Blue Chip thumb picks

[Mike Baker]

This thread is part genuine question, part homage to Skittle's eight year old post on mandolincafe.com which spawned 70 pages of discussion (found here: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?39347-Blue-chip-picks).

I play mostly clawhammer but still regularly put on my picks and play a little three finger. I use a Golden Gate thumb pick and it works just fine, but as a mandolin player I was a convert to BC picks and at one point had $200+ tied up in them. I think I will just pick one of the thumb picks up and try it, as that is the only way to know for sure, but I am interested in other people's impressions of these picks.

One thing that intrigues me is actually the metal ring, which seems advantageous because it would allow the kind of shaping you can do with finger picks that the GG and other plastic thumb picks does not.

I think the 70 pages of the Mandolin Cafe thread (one of many, many threads dedicated to BC picks) deals sufficiently with the question of the cost of these picks, so it would be great to talk about the merits of the pick itself and leave the discussion of 'is it really worth it?' to the mandolin pickers. ;)

[Unclelevi]

I use ACRI finger picks and used an ACRI thumb pick for a long time. I tried using Golden Gate thumb picks, but they break for me after just a few hours. The problem---My hands are very large, so the Golden Gates stretch and break and the ACRI won't stay tight. About a month ago I "bit the bullet" and bought a blue chip. My only regret is I didn't buy one a very long time ago. It's light, stays tight on my thumb without being the least bit uncomfortable and seems to play "faster". This last part may be just because I'm playing more. But I would recommend to anyone---get a Blue Chip thumb pick right now. You definitely will be glad you did !

[BluegrassWarehouse]

I have a Blue Chip thumbpick, but the metal band was kind of hard to fit my thumb. I did get it to fit, and I like it. That said, I like the propick better. It also has an adjustable metal band that fits me better, sounds good, and is much less expensive. I also like their finger picks, particularly their angled picks, better than any other I have tried, which has been too many.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51d1f7c2e4b02b75674459df/t/51faa701e4b0d35aeaa9e0e5/1375381253817/thumb_picks-0315.jpg?format=750w

http://www.guptillmusic.com/propik-metal-plastic-thumb-pick/

Lance

[Jim Pankey]

I had one of the original Bluechip thumbpicks - unfortunately, after 6 years, it was lost at a gig. It was still almost like new after six years of hard use.

To me, they're worth every penny. Like everyone else I used plastic thumbpicks (in 40 years I've used just about everything under the sun). It took a day or so to get used to the BC, but I can't imagine I'll ever use anything else.

Here it was after five years -- http://www.hangoutstorage.com/banjohangout.org/storage/photos/large/15/1565-14723122412013.jpg

I sure miss that one...

[LarryS]

Certainly a matter of personal choice, but I agree they are worth the bucks and you shouldn't have to buy another for quite some time. If you find they aren't for you, toss it up in the classifieds.. won't take long to sale. The most comfortable pick I have ever used, I chose the J. D. Crowe (it has a bit shorter blade than standard).