs of wear, (at least mine don’t yet), I have to say they are the closest sound to tortoise shell picks I have heard. If you never got a chance to play one, the comparison is lost. But that is a very high standard.

I am a cheapskate but broke down and got a BC. I had trouble hanging on to my pick. It doesn't fly out of my hand but needs adjustment more than I like. I've tried all kinds of holes, grit, ridges, stars, dots etc, without much improvement. This BC is AMAZING! The surface is completely smooth but it sticks to my fingers great. I couldn't be happier with it. PS, all the other things are true too, about glide over the strings and lack of pick noise, but for me the grip is the clincher.

And just for good measure, a Blue Chip hat.

[TDavis]

Are you guys who really, really, really like these picks predominantly bluegrass players? I can see a real advantage to really heavy duty flat pickers, not so much to us guys who kinda do the strumming/fingerpicking deal.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by davistld01

Are you guys who really, really, really like these picks predominantly bluegrass players? I can see a real advantage to really heavy duty flat pickers, not so much to us guys who kinda do the strumming/fingerpicking deal.

I would say no to that, Davis, and not because I have a vested interest. I play a lot of open mics solo, and the truly great picks out there rival genuine TS, with the added advantage of being more durable. A BC you'll lose before it wears out.

Anyway, as a player, this is my opinion.

thanks,
scott

[brencat]

Originally Posted by Mrbirdog

For me there cannot be a better Pick or customer service...Holy Moly !!!! It is true that you get what you pay for, ordered a pick, had small problem that Blue Chip took care of in Spades.....The cream rising to the top !!!!!
Mrbirdog

Originally Posted by inadu ridge

I feel the same way. I absolutely love Blue Chip picks and their service has been top-notch for me.

Add me to the list of satisfied customers and thrilled with their customer service. A couple years back, I ordered a pick in a custom thickness that they did not normally make (was a TD-45, which they make now). When the package arrived there were 2 picks in there, but I had only ordered and paid for one. So I called BC and told them what happened and that I was sending one back. They declined, and instead said "thank you for letting us know, and for your honesty. You keep it."

A very nice gesture on their part! So yeah, I'm a fan of BC.

[Groberts]

Originally Posted by brencat

Add me to the list of satisfied customers and thrilled with their customer service. A couple years back, I ordered a pick in a custom thickness that they did not normally make (was a TD-45, which they make now). When the package arrived there were 2 picks in there, but I had only ordered and paid for one. So I called BC and told them what happened and that I was sending one back. They declined, and instead said "thank you for letting us know, and for your honesty. You keep it."

A very nice gesture on their part! So yeah, I'm a fan of BC.

Cool story Bren!

I just picked up a Bluechip TD40 (pre-owned) to compare with the TD50 and I love it. That TD45 might be ideal! I might have to try one.

[Kyle76]

Originally Posted by davistld01

Are you guys who really, really, really like these picks predominantly bluegrass players? I can see a real advantage to really heavy duty flat pickers, not so much to us guys who kinda do the strumming/fingerpicking deal.

Just try one and you will understand. If you don’t, send it back.