In Search of the Perfect Pick

[crookedtune]

Right. I would have been the last to accept the idea of a $35 pick. What could possibly make it that much better? Answer, I don't know, but it is. Strange, but true, (IMHO, of course).

[fearfaoin]

I've thought about those, but I lose picks
like Bruce Willis loses hair. I can stand to
buy a pack of 20 picks per year, but not
so much with the Bluechips. I guess I have
to work on my organizational problems first.

[crookedtune]

Have you heard about "The Pick Club for Men"?

[MusicalADD]

I'd never heard of BlueChip picks till I read this topic recently. I've heard of Wegens for ages but never got around to trying them. So recently I went on a buying spree and ordered a pack of Wegens and a single BlueChip.

I don't like the Wegens at all, but I think that's because they're much thicker than what I'm used to. I think I'll give them to some bluegrasser friends.

Next the BlueChip arrived (TP40), and it's closer in thickness to the grey .88 Dunlop picks I'm used to. I love the BlueChip -- a definite improvement. I'm still having a hard time believing that it makes a significant difference. The skeptic in me suspects that maybe it's all in my mind -- my mind might be eager to believe that my money was well-spent. But, I don't think that's it, since I didn't respond that way to the Wegens.

Thanks to all who brought the BlueChip to my attention.

Now, how can I make sure I don't misplace that little $35 piece of plastic?

[mutepointe]

[s1m0n]

I love it.

[chrisoff]

My favourite picks are Pickboy carbon ones with a pot leaf motif raised up off the main body of the pick. They have a great sharp point, are easy to grip with the raised motif and are rock solid. Unfortunately they're also hard to find

So now I just use standard Dunlop 500s - .96mm, they're solid without being too thick (hate flimsy, thin picks) and are available everywhere. But they don't have a great point and they wear down really quick. So I had to buy lots of them, good thing they're cheap.

[buddhu]

When the Bluechip pick buzz started I laughed out loud on the Mandolincafe board at the idea of a $35 pick.

I went back a few weeks later to publicly eat my words - most embarrassing. Those picks are a revelation.

For bluegrass I use Bluechip or Dawg. For ITM and folk I use much thinner orange or yellow Dunlops.

[Nanohedron]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you:



...the "Splectrum".

[mutepointe]

Well, thank you very much for not mentioning where you found these.

[Nanohedron]

You won't find 'em under that name, likely. I came up with it myself, but I just did a Google seach on the off-chance and it looks like someone smarter is already using it for usernames, etc, so I probably can't register it. Just do a search for "Diva-fabulous guitar picks" or something.

[buddhu]

Dude, I wouldn't be seen dead...

[Nanohedron]

[jon.kiparsky]

"Splectrum", huh? Reminds me of the old Clown Barf Fender picks.

My vote is for the John Pearse "viscolloid" picks. I like the Studio Mediums, the ones with the weird offset shape and the black printing. However, there's no sense in claiming that there's the "one true pick" out there - what pick will respond the best to your playing will depend on your guitar's resonance, scale length, string gauge, your body geometry, your right-hand quirks, your left-hand quirks (do you use more or less left hand when you flatpick a tune? makes a big difference), and mostly, what you're looking for in a response.

The only thing to do is to try every pick, and hang on to the ones you like. Eventually, you'll find one that works, and then you can use that one.

[fearfaoin]

I thought this thread was worth resurrecting
when I found this new product:



Which allows you to punch your own picks
out of any thin material without traveling to
that special music store.

http://www.pickpunch.com/

I'm getting one just for funsies. What shall
I punch first?