Post by iamasound on Apr 2, 2020 10:34:40 GMT -6
I too totally dig Blue Chip picks and all the hubbub about them is spot on, and yea, they NEVER slip out of my fingers but just hang on for dear life. The Vespal material is a high tech plastic polymer that has the interesting ability to seem to self lubricate and remain polished so never gets scratchy, and with something like a guitar pick is a welcome trait. Vespal is used in the aeronautics industry where heat would normally melt and/or burn and retains its ability to maintain shape. The grade that BC uses to fabricate plectrums is actually the lowest grade on the totem pole but still costs a very pretty penny to buy and so translates into a very expensive tool for string players.
Because they are expensive there is actually a used market for folks like John Epstein or anyone else that might buy at full price and either wish to buy a different shape or thickness and feel that they have wasted their money. The $35 picks usually are resold and gobbled up for I believe 25 or 30 bucks. That's how I first tried one out, buying used from a fellow board member at The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum (UMGF). Since they are hard to kill they resale easily.
Another company that I have supported is Charmed Life. It's a small part time outfit run buy a great guy named Scott Memmer who goes out of his way for his customers with top notch customer support. I have bought a bunch of his beautiful casein picks this last year and thoroughly enjoy using them as well. These are not cheap either but to me at least are well worth the outlay for what I have found are the varying tone and nuance of feel that all these cool picks bring to my table. I might use a thicker 60 Blue Chip (1.5mm) right after I change strings for instance on my D-18 to cut down on the glare until the strings settle in and then switch over to a 1.15 Charmed Life or the 40 (1.0mm) Blue Chip. It's been fun. I never would in my life guessed that the 5 guitar picks in my pocket would cost $185, but what the heck, if these little suckers enhance my playing experience then I'm a happy camper.
At the top is an old tortoise that came with an old beat up mandolin that someone gave me. I gifted out the mando but kept the pick. It brings life a special vibrancy to any guitar I use it on. Then come the three Blue Chips. Then come three Charmed Life. I keep those German Hense picks around for kicks.
Because they are expensive there is actually a used market for folks like John Epstein or anyone else that might buy at full price and either wish to buy a different shape or thickness and feel that they have wasted their money. The $35 picks usually are resold and gobbled up for I believe 25 or 30 bucks. That's how I first tried one out, buying used from a fellow board member at The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum (UMGF). Since they are hard to kill they resale easily.
Another company that I have supported is Charmed Life. It's a small part time outfit run buy a great guy named Scott Memmer who goes out of his way for his customers with top notch customer support. I have bought a bunch of his beautiful casein picks this last year and thoroughly enjoy using them as well. These are not cheap either but to me at least are well worth the outlay for what I have found are the varying tone and nuance of feel that all these cool picks bring to my table. I might use a thicker 60 Blue Chip (1.5mm) right after I change strings for instance on my D-18 to cut down on the glare until the strings settle in and then switch over to a 1.15 Charmed Life or the 40 (1.0mm) Blue Chip. It's been fun. I never would in my life guessed that the 5 guitar picks in my pocket would cost $185, but what the heck, if these little suckers enhance my playing experience then I'm a happy camper.
At the top is an old tortoise that came with an old beat up mandolin that someone gave me. I gifted out the mando but kept the pick. It brings life a special vibrancy to any guitar I use it on. Then come the three Blue Chips. Then come three Charmed Life. I keep those German Hense picks around for kicks.
