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[QUOTE=Woody Sound;1460508]Pleas educate me about why they're great, I'd like to try one. And if a right handed person uses a motion similar to Benson picking, (pick pointed slightly upward instead of downward), Do you think the left hand bevel would work better? I've been using 2 different thichnesses of EB Tortex for many years.[/QUOTE
They're pretty much indestructible, so consistent in terms of how they feel. Unlike picks that wear and get scratchy sounding. Also, they tend to stay put in your fingers once warmed up, lending themselves to a relaxed grip.
In terms of the left hand bevel, seems like, but I'll let someone with more knowledge, i.e., someone who uses both Benson picking and a beveled pick, respond with more authority. FWIW, I don't like asymmetrically beveled picks. My BC picks have what they call a "round bevel." They are evenly beveled around the entire perimeter.
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04-24-2026 08:15 PM
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Post a picture of your hand holding a pick in the position you play and we can probably tell you better.
Originally Posted by Woody Sound
If the side of the pick towards the fretboard is angled upward, then you'd want a LH bevel. If it's angled downward, then you'd want a RH bevel. You can also contact the people at Bluechip and ask them to be sure. You can always exchange it within a period of time if you select the wrong one.Last edited by Freddels; 04-25-2026 at 07:59 AM.
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I have 2, they are amazingly great, but I’m afraid to carry them around, at $40 each. Also just picked up a couple of Dugains for a similar price… pieces of art and fun to play (2.5 mm thick!)
For the money, I still think Proplecs and Ultex Jazz III’s are the bees knees, along with Fender mediums and heavies.
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The bottom line is that they sound fantastic. And the difference in the voice between 40, 60 and now I’ve just tried 50 thickness is like getting new sets of Pick Ups. I use different thicknesses, all Jazz usually large, sometimes small with different guitars and sometimes more than one on the same guitar depending on the tone I want.They glide effortlessly so you can use a thicker pick than you might if you were just going for speed. And I do pick with a benson tilt and it works great without changing the position of the pic. It helps that ever since I was a kid I’ve been obsessive about not losing pics even when they were for free. If that weren’t so I couldn’t gig with them. But I do all the time. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
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In the EU After shipping they are over 65 bucks US a pop. Im not that intriuged.
I dont lose a lot of picks but I do misplace them.
A 65 dollar pick would be the first one to vanish and Id go nuts hunting for it.
They need to install GPS chips in them.
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Edit: I meant Dunlop Tortex. Momentary brain flatulence. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
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I've been using Blue Chip picks for well over a decade, and have never lost one. People who use cheap picks and lose them probably just don't care about the picks and don't bother to pay much attention to them. IME the pick has more effect on tone than almost anything else, and also affects my ability to play phrases properly. I just don't have a strong fear of paying extra money for them. But it's my money, and everyone is free to spend their own money as they see fit. I go through lots of strings, and while my current preference is for a set that costs $10, that's because I prefer their sound, not because they're cheap. One set of TI strings with shipping costs as much, or more, than a Blue Chip pick. The pick lasts much longer than the strings.
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1,000% Originally Posted by sgosnell
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This is especially true when you think about your pick as having the same function as a violinist's bow. It's your connection between your hand and the strings. Originally Posted by sgosnell
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I'm just not that intrigued and don't think my tone would improve 19,900% over my $.025 Fender Extra Heavy 358 that I've had for 25 years and any minute tonal difference, I could probably dial in with my amp. Been playing for 66 years and never been a 'tone chaser' - I've always tried to sound like me and have been fairly successful at it and have never been fired because someone didn't like my tone. Enjoy 'em if ya got 'em.
Price difference: $50 (Blue Chip) minus $.025 (Fender 358) = $49.75 difference
Divide 49.75/0.025 = 199
Convert to percentage: 199 x 100 = 19,900%
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I have several picks made of casein including a Hense teardrop (a la Fender 347), a D'Addario 351 and two John Pearse. I would not say that they have revolutionized my playing, but they sound nice. Of those four, the D'Addario is my least favorite and the Hense is my most favorite. This is simply due to shape. Sound between them is pretty similar compared to picks made from other material. Casein picks are all expensive, the Pearse are the cheapest.
The D'Andrea Pro Plec 358 has been my standard pick for many years and always seems to be the one that I go back to. Although I find myself liking a Fender heavy 347 more than I remember.Last edited by Cunamara; 04-29-2026 at 11:02 PM.
