Been using Golden Gate for many years, the Boutique picks are for the nitpickers.

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Originally posted by Yooper

What do you think about these really expensive picks. I'm thinking of things like the Blue Chip ($35) or the D-Addario Thile ($25). I thought I was splurging when I bought Dawg picks ($1.99) instead of Golden Gate ($1.50).

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They are worth trying.  Back in the good old days when we were free to wonder where we liked and interact with other musicians we could go to Jams or Festivals.  We could talk to folks and see what they played with.  Blue Chips could be seen in nature back then.  You could try before you buy too. 

Generally, I think it is a matter of personal preference. We, well some of us, do spend a lot on our instruments. A pick contributes strongly to the sound that comes out of the mandolin. But so do the strings, and our technique as well. $35 for a pick may be a stretch for some but not for others. You decide. 

To me there are a few things to consider in a pick - like the material, the shape, thickness, flexibility and your particular picking technique.

The Blue Chip is what they say it is.  The Blue Chip material is a space age composite material and it does wear better than most plastics.  So it should last longer than most other picks. Other materials come close IMO.  The Blue Chip material also is self lubricating so it should slip across the strings, theoretically.  Other pick materials have similar properties.  The Blue Chip isn't slippery in the hand - but other picks can claim the same.   ANd so on.

I personally feel that a pick should wear in to a shape that your picking style produces.  

Chris Thile has signature picks from both Blue Chip and D'Addario.  Similar shape, different materials, casein ( a polymer based on a protein found in milk) versus a super secret space age composite.  Take your pick (pun intended).  I do think either can make sense if you buy into the Thile picking technique.  That's not me.  But I understand why he does what he does and it does make sense.

The shape is a really personal thing to me.  I do like the shape of the Dawg picks.  I understand why David favors that shape.  It does what he intends the pick to do to mellow the pick attack. I like that.  The Golden Gates are somewhat similar in shape.   The Thile picks are quite different, too much pick for me.  Then there are a whole bunch of other shapes one might consider.  Use what works for you.  We all have different hands, different fingers, different sizes and shapes not to mention challenges like arthritis or Dupuytren's contractures.

Then I consider how often I misplace or otherwise lose picks.  It'd be like having a hole in my wallet leaking out $20 bills if I used the Blue Chip picks.  

I do have two mando picks I have used since 1972.  They are nicely worn in and work well.  The other 142 I bought along with those are no longer anywhere to be seen.  They didn't cost $35 or even $25 for the entire 12 dozen picks back then.  I have other picks I like that are more recent purchases and which are made of more spacey-age materials.  I do like delrin, Ultem, Ultex and similar materials.  I like tortoise shell too.  But I will not use it anymore.  

Try the Blue Chip picks.  Try them all for that matter. Keep the ones you like. 

I'll stick with the the good old picks I've been carrying around in an Altoid tin for the last couple of decades.  YMMV.

Dennis

Picks are so subjective. For every boutique pick there is a less expensive version out there. Your choices may vary as you grow as a musician.

I had an opportunity to try a Blue Chip pick once at a music store, on a high end Gibson no less (a Doyle Lawson signature model, I think it was). I loved the mandolin and toyed with the idea of the thousands of dollars (and the divorce) that it would cost me. The Blue Chip was nice, but didn't seem worth the price.

I started out with the white Wegens (which I still have 1-2), but have settled on Gravity picks and V-Picks for my mandolin playing. Gravity used to send you a free sample; don't know if they still do.  The acrylic sticks to your fingers once the pick warms up...

I've kind of settled on standard Martin heavy teardrop for guitar and Dawg picks for mandolin. I have a variety of Dawg-clones other heavy guitar picks lying around, but those seem to work for me. Maybe I'll try some of the high end ones though and see if I need one as badly as I need a 2020 Corvette (yes, I think I do). LOL

I have been using Blue Chip TAD 50 picks for several years. They last for at least a few years. I like the way they feel in my fingers. I like the way they slide nicely across the strings (with the speed bevel). And I especially like the tone they produce. Most other picks sound plastic-y in comparison, in my opinion. If for some reason I don't have my Blue Chip with me, I really miss it! I do recommend buying the small leather key ring case to hold the pick. My pick goes in the case as soon as I'm through using it. That helps me keep track of the larger item, and less likely to lose the pick. Also, I recommend washing the pick with soap and water every once in a while to remove oils from your fingers. This will help keep it from slipping in your hand.

Something you can be certain of... you'll get everyone's personal preference 99.9% of the time.

One simple Truth is, players who care would do best to go to a shop and try as many pick types and sizes as you can until you find what sounds & feels best to you. It's amazing how some "low-end" picks sound better than high-end picks, according to the instrument.

Examples:
On my 2 primary instruments nothing beats T-shell.
On my secondary guitar a med-heavy Fender kills it, whereas none of the other pick materials come close.

 Just take the time and effort; you'll find a 'happy place'.

I'm a biology professor and teach herpetology (the study of amphibians and reptiles), so turtle shell is out of the question for me (I don't have a problem with people repurposing old material, whether it's shell, ivory, or BRW, as long as we protect the living stuff). Guess I will just have to try a few. Just wondering about other's experiences. i.e., how many folks have thougt the Blue Chips, etc were worth it, and why. Sounds like it goes both ways, between players as well as instruments.

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Originally posted by Yooper

I'm a biology professor and teach herpetology (the study of amphibians and reptiles), so turtle shell is out of the question for me (I don't have a problem with people repurposing old material, whether it's shell, ivory, or BRW, as long as we protect the living stuff). Guess I will just have to try a few. 

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There are alternative materials to genuine Hawksbill shell picks which are all keratin based  as well.  Many companies offer "horn" picks.  Not sure what horns these are derived from .  Could be cow or water buffalo.   But try some of those.  They come in all shapes and sizes.  See if you like those.

Then try another biological material with casein.  Again many companies offer it.  Some makers tell you exactly what it is others dance around it. Many shapes and sizes available in this material as well. 

As I said earlier, it is worth trying the Blue Chip if for no other reason than getting a benchmark on what they are all about..  But if you look around a bit you may find something that feels and plays similar enough but has a friendlier price.  It all comes down to what works for you.

Thanks for all the good advice. I have played for a long time, but have not been particular about picks other than what feels good in my right hand. That is how I ended up with my Dawg and Martin heavy go-to selections. These are lots of options that I did not know about and will explore.

Always have the same advice for picks...
Try to find a shop with a wide variety of picks, bring your instrument, and try them all.

Quality picks do not necessarily mean they sound/feel best to you.
I have a vintage guitar and mando (my primary players) which both sound best to me with T-shell.

I have a couple other guitars that sound crappy with T-shell. One seems best with a Fender Heavy (even better if it's a vintage 70's Fender pick); the other with almost any celluloid pick in the 1.5 gauge range.

You just don't know what a hunk of wood will react best to, nor what pick style and material will feel best.
Once you find a material you like... then you have to deal with, 'Do I want a sharp point? Rounded point?'

Try 'em all and you'll find your Happy Place sooner or later.

Be thankful you don't play violin.

Serious violinists will pay thousands for A bow...YMMV

I was using DAWGS- [pretty good pick] and I took a Mando class at Davis & Elkins Summer Augusta programs. Students had Blue Chips in an assortment of sizes. When I got home at the end of the week I ordered the Blue Chip. Pricey? YA- but if you are a hacking mando picker- anything helps. The B.C. helped a LOT!

At this stage of my mandolin playing (early beginner) it's not the quality of my pick that is restricting me. Maybe it will be someday.

Picks make a huge difference, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Most people will play with better tone and volume with a thicker pick (i.e., 1.2-1.5mm). Shape and size may depend on individual taste or hand size. Material makes a difference too -- tortoise has a combination of flex and hardness that gives it a great sound (IMO). Synthetics try to approximate that -- nylon and delrin not so successfully. I like Blue Chip CT55 a lot, for shape and size. It is a little soft and has no pick noise or friction noise at all, which oddly I miss. Casein gives similar tortoise-tone with a bit of the hardness of tortoise, and thus the pick sound (a plus to me). Relatively new, Tone Slabs has a synthetic polymer that is indistinguishable from tortoise. They make it in the CT shape (calling it the FS). I highly recommend Tone Slabs. But of course they are "expensive picks" per the topic here!

Haven't tried enough to have a strong opinion. I did buy a ProPik thumbpick a while back, and I didn't like it nearly as much as my cheap Fred Kelly Delrin picks. So I returned it for a refund.

Since I love Acri's brass fingerpicks, I also bought a somewhat pricey Acri thumbpick, but I found it clunky and awkward.

Someone might have a thumbpick I'd like as much as Kelly's, but I can't imagine liking one more.

I've also read a few posts in other forums from people who like Dunlop Primtone flatpicks as much as they like premium brands. I have some, and they're not bad. (For flatpicks.)

But lots of people rave about their high-end picks. So, bottom line: You can't know whether you'll love a pick till you try it yourself. Or as Chuck Berry so eloquently put it, "C'est la vie say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell!"