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I'm satisfied with Pickboy Picks, which are made of Celluoid. The only trouble I have with them is that they lose their point after a couple of weeks.
The AI on Amazon said that you can shape them with sandpaper. Has anyone tried this? Does it wind up altering their tone at all?
TIA
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You can shape them w sandpaper but it'll alter the shape of the pick slightly and you'll need to polish where you sand or it'll drag against the strings. You can finish-polish picks by dragging the edge firmly across carpeting, but you should use a fine sandpaper before this step. Originally Posted by sgcim
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Altering the shape and/or the bevel will almost certainly change the sound. For better or for worse, it's impossible to say, but it will be different. How much different? Again impossible to say. With a $0.25 pick, who cares?
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In my pick search so far I like the John Petrucci primetone but Ive found that I need to dull the pick a little.
When I dull a pick I use the blocks women use for their fingernails. When Im done with the super light grit on that I hit it with a buffer. It takes about no time.
I like the Pickboy tortise classics too but if I buy more of those I will probably cut the rear to make it a jazz III size.
I cant say what it is but something about the Pickboy celluloid just feels better than Fender's. Im not using their sharper picks so its not a problem.
Ive not tried to sharpen a pick. From my limited experience its tricky getting it right to dull one. Once you start trying to sharpen one you have all sorts of angles to deal with. Getting repeatable results could be difficult.
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I never got all the angst about buying a Blue Chip pick if for no other reason,they have a generous 30 day return policy to send the pick back and all it is going to cost you is the return postage if you don't like it.
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The one I use are $21.99 for a pack of ten. That's half a day's pay! Originally Posted by sgosnell
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Yeah, I was pulling Skip's chain a little. He might not know that the prices have gone up on all picks in the past 25 years.
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In my case it's not just the cost but the possibility of losing it. Originally Posted by nyc chaz
That said I'd like to try one to see what all the fuss is about.
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Were they awarded a patent? - because the material they make their pick out of is not proprietary as they claim, Dupont is the patent owner: DuPont™Vespel®SCP-5050 grade resin.
Polyimide is a thermoplastic very similar to polyamide, a.k.a., nylon, so call me skeptical that this $40 pick is any better than an inexpensive nylon pick, the placebo effect may be operational here.
"Polyimide is generally more expensive compared to polyamide due to its advanced properties and specialized manufacturing processes. Polyamide, being more cost-effective, is often chosen for applications where a balance between performance and cost is essential."
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I have the BC Jazz LG 50. Runs 1.25mm. Larger than the Jazz III.
Used to have the BC Jazz 80, 2mm. Was too dark, and I didn't like how chords felt. Gave it to another guitarist as a present.
Love my pick, had it for 4 years. I notice that my picking technique got better with the BlueChip. Even when I play with normal picks, my technique is better.
Some folks buy expensive picks. Some folks buy expensive guitars. Some folks buy both. Shouldn't be an issue, but the internet is a beast.
Piece of advice. They make a leather keychain holder for the picks. I think they still sell them through the same website. Get one! Helped me hold on to my pick without losing the damn thing.
Welcome to the world of BlueChips. May the odds forever be in your favor... or something.
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They say it is a patented material, but that's all. They don't actually claim that they hold it. Originally Posted by Mick-7
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Other companies like Charmed Life make vespel picks but Blue Chip i believe has a patent on the color they use.
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Here's a good pick guide: Complete Guide to Guitar Picks | HubGuitar
The torlon picks sound interesting: Torlon Apex Guitar Pick, 1.0mm
And the peek plastic picks are only $5 for a 3-pack: PEEK Plastic Standard Guitar Picks, Medium Gauge - Beige, 3-pack
On their website they say their picks are "one of a kind," but right now, two other companies sell picks made out of Vespel. Here's a guy who makes his own: DIY Vespel Picks : DIY Fever – Building my own guitars, amps and pedals Originally Posted by Woody Sound
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I hear you, though most picks are actually only worth the $.025 – whereas $40.00 for a Blue Chip is a fair price IME. Originally Posted by Skip Ellis
The tone or feel of a Blue Chip is not something you can EQ in or out with an amp, no more than you can EQ in or out the unique tones of Thomastik flats if your guitar is strung with Ernie Ball Slinkys.
Playing for 66 years as you mentioned, there are likely not many more ‘game changers’ that you would expect to have, but in all sincerity a Blue Chip could easily be one of them.
I do use other picks (Primetone and Ultex III) but not if I can help it. And to comment as others have, for some reason, you just do not lose a $40 pick as you would other picks.
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